The Center for
Cartoon Studies (CCS)
Students travel from across the U.S. and around the world to study comics at CCS in a diverse and vibrant community in Vermont.
Click here learn more about our programs.
Do you have burning questions about CCS’s MFA and certificate programs but aren’t able to make it to one of our admissions events? Drop us a line at outreach@cartoonstudies.org and we can set up a 1-on-1 video chat session to answer any of your questions about the curriculum, the application process, student housing, financial aid, living in Vermont, or anything else you need to know about applying to CCS!
Join us this Summer to brush up on your cartooning skills or learn new ones! Click here to check out the complete line-up and to register and learn about scholarship information! In-person and online workshops, from beginner to advanced.
BECOMING A DOG PERSON is the debut graphic novel of Donna Almendrala ‘12. It is the semi-autobiographical story of how Donna adopted a rescue dog named Max, and how he turned her life upside down. Written and illustrated by Donna, it is out now via her Mad Macaques Press.
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April 15, 2025
For Immediate Release
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VERMONT – The Center for Cartoon Studies is thrilled to announce the 13th annual Cartoonist Studio Prize winner whose work exemplifies excellence in cartooning. The two creators of these exceptional comics will be awarded $1,000 each. An astonishing volume of work was submitted for this year’s award, with twelve nominees in each of the “long-form” categories, and the “short-form” categories were selected in March. The winners for each category are listed below.
Set against the backdrop of Istanbul during the 1995 elections, Ozge Samanci’s Evil Eyes Sea follows a group of university students whose lives unfold in the shadow of political unrest. While the narrative touches on weighty themes—class, religion, feminism, and the uneasy pulse of Turkish politics—it does so with a light hand, keeping its focus on the intimate dramas of friendship, dorm life, and a lingering mystery sparked by a death the protagonists witness while scuba diving.
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A print copy of our new graphic guide, Art & Courage: A Guide to Sustaining a Creative Path, has been sent to all those on our mailing list as a part of this year’s annual appeal! Look for it arriving at your doorstep very soon!
Please consider donating to CCS today as we embark on celebrating 20 years of educating the world’s best and brightest comics talent.
All of The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) comics are available as a free digital download! Read Art & Courage online now or order the print edition.
Congratulations to CCS alumni who made the American Library Association ALA’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table 2024 Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading list!
Coco Fox ‘19 for LET’S GO, COCO!; HarperAlley.
Colleen Frakes ‘07 for KNOTS; HarperAlley.
Emma Hunsinger ‘20 for HOW IT ALL ENDS; Green Willow Books.
TillieWalden ‘16 for art for TEGAN AND SARA: CRUSH; Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Luke Healy ‘14 for color for CURLFRIENDS: NEW IN TOWN by Sharee Miller; Little, Brown Ink.
More on books by alumni:
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The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) has once again donated a full scholarship to the Vermont Department of Libraries so a Vermont teen can attend the Create Comics Summer Workshop. An exciting opportunity for a teen from Vermont by the Vermont Department of Libraries and The Center for Cartoon Studies!!
Create Comics is for both beginner and intermediate students age 16 and over!
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“Self-Esteem and the End of the World (such an excellent title) may be described as autofiction. But the word “cartoon” is key here, because while regular autofiction is rarely funny – more often, it’s the polar opposite – Healy’s book is hilarious.” –The Guardian
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A free self-directed eCourse to improve your cartooning skills. Online, Start Anytime!
Click here to learn more and make an online donation now.
We hope Art & Courage, will help readers feel a little more prepared for whatever creative journey they embark upon. Click here to read a free digital edition or to order print copies. This 32-page comic is filled with
Cartooning In An Anxious Age (pdf) is a free comic by Cara Bean on the act of drawing, which focuses your attention and intimately connects you with the generative act of creation. It’s an inspiring read.
Created for middle and high school students, Let’s Talk About It: A Graphic Guide To Mental Health is a lively and educational comic book that destigmatizes the conversation around mental health.
Using the power of comics to teach teens about the way our government works This Is What Democracy Looks Like, A Graphic Guide To Governance is a 32-page comic book created by The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS). This short comic guide helps to bring democracy back to the hands of the people by explaining what democracy actually means and how the whole thing works. This guide will be a great jumping-off point to learn about our government.
Download a free copy of The World is Made of Cheese, The Applied Cartooning Manifesto.
© The Center for Cartoon Studies
PO BOX 125, White River Junction, Vermont 05001
info@cartoonstudies.org
802.295.3319
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