September 10, 2019
Event date: October 19, 2019 – October 20, 2019
MICE, the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, is coming up on October 19 and 20 in Cambridge, MA. A perennial favorite, MICE is showcase space for artists and writers in the greater-Boston area working in the field of comics. The show is free and open to the public of all ages. And you can find lots of CCS grads and instructors tabling and in various workshops throughout the weekend.
- Glynnis Fawkes, faculty (Charlotte Bronte Before Jane Eyre)— A25
- Keren Katz, fellow (The Academic Hour)—A46
- Allie Kleber ′13 (Queer Thrills)—E128
- Amelia Onorato ′12 (The Eternal Rocks)—E125
- Melanie Gillman ′12 (As the Crow Flies)—E126
- Anna Sellheim ′16 (Everything’s Fine)—B66
- Reilly Hadden ′15 (Astral Forest)—B67
- Jess Johnson ′18 (The Odds Are Good)—B74
- Catalina Rufin ′19 (Shirley)—B74
- Laura Terry ′10 (Anna Strong and the Revolutionary War Culper Spy Ring, Graveyard Shakes)—E127
- Stephanie Zuppo ′15 (editor of Ladybroad Ledger)—B66
- Kevin Czap, fellow (Four Years Collected)—A56
- Cathy G. Johnson, thesis advisor (The Breakaways)—A24
- The Center for Cartoon Studies—E134
Saturday Workshops
No Perfect Drawings
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Lesley Room
Don’t let anything stand in the way of your drawing! Cara Bean, CCS Cornish Fellow (Draw 500 Funny Faces and Features) shows you how to tap into your creativity and overcome creative blocks with some simple exercises. Learn mindfulness and free-thinking techniques that can spark your imagination, no matter what your age or skill level.
Making ComicsWorkshop
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Eliot Room
Learn the basics of cartooning with The Breakaways creator Cathy G. Johnson, CCS thesis advisor. Collaborate with others, create your own mini-comic and take home lots of ideas for the future!
Biography in Comics,
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Amphitheater
Comics have proven a powerful medium for biographical story-telling. Four artists with recent works of comics biography discuss their different approaches to their diverse subjects, and explore the specific challenges and advantages of telling a life story in comics form.
Moderator: Dan Mazur (The Jernegan Solution)
Panelists: Glynnis Fawkes (CCS faculty), Dave Ortega (Dias de Consuelo), Beth Barnett, Nick Thorkelson
Cartoonist Bootcamp Workshop
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Eliot Room
SQUAD! Drop and give me twenty doodles! This is a series of rapid-fire challenges that will build your drawing muscles and get you to rely on your instincts with Jon Chad, CCS thesis advisor, and instructor (Science Comics: Solar System). When you’re through, you’ll be a lean, mean, drawing machine!
Understanding Nancy
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Amphitheater
Everyone knows that classic Nancy was just another old-fashioned comic strip, so why is it beloved by master cartoonists around the world? Join cartoonists, scholars, and educators Paul Karasik (CCS thesis advisor and summer workshop instructor) and Mark Newgarden, authors of the Eisner-winning How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels, for a deep dive into what this deceptively simple comic strip can reveal about the comics medium itself.
Sunday Workshops
Working with Colored Pencils
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Lesley Room
Learn all the essential tips, tricks, and tools of the trade for creating artwork in colored pencil from Melanie Gillman ′12, CCS summer workshop instructor. Explore the basic mechanics of the tool, test out different methods and materials, and learn a variety of different techniques for creating detailed, layered, and attractive drawings.
Comics in (Art) Education
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Amphitheater
At all levels of education, comics are increasingly incorporated into traditional art programs. How do experienced instructors teach the complex, “hybrid” art of comics in a studio art setting? What challenges do comics programs face in the administrative landscape of art schools, universities and high schools? Four multi-talented creators/educators share their insights.
Moderator: Michael Gianfrancesco
Panelists: Cathy G. Johnson (thesis advisor), Joel Christian Gill (Strange Fruit), Kate Castelli, Cara Bean (CCS Cornish Fellow)
Tags: Allie Kleber, Amelia Onorato, Anna Sellheim, Anna Strong and the Revolutionary War Culper Spy Ring, As the Crow Flies, Astal Forest, Beth Barnett, Can Mazur, Cara Bean, Catalina Rufin, Cathy G. Johnson, Charlotte Bronte before Jane Eyre, Convention, Dave Ortega, Dias de Consuelo, Everything's Fine, Four Years Collected, Glynnis Fawkes, Graveyard Shakes, How To Read Nancy, Jess Johnson, Joel Christian Gill, Jon Chad, Kate Castelli, Keren Katz, Kevin Czap, Ladybroad Ledger, Laura Terry, Mark Newgarden, Melanie Gillman, MICE, Michael Gianfrancesco, Nick Thorkelson, Paul Karasik, Queer Thrills, Reilly Hadden, Science Comics, Shirley, Solar System, Stephanie Zuppo, Strange Fruit, The Academic Hour, The Breakaways, The Eternal Rocks, The Jernegan Solution, The Odds Are Good
