SCC Comic Workshops - Day 1 photos

The first SCC Creating Comics workshop at Swansea Museum was a huge success. We had people queing to come in when we first arrived and had a steady stream of visitors throughout the day. Comics of all shapes and sizes were produced including 2 spanish language strips courtesy of Diego and Ane.

A few photos and all the comics that our visitors produced are shown below:

The Best minds of the SCC struggled to get the Idea Box working...

It's fixed!!!

At our busiest, all the tables were occupied

The SCC Assembled:

From Left: Ricky, Lee, Nancy, Pete, Daisy, Mark, Peter Maggs

I'll post up some of the SCC members sketches tomorrow.

Thanks to all who came, see you on Saturday...

MWPete

First Workshop

Just thought I'd do a quick post.

Our first Creating Comics workshop at Swansea Museum went great. We got loads of interested kids and even had times where all the tables were full. The ideas machine worked after a bit of tweaking and we the kids made some great comics. Even us SCC members created some interesting ideas.

Hope to see the same turnout at the remaining workshops over the next week.

More things I've read, and that you all should read too, y'know, if you haven't already I mean, yeah.

First off, I'll be at the Workshop tomorrow. I'll be the one sitting at the 'Defenders' table.

PLEASE SIT WITH ME!!!

Anyway!

I've been reading all sorts of great stuff recently. Okay, so: Fantastic Four: The End.

Fantastic Four: The End. Written/Pencilled by Alan Davis and Inked by Mark Farmer.

Here is a picture!

I very rarely pick up Fantastic Four when perusing the shelves of the Comix Shoppe or the new Library (where I pick up most of the comics that I read now, 'cause I'm a jobless bum). But I think I'll have to change my ways after reading 'FF: The End', because it was great.

It comes under one of my favourite sub-genres: 'What if...' For those of you who have yet to read it: The End begins a few years in the future, We find the FF in their 'final' battle with Doctor Doom, who is now more robot than metal man. Things take a turn for the tragic, and two of the FF's loved ones are dragged into a void with Doom, lost to the Four (forever?). We then jump several decades into the future; the Fantastic Four, although not officially disbanded, have gone thier separate ways. Johnny is no longer the headstrong youth of years ago, but now the Leader of the New, New (?), Avengers. Ben Grimm lives a happy and peaeful life on Mars with his wife Alicia and their children. Sue spends her time exploring, on archeological expeditions alone. Meanwhile Reed is one of the most famous men alive, having extended the life expectancy of every human on earth, eliminated cancers and diseases and advancing earth-science; allowing humantiy to join it's stellar neighbours on the galactic council. However, Reed spends his time all but alone in the FF's space station, working endlessly and blaming himself for the events of the past.

Super Villains, by this time have either fled to the colony worlds, or fight pointless, fruitless battles with the heroes. Something is happening out of sight however, something is not quite right. Behind the scenes plans are being made and an invasion is being mounted. I wont spoil it for you, just read it! The final pages are great; as the invading forces come up against the Avengers (who seem to be more like DC's JLA in these times) and clash in space, the rest of the FF find that Sue may have found a 'key' to their past.

One of the things I like most about FF: The End are the characters, and how time (and in a few cases science) has changed them. Take Iron Man for example; he is now nothing more than a ghost, only his consciousness remains. He jumps between Iron Man 'shells' when in a hurry or if one is destroyed. Ben Grimm is finally happy too, he is no longer trapped in his rock-like form, but finds, oddly enough, that people like the old Thing better.

That's enough of my odd, disjointed and rambling observations I think. Until next time anyways.

Ta-ta.

A week to the workshops...

Here's a strip I did on a museum theme.

First Creating Comics workshop next Wednesday 19th, 11-4pm.
No need to book, just drop in.

You should probably be reading this...

I read this the other day...

Catwoman: When in Rome

Written by Jeph Loeb/Art by Tim Sale

Okay, first off, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale rarely put a foot wrong -in my mind- when they work on a Batman/Batman-related story. This is no exception, I enjoyed it alot. For those of you who haven't read Long Halloween (!) Selina Kyle/Catwoman suspects (semi-spoiler) Gotham's Mafia kingpin, Carmine Falcone, of being her father. So in When in Rome, Selina travels to Italy to try and uncover a few truths about her parentage. The Riddler tags alongside, serving as Selina's lapdog of sorts. There are a few comic moments, where Edward gets a bit too close to Selina, and she reminds him of the importance of 'personal space' in her own special way.

Nothing runs smooth for the Anti-Heroine; briefly lost luggage (containing her costume) and the death of her only real lead (a local Don) are just the start of her woes. Soon she is blamed for the murder, hunted by the Don's vengeful son, super-villains (and their weapons) keep cropping up, and to top it all off, she keeps dreaming of The Batman, only she keeps on mistaking him for Bruce Wayne... hmm...

The story itself is quite good (I like Jeph Loeb's writing style alot), although it doesn't have the same 'epic' feel as Long Halloween or Dark Victory, it still keeps you interested. It is essentially an off-beat detective story, so more than just a few twists and turns arise along the way. The 'big reveal' at the end puts all of the pieces of the murder mystery together, but is a bit lacking in originality (when the 'mastermind' is revealed I kicked myself for not figuring it out myself). The main plot is only a half reveal, though the reader learns than Selina, but it ties things up neatly for the end of Dark Victory.

If you don't know Tim Sale's style, the easiest way to describe it is 'big panels'. Every now and then you'll come across a full page panel and you'll stop to take in the details. For the Batman comics, Sale usually chooses darker or dulled hues, and alot of the panels are cloaked in shadow, but the line work is always intricate.

Here's an example from Long Halloween.

So, you should really, really, consider reading Catwoman: When in Rome. If the promise of panel upon panel of Selina Kyle dressed up as Catwoman; or, of her in various states of undress, don't do it for you. Then maybe the promise that you'll catch more than just a glimpse of Edward Nygma (at one point) wearing the costume too. I swear, it is so funny!

Ta-ta.

Further Reading Still...

Okay, first of all, a small note: I get 'Fables' now. Oh yeah I do!

Anyway!

I have been chomping my way through comics like some kind of demented, ginger Pac-Man and I want to share with you the ones I think you should be reading too.

First off, have any of you out there heard of Global Frequency? No? You make me sick!

I recently picked up Global Frequency: Detonation Radio.

Look! 'My Post: Now with added pictures!'

The 'Global Frequency' is a special response team made up of 1001 members. These memebers are experts in various fields, ranging from Free Running and martial arts, to biological and chemical warfare and the occult. The lady in charge is Miranda Zero, she is calm, cool and always in the know. Connecting everyone to everyone else is the ever present Aleph; a genius, punkette of sorts, with a talent for multi-tasking. If you get a call from either one, then you're on The Global Frequency. In two of the short stories within Detonation Radio, both Miranda and Aleph find themselves under fire.

Often, as with Detonation... alot of the stories have no title, so it is difficult to recommend certain tales. But they are all written by Warren Ellis, so you're always going to get a good read. The artists chosen are an eclectic bunch; Detonation Radio boasts artists such as Jason Pearson, Gene Ha, Tomm Coker, Chris Sprouse and Karl Story. Pearson illustrates my favourite short of the bunch: 'Aleph', in which Aleph finds that, for the first time ever, the GF Central Hub (her home) has been infiltrated, and she is forced to act on her own.

I'll have more next time...

A MESSAGE TO SCC MEMBERS

ALL ARTWORK AND BIO'S FOR THE WORKSHOP PANELS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO
PETE BY THIS COMING MONDAY WHICH IS THE 10TH OF AUGUST. SO YOU NEED TO
SUBMIT A PROFILE PICTURE, A 200 CHARACTER BIO AND ANY ARTWORK YOU WANT
ON THE PANEL (THAT COULD BE ONE BIG PIECE OR A COLLAGE OF SMALL
PIECES) BY MONDAY THE 10TH OF AUGUST.

IF YOU KNOW ANYONE IN THE GROUP WHO ISN'T GOING TO SEE THIS PLEASE
PASS ON THE MESSAGE.