Sequential Artists Workshop

In episode twelve of Comics Karma, Lauren talks about an editor helping slash away at unneeded parts of her memoir. Then we invited Falling expert, Jim Hamilton to talk about social media, and finding one’s audience and being seen. I think we settle in on: do the thing that’s working and don’t worry about the thing that’s not working! Meanwhile, you’ll hear stories about life and death, about brok...

In episode eleven of Comics Karma, Lauren is finishing up her 2nd to last chapter and we welcomed SAW member (and EISNER NOMINEE!) Pam Wye, who has been working on a stunning memoir, Water I Have Loved , a project that has been serialized in Mutha Magazine for may years. Pam wanted to talk about traumatic sense memory in comics, and we discussed the difference between a feeling and a narrative mem...

In episode ten of Comics Karma, Lauren is back from her art adventures and finds herself in balancing art and “real life.” (Hint: cleaning toilets isn’t that bad.) Then we welcomed SAW member Michael Aschner. We talked about finishing our work, about why Michael has loads and loads of unfinished work on his computer, and we talked at length about adult diagnoses of ADHD. Give it a listen ! And com...

In episode nine of Comics Karma, Lauren calls in from Yaddo, where she is in a totally intense headspace and is finishing a chapter with the luxury of not having to worry about daily, ordinary tasks. We caught up with her for an hour to talk about this experience. Then we welcomed SAW member Janice Goldberg, to talk about imposter syndrome, and about when it’s ok to take a break on a very intense,...

In episode eight of Comics Karma, Tom and Lauren talk to Robert Danberg, who has been a student for so long, practicing and growing for so long, he wants to know, What is my path from Student to Author? We really explored the usual path of becoming published. Turns out the MFA Poetry World has more gatekeepers than we do in comics. Robert is hitting that point where he knows when something is fini...

In episode seven of Comics Karma, Tom and Lauren talk to Kayte Young who spent a year on an 18 page comic, and is wondering, if this piece took so long, how am I ever going to finish my book? This episode went deep, as Lauren described “un-fact-checking” with her old friends, and what it’s like to time travel as you make a memoir. We agreed Kayte needed new energy, new ready-for-it, excited-to-be-...

In episode six of Comics Karma, Tom and Lauren talk to Emil Wilson, who knows something is pretty good, maybe good enough, but wants to know at what point it's FINISHED. What’s holding him back from calling it done? “Is it perfectionism?” He asks. “Is it control? It it connected to who I am and wanting to present the best version of myself? Is it me ‘not wanting to let go?’ " Lauren, calling in fr...

In episode five of Comics Karma, Tom Hart and Lauren Weinstein are talking about comics and addressing students’ questions directly. Tom and Lauren talk to Jeannie Mecorney, who is telling a story of a troubled childhood, but she also caused trouble for her children as a result. How do you tell this story? Lauren as always, gives great advice, about drawing some work with no intention of showing i...

Episode 4 - I'm making a Frankenstein's monster of identity and memory. How do I do it?! With guest SAW member Dusty McGowan! In episode four of Comics Karma, Tom and Lauren talk about to Dusty McGowan, a genuine therapist! -who is having a crisis of identity. Dusty is doing a comic about a toy he remembers from his childhood but seems to be a figment of his imagination. Or is it? Is this a story...

In episode three of the newly christened Comics Karma, with Tom Hart and Lauren Weinstein are talking about comics and addressing students’ questions directly. Tom and Lauren talk about their own work, and in the case of Lauren - a project that has taken more than 20 years, and then they welcome Lynn Bernstein, who has been doing a fascinating memoir about series of events in her marriage over 30...

In episode two of the newly christened Comics Karma, with Tom Hart and Lauren Weinstein are talking about comics and addressing students’ questions directly. Tom and Lauren talk about their own work, and in the case of Lauren - a project that has taken more than 20 years, and then they welcome Sally Charette, who has been working on a long story about her long-lived parrot, Dodger, but she has oth...

While the Terrible Anvil takes a break, Tom Hart and Lauren Weinstein are taking the reins to talk about comics for a few weeks, and to address students’ questions directly. Tom and Lauren talk about their own work, and in the case of Lauren - a project that has taken more than 20 years, and then they welcome Brandon Hankins, whose webcomic Autumn Wing is delightful, fun and sincere. We love it. B...

Our very last episode of The Terrible Anvil (Season One) was recorded this week! With Tom and Jess together in the same room! We tried to tie a bow around the business of comics by offering ideas on HOW TO KEEP GOING (FOREVER), AKA making your own sustainable comics practice amidst inner/outer turmoil and also remembering to wash the dishes. A big takeaway from this episode: CELEBRATE SMALL WINS!...

Last week we recorded the penultimate episode of The Terrible Anvil, this time discussing scripts, dialogue, and writing for comics! Art (slightly adapted) from Jess Ruliffson! The words we use and how they are arranged on the page can guide readers' understanding of our comics and influence how they feel about a story and its characters. But how do you pick the right words? How much is too much d...

This week on the Terrible Anvil, we parsed one of Jess's favorite topics: COLOR!! (Watercolor illustration by Jess!) Here's a quick look at our tips for approaching color (in comics or otherwise) as a newbie: * Pick just one color at first, especially if working in a new medium/with new tools. If that's not interesting, try two colors, maybe three. By using limited color palettes you will gain con...

Comics itself is a medium and practice. But it also can be host to lots of different working mediums: traditional comics materials, new digital tools, watercolor, printmaking—whatever your heart desires! How do you choose yours? (Watercolor illustration by Jess Ruliffson) What medium feels gratifying, what feels satisfying, what is too labor intensive right now? Maybe you are still learning a new...

This week on the Terrible Anvil we talked about CRITICISM! Criticism and rejection are inevitable parts of the creative process—so how can we make them more bearable? Jess Ruliffson and Tom Hart share their advice on when (and who) to ask for feedback and how to go about it, offer tools for managing your inner critic, and discuss how to distinguish between constructive feedback and unhelpful criti...

This week we talked all about creative collaboration! [Note: We had a couple technical difficulties this episode, and there’s a bit of silence from 52:14 to 52:38!] Comics can often be a solitary endeavor, but you'll find lots of ways to collaborate with other people—be it editors, writers, artists, colorists, copy editors, designers, publishers or co-creators! Collaboration in any art form can be...

The Terrible Anvil Episode Fourteen: Starting Over Hi, Friends! This week on The Terrible Anvil,  Tom Hart  and I dug deep on the topic of STARTING OVER. We noted there's a few different types of starting over: 1)  Restarting an old, old, project 2)  Starting a new project  after you finish one you've been working on (or even working in a series or across multiple comics pages)3)  Completely rethi...

This week we talked STYLE! How do you make your own artistic style? How long does it take? Do you need to stick to one at all? We go over these questions and more as we unpack what role style plays in cartooning and our expectations around our work. We also revisit topics like moving past our inner critics, forging daily creative routines, and staying curious about the possibilities of our work. A...

This week we got rather philosophical here at the Terrible Anvil podcast! We tackled lots of big ideas, but circled back again and again to finding joy in the hard parts of comics (and within the confines of capitalist markets). We also discussed drawing inspiration from the world around us. Zooming out can get us out of our heads and give our work room to breathe. But our power to tell stories co...

This week on The Terrible Anvil, we talked about  BACKGROUNDS! When and How and Why to draw them , maybe also hopefully indirectly answering  Oneita 's great questions from the  pre-call post  over in Comics FLOW and PUBLISH: "Personally love backgrounds and I like having them in my comics but  I tend to get lost between deep perspective and foreground objects .  I’m not wanting to take away from...

Hi, Friends! This week's episode of The Terrible Anvil was streamed  LIVE on YouTube  (I dunno if we will do that regularly, but if you've been wanting to catch a live call and aren't part of the SAW Comics FLOW + PUBLISH group, check that page out. It's also where we archive the video recordings!) Ok, what did we talk about this week? EXPECTATIONS! A few episodes back Tom said:   "There are a lot...

The Terrible Anvil Episode 9 - How to Win Friends & Influence People (TABLING at Conventions!) In this episode we talk about some of the most social fun one can have as a cartoonist: TABLING! Tune in for tips on navigating comics conventions, zine fairs, and press expos of all seasons and sizes. Learn about attending conventions to share your work, expand your network, have fun, and see what's out...

This week we talked about navigating social media to promote your work and make money as a cartoonist—from networking and building your audience, to avoiding burnout and fielding harsh feedback. The internet can be a lovely way to connect with friends and family, make new connections, support fellow cartoonists, and publish your comics. There are great benefits to serializing a webcomic or routine...