Other Ever Afters

Late in 2022, I walked down to German Village’s “The Book Loft” for an author’s reading. Melanie Gillman was reading from her newly released book Other Ever Afters. Released by Penguin Random House, the book contains seven fairy tales for the modern age. In these tales, there was nothing short of magic where monsters were heroes and princes could be villains.

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My First Comic

A Retrospective of Bugman

The youth of the nation was enraptured in the throws of Ninja-Turtle-mania and Simpsons-mania. At the same time, the Hollywood hype machine was in full swing for what was soon to be a blockbuster movie, Dick Tracy. It was 1990 and, in this swirl of pop culture, I decided to sit down and make my first comic.

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Top Five with Freddie Crocheron

What are your top 5 comics EVER?

Freddie Crocheron is a Columbus-based cartoonist who is best known for his stickers, animations, comics, and fine arts exhibitions. His work pays homage to a blend of underground comics and cartoons from the 80s and 90s while embracing his love for hip hop and black culture. He is currently the head of programming for ROY G BIV gallery in Franklinton. You can find his work on Instagram @freddie.crocheron.

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Dinosaurs Marching and Other Dreams Brought to Life

A Brief History on the Dual Life of Winsor McCay

The Palace Theater in Chicago was silent the night of February 8, 1914 as a lone well-dressed man stepped onto stage out of the darkness. The man was Winsor McCay, a cartoonist known for crafting imaginative comic strips for the New York Herald and New York American, he was carrying a whip. No one in the audience knew what to expect as McCay began talking about something new called “animation,” this was a vaudeville act, a stage play, after all. Then McCay turned to the film screen beside him and introduced “the only dinosaur in captivity.”

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Major Change at CCAD

Comics as a medium have grown in popularity over the last few decades. That growth has spawned an increase in the demand for comics education. Some universities and colleges nationwide have started to offer “Comics” as a major, including Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD). CCAD separated the Comics and Narrative Practice from the Illustration major in 2022. I took a brief tour of CCAD’s campus to learn more about the teachers and students of the program.

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10 Questions with Victoria Douglas

UGLAS The 2022 winner of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus’ Emerging Talent Prize, Victoria Douglas is a rising cartoonist and illustrator in the area. They are a graduate of Columbus College of Art and Design and have been making comics since 2019. Victoria is probably best known for their ongoing comic CINNAMON. Published by Behemoth Comics, CINNAMON is an ordinary housecat who turns everything into an adventure. We get to see things through her eyes as she does battle with the antagonistic Henchrats, defends her domain from a laser pointer, and sometimes even comes to blows with her owner. Besides CINNAMON, Victoria has self-published Templar Vitae, a 24-hour comic, and Biblioware, a collection of short semiautobiographical comics.

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