CCS graduates to exhibit and present at MICE expo in Cambridge

September 10, 2019

Event date: October 19, 2019 – October 20, 2019

MICE, the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, is coming up on October 19 and 20 in Cambridge, MA. A perennial favorite, MICE is showcase space for artists and writers in the greater-Boston area working in the field of comics. The show is free and open to the public of all ages. And you can find lots of CCS grads and instructors tabling and in various workshops throughout the weekend.

Saturday Workshops

No Perfect Drawings
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Lesley Room
Don’t let anything stand in the way of your drawing! Cara BeanCCS Cornish Fellow (Draw 500 Funny Faces and Features) shows you how to tap into your creativity and overcome creative blocks with some simple exercises. Learn mindfulness and free-thinking techniques that can spark your imagination, no matter what your age or skill level.

Cara Bean at CAKE 2013

Making ComicsWorkshop
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Eliot Room
Learn the basics of cartooning with The Breakaways creator Cathy G. Johnson, CCS thesis advisor. Collaborate with others, create your own mini-comic and take home lots of ideas for the future!

Biography in Comics,
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Amphitheater
Comics have proven a powerful medium for biographical story-telling. Four artists with recent works of comics biography discuss their different approaches to their diverse subjects, and explore the specific challenges and advantages of telling a life story in comics form.
Moderator: Dan Mazur  (The Jernegan Solution)
Panelists: Glynnis Fawkes (CCS faculty), Dave Ortega (Dias de Consuelo), Beth Barnett, Nick Thorkelson

Cartoonist Bootcamp Workshop
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Eliot Room
SQUAD! Drop and give me twenty doodles! This is a series of rapid-fire challenges that will build your drawing muscles and get you to rely on your instincts with Jon Chad, CCS thesis advisor, and instructor (Science Comics: Solar System). When you’re through, you’ll be a lean, mean, drawing machine!

Jon Chad

Understanding Nancy
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Amphitheater
Everyone knows that classic Nancy was just another old-fashioned comic strip, so why is it beloved by master cartoonists around the world? Join cartoonists, scholars, and educators Paul Karasik (CCS thesis advisor and summer workshop instructor) and Mark Newgarden, authors of the Eisner-winning How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels, for a deep dive into what this deceptively simple comic strip can reveal about the comics medium itself.

Sunday Workshops

Working with Colored Pencils
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Lesley Room
Learn all the essential tips, tricks, and tools of the trade for creating artwork in colored pencil from Melanie Gillman ′12, CCS summer workshop instructor. Explore the basic mechanics of the tool, test out different methods and materials, and learn a variety of different techniques for creating detailed, layered, and attractive drawings.

Melanie Gillman ′12 with their ALA Stonewall Book Award

Comics in (Art) Education
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Amphitheater
At all levels of education, comics are increasingly incorporated into traditional art programs. How do experienced instructors teach the complex, “hybrid” art of comics in a studio art setting? What challenges do comics programs face in the administrative landscape of art schools, universities and high schools? Four multi-talented creators/educators share their insights.
Moderator: Michael Gianfrancesco
Panelists: Cathy G. Johnson (thesis advisor), Joel Christian Gill (Strange Fruit), Kate Castelli, Cara Bean (CCS Cornish Fellow)

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