Stories tagged Thesis Project

Natalie Norris ‘20 Publishes Debut Graphic Memoir, DEAR MINI

Congratulations to Natalie Norris ‘20 for the release of her debut graphic memoir, DEAR MINI, out now via Fantagraphics! DEAR MINI began as Natalie’s thesis project while at CCS. The second and final volume of the graphic memoir will be printed in 2025.

“I first connected with Eric [at Fantagraphics] back in 2019 when I sent him some minicomics for The Center for Cartoon Studies’ Industry Day. He liked my early work so when I finished my thesis I sent him a physical copy to see if it would be something he’d be interested in. And luckily he was!” said Natalie.

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HIDDEN SYSTEMS by Dan Nott ‘18 IS OUT MARCH 14

HIDDEN SYSTEMS by Dan Nott '18! HIDDEN SYSTEMS was Dan’s thesis project at The Center for Cartoon Studies! Random House Graphic is publishing the book in March 2023. Read this CCS Student Spotlight on Dan Nott '16 to see how this project came to be.

A graphic novel thesis project published by Random House Graphic.

HIDDEN SYSTEMS was Dan Nott’s ‘16 thesis project at The Center for Cartoon Studies! Random House Graphic is publishing the book in March 2023.

“The true power of comics is on display here, with complex, difficult-to-comprehend structures presented both through a variety of metaphors and by placing those metaphors in context with simplified renditions of their real physical appearance.” —Booklist 

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New! A-Okay by Jarad Greene ’17

A-Okay by Jarad Greene ’17 releases on November 2 from HarperAlley (An imprint of HarperCollins). This vulnerable and heartfelt semi-autobiographical middle-grade graphic novel is about acne, identity, and finding your place. When Jay’s acne goes from bad to worse, he is prescribed a powerful medication but it comes with some serious side effects. It’s no help that all of Jay’s friends are in different classes, he has no one to sit with at lunch, and his best friend is avoiding him. To top it off, Jay doesn’t understand why he doesn’t share the feelings a boy named Mark and a girl named Amy have for him. 

“Liberal amounts of comedy interspersed with drama make this an enjoyable read, while the ace/aro protagonist and depiction of a teenage boy’s poor self-image keep the otherwise familiar storyline fresh.” —Kirkus Review

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Fantagraphics to publish Dear Mini by Natalie Norris ’20

The Center for Cartoon Studies grad Natalie Norris’ ’20 thesis project has been picked up by Fantagraphics. The graphic memoir will be printed in two volumes (keep an eye out in 2023). Dear Mini, her debut graphic memoir, is a bittersweet coming of age story chronicling Natalie’s teenage experiences with sexual violence, PTSD, and resiliency told in the form of a letter to an old friend. Until it’s published, you can keep up with Natalie’s work on her Patreon!

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SCULLION by Jarad Greene ’17

Scullion: A Dishwasher’s Guide to Mistaken Identity by Jarad Greene ’17 released with Oni Press! Scullion was Jarad’s thesis project while attending The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) MFA program. In celebrity-obsessed Timberwood Village, the great warrior Riqa is an icon who’s about to throw the wedding of the century, and local teens Darlis and Mae are just two humble dishwashers. Until, that is, Riqa mysteriously disappears and an unsuspecting Darlis is mistaken for her! It seems like an honest mistake, until he realizes that these two troll siblings want to capture and hold him for ransom, with Mae getting caught in the mix-up. To get out of this predicament, these dishwashers will have to get their hands a little dirty. Armed with only their wits and Riqa’s book, The Fair Maiden’s Guide to Eating Your Captor for Breakfast, can Darlis and Mae give their captors a run for their money?

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Billy Johnson and His Duck Are Explorers by Mathew New ’14

Billy Johnson and His Duck Are Explorers by Matthew New ’14 is being published by Capstone Publishing in August 2020. Originally self-published as four mini-comics for his The Center for Cartoon Studies thesis, this story has it all: humor, peril, and out-of-this-world archaeological adventures (oh, and ducks!).

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Sasha Velour’s “Three Dollar Riot”

Cover of Three Dollar Riots
New cover for Three Dollar Riots

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, Sasha Velour ′13 is releasing her history comic, Three Dollar Riot. Starting as her thesis right here at The Center for Cartoon Studies, the 36-page comic follows the events of the evening of June 27th, 1969, leading up to the riots. Three Dollar Riot is available for preorder for the price of 19.69.

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Alum Spotlight: Luke Healy

Spread from "How to Survive in the North" by Luke Healy

Luke Healy‘s (′14) debut comic How to Survive in the North started as his thesis at The Center for Cartoon Studies and was later picked up for publication by Nobrow Press. This comic is based on the true story of Ada Blackjack, an Inuit woman who survived a disaster of an expedition in the Arctic, and weaves in a fictional story to better explore the events. How to Survive in the North is a Junior Library Guild Selection and one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2016.

  • Alex Dueben, “Interview: Luke Healy on Arctic Expeditions and How to Survive in the North”
  • Comic Bastards: “You could read a lot of this story as a warning to people to recognize when a situation is dangerous.”
  • Deborah Stevenson, Muse: “The two Arctic tales . . . are truly haunting. . . .”

Page from "How to Survive in the North" by Luke Healy

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Let's Talk About It: A Graphic Guide to Mental Health

Let's Talk About It: A Graphic Guide to Mental Health

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This Is What Democracy Looks Like comic cover

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.

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