I've been writing comic books for over twenty years. Most of the comics I have written are "all ages" comics, or comics aimed at kids. Among them; The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Cartoon Network Block Party, Cartoon Network Action Pack, and over ten years and more than 100 stories for Scooby-Doo. During that time I have visited numerous elementary and middle school classrooms where I've talked about what goes into making a comic book (I've even taught college students about this). Not only do I talk about all the steps involved from writing and drawing to editing and coloring, but I talk about inspiration, visual storytelling, collaboration, how using comics to tell a story differs from telling one as a novel, play, or movie, and so on.
I've found that kids, even those who may have never read one, all seem to be interested in comics as a storytelling medium. They also ask a lot of great questions. Because I rarely have enough time to answer them all in the degree that they deserve, and because there are millions of kids out there I never get to interact with at all, I decided to create this blog which expands greatly on my classroom presentations and will cover as many topics as I can think of, or kids can ask, about what goes into bringing a comic book story to life.
Most of the examples I'll use come from my own work (simply because of familiarity and ready access to materials) and from my own perspective, but I will also have numerous guests here who will talk about their own contributions and perspectives on what goes into making comics. I'll have pencillers, inkers, letterers, colorists, cover artists, editors, animators, and tv show creators and producers all chiming in with their thoughts on the medium and answering questions posted by kids.
I have two kids of my own, so I understand parental concerns about appropriate places for children to visit. This blog is designed for kids to use, and I intend to keep it completely kid friendly. I want this to be a resource for them, where they can ask questions that will be answered by professionals in the field. I want them to feel at home here and to have fun, and hopefully to get excited about creating some comics of their own.
Like anything, what may be appropriate for one child, may not be okay for another, so I do recommend that parents take a look here themselves to judge whether this blog meets up to the standards they hold for their own child.
If you have any concerns, or questions, please email me at:
UniversalRobots@aol.com
John Rozum
