Celebrating the Comics, Cartoons and Creators of Central Ohio
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.
Continue reading “My First Comic”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.
Continue reading “Top Five with Freddie Crocheron”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.”
Continue reading “Dinosaurs Marching and Other Dreams Brought to Life”Current and former Columbus College of Art and Design students chime in about their time in the Comics and Narrative program.
Continue reading “Straight from the Student’s Mouth”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.
Continue reading “Major Change at CCAD”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.
Continue reading “10 Questions with Victoria Douglas”Opening in the winter of 2022, Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy® is the newest hobby shop to pop up in the Columbus area. They have a great selection of comics and graphic novels, but the real draw is their fantastic array of games and RPGs. Get to know owner Philip Siewert and find out what he loves about comics.
Continue reading “Comic Store Profile: Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy®”The mastery in Michel Rabagliati’s storytelling sneaks up on you. I remember my first encounter with his work, in one of those big Drawn and Quarterly anthologies circa 2000, thinking that I had found a cartoonist with a knack for well-observed comedy.
Continue reading “The Life of Paul Contains Multitudes: An Appreciation of Michel Rabagliati’s Paul Moves Out”Michael Anthony Carroll lives in Columbus, Ohio. His most recent works include “The Cute Ninja Tarot Deck”(a successful Kickstarter project) and “Sky Ninja,” a mini comic he created while on a vacation flight to Orlando, Florida. You can find him on Facebook at facebook.com/mackeral1964.
Continue reading “Top Five with Michael Anthony Carroll”Editor’s Note: Adam White is the creator of Back to Blue, a semi-autobiographical comic that he has created while incarcerated within the Noble Corrections Institution in Caldwell, Ohio. Described as his “redemption story,” he starts by openly discussing how his drug addiction led him to rob banks, which in turn led to his current confinement. Having been in communication with Adam (with the help of his mother) for a little over a year, we invited him to tell us more about Back to Blue and the difficulties of making comics while in prison.
Continue reading “Creating Comics in Prison”