5/1/12 - Matt Madden Free Lecture and Workshop In Columbus

Matt Madden, co-author of Drawing Words & Writing Pictures and author of 99 Ways To Tell A Story will be doing a free talk (Friday 5/11) and  paid workshop (Saturday 5/12) in Columbus OH, at the Wexner Center on the Ohio State Campus. Here's a an excerpt from their listing for the lecture:

May 11, 2012 4:30 p.m.Wexner Center for the Arts Film/Video Theater 1871 N. High Street
Cartoonist Matt Madden, creator of 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style, talks about his work and how the arbitrary constraints of Oulipo have produced great art in all kinds of media.
Do you think you could make a comic where each panel would only show an extreme close-up of a hand? Or where each panel zooms in closer to a single object? A comic that you can read in more than one direction? Many great works of art begin from willfully perverse constraints or rules such as these. Drawing not just from comics but from literature, film, and music...

This is also the home of the Billy Ireland Comics Library and Museum - home of the largest collection of original comic art in the USA. Matt is a talented cartoonist and teacher (see his blog to see some his other numerous speaking and teaching engagements) and definately worth the drive! 


I've got my ticket for the workshop ($15/12 students + $1 ticket fee (boo hiss)). I hope to go for both days but might just be able to go Saturday.


http://cartoons.osu.edu/?q=events%2Fobstacle-course-oulipo-and-creative-potential-constraints

By the way, Matt and Jessca Abel have completed a follow up to DW&WP - it is called Mastering Comics,  due out May 8th! This new book continues where the first textbook left off - here's a link to a review.

12/14/10 - December CCG Meeting and Holiday Dinner

We will have an early and abbreviated CCG meeting this Sunday 12/19/10  at the Beaumont Branch Library (3080 Fieldstone Way Lexington, KY 40513 ) before we meet for the first DW&WP Cartooning Class. See agenda below.

We could also plan on a little CCG/DW&WP holiday meal afterwards? Sahara, Applebees, Masala, Fulin asian fusion, Pucini's, a Japanese grill and good Mexican place, are all nearby to the library. Let me know who might be interested and your preference(s) as with a large group it might help to have reservations.

Sunday 12/19/10 Agenda

1-1:45p CCG Meeting - Beaumont Branch Library Small Conference Room

1:45-2p Break

2-4:50p DW&WP Chapter One - Beaumont Branch Library Small Conference Room

5:30 or 6p Holiday dinner get together for all - please RSVP

For those we won't see this Sunday have a Happy Holiday Season and look forward to a great year for the CCG in 2011!

11/29/10 - Drawing Words & Writing Pictures cartooning class now forming!

OK, The CCG is (bravely? foollishly?) going to try and fill the void for adult comic art education in Lexington with the first area DW&WP Class! Are you ready to start? Is it time to develop/hone your cartooning skill? Did this month's incredible UP! Fair fill you with inspiration and determination to make the leap and create your own comics masterpiece? Then this is for YOU!

If you are interested in attending/participating in a local meet up to work through the Drawing Words & Writing Pictures curriculum ( a 15-week college level course) please email the CCG Coordinator at (lexkyccg "at" gmail "dot" com.) Please email if you have questions..

This class is open to all and no previous drawing or writing experience is necessary. There will be no tuition but you will be expected to purchase the text and needed supplies (please inquire for a discounted text and basic supplies). Aspiring/developing/emerging cartoonists/comic creators are encouraged to attend. Act now! Once we have our minimum, classes will commence and entry will close.

See our new PAGE - a new feature on the blog! Just click on the tab to see the DW&WP Cartooning Class page.

07/24/09 - July CCG Meeting/Workshop and Sal Villagran

Just in case some of you don't know the CCG has monthly meeting/workshops. These are typically the last Sunday of each month and usually are held at a Lexington Public Library Branch between 1:30 and 4:30pm. The link in the right navigation bar for the CCG Calendar has the most current information about where, when and who will be at the next meeting.

This coming Sunday, I am excited to tell, we will host a guest speaker: Sal Villagran. Following is brief listing of his accomplishments as an artist:

• He is a classically instructed/influenced figurative artist, specializing in drawing and oil painting. see his site here:(http://www.salvillagranart.com/)
• He is a recent winner (3rd best in show) Art Renewal Center 2008/2009 Salon Competition. (http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/2009/Salon/winners1.asp#Best%20in%20Show)
• His commercial illustration clients include Wizards of the Coast (magic cards) (http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/193, https://www.abugames.com/buylist.cgi?command=showdetails&itemid=177899&invid=301496)
  
• He is a drawing/painting instructor (UK Art Department and private) here in Lexington

Sal will give a brief talk about his working process for commercial illustration art, specifically his recent pieces for Wizards of the Coast Magic Cards. I am sure many of you will find this of particular interest and value.

A little more about our meeting/workshop format.

• The first segment - the meeting - has the usual announcements of upcoming events, guest speakers, recent events of interest that someone attended and reports on, group business and planning.
• Then we have a break (sometimes with some light refreshments) and next we are on to - the workshop portion. Here we can do round table reviews of new work that has been brought in. Constructive criticism is the goal here - input that is of benefit for the cartoonist. This is one of the primary benefits of meeting with other comic creators and is a good way to promote learning and growth. We will often have some creative exercises and or a jam comic. Jam comics are a group effort with one person starting the page with a title or the opening panel and passing it on to someone else in the exercise. This continues until the page is full and hopefully comes to some sort of (usually humorous) ending. We are currently reviewing two "structured curriculum" to include either as a regular part of the monthly CCG meeting/workshop or possibly as break off meetings. The two programs we are looking at are the Famous Artists Cartooning Course (FAS CC) and Drawing Words & Writing Pictures (DW&WP) by Matt Madden and Jessica Abel. Both are excellent resources (and I know I will continue to use both to advance my personal learning).