Ex Marvel Editor Offer Comics Creating Courses, Career Services

[Mwynn]

http://www.comicsexperience.com/

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=136682

[Ian Ascher]

I'd do this in a heartbeat if I could afford to drop that kind of money on a six week class.

[paul brian deberry]

Brooklyn!? I thought (hoping) he was offering online classes.... Maybe it'll happen down the road?

[Scott Story]

I'm probably wrong, but I don't think these classes will make or break a comic career. You have to be somewhat talented and very lucky, and even then it's who you know.

In other words, you can buy all the books and training you want, but you can't buy talent.

[Scribbly]

Ex Marvel Editor Offer Talent Creating Courses, Career Services ....




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[Wayne Drake]

i appreciate his intentions. but i think i can get by by self-publishing and keep self-teaching myself + being super-nice. It's not much but guess who else is self-taught? couple of my heroes; Bruce Timm and Eric Powell.

[Scott Story]

Indeed.

I think this could help some people who just need that teacher-student relationship to learn. If he can really deliver, the prices aren't too bad.

Some people are self-starters and self-educators. In fact, I'd say the majority of comic creators are, because I think this career attracts creative mavericks.

I don't blame this guy for trying--he sees a need and is trying to fill it. That's the good ol' American entrepaneurial way, eh? I look at all the art books published about comics, and I know there must be a demand. I just sometimes wonder if the industry servicing would be comic makers isn't bigger than the domestic comic market.

[crozonia]

There some substance to the writing class. The artist class is kinda sketchy... It should be retitled, how to deal with an editor or art director as an artist.
The price is way too much. I mean, can't you go to an applied arts college course where there's technology or machinery involved and get 10 classes for that type of money?

[nwspencer]

While there are plenty of classes and books out there on the CRAFT of writing comics, I think Andy is really on to something here, in that it seems to be focusing just as much on networking, working with publishers, and inside industry tips.

While it's true that self-publishing and being nice is the way to go, it IS getting to a point where there are hundreds (thousands in SDCC's case) of guys at cons with self-published books being really friendly. And I'm sure Andy has a lot of good ideas for how to break through all that. I mean, most classes usually come from a writer's perspective-- but really, we all kinda need to know what EDITORS want a bit more.

So, I'm throwing my life into disarray and doing this. I guess it depends on what your long term goal is, and since a big part of mine is to do superhero comics at Marvel and DC, this makes sense for me.

P.S. Since I'm uprooting from Ohio to do this, I'm looking desperately for a place to stay temporarily. If anyone knows of a room or apartment available for sublet, PLEASE PM ME. I don't wanna get scammed on Craig's List...

[Paul Sanderson]

It's worthwhile to an extent, but Scott Story is right re: the overall impact of such a class.

[knockedoutpanzer]

Damn. I read this as comic sex experience. I was all ready to sign up...

[sabba]

i emailed him waiting to see if i get a response.

[Lee Nordling]

I'm all for this for creators who haven't gotten where they want to.

My view is that the biggest hurdle out there for creators in comics today is lack of craft.

Why?

Because most had to teach themselves, and while that's admirable, the reality is that having to teach yourself means you've had to re-invent a million different wheels that are already invented...but not accessible.

Much of what the self-taught creator sorts out is intuitive and not structured in reason and practice.

Since I was self-taught, and have dealt with a couple generations of self-taught creators, I can say that I would've killed for something like SVA when I was coming out of high school. Or even for the opportunity to work in a studio so I could've developed certain skills that I (sometimes) didn't even know I was missing.

I can't say that this course will do all that for any of you or even some of you. It's going to depend on how inciteful the instructor is, or whether the assignments are designed well enough to embed the right things at the right stages.

There are some GREAT story courses out there: the best one, John Truby's story structure class, is on tape (or cd now), and it's pricey...but less than this course on comics.

Here's the big problem with some classes: not all students come in at the same level, so if you're coming in with a higher degree of craft than the other students then you have to wait...or are likely to.

A while back (before I started The Pack), I'd been planning a week-long seminar on comic strips, and the one thing I knew from the beginning was that I should jury the class, meaning that I should require portfolios before signing people up so that I knew everybody was at a stage where what I wanted to teach would be helpful. I'll probably put that back on track again in a year or so.

So, here's my question: how many people here think it's better to teach yourself comics than to enter a well-structured program that will help establish the foundation of a craft of comics writing and/or art?

And before you answer, here's the point of such a program: to give you the tools to accomplish what YOU want to do, rather than to teach you to do what the instructor wants you to do.

--Lee

[thekingofmikes]

When I was in the military I signed up for every class I could. I ended up with a bunch of useless certificates in all kinds of useless subjects... HOWEVER, I did get a good half dozen certificats that have been extreamly helpful when applying for certain jobs I have been interested in... Although most of the classes were extreamly easy, and provided only basic knowledge in the subject, I still have that shinny certificate saying I am proficient in said skill...
Believe it or not, a piece of paper means a world of difference to some employeers.
I think any program of higher learning in a field that interests someone is worth it's wait in gold, if not for the knowledge, then just for that tiny scrap of paper saying you did it... And who knows, you may learn a ton in the process

[Scott Story]

I stand by what I said earlier, but I think there was a time when I would have done this.

One the values I do see in this is networking with fellow up and comers and pros.