Set in a world of iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, this gothic horror mystery tells the story of Jasper Morello, a disgraced aerial navigator who flees his Plague-ridden home on a desperate voyage to redeem himself. The chance discovery of an abandoned dirigible leads Jasper through unchartered waters to an island on which lives a terrifying creature that may be the cure for the Plague. The journey back to civilization is filled with horrors but in a shocking climax, Jasper discovers that the greatest horror of all lies within man himself.

I stumbled upon this animated short film (The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello) for the first time nearly two years ago via Coilhouse. When I first watched it I knew that I would one day put together a section on Carmine Magazine called “Animation Celebration” and I would kick it off with this film. It’s gorgeous, tragic and thought provoking.

Official Website
Jasper Morello on IMDB
Buy it on DVD

© Kurt Halsey

A poet is an unhappy being whose heart is torn by secret sufferings, but whose lips are so strangely formed that when the sighs and the cries escape them, they sound like beautiful music… and then people crowd about the poet and say to him: “Sing for us soon again;” that is as much as to say, “May new sufferings torment your soul.”
– Søren Kierkegaard

When I was eighteen years old I was a poet and an artist. This wasn’t my profession, I was driven to write and create by the same force that drove me to draw air into my lungs. I haven’t written a poem in about four years now, but when I was writing I churned out close to 250 poems in just a few years. Writing was my therapy, my way of quietly communicating the ideas I wanted to shout out loud. Much of it was typically angst filled, but that made the medium no less powerful to me and the way I grew though them no less effective.

Though I enjoyed the finished product of many of my poems, the process was quite painful for me. Each poem was born out of dark periods in my life, struggles, conflicts and soul searching. The reason I haven’t written in years is because I am finally happy with my life, no longer tormented with the angst and depression that defined my younger days. When I first came across this quote from Kierkegaard at eighteen I was astounded. He was able to put into words the exact feelings I had towards writing, towards creating in general.

After a year or so I forgot the Kierkegaard quote, lost on a scrap of paper in an old apartment most likely. That is until this afternoon. I visited the newly redesigned Kurt Halsey website and came across a blog post from Kurt that brought the quote rushing back into my memory. In his post (simply titled “A home for ghosts.“) Kurt talks about the differences between creating in art school which allowed him to make mistakes without thinking twice about the way that messing up a piece would effect other people, he simply used these mistakes to grow as an artist. Then in shared studio spaces with other artists, some of whom were good friends and others were quite full of themselves. Now he creates in his own home where he struggles to separate his work, his commitments, his creative mojo and the space that he needs for relaxation and escape.

It seems that many of the artists I know or have come across in recent months have been struggling with the demons their creative gifts bring along. When you depend on your creativity to pay your bills it can make those inner demons shout even louder. Every brush stroke, every line, every word you put on the paper can seem terribly hideous in your eyes. Then your paint mixing skills take an unwelcome vacation when you’re trying to finish a piece on a quickly approaching deadline. Sometimes being an artist can be really lonely. There are days when you would like nothing more than to never see a piece of your own work ever again.

Then you take a break. You leave the studio, go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee and sit down to people watch for a few hours in an area you don’t frequent very often. You breathe, you think and you wait. Eventually your creativity comes swaggering back into your life. It might take a few hours, a few days, months or perhaps even years, but it does come back. If you’re an artist at any career level you know that deep down inside you. You know that at some point you’ll begin to hear that nagging, tiny voice inside you call to you and demand your attention.

When it comes back it’s never the same, we progress, we change and we grow. Our creativity is no different. You might find after a break that you can no longer do some of the things that used to be second nature to you, things that you now have to work at and sometimes you find new talents have been added to your bag of tricks.

When things get rough take a break, even just for an hour or two. Try a different medium, if you normally use oil paints switch to watercolor or chacoal for a couple of days. Whenever I get creatively restless or blocked I switch between colored pencils, black ink pens, watercolors, acrylics and writing. It’s a constant battle to keep my wits about me when creating, I’m always learning new things and for the most part my work is always progressing. Keep at it, don’t give up and don’t let the waves of doubt you may have discourage you. You may never reach your creative goals, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth pursuing.

2009 has been quite the intense year for me thus far. I moved, I am still in the middle of starting another business and I put Carmine Magazine on the backburner. I can’t promise you that I’ve reclaimed this magazine from the backburner, but I do want to still keep it as current as possible.

We’re going to be going through a number of big changes on the site here in the coming months. I have interviews that have been in the posting queue for months and I apologize for that. I haven’t forgotten about you! Life just got in the way for a while. We’ve kicked off these changes with a new layout (pictured above) which is more graphic intesive and fits the focus of Carmine much more than past layouts. I’ve rearranged the sidebar and changed the way we display our ads.

In the coming months look forward to the About and Advertise pages to be rewritten. The future will bring less artist interviews and more actual content. You can also look forward to a page with information on our writers, more artist promotions, more art news, more articles, a few more tutorials, a new semi-regular feature I’ve been dying to put together for months, and hopefully lots of material to keep your inspired and informed.

Interested in writing an article for us? Have a tutorial you’ve been dying to write or share with the world? Feel like pimping out your collection of artwork or webstore? Drop us a line: carminemag@gmail.com We will take a look at your ideas and give you a real chance to get your work out there to our readers.

Want to pimp your art website in the form of a small ad on Carmine Magazine? Check out our advertising page and drop us a line.

Feel like pimping out Carmine Magazine on your blog? We have a banner created by Red Nails; Wrong City:

Be sure to link it back to http://www.carminemag.com !

I look forward to spending more time with this site and with you, our readers.

Jami Lee Rosa

In December of 2008 I interviewed an artist named Melody Pilotte twice. The first time I interviewed her about her artwork a collection of watercolors and sketches that are joyful, a little mystical and awesome all around. The second time I interviewed her we talked about her work with the incredibly important charity organization RAINN the Rape Abuse Incest National Network here in the United States.

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline at rainn.org, and publicizes the hotline’s free, confidential services; educates the public about sexual assault; and leads national efforts to prevent sexual assault, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.

This morning I received an email from Melody requesting donations to RAINN in Tori Amos’ name:

This month, we celebrate Tori’s 46th birthday and acknowledge all she has done to support RAINN over the past 16 years.
To honor Tori’s birthday, please consider making a $46 gift to RAINN in her name.

Your donation will enable 13 victims of sexual assault to receive the support that they need and deserve – in Tori’s honor.

Please grant Tori her birthday wish and help more victims to take their first step toward recovery today.

Donate today at donate.rainn.org

Please, if you have a chance this month, or at anytime, make a donation to this incredibly important charity organization. Even if you cannot spare the asked for $46 donation, please make as much of a donation as you can.

Some statistics from RAINN’s website:

1 in 5 women -and 1 in 33 men- will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

College age women are4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.

In 2007, there were 248,300 victims of sexual assault.

Every 2 minutes someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.

60% of sexual assaultes are not reported to the police.

Reporting has increased by 1/3 since 1993.

Approximately 73% of rape victims know their assailants.

Only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail.

With statistics like these you will know someone in your lifetime that has been or will be a victim of sexual assault. Oraganizations like RAINN are helping to decrease that likelyhood and they can use every bit of help that you can give.

For other ways to support RAINN please check out these links:
Donate
Volunteer
Get Information
Search for a Local Crisis Center
National Sexual Assault Online Hotline
Check out their Official Website

(Those of you reading this on Livejournal or through some other RSS feed will need to come to the site in order for this javascript widget to show up for you.)

• Clear the head. This is important. Most artists will admit that when too much is crammed into the brain it tends to push out the creativity and breeds indecision. Show stress who is boss and take a walk . Be a Zen Goddess in the park with paper and pen/brushes. Get AWAY from the workspace.

• Run errands/Do housework. Those mundane chores can be a breather, and can also clear the head. I tend to get a lot of inspiration when I am shopping, or when I am doing the dishes. I also recommend keeping a notebook or a portable art pad with you at all times. I’ve had crazy inspiration in a melting parking lot before in 100 degree heat, but I still whipped out my notebook and jotted down a few ideas, and then scraped the tar off my feet.

• Eat crunchy things. Like crackers or vegetables. Crunchy is fun, and has been said to keep studying students alert. I often will have a handful of crackers to munch on when I am trying to finish a piece. Like now. I have a small stack of vegetables crackers and because of them, I have been able to finish this sentence.

• Play Music! Loud, obnoxious, steady and pulsating or soft and sweet…It’s something I absolutely can’t write without. My father swore that Led Zeppelin was the music to paint to. I tend to listen to what fits the mood. Right now? It’s the Pixies.

• I go to a happy place if I am truly stuck. This isn’t to say that I meditate (which is another option) but I will sit, eyes closed, and mentally go to this special place to try and recall every detail. For example: I recently I took a trip to the Canadian Rockies, and was at a vista near Kananaskis county (somewhat near Banff in Alberta). I was standing at first facing a reservoir, and then as I turned around the view of the valley opened up below me. The snow covered peaks towering around me, and the cool, clean glacial wind lifting my hair was intoxicating. I remembered standing there completely taken with the moment and instantly took a mental snapshot. Thus sealing it in my happy place zone. Recalling the details of that moment and trying to recollect the rocks, the ripples of the water and any sounds that were present always works. My dead creativity process battery is jump started, and I am able to finish what I started.

• Talk to yourself. Sure you might seem completely insane, but at least it keeps intrusive people away from you at the park! Talking a process through helps tremendously. If you would rather keep it in your head, that is up to you. I don’t.  Also If I am completely tapped and all else is failing, I will go to a public place and write about the people around me. More often then not they have been the very subject of the piece I couldn’t figure out. I’ve seen bored artists sketch people on napkins, and then go home and create the masterpiece of all that is man. I’ve had a musician friend jump at me at a bar, when I was mindlessly tapping out a cadence with my fingers on a pint glass, and then proceed to write a song based OFF that rhythm ( I gloated for weeks). Inspiration can be fickle but when it hits, it can burn.

For me personally, it’s the the little things that seem to work. You can’t get blood from stone (It’s a cliche I know, but I love the imagery it conjures) and when you push and push sometimes the end result is a rushed creation, or a bad mood. Most of us have learned to take a step back and give the mind a rest, but sometimes we are so perpetually stuck on fast forward, that its refreshing to take that step back and find ways to unearth the creativity stuck inside. Whether it’s sketching the emo kid next to you, writing about the angry couple at the bus stop, or finding your happy place…it’s all about art. To me? Art is in everything. There is no right, there is no wrong. There is only “create”.  So stop beating yourself up, stop thinking too hard and start creating.

Labuat

The integration of interactive graphic art and music with this flash piece is nearly flawless. The beauty of the song, flowing black cursor, and intermittent graphics reflecting the seemingly poignant lyrics is nothing short of breathtaking. The art evokes the emotion of the song, and you help tell the story as you sweep the cursor across the page using a mouse or touch pad. I found myself sighing happily, dreamily moving the mouse to the beat, and couldn’t help but look up the lyrics later after multiple viewings (for those interested). It’s actually a love song.

I myself would love to go into more depth about this site and about the creators  but I am unfortunately not fluent in Spanish. Google translator can only be so helpful, and I was barely able to piece together a general summary of the project. The song appears to be the single “Soy tu Aire” from Spain by the artist “Laubat” and this animation could very well be the new hailed modern version of a music video, with less super models and more creativity.

Herraiz Soto and Co also took their art one step further and brought it to the streets of Barcelona.  Armed with a projector, a Macbook and a Wii  they set up outside a building so that people on the street could literally “paint in the air” with brick as their backdrop. The result is here:

Labuat – Pintar una canción en el aire from Herraiz Soto on Vimeo.

I hope we are lucky enough to see more from these designers!

*Super Stealth Edit* The site is also a  recipient of an FWA (Favourite Website Award).

Gavin Hignight is a film and television writer whose credits include Fox Kids’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and numerous short films and screenplays. He is also the author of the novel Sweater Party, and has contributed to magazines such as Geek, and L’uomo Vogue. Motor City is his first comic book series.
Jetilla Lewis is an illustrator and designer whose work has appeared in American Junior, and throughout independent comic festivals and at Comic Con International. She counts Koshun Takami, Matsuri Akino, and J. D. Huxtable among her inspirations. Motor City is her first graphic novel.

Carmine Magazine: For the readers who are not familiar with Motor City, can you please describe it?
Gavin Hignight: Motor City is a graphic novel somewhere between Japanese style Manga and American style comic books. It’s a mix of retro, horror, and a coming of age story. It follows Lexi, the youngest member of a 1950s era human street gang trying to defend their turf from all kinds of monsters.
Jettila Lewis: Motor City is a unique comic. It’s like classic horror with a bit of a modern twist.
You know those movies about the 50’s with the neighborhood of trouble makers and gangs? Picture that with ghouls and monsters! It’s pretty neat!

CM: Why did you decide to work on a comic book? Has it been as fun as you had hoped?
GH: After writing tons of scripts, trying to sell ideas in Hollywood, etc… I got frustrated. I just wanted to tell the kinds of stories that were floating around in my head. The medium didn’t matter. I was doing some work on the Fox Kids Ninja Turtles cartoon and I started thinking about its roots, about Eastman and Laird, about how awesome the original black and white TMNT comics were. And I thought to myself, I’m gonna do that. I’m gonna tell my story one way or another.
Although I read comics I had never really planned on being a comic guy. But writing it, and with artist Jettila Lewis, finally getting to see these worlds in my head realized in a quality manner, I really grew to like the medium. Now I will always do comics–Hopefully in addition to other mediums. It’s such a great way to write and experiment with ideas I never want to abandon it. The other thing about comics is that they have made me a much better writer of other material. Writing comics forces you to really analyze your dialog, because you don’t have that much room, so what your characters say really has to matter. No space for dribble.
JL: Comic books have always been a major interest of mine. Both reading and drawing them. I decided to take up working on Motor City because before, I’ve only made comics for my own enjoyment. I wanted to take the next step in making illustrating a career.
I’m not sure if the word “fun” would be an appropriate description of the experience, although I did very much enjoy working on it. I saw it more as a learning experience than something “fun” to do.
I had to do research, find reference photos and study things which I’ve never done with the little comics I would make for myself.

CM: What has been the hardest part of working on Motor City? The easiest?
GH: The Hardest… Being the little indie guy. Showing up at comic con and selling 4 books in an entire weekend cause you can’t compete with the multi thousand dollar display that Sci Fi channel has down the isle from the small press indie comic tables. It’s rough, being the little guy, but at the same time it’s nice to be completely in control of the story and product. For me the fun part was telling a story, and making something. That’s all I want to care about, making something cool. When it comes to sales and marketing (which as an Indie you have to do yourself) I’m not as excited about that part. I enjoy the creation, but I also know I have to sell it, no one else will. And we live in a time when people are so visually overrun… needless to say making the book was the easy part (and it wasn’t easy…)
The easiest part of that process… getting Jetti, the illustrator to draw horror images. She loves her ghoul-gore.
JL: For me, the hardest part was finding the right reference photos and getting it right when I drew the pictures. Things like cars and motorcycles. Those were not easy to do because I always stayed away from drawing anything mechanical. Now I am more willing to draw things that are out of my element. I’m trying to expand my drawing abilities.
The easiest part? I don’t want to come across as too sinister, but the easiest parts to draw were all the gory scenes. I’ve always had a thing for shock and horror. My goal when I drew the gore scenes were to make the reader uncomfortable or say “Ew, gross!”

CM: What are some of your favorite comic books series and characters? Do you prefer older or newer comic books?
GH: A huge influence on me for comic books were the 90s Vertigo titles. That’s when I came of age as a comic book fan. I just love when people break stereotypes and experiment or surprise me. So many influences… A few of my favorites off the top of my head… Dragonhead (manga), Monster (manga), Tell me Dark (DC graphic novel), Planetary (Wildstorm), Walking Dead (Image), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I also just finished Road to Perdition and highly recommend it! As for Characters… Death (from Vertigo), The Punisher, Elijah Snow, Captain America, Batman!!
JL: I have very few favorite comic series. My 3 favorite are Batman, Gantz (Hiroya Oku) and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (Hirohiko Araki). I always gravitate toward characters with major flaws and issues. I find it refreshing as well as entertaining.
I don’t care whether or not if a comic is older or current. As long as there’s a great story line with artwork to match, then I think it’s worth reading.

CM: How has the world of comics changed with Hollywood’s current love affair with comic book based movies? Do you think this change is good or bad for the comic industry?
GH: I think it is both good and bad. I touched on a that a little about Comic Con. Being a small fry in this world is tough. Because of post-internet culture, I’m not sure there can ever be another TMNT. Funny thing about technology, it gives you a chance to compete with the big boys, but it also turns you into one of the many voices in the choir trying to be heard
What I now wonder is what will it be like when Hollywood moves on to whatever is next? What will it be like when Hollywood discards comic books like a used up lover? Cause it will happen. When? Who knows? But it will. Always does. Will that be great for comics? I really don’t know.
We’re already watching publishing slowly die. And yet the ideas that have come out of publishing are what mostly feed other visual mediums. Comic books are going to have some tough times ahead… some growing pains.
JL: You know…there used to be a lot of movies based on comic books when I was a kid. And you know what else? They were good! Lately I’ve not been too thrilled with the movie interpretations of a comic story. They are overly hyped and it feels they want to showcase the actors and special effects more than they want to showcase a great story.
However, in the passed year, I’ve noticed comic movie are becoming good again. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it stays this way because there are so many great comic stories out there that would make wonderful films.
The comic industry can only thrive on these Hollywood movies. Even if the movie is bad, people will still go out and buy a comic.

CM: Why did you choose greasers fighting monsters and driving hot rods for Motor City’s theme?
GH: Simple, I love all that stuff!

CM: Which is more challenging for you to draw, the greasers, cars or the monsters? Which is your favorite to draw?
JL: Cars!! Those were so difficult. Classic cars are hard to draw! But It was great learning how to.
At first, I had some problems drawing the pompadours for the greasers, but I learned quickly.
The ghouls were my favorite to draw. I had so many ideas for the different looking ghouls. I hope to draw more gruesome ones in the future.

CM: What does the future hold for Motor City? Where do you hope to see it in five years?
GH: Well, as Indie publishers, it’s hard to say for certain where and when Motor City will go. For now we have to stay focused on promoting and selling volume one. I can say as for the writing, that three volumes have been planned from the start, each focusing on a different classic monster as the villain. We also have a follow up book planned that would take place… after Motor City. But that is all in good time.
JL: In 5 years I hope to see Motor City as a well known indie comic. It’s an interesting story I think more people should get exposed to.

CM: Do you have any upcoming events, projects or announcements to share with our readers?
GH: Yes! Jetti and I are working on a web-comic. We wanted to create something completely different between our work on volumes of Motor City. So while we focus on the promotion of Motor City Vol 1 we can continue to be creating something. That’s the most enjoyable part after all. The web-comic will launch later this year at http://www.theconcreteworld.com.

For more information on the Motor City comic, as well as it’s creators, check out the following links:

Jetilla Lewis‘ Official Blog

]]> http://carminemag.com/2009/03/16/motor-city/feed/ 2 http://carminemag.com/2009/03/15/the-create-a-comic-project/ http://carminemag.com/2009/03/15/the-create-a-comic-project/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:23:23 +0000 Jami Lee Rosa http://carminemag.com/?p=769

Carmine Magazine: For readers that are unfamiliar with The Create a Comic Project, how would you describe it?
The Create a Comic Project: The Create a Comic Project is a youth program that combines art and creative writing to stimulate interest in self-expression among school children. As the name implies, I rely on sequential art – comics – as the primary medium. I’ve designed the project for kids aged 8-12, though I have worked with teens on occasion.

I walk students through the facets of comic creation – page layout, word bubbles, captions, etc. – and introduce basic storytelling techniques. Students create two kids of comics: filling in empty word bubbles on existing comics and original strips with blank panel layouts. The former serves as a guide to the latter; students see how various artists compose their work and gain exposure to the myriad of art styles. Over a hundred different artists have given me permission to use their work for the project, including David Willis (Shortpacked), Erin Ptah (And Shine Heaven Now), Faith Erin Hicks (Ice, Demonology 101), and Kazu Kibuishi (Copper).

Currently, I’m working with the Collegiate YMCA of Pittsburgh and their after-school program to deliver weekly sessions. I’ve held one-shot workshops at several locations, including the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Braddock Carnegie Library, and Human Service Center.

CM: How did this project begin and why was it started?
TCaCP: The Create a Comic Project started out in an overseas classroom. In summer 2005, I was in Taiwan teaching English. The activities in the curriculum focused on spelling and grammar – there weren’t any that explored the creative side of the language. Inspiration came from two sources: the popularity of manga among my students and Yukihime’s Penny Arcade Remix (http://goviolet.com/?page_id=633), which steered me to the idea of using webcomics.

The first comic I used was Okashina Okashi (http://www.strangecandy.net), a pastiche of many of the manga elements my students were fond of. The results were fairly spectacular: my students loved to compete in teams to see who could create the funniest – and most grammatically correct – comics. The place where I worked ended up publishing the activity so other teachers across the island could use it in their own classes.

A few months later, I returned stateside for graduate school in New Haven, CT. The public library needed volunteers and I missed teaching, so I retooled the project into a standalone creative writing and art program. That’s how the project’s been used ever since.

(J. Baird with one of his students during one one of the New Haven Library sessions.)

CM: Why do you feel that his project is important and unique?
TCaCP: It’s important because it bridges two social phenomena: a growing interest in comic books – especially manga – among young people and an increasing need for creative literacy education, as opposed to the ineffective “learn by rote” method so commonly employed.

There’s also the outreach aspect: by making kids aware of how to express themselves through art, they may be more likely to do so when they get older. A big issue in comics today is the relatively small presence of minority creators, so this is my way of helping out a little.

I would love to say it’s the first of its kind to do so, but there have been several other efforts to combine comics and education, such as Michael Bitz’s Comic Book Project (http://www.comicbookproject.org) and a Maryland initiative to use graphic novels in the classroom. Still, comics are largely underrated in American society (a point Scott McCloud makes quite often) and I think there’s a lot of potential uses for them that have yet to be thoroughly explored.

CM: What has been your best experience with this project? And the worst?
TCaCP: My best experience was with one student, “Z.” She attended close to every session at New Haven and was always brimming with ideas. Her mom worked at the library, so we’d meet up in the Children’s Department before and after the sessions, as well, with me serving as a sounding board for her story outlines. She loved making comics so much that she started her own webcomic series, “Moosey Moose and Gosh” (http://www.mooseyandgosh.com). If I can inspire more children like her, I’ll have really accomplished something.

The worst experience is harder to identify. I’ve generally had positive feedback from everyone I’ve worked with and the parents have all been very supportive. If I had to pin down a worse moment, it’d probably be one student I encountered at the Dixwell-Yale Community Learning Center (DYCLC).

I was doing a 4 week workshop there and she entered in one the second week. Far from being interested in the activity, she bothered the other students and made a number of racist remarks aimed at me. I managed to have her barred from the center after that and the remaining two workshops went well. Still, it stings whenever I have to tell a student they can’t participate due to their bad behavior.

Ironically, during those workshops I was also working with kids from a local at-risk juvenile center (basically a high school for troubled teens). None of them gave me any problems at all and some even took to mentoring the younger children.

(This is a picture of “Z” who he mention in the article. It was taken during the second Comic Making Tournament, which is the project’s big annual event.)

CM: How can our readers get involved with the project?
TCaCP: Readers can get involved by taking some time to volunteer! I’ve posted materials on the project’s website they can use to start their own art and writing program. All they need to do is print it out, find a group of kids, and walk them though making a comic or some other art form they’re familiar with.

Another way to help is by making their art available for use in the project. While I mainly use comics, single frame images, such as sketches or paintings, can be adapted. Having an online gallery is important for this. Since the project is educational and not-for-profit, Fair Use applies to everything, but I still like to get permission from people before I use their work.


CM: Do you have any major goals for this project? Anything you would like to see happen in 2009?
TCaCP: I have a few goals I’d love to accomplish. Reaching out to educators is very important to me and I’m exploring ways to bring the project back into the classroom. I have a series of comic project publications (http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=2190513) aimed at educators and parents and I’m hoping to make more material available that way.

Networking with more comic artists is another goal. Conventions are a wonderful place to meet them and a lot of fun to attend. At Otakon 2008, for example, Mookie (Dominic Deegan), Jennie Breeden (Devil’s Panties), Bill Holbrook (Kevin & Kell), Gina Biggs (Red String), and others all approved the use of their art. I’ve been invited to hold a workshop at Pittsburgh’s Tekkoshocon 2009 in April; hopefully I’ll meet some new people there. Gary Tyrrell of Fleen (http://www.fleen.com) deserves credit for being a great help.

And like any good artist, I’m always trying to improve. I’m always scouring the web for more tips on comic making to share with my students. I find the major challenge is balancing theory with practice: too much theory and it becomes a lecture that bores the students, too little theory and the kids can miss concepts that might help them improve their practice. This is similar to the balancing act every teacher in the country faces every day.

(One of the student created comics from the official site.)

CM: Anything else you would like our readers to know and remember about the project?
TCaCP: The Create a Comic Project is something anyone can do – I would really encourage people to try their own version. Find a location where a lot of disadvantaged children gather, such as a library or community center, and start something. Or lend assistance to an existing program. Every child that’s reached is another potential great mind whose spark could be ignited.

Webcomic artists tend to be some of the nicest people around. As soon as I mention my work with children, they haven’t hesitated to lend me their art. Compare this to newspaper comics where, as one person told me, if I tried using them they’d probably serve me with a Cease & Desist. I think this marks a positive generational shift in attention to copyright, in terms of being willing to share one’s intellectual property to help others in need.

The application of comics to learning has only been lightly explored. Reading and writing are both obvious uses, but what about other fields? I’ve used the project to explore health education a couple times now, but I can see comic-based curriculum materials used in things like math and science. I hope others might start thinking about how to accomplish this.

For more information on The Create a Comic Project, please visit the official website: http://ccproject.comicgenesis.com/.

(This was one of the largest sessions he had while at New Haven. It shows how diverse the audience was in that venue.)

(This is from the Dixwell-Yale Community Learning Center. The boy is holding a template based on the webcomic “xkcd.”)

(This is from a workshop he held at Northview Elementary; two groups of about 100 kids each.)

(This shows kids from the YMCA Summer Camp. It’s how he started working with the group.)

(This is from the YMCA After-school Program at Sunnyside Elementary.)

]]> http://carminemag.com/2009/03/15/the-create-a-comic-project/feed/ 2 http://carminemag.com/2009/02/24/less-is-more/ http://carminemag.com/2009/02/24/less-is-more/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:26:45 +0000 agentb http://carminemag.com/?p=728 LESS IS MORE
Or: The Art of Designing Your Own Business Card

(Good example #1)
A business or calling card is an extension of yourself. This is the one bit of you that people have to remember you by. First impressions are important but a lasting impression will get you the business or attention that you desire. It’s a big responsibility, but worry not. The following tips will make designing your business card easier.

Size and Stock
While everyone wants their card to stand out, a card with an obscure size or shape is not the way to do it.

• Half-cards, squares, and die-cuts are eye catching but not practical for a client/associate/fan to store. Half-cards can get lost in the shuffle. Squares and die-cuts rarely fit well into someone’s wallet or business card holder.
• Stick to the standard sizes. The North American standard is 3 1/2 in x 2 in. In parts of Europe it is 85mm x 55mm
• The touch and feel of your card is one of the first things people notice when you hand it to them. Thinner cards may be less expensive but a nice thick stock is almost always noted.

Copy and Layout
This is the most important element of creating an effective card. Your card should be both nice to look at and useful.

• The first thing you want noticed is your name or the name of your company. This should be larger than everything else. You can use a more unique and intricate typestyle as long as it’s legible.
• Only include methods of communication that you will respond to consistently. Consider who you’ll be giving your card to and what kind of info they will actually need.
• Omit things like phone numbers and email addresses unless you actually want people to use them. Once you put something on your card, consider it public information.
• Do include a tagline or small detail about you or your type of business. We don’t need an essay. You should be able to summarize things in a few words.
• Include a website address. If you don’t have one, provide an email address. The internet has given us an endless audience and most of them find it easier to contact someone via the internet.
• Unless they are specifically for your business, keep any MySpace, Facebook, or other personal networking profiles OFF your card.
• No matter what kind of information you decide to include, be sure to keep them all together and in one place. Don’t send a person’s eyes to all corners of the cards searching for different bits of information.

(Bad example #1)

Font & Colors
The possibilities are endless when it comes to design. You can make it as detailed or minimal as you like. When making these decisions, keep the following points in mind.

• Do not use more than two fonts. Most people choose a unique font for the main line of your card. This will be the first thing people look at when they receive your card.
• For the details and contact information, choose a clean, easy to read font. Remember that this is the core information and therefore must be legible.
• Dark backgrounds can be really unique and eye-catching as long as your typestyle is clear and easy to read. Script fonts are rarely a good choice when using darker backgrounds as they tend to be difficult to read.

Motifs/Clipart
If you want to add a motif for a little more style, remember to keep it small, subtle, and relevant. You might really like the look of a shell or guitar but if you’re an illustrator, it doesn’t make your card memorable.

(Good example #2)
Resources
Once you’ve decided what to include in your card, it’s time to find a place to have them made. There are a huge variety of sites and shops that offer quick and affordable business card printing.

• My personal favorite is Moo (www.moo.com). They offer two-sided printing, which can be incredibly useful for artists as we can’t all carry our portfolio in our back pockets. You are able to upload images for the front or back or both. If you don’t need that much control over it, they offer pre-designed templates and images. The card stock is of good quality and your order comes in handy containers in case you don’t have your own holders. Give yourself a bit of time if you decide to order. The company is based in London and getting your cards if you’re in the States can take up to 2 weeks.
• Vista Print (www.vistaprint.com) also offers several options for printing at a reasonable price. Their Premium Business Cards allow you to upload your own image or use one of their pre-designed templates. They also offer printing on the back of the card for an additional fee. Free cards are also available on their pre-designed templates. Note that if you order the free cards, their website info will be printed on the back of the card. The cardstock used for both types of cards is thinner than most but they ship quickly.
  [Ed.'s Note: We've been alerted to the fact that some people have had shifty charges put on their credit cards after dealing with Vista Print. I've ordered from them and not had this problem, but if you are considering going through them check out this link first. If you're turned off by Vista Print, another highly recommended site to check out is Overnight Prints.]

• Posh Betty (http://www.poshbetty.com/pbBizCards.php) is a choice to consider for unique pre-made layouts that look like you spent a hundred years designing. They’re a bit pricier than the two listed above but they use heavy stock and the digital printing is of high quality. Their templates have a fun and retro look to them – just make sure it’s relevant to you and your artistic style if you decide to order.
• Last but certainly not least, your local paperie or stationery shop. They are still out there, I promise. They do this for a living and they can help you put together something truly unique for not much more money than any website can. If graphic design and layouts are not your forte, the personal help they can offer may be worth your time and money.

(Bad example #2)

Agent B of serpenthes.com is a typesetting zombie, font fiend, and stationery pusher extraordinaire. She has designed business cards for artists, authors, editors, musicians, dandies, doctors, lawyers, and other persons of ill repute.

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