Learn how to create a comic and graphic novel. Explore ideas, layout, digital tools and drawings to create your own comic or graphic novel.  Start with the basics of how a comic is laid out, move into story idea, structure, plot and characters. Then work on creating your own comic for web or print.

Your Zoom instruction will be one-on-one with a live instructor. You, along with others in the class, will interact directly with the instructor, ask questions, get guidance and receive personalized feedback.

Wikipedia describes comics as a narrative medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically takes the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons and captions can indicate dialogue, narration, sound effects, or other information. There is no consensus amongst theorists and historians on a definition of comics; some emphasize the combination of images and text, some sequentiality or other image relations, and others historical aspects such as mass reproduction or the use of recurring characters. Cartooning and other forms of illustration are the most common image-making means in comics. Since the late 20th century, bound volumes such as graphic novels and comic albums have become increasingly common, while online webcomics have proliferated in the 21st century.

This course takes you on a specific artist’s journey as you discuss with the instructor your personal idea for your story. Then discuss characters, dialogue, action, backgrounds and tone to begin to create your comic story.

Once you have reviewed story and character form, you will learn the basics of a comic book layout, how panels are constructed, what constitutes a typical comic book page and how dialogue and thoughts are conveyed.

Each student will create their own short comic book digitally or hand drawn and will be instructed on how to publish the work in physical form as well as online.

Certification of Completion Available.