Special Topics in Media: Comics for Print and Web

Have you ever read a comic book a wondered how these things a created. Probably not since we are always more interested in the story that is told through the comics. Well over the summer the eMedia class Special Topics in Media covered the subject of Comics for Print and Web. This class was a hands-on seminar that explored approaches to produce comics for print and web applications. This seminar also helped students experiment with many illustrative techniques. It also gave the students an opportunity to explore multiple methods of producing comic books for web and distribution. During this class, the students and professors designed and published a collaborative experimental comic book that was based on the concept developed by David Hartz. Ted Ferdinand and the students themselves then expanded upon this concept to publish this comic book, which is now available for purchase through the eMedia Office. “This comic book is not read in a traditional matter.it usually takes more than one reading to get the message and story,” said David Hartz. The class was fast paced which encourage the students to meet deadlines and finish the project. “It was a great idea to open up the artwork to more than just illustrations,” stated Dominic Ropati, a student from the class. He then went on to say, “The instructors let us use whatever form of imagery we felt comfortable with whether that be photography, 3-D imaging, or just classic hand drawn illustrations.” The class let every student use their imagination to complete this project. “The comic book is filled with so many different talents from Photography to Maya, it is so cool that the book can show all of our artistic styles,” said Leslie Hurst, a student from the class. So next time you read a comic book remember this, comic books are artistically created by the authors who write them. Or you could just read them and enjoy them for the story that is told.