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So, I planned a trip around Hero Con in Charlotte this weekend (June 20-22). I wasn’t expecting it, but now I find out that they’re having classes, too! Professors and grad students from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Sequential Art program will be giving classes for comic artists such as composition, digital coloring, and inking. I’m having to rearrange my plans a bit as I was only expecting to go for one day, but it’s an opportunity I can’t pass up. If you live within driving distance to Charlotte check it out! I’ll give a full report next week.
Wow! What a great weekend I spent at Hero Con in Charlotte, NC! This is really a great convention for all fans of mainstream and independent comics. Better yet- for students of comics as an art, I don’t know of another place where you can get over ten hours of free instruction by actual college professors in the art of making comics!
Superhero Anatomy Basics: Tom Lyle went way beyond superheroes and laid out solid foundations for figure drawing.
Mini Comics: David Allan Duncan explained how mini-comics are made and how they can get you started making comics.
Character Design: Chris Schweizer taught a totally awesome class on establishing character in a story, both visually and conceptually.
Computer Coloring for Comics: Nolan Woodard, a former photo retoucher for Nike, explained his Photoshop coloring technique.
Composition and Color for Comic Book Covers: Shawn Crystal went into detail about composition in general, a subject I must have fallen asleep in during my college years.
Comic Book Inking: Veteran Marvel inker Roy Richardson brought 20 years of expertise in inking to the table.
Making Maquettes: John Larison taught another awesome class on sculpting maquettes for film and character reference.
Unless you plan to quit your job and move to Savannah or Vermont, and you want to make comics, I suggest you plan ahead for next year’s convention. If you need another reason to come, the Comics Reporter blogs that Jeff Smith of Bone fame is on tap for next year’s Hero Con!
While at the Hero Con this weekend, I discovered a great little graphic novel series called Owly by Andy Runton. I want to do a totally unsolicited pitch for this comic. I passed his table at publisher Top Shelf during the convention and was drawn to the images of the cute little owl with the big eyes. Being jaded as I am, I half expected it to be one of those “cute” comics that lure you into a sense of security right before something horrible happens, AKA Adult Swim. So I checked out his website right before the last day at the ‘con and was delighted to find that Owly is exactly what it seems to be, an adorable, safe-for-all-ages story about a cute li’l owl and his friends! I went back to his table the next day and bought two books which he signed with a little sketch to my son and my niece. I wish I had ponied up the $20 for a custom sketch of Owly as a fencer! Well, maybe I’ll see him at the next ‘con and I won’t be so cheap. So if you like cute, or you want to introduce your kids to safe, nonviolent comics, check out Owly!
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