My 24 Hour Comic Challenge Attempt

My Comic 

it is still a work in progress. But I was posting about it every few hours to let people know what I was doing. A lot of the idea was based on Scott McClouds book "Understanding Comics" but I added a bit more research as I wanted it to be basically illustrated notes for a lecture I did. It is based on Understanding where comics initially evolved from and the thinking of where this might lead us. After 14 hours I failed as my back went, but I do hope to finish it and get it printed to accompany my notes!

Below is an example of some of the pages that I posted online as an idea about what I can do to make comics and include them in my lecture.

The opening page/Cover.  

This is the initial idea to try and challenge peoples preconceptions about what comics are and where they can be found. 
One of the things that I've been wanting to do for a long time, is try to recreate some of the old Hogarth/Gillray political art from the 1800's - these are my rough attempts and hopefully the new ones will be shown in a later blog. 

24 Hour Comic Challenge

24 Hour Comic Challenge 

We try to do different things on the Cartoon and Comics Course and this year was no exceptions. The students (or some of them) wanted to try and do a 24 Hour Comic Challenge, to produce a 24 page comic in 24 hours!!! 

There was a mixture of 1st and 2nd years who attempted the challenge. (The 2nd years who wanted to do it were ill!) But that didnt stop the fun and entertainment as fresh eyed and full of passion we set out to complete the challenge!

To make sure the students had plenty of energy we had a supply of food - see below!

Student also brought in their own supplies as well!

All the pictures were taken at the start of the event, so we are all smiling!

I'll take the top comment back, it doesn't look like I was smiling in this one!

Gareth with wind! 

Conan raise approx £80 for a children's charity that sends pencils and colouring books in hospital for them to do while in there.  

Degree Show 2018

Cartoon and Comic Arts 

Degree Show#5  

aims to be bigger and better than ever before 

Its that time of year when the studio gets a fresh lick of paint and table and chairs get moved around and generally the studio becomes an exhibition space. This year is no exception to that rule as Cartoon and Comic Arts degree show is back, bigger and better than ever., With the largest cohort ever to graduate - 30 students will receive the most treasured of accolades BA Honours in Cartoon and Comic Arts!

Tidying the show and prepping the show took place as normal with the students all pitching into help out.
This year saw the cohort using the computer lab as a couple of them had produced Web Comics and this allowed people to come and sit and read the comics all the way through.

For the evening event the students produced a buffet 

with a nice homemade cake to finish it off. The splatter in the middle is in recognition of the Stall in Erlangen Comic Salon.

Drew Hird received a special award from the Scarr Hall people for his achievements throughout th e3 years. 

The show was opened by Keith Brymer Jones from the TV Show the Great British Throw Down. The speech was actually quiet good!

Here is a selection of Images from the event on the day 

StokeConTrent 8 and other things

StokeConTrent 8 and other Things!

Its been a few months since I last posted and that is just because how hectic it had become in the Cartoon and Comic Arts studio. straight off the back of a couple of guest lecturers Matt Garvey and Hannah Chapman we were into Easter and the organisation of the 8th StokeConTrent event to be held at the university.  
StokeConTrent went off without much hassle or stress, though the comic arts were put in the Science Building which sort of feels a little way from the main action. The Comic artist once again enjoyed the event and it also provided an opportunity for 3rd Years students to sell their work at the convention and also allow the 2nd years to almost dress rehearse the MCM event they are attending in May.

At the end of the event, we asked Ben Krefta to stay over and talk to the students how he got into Manga and got his first break in the business. This was done because the students had asked for a Manga Artist to attend the event and he replied. 

StokeConTrent Guests from top left Ben Krefta Managa Artist. Above Lee Sullivan Thunderbirds and Transformers Comic Artist. Right - Titan Editor David Leech. Bottom Left - Beano and Dandy Artist Lew Stringer. and Finally Bottom Right Doctor Who artist Mike Collins

Some 3rd Year Comics

3rd Years produce a range of different Comics 

With the course ever expanding, we are always trying to produce different type of art work and getting the student to think more independently. We actively encourage them to develop their own signature art styles so they are able to stand out from the crowd. 
here are some of the work produced in the first semester. 

Akka Moons "Infested" is a horror story about a virus that is running wild in the forest. They style is created digitally after  the initial drawn thumbnails and layout sketches. I particularly like this page as it looks a bit more in-depth with the concept of paneling and what you can use to divide the story up, rather then going to the default method of boxing everything up!  

Ben Bloss's work is also mainly digital once the thumbnails and layout are complete. He has drawn inspiration from Manga and in his Comic Book "The Lonely Siren" he tells the story of a shipwrecked sailor and the unwanted advances of a Siren. Ben uses the page well, preparing the reader for the drop into the abyss. He's recently gone back and reworked his pages, adding shading and shadow to the work which give the whole project a bit more weight.  

Ollie Wharton's comic "Roller Disco" tells the story of 2 young girls who find and lose love at the venue. What is particularly great about this work is the backgrounds where he has tried to incorporate his more painted style to the overall concept. this give the work a more staged and worn feel. Everything doesn't look band new. The texture in the background starts to become a character in its own right as it tries to describe the story and the environment where the action takes place. 

Top Middle Bottom

Drawing Exercise 

Top, Middle, Bottom 

Once again the new 1st year were introduced to life drawing at Staffordshire University with a difference. We challenge the student to attempt to make a film noir style of comic using a basic script and a model in a room with props and lights. 

    

The idea is to get the students to physically move their bodies around the model, rather than, as what usually happens, where the students get an easel and they stay in the same location. Even if the students have a really bad view of the model they will rather draw a bad pose than to physically move themselves around the model. 

Film Noir is something that many of the students today have not really encountered and even though we spend a lot of time talking about shadow and the power of that and what it can add to a drawing, students still tend to stay away from it. 

Above the lighting and aim of the lesson is to explore how we can tell the story. In each shot the student had to make a decision of whether to drawn from above, at the same level or from the floor in a sitting position. 

The final scene where the model packs her bag to leave, gives the student to leave a really interesting climax to the story.

Below are some of the attempts that the first year did during the 3 hours session. What the story is, is completely up to the student.  We encourage them to make decisions about the character on the page, is she the victim, who has managed to get away from an attacker and needs to leave as soon as possible.  Or is she the evil person, a potential murder who has committed the crime and now has to get out as soon as possible.