And we're off!

Year 7 of Cartoon and Comic Arts 

Well what can I say... A bit later than planned I'm back writing my blog for the new incumbent students on Cartoon and Comic Arts. This year we recruited 30 students onto the award and in turn we became on of the biggest art and design courses at Staffordshire University.

Its been a bit of a mad summer, as we changed from faculty to schools and a lot of the management team and admin staff were redeployed, and basically we were left to drift.

Anyway, for some good news, we received 100%  in the NSS  (National Student Survey) for the course. I think over the years with us moving from new room/building/site to site 2 years of building work and having to use the back entrance etc It wasn't hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel coming once, we had settled in one location and the building works had stopped. 

So it's up to us to keep the momentum going, easier said then done, but here goes ....

Pub Quiz.  

Once again big Thanks to the Team at the Glebe who made us feel welcome. and we had a brilliant pub quiz. 

It was nice to see some 2nd years turn up and make the 1st years feel welcome, though we do feel that there was a bit of cheating going on somewhere doing the pub quiz. 

  We really must apologies to the 1st Year for the standard of the prizes they won. But well done for making it through the first week of Cartoon and Comic Arts 

The 3rd Years go Professional 

The new 3rd year started with a bang and off the back of the successful 5th Stoke Con Trent event  we invited a range of visiting artist to come in and talk to the students about life in the comic industry. First out of the blocks were AccentUk publishing House. 

 both Colin Mathieson (Co founder of the Publishing collective) and Gary Cruthley (Comic Artist and co writer on WESTERNoir) gave up their precious time to come and talk about life working in the market place.


This year also saw Alan Batson (Managing Director of Character Building UK Ltd) come and talk all things from Star Wars to art composition and direction to the students

This slightly departed from what our guest lecturers usually talk about 

Dan Painter Storyboard artist also made an appearance helping to students to realise the other potential areas of the industry that they might want to venture into. 

And as ever we welcomed our very own Fig Taylor from the Association of Illustrators to talk to students about working freelance and getting themselves an agent to work with .

Fig also does excellent portfolio reviews where the student can talk to her about their portfolio and if they need any help in what they have in their or any top tips.

Stoke Con Trent - Also had in Frazer Irving who hasn't been on the Comic Convention scene for a few years, but was ready to step out again. We were very lucky that he decided to do Stoke Con Trent and also to grace us with his brilliant presence.

Frazer also has developed his digital drawing skills and was willing to show this off to students.

During the first week we also tried to run a mentoring scheme where 3rd years and 1st Years came together to help in a pub quiz.

As part of the mentoring scheme there was a trip to the Monkey forest which provided the opportunity for the students to study and draw real life action. If forced them to look and observe the  creatures and the environment.

Week One of New Year

Its been all go at Cartoon and Comic Arts 

So Many apologies for how little has been posted since September and the start of the academic year. This year we saw 38 new additional Cartoon & Comics Art Students. Since then we've had an action packed 5 weeks start to the year and here is a few high lights from week One. 

above is the new first year students who all turned up in September. The class was as ever bigger and better than previous years 

One of the projects we set the students in the first week is to do a self portrait, this is basically to get them to introduce themselves in the best and easiest way possibly, through their drawings. By doing this the rest of eh cohort understands the individual and what they like and also realise what their drawing style is like. 

Its a great way for lecturers to introduce themselves to the class and also for the class to introduce themselves to one another.

There are also several events happening during welcome week which seem to attract students on the CACA award. Such as the strange animals unit.

We also take the students to do a pub quiz at a local establishment The Glebe.

This year we did something different as we invited other levels to join in to take part in eh quiz and become the level 4 mentors. It's always nice when you are walking around the university if you see a friendly smiling face from other students on the award.

A view of the lads in the centre with Gareth Cowlin reading his presentation off his mobile phone... and saving the environment.... apparently!

Tony and Paul from the Level 6 pass on their expert knowledge of comics to the level 4 students

Kale and the Level 4s helping of hindering them?

Becci added a bit of Manga Knowledge to the quiz and probably a bit of professionalism.

      

Lawrence looking unsure about the Manga questions, good job the first years are there to help him out!

Mark Garner does his best impression of Bruce Forsythe ... Good Game Good Game!

Winners and losers and all friends  

Higher than a four or Lower? 

T

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