CBI Archive
Friday’s Photo Parade
Thursday, March 29th, 2007 at 11:10 PM EST
Updated: Saturday, March 31st, 2007 at 7:25 AM EST
Okay. With the Emerald City Con happening this weekend I got caught behind the 8-ball, column-wise. Pol essentially already did the column idea I was playing with for this week (if you MUST know what it was going to be, I can tell you it pretty much would have been an expanded version of what I said in the comments there. But less hastily written and with fewer typos.)
Anyway, I don’t have time with all the convention preparation madness to come up with a new column idea and get it written in time to post.
So instead, here are some photos of said convention prep, from Thursday’s last-minute hustle in class to get everything done and ready to go for this weekend. I figured after last week’s entry maybe you’d enjoy seeing the kids actually working.
The con books are done (in press, that is — they’re MY problem now, not the kids’) so for the last couple of days it’s been about our display posters. These are a bunch of drawings mounted in a collage on a piece of foamcore board, a sort of poster jam. These will be on an easel behind our table in Artist’s Alley, so you see the actual work behind the artists as you walk up to us. Here’s the one the Denny class did Wednesday.
The Denny class meets on Mondays and Wednesdays — the Madison class is Tuesdays and Thursdays. There’s a mild rivalry between the two schools, but we don’t really see it in Cartooning. However, there is a huge difference in demeanor between the two groups. Denny’s cartooning class is very studious and focused.
Madison’s, on the other hand… not so much.
Of course, I asked for it when I pulled out a camera. That’s Lisel in the foreground, and behind her you can see Rachel (with the pink flowered shirt and glasses) and Lindon (in the dark blue sweatshirt) are trying to look like Bad Girls. I think I may have said that was a hot trend in comics or something.
Once a camera comes out, there’s nothing for it but to wait for the goofy faces and hammy poses to pass. This is a relatively restrained shot of Helene and Stephanie.
Danielle and Jessica and another bout of Hammy McHam.
This is Cameron. Cameron’s new. He really LOVES Cartooning and is doing very well at it. Sometimes I think I’m the only one that gets to see this side of the kids; it’s why I’m so glad we get to do this con where they can strut a little for their parents and do a real signing with real readers.
As you can see, Cameron’s discovered the non-repro pencil. Never saw a kid work so HARD at this. Sadly, he won’t be at the show — his mother thinks it would be too much for him, and she’s probably right. So I am going to find him something cool there and bring it back for him. And he is at least represented on the poster.
This is Madison. Yes, Madison from Madison.
She and Jamar finished early so they are back to their regular schedule. Madison is looking over Jamar’s new strip, “Tokyo Girls,” because she’s come to a stop on her own angry strip, “It’s Bush’s Fault!” — she was trying to draw a forest in flames and was a bit stuck on how to do it. Madison is my one political cartoonist. I usually get one every year, and I always encourage the kids when they want to try political stuff. Doesn’t matter which side of the aisle — I just like seeing them try it. Certainly it’s a nice change from the shoujo manga stuff, which is what most of my kids want to do.
And here’s the finished piece. Despite the Madison class being about four times as big as Denny’s, somehow we found room for everybody.
See you next week with more photos and a convention report. And a real column, not just captions, I promise.
14 Comments
Aaron
March 30, 2007 at 9:40 am
I love reading your updates from your comics class, Greg, and as an educator myself, I think you’re doing an awesome thing. I wonder, though, whether you shouldn’t edit your commentary. Just a thought.
Unrelatedly, I really enjoyed the sample pages you posted from your class’s book. Is it possible to obtain a copy? You said that you couldn’t sell copies, but would bartering be a possibility? I’d love to see what you and your students are publishing.
Greg Hatcher
March 30, 2007 at 9:47 am
We have a mailing list. Send me a PM by way of the CBR forums with an address and we’ll get you on it.
Matt
March 30, 2007 at 11:39 am
greg, even though I think you are totally nuts in your views on modern superhero comics, I love what you do here. it’s so damn amazing.
Apodaca
March 30, 2007 at 12:15 pm
The last bit about Madison’s political cartoon is really cute. I love how her title gets right to the point.
Joe Rice
March 30, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Beautiful as always, Greg.
FunkyGreenJerusalem
March 30, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Cameron’s better at drawing and has a better design sense than I do these days, let alone at his age.
” Madison is my one political cartoonist. I usually get one every year, and I always encourage the kids when they want to try political stuff.”
How old is Madison?
She looks really small in the picture, and it strikes me as odd that a kid would be that political that young.
Cool, but odd.
Bill Reed
March 30, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Dude, you’re doing a wonderful thing for these kids and for the comics medium. Thank you. And tell the kids they’re totally awesome. I might have to try and get a copy of the book out of you. Ha.
Paul
March 31, 2007 at 7:00 am
Greg,
I love what you’re doing, your class sounds great.
Greg Hatcher
March 31, 2007 at 7:29 am
Thought about it and decided everyone was right. I don’t think of it as a pejorative because I work in the system, but as several have pointed out, a lay audience doesn’t read it the same way those of us do who see it on forms and such all the time. So the requested edit’s been done. We shall speak of it no more.
Greg Hatcher
March 31, 2007 at 7:44 am
Oh, and Madison’s twelve. And she really is a tiny little thing.
Here’s how political cartoonists are born in middle school. It starts with a kid who’s stuck for an idea and has no gift for drawing manga-style. The kid comes up to me and says, “I don’t know what to do.”
So they get the Pep Talk. “You’re over-thinking it,” I say. “Comics don’t have to all look like Naruto. This is a chance for you to tell people what you think about stuff. What do you want to say that you always wished people would listen to? It can be about real life, too, you know. All I’m asking for is words and pictures together. It’s just a strip, it can be about whatever you want. What do you really feel strongly about? What do you like? What are you mad at? Everybody has opinions about SOMETHING. Make a comic about it. In fact –” This is where I always feel a little like I’m hooking a kid on illegal drugs — “A lot of comics happen because somebody wants to make fun of stuff they think is stupid. There’s an honorable tradition of political cartoonists pointing out things that are just dumb.”
Wide saucer eyes. “I can make FUN of people? Teachers? Anybody?”
“You have to have a point. You can’t just be mean. But yes, if it’s a real political cartoon, absolutely, I’ll print it.”
“WOOHOO!” And they’re off.
km
March 31, 2007 at 10:41 am
Greg, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy reading your adventures with these kids. Encouraging creativity is very, very good indeed.
FunkyGreenJerusalem
March 31, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I thought she looked like 8.
So how does a 12 year old actually get past making fun of teachers?
Greg Hatcher
April 1, 2007 at 8:07 am
Honest caricature and a real point to the story is something I’ll defend to all comers. So that’s part of it.
Basically I insist that if they’re going to do it then they have to REALLY do it, put out an honest political cartoon. If they can’t reach that standard then they have to try again. So that usually knocks out anybody who just wants to be vengeful or mean, or just complain about homework.
Now, if they want to complain about the KIND of homework they get, or a teacher’s approach to discipline, or something like that, well, we try to move it into the arena of satire rather than libel. It has to be funny.
And remember, they still have to hit all the regular storytelling marks I set for them… page layout, point of view, finding a story arc, all that stuff.
The short answer to everything is always, “I’ll defend it to the death if it’s defensible, so your job is to make sure it really IS defensible.” That’s how we handle most every censorship question. And I have gone to bat for students a couple of times. They know Mr. Hatcher plays fair.
Set a standard and hold to it and it’s never a problem. I get more raised eyebrows from friends of mine who see the books than parents or teachers or anyone in the system. “KIDS did this?” Hell, yeah. Kids are pretty smart.
Colier Rannd
April 1, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Rock on! I tell you what this is awesome. I so wish we’d have had a cartooning class in my school or anywhere near me. And girls! You have girls! …wait, that didn’t sound right….I mean, it’s cool that you have girls instead of just boys wanting to blow up stuff in their comics, does that make sense or am I still sounding like Chester? Anyhow, keep it up! Without kids our industry will die. So this is just all good, all around.
Col