Short Run festival in 2014
Our friends at Short Run are known for their comic arts festival but they have other wonderful events going on year-round. Consider their summer school schedule. I just took Megan Kelso‘s seminar on graphic novels. And I found that to be a very special treat. I like how she equates working on a graphic novel to playing with a big ball of yarn. How true. Even for an experienced cartoonist like myself, there is always something new to learn. I may end up taking some more of these classes if my schedule allows and, if you’re in Seattle, I highly recommend that you do the same. You can take a look at the remaining schedule right below starting with an essential Photoshop workshop led by James Stanton for cartoonists looking for tips on how to color their comics:
Coloring in Photoshop with James Stanton
Sunday, Aug 14th, 7:00-8:30 pm at Gallery 1412
This workshop is for comic artists who want to learn to add color to their work using Photoshop. James will demonstrate fast editing tricks, how to do beautiful spot color (as seen in Intruder comics newspaper), and the basics of adding color and effects to your pages. Bring your laptop (fully charged!) and a scanned “raw” page that you can manipulate and learn along with the class.
Zines Seminar
Saturday, Aug 20th, 12:00 – 3:00 pm at The Vera Project (Queen Anne)
Let’s make & learn about zines! Join Short Run co-founders Eroyn Franklin and Kelly Froh for a slideshow history of zines that includes physical examples from their own collections for inspiration. They will talk about the evolution of the medium from its pre-internet heyday to its contemporary use and recent resurgence. Zines have always had a role as an underground form of communication on topics that are too controversial (like social justice issues of gender, sex, race, etc.) or too specific (fanzines of esoteric culture) to publish on a mass scale. They are the true beginnings of many underground movements, bands, and art including Riot Grrl. Students will mine their personal obsessions to create a zine that displays what they feel passionate about. Students will be given a voice through traditional cut and paste techniques, photography, drawing, and writing that will be turned into an easy to photocopy and distribute zine.
Professional development with Short Run co-founders Eroyn Franklin & Kelly Froh
Sunday, Aug 21st, 7:00-8:30 pm at Gallery 1412
In this class you will learn tips and techniques for grant writing, making good applications for festivals/conventions, deciding where to sell your books, getting them reviewed, and other helpful info to help you get a better handle on the business of being an artist. Kelly’s professional background in marketing and admin will guide you towards maintaining best business practices including how to maintain a sales log and social media promotion. Eroyn will share her experience writing winning applications for opportunities including residencies, art shows, and grants for her own work and for Short Run including the nonprofit’s most recent award from The National Endowment for the Arts.
Tuesday, Aug 23rd, 7:00-8:30 pm at Paper Press Punch (Georgetown)
Risograph Printing with Paper Press Punch: Risograph printing is an easy and affordable way to add color into your comics, prints, artists’ books, and zines. Participants will learn the basics of Risograph printing with a brief overview of the mechanics and quirks of the duplicating process. We will discuss proper file preparation, registration, color management, and materials best suited for making the most excellent prints and books. Everyone will walk away with a small book printed during the workshop. Paper Press Punch is located at 5628 Airport Way South, Suite 175. The building is accessible and free street parking is available.
Intro to Comics Journalism with Sarah Glidden
Sunday, Aug 28th, 7:00-8:30 pm at Gallery 1412
In this workshop we will look at several different approaches to translating interviews with a subject into engaging comics narratives. Participants will come away from the workshop with thumbnails for a one or two page comic using real dialogue.
Sarah Glidden’s first graphic novel, How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less, was published by Vertigo Comics in 2010 and was featured in the Best American Comics series. It is now published by Drawn and Quarterly. In her second book, Rolling Blackouts, she follows journalists from the Seattle Globalist to Turkey, Iraq and Syria as they reported on Iraqi refugees. It will be published this October by Drawn and Quarterly.
For more details, be sure to visit Short Run right here.
