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Comics Are Great! 109

Photographers got it easy, right? All they have to do to tell their stories is point their magic box at their subject and hit click. Cartoonists, on the other hand, have to create the reality of their work from scratch. Surely photographers have zero insights to offer cartoonists.

Of course we know that’s a bunch of troll talk. So this time I’ll be joined by photographer and designer Peter Baker. Together we’ll talk about how cartoonists might benefit from looking at how photographers tell stories through their medium.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting the links!):

Book Recommendations:

Live streams at Comicsaregreat.tv and on Google+!

This episode was recorded live at the Ann Arbor District Library.

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Comics Are Great! 108

We’re continuing our tradition of closing out the year with Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier of The Comics Bakery. Join us for a rapid round of book talks on some of our favorite comics, which you can use as your last-minute holiday gift guide!

And check out the book talks we did last year!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting the links!):

Book Recommendations:

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Comics Are Great! 107 - Animals Doing People Things

Anthropomorphic comics characters have enjoyed a wide appeal almost since the invention of the comic. Who doesn’t love Snoopy? Characters like Garfield have inspired an entire generation of professional cartoonists. Even the critically-acclaimed Maus featured talking animal characters.

So what is it about “animals doing people things” that’s so compelling? Why are we so willing to invest in a character whose design is so defiantly absurd and unrealistic?

I’m joined by John Green , co-creator of the Teen Boat! graphic novels and creator of the upcoming Hippopotamister, published by First Second Books. Together we unlock the secret powers held within “funny animal characters.”

We’re also joined by Anne Drozd of the Ann Arbor District Library for another round of book recommendations!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting the links!):

Book Recommendations:

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Comics Are Great! 105 - Banned Books

Join us for a discussion on Banned Books Week with David Carter, Librarian at the University of Michigan’s Comics and Video Game Archive. Together we explore censorship in comics and ways we can better advocate for our medium.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting the links!):

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Comics Are Great! 106 - Talent or Effort?

It’s time to unbox the age-old question of Talent vs. Effort on Comics Are Great!

How does your comics work change when you shift your focus from “expressing yourself” to “putting in the effort?” Are these terms mutually exclusive, or does the focus oscillate between those poles throughout the project? If so, how do you know when it’s time to change your focus?

I’m joined by Zack Giallongo, cartoonist behind Broxo, Star Wars: Ewoks: Shadows of Endor, and the Stratford Zoo Midnight Review series. Together we explore how a career in cartooning is equal parts creative expression and herculean effort, and how one finds balance between the two.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting the links!):

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Comics Are Great! 90 – Why are all of the Cartoonists on Tumblr?

There are more ways than ever to share our work with our intended audience. Some solutions are as simple as pushing a button, while others may require a little bit of technical know-how.

But how do you find the hosting/publishing/social media solution that connects you to the right readers? Do you use them all? Or is there a value in investing in the culture of a smaller set?

How do the cultures of sites like DeviantArt, Tumblr, Reddit, or Smack Jeeves affect the way the audience interacts with our work, and how might that help us find the right solution and find the right audience?

And why have so many visual artists turned to Tumblr, anyway?

I’m joined by a group of young artists who will help me unravel these questions on Comics Are Great! 90.

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Comics Are Great! 102 – You Got Your Cosplay in My Comic! with Rachel Ashley-Lovelace

Whatever your stance on cosplay, one can’t deny that it’s an active arena in fan participation with media. Is it simply a distracting branch that interferes with the “pure” transactions between fans and creators? Or is it a means for fans to enrich their participation with the creations themselves? When fandoms form around a creation, how should a creator respond?

This time I’m joined by Rachel Ashley-Lovelace for a discussion on the culture of fandoms and cosplay and how they might coexist with the creative forces that inform them.

AADL Production Librarian Anne Drozd also drops by for another round of book recommendations!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting the links!):

Comics and Book Recommendations:

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Comics Are Great! 101 – Kids v. Adults with Gregg Schigiel and Connor

We grown-up cartoonists think we know what kids are and aren’t picking up on in our work. After all, we were kids once! But memory can be fickle testimony, so in the next Comics Are Great! I’ll be joined by 12-year-old cartoonist Connor to talk about what he perceives to be the anatomy of a good story for kids.

I’ll also be joined by Gregg Schigiel, creator of PIX: One Weirdest Weekend, artist on Spongebob Comics, and host of the Stuff Said podcast.

If you haven’t seen Gregg and Connor in action, they led some events at the 2014 Kids Read Comics festival in Ann Arbor, MI. You can see their banter during the Kids Comics Award show held that weekend here.
Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting the links!):

Comics and Book Recommendations:

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Comics Are Great! 99 – Code of Hero, with Jamie Gambell

This time I’m joined by Jamie Gambell, writer of The Hero Code, for a discussion on the various channels available to us when publishing our comics independently. With so many options like Kickstarter, Comixology, IndyPlanet, Patreon, and publishing on the web, how do you find the right option for your comic?

David Carter, Programming Librarian at the University of Michigan’s Computer and Video Game Archive, also stops by to share some exciting announcements about the Kid’s Read Comics pre-conference for educators, librarians, and cartoonists.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting the links!):

Comics and book recommendations:

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Comics Are Great! 98 – The Performance Cartoonist, with Mark Mariano

We all know that making the work is only half of the battle facing an author or cartoonist these days. Once the work is done you have to market the work, and for many of us this means posting to social media, email lists, making YouTube trailers, and hitting the convention circuits. For many of us this can be an unpleasant part of the deal that comes with being an author.

But how might our thinking change if we think of ourselves as an author/performer? On this episode I’m joined by Mark Mariano, kids’ author of The Other Side of Hugless Hill, and member of the rock band The O>Matics, for a discussion on how advocacy can be a fun way to reach out to potential fans and spread awareness of your work.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting the links!):

Comics and Book Recommendations:

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