THE BOSTON COMICS ROUNDTABLE: a community of comics creators, meeting weekly since 2006.

Tag: Workspace

Spring Classes at the Boston Comics Workspace!

In June 2015, the Boston Comics Roundtable began a new project in collaboration with Whatever Floats Your Boat Studios (media artist Heide Solbrig). launching a new studio space, The Boston Comics Workspace, located near Inman Square in Somerville’s Taza Chocolate Factory building (561 Windsor Street, Studio 306A, Somerville, MA 02143). In this space, we are building a comics community center, encouraging creativity and art production in Boston and would like to invite you to join us.

This spring we will offer courses for comics enthusiasts, 15 and older, with artists/instructors from the Boston area, as well as guest lectures from visiting artists. These courses are great ways to start making comics, continue a practice that you have begun on your own, or get back into comics creation after a while away. Our first classes began in September—and they were met with great enthusiasm. Beginning in March, we are offering two classes at the workspace: Introduction to Comics 1 and Comics Autobiography & Non-fiction Storytelling. Sign up here!

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Introduction to Comics 1: Comics, Cartooning and Storytelling.

Students will learn the fundamentals of cartooning and various approaches to visual storytelling by looking at the work of published cartoonists. Each student will be given the tools to develop their own narratives and begin to establish their own visual style, which they can carry into further comics projects. By the end of the course, each student will have a working knowledge of character creation, page layout, and visual storytelling. Sign up here!

Section 1:
Duration: April 7th to May 26th (Thursdays)
Thursday, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Instructor: John Carvajal, M.F.A

8 week course: $185.00 + $15 materials fee.

John Carvajal is a graduate from The Center for Cartoon Studies. His work has been published in various publications including Compositional Studies and The Cambridge Historian. He has exhibited his work internationally and currently lives in Norwood, MFA. You can see some of his work at jacarvajal.com.

Comics Autobiography & Non-fiction Storytelling: Comics, Graphic Novels & More.

Have you ever wanted to tell your own story in comics form? Do you have an unusual family story, off-kilter philosophical approach to the world, travelogue you’d like to tell in pictures? Are you an artist who would like to see your drawings become a story, a character, or a visual poem? These days autobiographical and journalistic comics are an important and popular new comics genre. Comics artists like Joe Sacco, Alison Bechdel, Guy Delisle, Linda Barry, and many more have invented a new visual language for telling truthful stories about the world. In this class on non-fiction comics storytelling we will look at how some of these innovators built non-fiction worlds while also exploring the ways that comics and autobiography have migrated online on such sites as Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter. Tell your own story and find a platform to present it to the world!

For the first half of the class we will focus on drawing and writing for genre, technique, and story construction, while the second half of the class will focus on students’ own projects with an eye to creating an online presence with your own story world, linked to the Boston Comics Round Table’s other online platforms. This should be a really special course that kicks off Boston’s newest, hottest comics space and educational venue!!! Sign up here!

Section 1:
Duration: April 12th to May 31st (Tuesdays)
Tuesday, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Instructor: Heide Solbrig (Ph.D., M.F.A.)

8 week course: $185.00 + $15 materials fee.

Heide Solbrig is the author of The Dandelion King, a graphic memoir about the 1970’s and has taught media art, film and communication at Wheaton College, Emerson College, Bentley University, UCSD, and SFSU. To see examples of her work, please go to www.dandyking.comand www.hydafloats.com.

March 12, 2016
Taxes for Working Cartoonists with E.J. Barnes

BOSTON COMICS ROUNDTABLE PRESENTS: Taxes for Working Cartoonists with E.J. Barnes

SOMERVILLE, Mass. – Whether it’s most of your income or just a tiny fraction, if you’ve made any money as a freelance cartoonist, comic artist, illustrator, or writer of any kind, you may need to report your income as the proprietor of a business! Join E.J. Barnes on Sunday, March 6 at 2 PM for a discussion of Taxes for Working Cartoonists. Barnes will explain how to include income from freelance comics, illustration work, and writing when filing taxes at the Boston Comics Workspace at 561 Windsor St., Studio 306A, Somerville, MA. Admission will be $5 if you sign up before March 1st and $10 if you sign up starting March 1st. Tickets are available through EventBrite at www.eventbrite.com/e/taxes-for-working-cartoonists-with-ej-barnes-tickets-21989434992.

With years of experience as a cartoonist, illustrator, and publisher of Drowned Town Press, E.J. Barnes is just the person to illuminate this often-harrowing process, which applies not only to cartoonists but freelancers of all sorts. Topics will include: What forms will I need to worry about? What records do I need to keep? Do I need a special ID number or DBA? What is the “Hobby Test”? Do I need to pay my own Social Security taxes? And much more!

About E.J. Barnes
E.J. Barnes became a cartoonist after sixteen years in software engineering, and has since been published in Colonial Comics: New England, 1620-1750, Subcultures, The Greatest of All Time Comics Anthology, several Boston Comics Roundtable anthologies, and various other publications. She has been filing her own 1040 with Schedule C since 2006. She is not a tax attorney or an accountant.

About Boston Comics Roundtable
The Boston Comics Roundtable is a community of independent comics artists and writers based in the Greater Boston area, acting as a resource for local creators. We encourage development and collaboration and welcome anyone interested in creating or publishing comics, at all ages and levels of experience. Our weekly meetings revolve around discussions of news in comics, showing of members’ work, and the professional development of everyone involved.

Facebook Event.

Calendar Event.

February 22, 2016
January Comics Courses at the Boston Comics Workspace

This past June, the Boston Comics Roundtable began a new project in collaboration with Whatever Floats Your Boat Studios (media artist Heide Solbrig): launching a new studio space, the Boston Comics Workspace, located near Inman Square in Somerville’s Taza Chocolate Factory building (561 Windsor Street, Studio 306A, Somerville, MA 02143). In this space, we are building a comics community center, encouraging creativity and art production in Boston, and would like to invite you to join us.

This winter we will offer courses for comics enthusiasts, 15 and older, with artists/instructors from the Boston area, as well as guest lectures from visiting artists. These courses are great ways to start making comics, continue a practice that you have begun on your own, or get back into comics creation after a while away. Our first classes began in September—and they were met with great enthusiasm. Beginning in January, we are offering two new classes at the workspace: Introduction to Comics 1 and Comics Autobiography & Non-fiction Storytelling. The courses will be 8 weeks and offered at the low price of $185 plus the cost of materials. For more information, please see the course descriptions below.

To sign up, or to find more information, please visit http://bostoncomics.com/education. Also feel free to contact our Education Coordinator Heide Solbrig at education@bostoncomicsroundtable.com.

Introduction to Comics 1: Comics, Cartooning and Storytelling.

Students will learn the fundamentals of cartooning and various approaches to visual storytelling by looking at the work of published cartoonists. Each student will be given the tools to develop their own narratives and begin to establish their own visual style, which they can carry into further comics projects. By the end of the course, each student will have a working knowledge of character creation, page layout, and visual storytelling.

Section 1:
Duration: January 14th to March 3rd
Thursday, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Instructor: John Carvajal, M.F.A.

8 week course: $185.00 + $15. Materials fee.
John Carvajal is a graduate from The Center for Cartoon Studies. His work has been
published in various publications including Compositional Studies and The Cambridge Historian. He has exhibited his work internationally and currently lives in Norwood, MA. You can see some of his work at jacarvajal.com.

Comics Autobiography & Non-fiction Storytelling: Comics, Graphic Novels & More.

Have you ever wanted to tell your own story in comics form? Do you have an unusual family story, off-kilter philosophical approach to the world, travelogue you’d like to tell in pictures? Are you an artist who would like to see your drawings become a story, a character, or a visual poem? These days autobiographical and journalistic comics are an important and popular new comics genre. Comics artists like Joe Sacco, Alison Bechdel, Guy Delisle, Linda Barry, and many more have invented a new visual language for telling truthful stories about the world. In this class on non-fiction comics storytelling we will look at how some of these innovators built non-fiction worlds while also exploring the ways that comics and autobiography have migrated online on such sites as Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter. Tell your own story and find a platform to present it to the world!

For the first half of the class we will focus on drawing and writing for genre, technique, and story construction, while the second half of the class will focus on students’ own projects with an eye to creating an online presence with your own story world, linked to the Boston Comics Round Table’s other online platforms. This should be a really special course that kicks off Boston’s newest, hottest comics space and educational venue!!!

Section 1:
Duration: January 12th to March 1st
Tuesday, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Instructor: Heide Solbrig (Ph.D., M.F.A.)

8 week course: $185.00 + $15. Materials fee.
Heide Solbrig is the author of The Dandelion King, a graphic memoir about the 1970’s and has taught media art, film and communication at Wheaton College, Emerson College, Bentley University, UCSD, and SFSU. To see examples of her work, please go to www.dandyking.com and www.hydafloats.com.

Contact Information:
Heide Solbrig
education@bostoncomicsroundtable.com
http://bostoncomics.com/education

December 7, 2015
Comics Winter Solstice Extravaganza: A Holiday Sale!

Comics Winter Solstice Extravaganza: A Holiday Sale!

Please join the Boston Comics Roundtable on Sunday December 13th from 2 to 6 PM for our Comics Winter Solstice Extravaganza. The event will take place at the Boston Comics Workspace, located at 561 Windsor Street, Studio 306, in Somerville. Are you looking for a gift for that special someone? The BCR is here for all of your holiday needs! Anthologies will be available for sale at a special discount. There will also be ample work from our members. We will have light refreshments and goodies for sampling plus plenty of fun games and stimulating conversation to be had. Come celebrate the winter season with us! We hope to see you there.

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Facebook Event.

November 24, 2015
24-Hour Comics Day 2015

BOSTON COMICS ROUNDTABLE PRESENTS: 24-Hour Comics Day

This year’s 24-Hour Comics Day will take place on Saturday October 3rd, marking the annual attempt of comic artists worldwide to create and complete a 24-page comic in 24 consecutive hours. Pioneered by artist Scott McCloud, the project is a fun and exciting challenge to the creative process! This year the Boston Comics Roundtable will be hosting a 24-Hour Comics Day community event at the new Boston Comics Workspace located at 561 Windsor Street, Studio 306, Somerville, MA.

For interested artists, we will be providing a comfortable place to work as well as food, refreshments, and good, diligent company to commiserate with throughout the 24-hour period, all for the low price of $24 (that’s only a dollar a page!). Additionally, admission includes one printed and stapled copy of your finished comic. Beginning at 12:00 PM on the 3rd, the event will continue until 12:00 PM on the 4th. Space is limited so we will be reserving spots on a first-come first-serve basis. If you are interested, please see our event page at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/24-hour-comics-bcr-tickets-18566829888.

We hope to see you on the 3rd! Should you have any questions about the event, please do not hesitate to contact us.

When: Saturday October 3rd at 12:00 PM
Where: 561 Windsor Street, Studio 306, Somerville, MA
Admission: $24

Facebook Event.
Google Event.

Contact Information:
Olivia Li
olivia@lovianart.com
www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com

September 13, 2015
Creator Talks: Levon Gyulkhasyan

BOSTON COMICS ROUNDTABLE PRESENTS: Creator Talks, with Levon Gyulkhasyan on Jumbo Comics, A Tool for Building Communities

The Boston Comics Roundtable’s Creator Talk series will continue on Sunday September 20th with artist Levon Gyulkhasyan discussing the use of giant comic strips in public spaces. Held at the new Boston Comics Workspace at 561 Windsor St., Studio 306, the event is free and open to the public, though a suggested donation of $5 is welcome. The talk will begin at 2:00 pm and is sponsored by Ninth Art Press.

Comics need not only be on the page. There is a new dimension of comics in which giant comic strips are installed in public spaces. One such initiative, Jumbo Loop Comics, was spearheaded in part by Gyulkhasan and resulted in installations in many locations in Armenia and France. The large panels feature life size characters and act to engage those who behold them, giving a sense of involvement in the plot. The project also made paint and brushes accessible, encouraging passersby to color the strip and thereby become a participant, spreading awareness and enjoyment of comics. The giant strip can be wrapped around trees or poles, forming a ring, where the end of the story logically continues to the beginning, making it a never ending story.

Gyulkhasyan’s talk will cover the creation of these jumbo comics and how it affects communities, focusing on the process and challenges one may face.

About Levon Gyulkhasyan
One of the activists of comics development in Armenia, Gyulkhasyan was involved in works of the French Association pour la promotion de la bande dessinée en Arménie and a participant of exhibitions, workshops, and anthologies. In a team, he took part in 24-hour comics in Angouleme, France, which he then introduced in Armenia. He also was an initiator of Jumbo Loop Comics, seven of which were installed in public spaces in Armenia and France. With friends, Gyulkhasyan launched weekly comics making workshops using constraint as a means of advancing comic creation. After moving to the United States, he continues this activity in Boston.

When: Sunday September 20th at 2:00 PM

Where: 561 Windsor St., Studio 306, Somerville, MA

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Google Event.

September 9, 2015