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MoCCA Education Programs
All classes are held at MoCCA, except where otherwise noted.
To register for a class, please call 212-254-3511, Tuesday through Sundays, 12 PM to 5 PM.
The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art - MoCCA is proud to announce the summer offerings from its Education Department. Organized and headed by Senior Vice-President of Education, DANNY FINGEROTH, the season's offerings are:
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© 2010 MTV Networks, © and ™ MTV Networks. All Rights Reserved |
HOW TO WRITE ANIMATION
Instructor: ANNE D. BERNSTEIN
6 sessions
TUESDAYS June 22 & 29; July 13, 20, 27; August 3
6:30-9:00 pm
$385 tuition | $360 for MoCCA members
When it comes to cartoons, anything can happen! Yet, although animation is unbound by reality or gravity, successful cartoon writing is grounded in classic storytelling skills, thoughtful character development, and clever dialogue. This class is an opportunity to explore the particular challenges and rewards of writing for animation. Screenings, lectures, in-class exercises, and enjoyable home assignments demystify the process. If you have already created animated characters or are in the process of developing your own show (anything from a single webtoon to a full-fledged series) you will be encouraged to incorporate your existing project into the course work—and receive valuable feedback from the instructor as well as your fellow students! Newbies are welcome, too. Just bring your imagination. [Note: while this course will focus on TV animation, shortform and feature length animation will be discussed, as well.]
ANNE D. BERNSTEIN is an animation writer and story editor whose credits include Daria, MTV Downtown, Private Eye Princess, Hey Monie!, Backyardigans, Tutenstein, Viva Pinata, Angelo Rules and Monster High. She served as Head Writer for MTV Animation Development for three years. Before that she was Senior Editor and Comic Book Editor at Nickelodeon Magazine. |
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MASTER CLASS IN COMICS ART AND STORYTELLING
with KIM DEITCH
Monday, June 28, 6:30-8:30 pm
Admission $40 | $35 for MoCCA Members
Underground comix legend KIM DEITCH will hold a master class session in comics art and storytelling.
Kim will impart some key secrets. Secrets easily mastered that transformed him from being lazy, hedonistic and unfocused into a more positive, goal oriented human being. He will also show you a certain attitude about the idea of making art; how an artistic life can be more than a way to make a living; that it can also be a way to make a genuinely valid contribution to the world we live in.
Q & A with the audience to follow.
KIM DEITCH has a reserved place at the first table of underground cartoonists. The son of UPA and Terrytoons animator Gene Deitch, Kim was born in 1944 and grew up around the animation business. He began doing comic strips for the East Village Other in 1967, introducing two of his more famous characters, Waldo the Cat and Uncle Ed, the India Rubber Man. In 1969 he succeeded Vaughn Bodé as editor of Gothic Blimp Works, the Other’s underground comics tabloid. During this period he married fellow cartoonist Trina Robbins and had a daughter, Casey. The Mishkin Saga was named one of the Top 30 best English-language comics of the 20th Century by The Comics Journal, and the first issue of The Stuff of Dreams received the Eisner Award for Best Single Issue in 2003. Deitch remains a true cartoonists’ cartoonist, adored by his peers as much as anyone in the history of the medium. His latest book is The Search for Smilin’ Ed, published by Fantagraphics.
More MoCCA Master Class sessions for summer and fall to be announced soon!
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Kriota Willberg teaching anatomy to cartoonists
from R. Sikoryak's Masterpiece Comics
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ANATOMY FOR
CARTOONISTS WORKSHOP
Instructors: R. SIKORYAK and KRIOTA WILLBERG
4 sessions, Mondays April 19 & 26, May 3 & 10.
6:30-9:00 pm
$275 tuition | $250 for MoCCA members
How many times have you said to yourself, “I’d love to make my drawing more realistic—but anatomy is hard!”?
Well, this is your chance to take the most exciting, informative drawing course you’ll ever find, taught by the accomplished teaching team of R. SIKORYAK (RAW magazine, The Daily Show) and KRIOTA WILLBERG (The Swedish Institute). Here’s what the duo says about their workshop:
“A lot can be communicated about a person or animal through their physical appearance. Understanding the way the body looks and works helps illustrators draw their characters so that the artwork conveys personality. This course will teach students how to create real or imaginary characters—in any style—that are consistent and believable.”
Through PowerPoint presentations, in-class exercises, and at-home assignments, students will learn to see and draw the structures and tissues that give the body shape and character. Willberg will—literally!—draw on live models to trace muscle groups and bony landmarks. Sikoryak will demonstrate the application of anatomical understanding to any cartooning style. Students will practice drawing from live models in class and learn to apply the lessons to their own characters.
NOTES:
(1) Students will need to bring drawing materials—charcoal, pencils (colored or not), erasers, paper [11x14 (recommended) or 18 x 24, but not bigger]. No markers, please. Students should work with inexpensive materials they are most comfortable with. The class isn't about creating finished drawings as much as it is about sketching.
(2) As this is a life-drawing class, nude models will be employed.
R. SIKORYAK is the author of the recently released Masterpiece Comics. His cartoons and parodies have appeared in RAW, Drawn and Quarterly, Nickelodeon Magazine, the New Yorker, and MAD, among many other publications; on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and in The Daily Show Presents America (The Book); and in the upcoming Our Dumb World: The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth. He's drawn for Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse. Sikoryak is in the speakers program of the New York Council of the Humanities and teaches in the illustration department at Parsons School of Design. Since 1997, he has presented his cartoon slide show series, Carousel, around the United States and Canada.
KRIOTA WILLBERG teaches anatomy for cartoonists and illustrators at The Center For Cartoon Studies, anatomy in the dance department of Marymount Manhattan College, pathology and massage therapy at the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences, and has taught at Bard College, NYU, and The School of Visual Arts. She has studied personal training and exercise. Willberg is an interdisciplinary artist, a lecturer and blogger about film and medicine (thecinematologist.blogspot.com), and a filmmaker. Her films include the dance mockumentary, The Bentfootes (2007). |
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HOW TO WRITE COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
Instructor: DANNY FINGEROTH
4 sessions, Tuesdays April 20 & 27, May 4 & 11
6:30-9:00 pm
$245 tuition | $225 for MoCCA members
DANNY FINGEROTH will lead a hands-on workshop in writing comics and graphic novels. This is a four-week class whose aim is to teach students, in a supportive atmosphere, how to structure and write comics and graphic novel stories of professional caliber. Combining lectures, assignments in class and at home, and roundtable critiquing, the class will cover writing for all kinds of comics, including autobiographical, historical, “indy” and superheroes. This class will contain no nudity, but will encourage naked truths and uncovered emotions in students’ work.
DANNY FINGEROTH was the longtime group editor of Marvel's Spider-Man line and the writer of comics including Darkhawk and Deadly Foes of Spider-Man. He has taught comics writing at NYU, The New School, and Media Bistro. Danny created and edited Write Now magazine, the only how-to publication dedicated to comics writing and writers. He is the author of The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels and co-author (with artist Mike Manley) of How to Create Comics from Script to Print. He’s also written the books Superman on the Couch and Disguised as Clark Kent. Danny serves on MoCCA's board of advisors and on the board of directors of the Institute for Comics Studies. |
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Batman and related characters are TM and (c) DC Comics, 2010.
Spider-Man, X-Men and related characters are TM and (C) Marvel Entertainment, 2010.
Uncanny X-Men cover by John Byrne & Terry Austin, Amazing Spider-Man cover by Ron Frenz and Josef Rubinstein, Batman art by Neal Adams |
Master Class Series in
Comics Writing
3 sessions, TUESDAYS, March 16 & 23; April 13, 6:30-8:30 pm
March 16: Chris Claremont
March 23: Tom DeFalco
April 13: Dennis O'Neil
Series Cost: $100 | $90 for MoCCA members
Individual sessions: $40 | $35 for MoCCA members
Chris Claremont, Tom DeFalco, and Dennis O'Neil will each hold a master class session in comics writing. These three extraordinarily accomplished writers have written some of the highest profile and most acclaimed comics of all time, with bodies of work that have played significant parts in defining the modern versions of The X-Men (Claremont), Spider-Man (DeFalco), and Batman (O'Neil). Each of them will condense the most important things they know about writing into highly-concentrated (and entertaining!) lecture form. This is a rare opportunity to hear these top names in the field speak about what makes for great comics writing.
Chris Claremont has encountered more success than most writers ever dream of. Best known for his work on Marvel Comics' X-Men, he has written other seminal characters such as Batman and Superman, originated several creator-owned series, is published throughout the world in many languages, and has authored nine novels. His unbroken 17-year run on Uncanny X-Men is the stuff of industry legend. The story arc "Dark Phoenix," with its radical treatment of its central character, paved the way for the reinterpretation of superhero mythos. Current projects include the ongoing Marvel series X-Men Forever, X-Women, drawn by renowned Italian artist Milo Manara, the young adult novel Wild Blood, a contemporary urban dark fantasy, and the screen play Hunter's Moon.
Tom DeFalco, a former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics with over thirty books currently in print, has written comic books, graphic novels, short stories, prose novels and books like Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide and Comic Creators on Fantastic Four. He was also a major contributor to The Marvel Encyclopedia and The Marvel Chronology. DeFalco has recently worked on Star Wars: The Clone Wars for Titan Comics, The Man From RIVERDALE for Archie Comics, Flash Gordon for Ardden Entertainment, The Flying Fool for Moonstone Books, The Super Seven for Stan Lee Comics and, of course, The Spectacular Spider-Girl for Marvel Comics.
Dennis O'Neil is an award-winning comics writer and editor (best known for his landmark work on characters such as Batman and Green Lantern), and an educator at institutions including New York University and The School of Visual Arts. He has also been a journalist, critic, television writer, best-selling novelist (novelizations of The Dark Knight film and the epic Batman: Knightfall comics storyline, and the original novel Green Lantern: Hero's Quest), and has published dozens of short stories. He lives in Nyack, NY, with his wife, Marifran.
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How to Write Comics and
Graphic Novels
Instructor: Danny Fingeroth
Eight 2 1/2 hour weekly sessions: Tuesday nights 6:30-9:00 pm, October 20-Dec. 15, 2009 (no class Nov. 24)
Cost: $495 ($445 for MoCCA members)
Danny Fingeroth will lead a hands-on workshop in writing comics and graphic novels. This is an eight-week class whose aim is to teach students, in a supportive atmosphere, how to structure and write comics and graphic novel stories of professional caliber. Combining lectures, assignments in class and at home, and roundtable critiquing, the class will cover writing for all kinds of comics, including autobiographical, historical, "indy" and superheroes.
Danny Fongeroth was the longtime group editor of Marvel's Spider-Man line and the writer of comics including Darkhawk and Deadly Foes of Spider-Man. He has taught comics writing at NYU, The New School, and Media Bistro. Danny created and edited Write Now magazine, the only how-to publication dedicated to comics writing and writers. He is the author of The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels and co-author (with artist Mike Manley) of How to Create Comics from Script to Print. Danny serves on MoCCA's board of advisors and on the board of directors of the Institute for Comics Studies.
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Storytelling for Comics Artists
Instructor: Klaus Janson
Three 1 1/2 hour weekly sessions, Wednesdays Dec. 2, 9, and 16
Cost: $150 ($125 for MoCCA members)
Klaus Janson will lead this information-packed three-session lecture and workshop class that will focus on the theory and mechanics of comics storytelling. The lectures start with the philosophy and responsibility of the storyteller, and proceed through the essential topics of page layout and design, the importance of composition, the need for clarity, the benefits of contrast, the creation of a believable environment, and end with a discussion on the merits of the various styles available to the storyteller. The classes will combine lectures, class and at-home assignments, and on-the-spot critiques. Student participation and questions are encouraged. A rare opportunity to discuss and learn from a master of the art and craft of comics.
After a short stint as assistant to Dick Giordano in the early 1970s, Klaus Janson went freelance, working for several comics publishers as writer, penciler, inker and colorist. He's worked on projects with John Romita Jr., Grant Morrison, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Gil Kane, John Buscema and many more. Klaus's current projects include: inking several Romita Jr. projects at Marvel; penciling a five-part Daredevil limited series written by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack (to be inked by Bill Sinekiewicz); and penciling and inking a two-part Spider-Man story written by David Morrel. But Klaus is most proud of the course on storytelling that he teaches at The School of Visual Arts and the annual seminars that he holds at Marvel for the editorial staff and their up-and-coming artists.
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Upcoming Courses
Check back soon for our Fall Class schedule!
For more information and
to register, call 212-254-3511
Tuesday-Sunday, 12 - 5 PM.
Press Contact:
Ellen Abramowitz
eabramowitz@moccany.org
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