I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to get to Jeff Smith’s epic, Bone. If you grew up patroning comic stores in the 90’s, like I did, you are probably already familiar with the artwork of Bone. I remember seeing issues and posters of the little bald white cartoon characters set against a fantasy world backdrop on the shelves and walls of my local comic shop. Maybe I was more prone to seeing Smith’s work, growing up in Columbus, Ohio, as that is where he works and resides to this day. But regardless of where you reside, Bone has become an international hit and independent comic book success story.
Spotlight on All-Ages Creators: Nick Dutro and Patrick Lay
Patrick Lay is a cartoonist from northwest Ohio. His comics are teen and all-ages stories about our relationships with each other and the ups and downs of a wild world. He earned a B.S.F.A in Oil Painting from Valparaiso University and recently earned an MFA in Comics from the California College of the Arts. Nick Dutro works in economic development in northwest Ohio and formerly was a reporter and editor at a daily newspaper. He graduated from Ohio Northern University with a degree in journalism. He lives with his wife and two daughters. Continue reading “Spotlight on All-Ages Creators: Nick Dutro and Patrick Lay”
A Look at Fantasy Comics
The fantasy genre can trace its origins all the way back to the very beginnings of literature when stories were rooted in folklore and mythology. It’s had a particular attraction to people through the centuries, but experienced a kind of renaissance in the 1930’s thanks to authors such J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Since then, the genre has become a staple of our modern pop culture.
10 Questions with Rafael Rosado
Rafael Rosado has had a long career working on some familiar properties. The Boondocks, The Avengers, Teen Titans, The Venture Brothers, and Animaniacs are just a few of the many credits to his name. On top of being a talented storyboard artist and animator, he and his writing partner, Jorge Aguirre, have created a three part all-ages graphic novel series The Chronicles of Claudette including Giants Beware!, Dragons Beware!, and Monsters Beware! Originally born in Puerto Rico, Rafeal is now based in Columbus.
Nimona
Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson was originally published as a webcomic on Tumblr in 2012 as part of Stevenson’s senior thesis. HarperCollins would go on to publish the graphic novel in 2015. It has since gone on to be recognized for several awards, including being a National Book Awards finalist and an Eisner Award nominee for Best Digital/Web Comic.
Tips to Help You Start Cartooning
A lot goes into making comics. First, there’s coming up with an idea, then writing it, and then drawing it. That’s a lot of work and it can understandably feel like a daunting task to undertake for some beginners. To those out there itching to make their own comics, but too intimidated to put pen to paper, here are some of the methods I’ve practiced throughout the years that have helped me. Hopefully, they can help you too!
Pirates on the Horizon
The Origins of Milton Caniff and Terry and the Pirates
In October of 1941, the public mourned the loss of a young woman named Raven Sherman. Raven was a wealthy socialite who had given up high society to make a difference in the world. She worked in China providing medicine and shelter to those displaced by the Japanese invasion. Tragically, in an attempt to stop a group of hijackers from stealing medical supplies, she was shoved out of a speeding truck in the isolated mountains of China and suffered severe head trauma and massive internal injuries.