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Submitted by dubaym on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 12:42pm

Comics Are Great! 53 – Talking Korra

It’s an eclectic mix of talents and opinions this time as I’m joined by Kevin Coppa, Faith Erin Hicks, and Paul Storrie for a talk about the new Avatar: The Legend of Korra cartoon series!

We share our reactions to the first two episodes, compare them to the original series, discuss some of the many things the series creators do to continually surprise and delight audiences, and close with some rumors about where the series is headed.

It’s a fun and lively talk with some stellar creators who happen to be big fans of the series. We’re joined at the end by Sharon Iverson of The Ann Arbor District Library for some book recommendations.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

Comics and Book Recommendations:

Upcoming Events at AADL:

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Attachment Size
CAG53HQ.mp4 361.9 MB
CAG53AUDIO.mp3 71.8 MB
Submitted by dubaym on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 12:38pm

Comics Are Great! 52 – Draw! Draw! Draw!

It’s some fun talk about the effusive joy one finds in a life committed to art and getting others excited about art, as we’re joined by Mark Kistler, legendary host of the PBS series The Secret City Adventures and The Imagination Station. We talk about Mark’s career in teaching kids how to draw and his new project, 100 Pounds 100 Cities. We’ve also got Lee Cherolis in studio to talk about his latest comics project, Little Guardians, and to help me teach Mark how to Twitter.

Eli Neiburger makes a stop by the studio at the end for some closing thoughts and book recommendations!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

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Attachment Size
CAG52HQ.mp4 246.8 MB
CAG52AUDIO.mp3 53.9 MB
Submitted by dubaym on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 12:22pm

Comics Are Great! 51 – Mini-Comics Day

It’s an hour of talk about the wonderful and unique format known as mini-comics, as I’m joined by Dave Carter of the University of Michigan Art, Architecutre & Engineering Library, and U-M student Meggie Ramm for a wrap-up of Mini-Comics Day 2012! Together we discuss why the mini-comics format is a great entry point for beginners as well as why it serves as a great means for professional artists to play. We share some of our experiences at Mini-Comics Day and some of the work completed there, and close with a bunch of great mini-comics recommendations.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

Comics and Book Recommendations:

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Attachment Size
CAG51HQ.mp4 323.4 MB
CAG51AUDIO.mp3 64 MB
Submitted by dubaym on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 12:18pm

Comics Are Great! 50 – A Tale of Two Cities (Audio Only)

For the sort-of anniversary show, I was lucky enough to be joined the old roundtable (plus one) for a follow-up discussion to CAG 48! Together we start out with some talk covering Tony’s experience at Angoulême, but at around the 26-minute mark we dive into a meaty and layered revisiting of the topic of “Comics for Girls.” Listen along as we discover that the subject seems to be inextricably wound into issues endemic to the North American comics history and the great divides between the direct market, web, and trade publishing industries. Ultimately we conclude “it’s complicated,” but it’s a fun and stimulating conversation along the way!

Links mentioned in this episode:

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Attachment Size
CAG50AUDIO.mp3 43.3 MB
Submitted by dubaym on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 12:07pm

Comics Are Great! 49 – Fear and Courage

This time I’m joined by cartoonist and children’s book illustrator Dan Santat for a discussion on the fear of failure most of us artists face at various times during our careers. Does the fear of failure drive us to do better? Does it prevent us from enjoying where we are? Or worse yet, can it drive us away from even being creative? Can we ever be “ready for success,” and if so, what does that mean?

We address all of these questions as Dan shares experiences in art school, the video game industry, animation, children’s book illustration, and comics. The big takeaway? There’s no escape from the fear of failure, but we can find the courage to face it!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

Comics and Book Recommendations:

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Attachment Size
CAG49HQ.mp4 352.4 MB
CAG49AUDIO.mp3 69.7 MB
Submitted by dubaym on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 11:56am

Comics Are Great! 48 – Writing for Girls

Is writing adventure fiction for girls really all that different than writing for other audiences? If so, can such a story be characterized? Tough questions, so this time I went to the best sources for answers! We’re joined by Dan Mishkin, co-creator of the legendary comics series Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil (and co-organizer of the upcoming Kids Read Comics celebration at AADL), and Brianne Drouhard, animator, character designer, and storyboard artist whose credits include Teen Titans, Transformers: Animated, Batman: Brave and the Bold and the new DC Nation shorts. Along with Paul Storrie we try to get to the bottom of what differences, if any, can be found in storytelling created specifically for girls.

We’re joined later by Eli Neiburger of the Ann Arbor District Library for another round of book recommendations!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

Comics and Book Recommendations:

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Attachment Size
CAG48HQ.mp4 388.5 MB
CAG48AUDIO.mp3 77.1 MB
Submitted by dubaym on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 11:45am

Comics Are Great! 47 – The Voice

We’re joined by a very special guest on this episode to help us find a new angle to come at the topic of writing characters! Neil Kaplan (Digimon, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Power Rangers) joins us for a discussion on writing characters from the standpoint of a voice actor. How do you find that unique turn of phrase or affectation to make a character’s inner life show? What considerations might a cartoonist keep in mind when building a character from the ground up?

It’s a fun and lively discussion with Neil and Paul Storrie, followed by some more comics recommendations with Sharon Iverson of the Ann Arbor District Library. Sharon also drops the news about the new comics website at AADL, where you can subscribe to the video episodes of this show!

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

Comics and Book Recommendations:

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Attachment Size
CAG47HQ.mp4 321.4 MB
CAG47AUDIO.mp3 63.7 MB
Submitted by andrewjmac on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 2:55pm

Comics Are Great! 46 – Manga Studio

This episode is packed to the gills as I’m joined by a full house of great people who are all eager to talk about comics!

First up is a discussion on drawing digitally in Manga Studio with Stephen McCranie, who leads a demonstration of how he draws his comics in the program while Paul Storrie and I watch and comment with baited breath.

We’re then joined by Sharon Iverson of the Ann Arbor District Library and David Carter of the University of Michigan Art, Architecture, and Engineering Library for some great book recommendations and some talk on Mini-Comics Day in Ann Arbor, March 10.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

Comics and Book Recommendations:

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Attachment Size
CAG46HQ.mp4 373.5 MB
CAG46AUDIO.mp3 58.2 MB
Submitted by andrewjmac on Wed, 01/25/2012 - 2:56pm

Comics Are Great! 45 – Balancing Act

Making comics is a time-consuming and challenging endeavor, especially when you try to balance your personal life, paying gigs, and passion projects. I’m joined by Skottie Young and Katie Cook for a discussion on the lifestyle of a working cartoonist and strategies to stay on top of one’s career, finding time for personal projects, all while still being present for friends and family.

We’re joined at the end by Eli Neiburger of the Ann Arbor District Library for some final thoughts and book recommendations.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

Comics and book recommendations:

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Attachment Size
CAG45HQ.mp4 321.8 MB
CAG45AUDIO.mp3 50.6 MB
Submitted by andrewjmac on Wed, 01/11/2012 - 2:56pm

Comics Are Great! 44 – Great Comics

We’re back with a new “season” of Comics Are Great! recorded live out of the Ann Arbor District Library Netcast Studio! And to kick it off, we’re starting with a discussion of the wild and varied landscape of comics by talking about some of our favorite books. Whatever your tastes, there’s a comic out there just waiting for you to fall in love with it.

I’m joined by Stephanie Mannheim, Gale Williams, and Eli Neiburger, who share some of their favorite comics and use music and movie metaphors to explain who these comics are made for.

Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):

Comics Recommendations:

Webcomic Recommendations:

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Attachment Size
CAG44HQ.mp4 282.5 MB
CAG44AUDIO.mp3 44.5 MB
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Paul Storrie

Featured Artist

Paul Storrie

Description: Detroit native Paul Storrie has written comics such as DC’s Justice Leauge Unlimited and Gotham Girls, Star Trek: Alien Spotlight, and many more. You can find some of his latest work at AADL and his complete bibilography on his website. Appearing regularly on Comics Are Great!

Website: http://storrieville.com

Featured Events

Scientists Fair 2013

The Ann Arbor Science & Skeptics present their second annual Scientists Fair at the Downtown AADL on Sat., May 25 from 1-3 PM. Learn about the world and universe from local scientists and learn about their research. Grade 9 - adult