London trip 2015

Cartoon & Comic Arts in London 2015 

Day One and Cartoon & Comic Arts headed down to London for their annual trip to visit the big smoke and to explore the world of comics. 

This year we booked into the Generator just a short walk from The British Museum.

After lunch we headed to the British Museum to see a Manga Exhibition and also how sequential art has been used throughout the history of mankind.

 

After that we headed off to various Comic Shops which held displays of ex students work – Forbidden Planet, Orbital Comics and Gosh Comics before hitting China Town for a bite to eat.

Day 2

Cartoon Museum – Association of Illustrators Exhibition – Drawing along the Thames 

At the Cartoon Museum, Steve Marchant, former Beano Comic Artist and Curator of the National Lottery funding which the university is part of gives a talk about the artwork that is on show and also about the Young Cartoonist of the year which some of the students entered while there. 

After lunch we made our way to Somerset House where the students viewed the Association of Illustrators exhibition of up and coming artist. We have created close ties with the Association of Illustrators and Fig Taylor the their portfolio reviewer comes in and gives talks to both Cartoon and Comic Arts and Illustration students.

 

Holly shows off what she brought at the shops yesterday and Lewis finds his true calling as a Egyptian Pharaoh surrounded by his slaves.   

 

Taking almost 30 students around London is a lot of hard work. But we think they enjoyed it with the drawing task and we headed to the National Portrait Gallery where there was a class the students could join in with. 

This was suppose be a drawing exercise along the Thames.

The students ponder the bigger meaning of what the London Eye is… Or isn’t!

DAY 3

MCM the UK’s largest Comic Con and Expo event. Last year the 2^nd years went to the May event to sell their work at the convention and it was a success with all students selling something and quite a few selling out of their work. The first years went to be a part of it and absorb the atmosphere and also catch up with some of the previous years Alumni.

Other Things the New 1st Year have been doing

Cartoon and Comic Arts Continues to grow!

The new intake of comic arts Students at Staffordshire University has once again increased and now the award boast 80 students over the 3 years, and it looks set to become bigger.

The course has also grown with staffing. as well as myself Adrian Tooth the Award Leader - we also have Gareth Cowlin who is a freelance cartoonist whose work appears in magazines such as Private Eye and the Spectator to name a few. Claire Smith has also been recruited as another permanent member of staff to add her knowledge as working as an independent artist in the comic field. She also has a range of knowledge such as marketing and using new technology to pass onto the students. We also welcome back on a more regular basis, John Charles - MarvelUk and 2000AD artist to name a few. Alongside we have a range of visiting lecturers and new tempt staff - Kevin Gunstone has written for everyone from Marvel to DC and is currently working for Markosia. Becci Such as been integrated as Teaching assistant to help with Manga Studio and other technologies. 

So the award looks better than ever 

Here are some photos from the first couple of week at staffs uni

Induction Week saw Cartoon & Comic Arts at the Glebe doing a Comic Arts based Pub Quiz 

Becci Such does the Manga Quiz

High Jinks in the cartoon studio 

1st Years Drawing Around Stoke Minister to learn architecture and perspective

Jason Brindley 2000AD Artist and also Independent Comic Arts helping students to discover perspective

Cartoonist back at the Potteries Museum

With the new intake of comic arts students at an all time high, once again we headed off to the Potteries Museum to do our mantra... ...Draw. Draw. Draw!... This year we have approximately 40 students which is an increase of 100% from last year and possibly as big as we could really happily go.
We have a couple of additional staff to cope with the numbers... John Charles as our chief guru on all things draw.... Claire Smith as a new 3 day a member permanent staff to bulk our independent/freelance artist and Becci Such to help out.

The aim was to get students drawing a range of objects.