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!

The classes I took, all taught by Savannah College of Art and Design professors and grad students:

• 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!

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