Here are a couple more images & notes from last week's COMICS CAMP 2019 @ the Currier Museum & Art Center.  

As I've said in other posts, programs like this are a real high point in my personal Comics Calendar because they give me a chance to get out & work alongside lots of young, vibrant, creative artists.  That means I get to see up close how a bunch of young people create new never-before-dreamed-up comics projects -- and as a result, I usually end up drawing something I never would have otherwise been working on this week.

For this camp, we had an intense 5 days to dream up, design, test, draw, revise, edit, & publish ~20 original mini-comics projects.  Our group consisted of 17 campers, plus 2 teen assistants & 1 grizzled old Indie Cartoonist (with access to a nearby copy machine). 

One way to think about the camp: 

• Each camper has 24 hours (6 hours per day, M-Th) to create an 8+ page comic from scratch. 
• Then we have a few hours on Friday morning to collectively publish 50+ copies of each project.
• Then Friday afternoon, we host friends & family for a celebratory convention.

But that makes it sound so simple!
Things got pretty hectic & exciting as our comics came together...
Unfortunately, amidst all the drawing & copying & editing & page-shuffling, I somehow neglected to capture very many shots of our artists in action...  

Below is the chart we use to manage so many simultaneous projects -- 

Each artist has a row, and we check them off as they progress from "P*I.E." to "50%" (as in, "shrink to...") to "build floppy (copy)" & so on.  With this many steps for so many artists, we have plenty of people at any given time who have either finished early or find themselves waiting in the copy queue --  
This chart enables them to find a colleague who could use some help (cutting out shrink downs, for example, or taping up a "floppy copy") and keep the whole group moving forward towards publication.

Finally, on the afternoon of DAY 5, we hosted a crowded, high-energy MINI-COMICS CONVENTION at the Art Center gallery for all our families & friends, as well as our fellow campers from other programs.  
Here are some of our artists signing mini-comics & sharing their work with new fans!

This act of handing our work out to "the public" is a very special moment --
It's the point at which our artwork leaves our hands, and in some ways leaves our editorial control, and goes out to live independently in the world around us.
For these hardworking artists, it's a moment of joy, relief, and celebration!  

Here's our group display in the Currier's Community Gallery space --

Not many artists at this age can say their work is on display in NH's premier art museum!  
Congratulations to all!

Finally, here's our workspace at the close of DAY 5 -- after all was said & drawn: 

I guess we were so busy during the week, we never actually took a group photo!
As you can see, a few characters are still kicking around, helping me clean up.
(Please turn off the lights when you leave, Space Dog!)  

Of course, each camper went home with a complete set of all the comics we produced... That's some inspiring weekend reading:

So!  
COMICS CAMP 2019 lives on --
In the hearts of our colleagues & our readers,
AND in all the comics we're about to draw in the future!  

It was especially cool to see some former campers & friends of camp (& even some patrons) show up to Friday's con...
THANKS to all --
& to the Currier Art Center --
for backing this work & making this amazing experience possible for all these young artists!  

~ M.

PS.
BONUS!
Here's a link to a printable COMICS CAMP 2019 poster over @ my site! >>