Comic Book Bootcamp–A look at some of the ‘graduates’

It’s time to register for the next session of classes at TCW!   Writing for Comics Level Two is only available for students who have finished Level One. New and returning students can enroll in Ty’s Comic Book Bootcamp Part One!! Yayyy!

When Ty created Comic Book Bootcamp, it was  such a popular class that the first group of students begged him to continue–and he created Part Two.  After a student finishes Part One and Two, as Ty tells them, they’re able to take all the skills he’s taught them,  go off and create on their own.

Holmes Incorporated by Christopher Yao

Ty is helped in this belief by a lot of evidence…over the years, many local Toronto creators have taken his Bootcamps. They came in with varying abilities and backgrounds but with an enthusiasm for learning, and a drive to practice practice practice until their skills got to where they could look for professional work, or start creating on their own.

Eden Bachelder was one of Ty’s first students. She’s an artist who works in oil and acrylic paints, leather and many other mediums.  After taking Ty’s Bootcamps  she participated in  Bootcamp Comics (writing and pencilling The Three Kinds of Sex), and  Holmes Incorporated #1, (pencilling Nightclubbing with writer Kathleen Gallagher).

Holmes Inc. #1 Nightclubbing pg 7, by Eden Bachelder

Eden does other freelance work (she illustrated a government colouring book I lettered for her!).  Here’s a sample of Eden’s cartooning work (this one is called Citizen Chauvelin Adjusts Himself“).

Eden Bachelder

Christopher Yao is at work on his creator-owned comic Fauntkin. He has participated in both Holmes Incorporated comic books,

Holmes Inc. #1, Welcome to Holmes Incorporated, art by Christopher Yao, story by Greg Dunford, letters by Keiren Smith

and recently, drew The Adventures of Y Guy, a mini-comic that Toronto Cartoonists Workshop produced in-house for the YMCA of Greater Toronto (which is currently being reprinted).

The Adventures of Y Guy, pg 3, art by Christopher Yao, script by Kathleen Gallagher, colours/letters by Keiren Smith

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The Adventures of Y Guy is the first paid comics work of another former Bootcamper—Kathleen Gallagher. Kathleen wrote stories in each of the Holmes Incorporated issues (Night Clubbing with Eden Bachelder on art, for #1, and Eight Seconds to Mayhem for #2 with Danny Setna on art).

Adam Gorham was an artist on Holmes Incorporated #1 after taking classes with Ty (The Fingerless Prince with writer Heather Emme).

Holmes Inc. #1, The Fingerless Prince pg. 3, art by Adam Gorham, script by Heather Emme, letters by Keiren Smith

Adam’s first work was The Vampire Conspiracy and he is currently working on Teuton, an ongoing comic series he co-created with  Fred Kennedy.

Teuton, Vol. 2 Trolls attack, art by Adam Gorham

Daniel Wong took Ty’s Bootcamp a couple years ago and signed up for Fit to Print’s Holmes Incorporated when he was finished. His story, The Family Name was chosen as the first story for the issue. Pages like this were the reason why:

Holmes Inc. #2, The Family Name by Daniel Wong, script by James Cooper

Daniel is busy working as a freelance illustrator, recently finishing a commissioned story written by his Holmes Inc. collaborator, James Cooper (who is continuing to write comics, write and direct short films and writes Bagged and Bored for Tdot Comics). That work isn’t published yet–but I’m sneaking in a page here.

Old Haunts pg 4, art by Daniel Wong, script by James Cooper

One of the hardest working students to ever grace a Bootcamp has to be the one, the only Gibson Quarter! When other students were asking how to find their first work, Gibson was busy networking and finding his own here and abroad. He’s worked with Alan Grant for his Wasted Magazine, pencilling Grant’s War on Drugs. (Grant started Wasted Magazine through his company Bad Press; sadly, it’s now defunct).

Wasted, California pg 5, pencils by Gibson Quarter, script by Alan Grant

Gibson was one of the first students to take a Bootcamp course, and one of the very few who got to take all three versions. Having finished Parts 1 and 2, he was able to join in on the fun with Holmes Incorporated. He pencilled Flight Plan (for writer Robert Pincombe) for Issue 1, and Polarized for Issue 2 (written by Sam Ruano).

Holmes Inc. #2, Polarized, art by Gibson Quarter, script by Kathleen Gallagher

Gibson is a workhorse, so I couldn’t possibly list everything he’s done.  He’s worked for FutureQuake Magazine, producing both a cover and interior work for Issue 15. He pencilled The Gutters with Ryan Sohmer, drawing #244. He’s in the current issue of Undertow #2 from 7th Wave (which is on the stands NOW. Review HERE. You can buy a copy from The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery, the comic store sharing space with…Toronto Cartoonists Workshop!). Gibson’s currently finishing up the pencils and inks on a story for Heroes of the North–to find out what’s next for him make sure you check out his art blog.

Deadpool Breaking Bad, pencils by Gibson Quarter, inks by Guillermo Ortego, colours by Keiren Smith

You’ll notice that all those mentioned have participated in one or both issues of Fit to Print’s:  Holmes Incorporated. The next Fit to Print will be starting up soon (looking at end of April/beginning of May?); in order to participate students have to completed at least Comic Book Bootcamp Part One.

Holmes Inc. art by Gibson Quarter, colours by Keiren Smith

This is just a quick list of some of the creators who’ve taken Ty’s classes–just think, next time I write this list up…YOU could be on it.

Keiren

H-Day has arrived!

If you’re reading this before seven o’clock this evening, then you’ve still got time to get down to the TORONTO CARTOONISTS WORKSHOP,  587A College Street (at Clinton) and join in the fun for our launch party, celebrating the new issue of Holmes Incorporated!  We’ll have issues in hand, performing conjurers, circus acts and a host of comic creators to talk to about working on the new issue, except for the circus acts and conjurers.

Artwork by Dawnson Chen.

But a room packed with the next generation of hot comic book creators should be reason enough to drop by.  WHERE are you going to find a room FULL of comic creators this weekend, all in one place?  I mean outside of San Diego, obviously…

And if you need more reasons to come over and say hello, then I’ll give them to you:  Preview pages from the Holmes Incorporated mega-collection, being published tonight!  I’d like to say I’m saving the best for last, but we always offer up the best here at Art Land, and I believe in honesty.   But here’s more of the best below.

As lovely as these pages are, they become lovelier when you realize that Vince Tourangeau (author and penciler) had never ever drawn a comic story before this one.  And I don’t mean he hadn’t been published before today, I mean he hadn’t EVER written or drawn one.  For his rookie gig, he gives us one of the coolest stories in the book, and I ain’t kidding.  You gotta read “Enabled” to see the twists and turns our new auteur had up his sleeve.  Our returning champion inker, Jeff Longstreet, gave these pages the spit and polish that only Jeff can, and it all adds up to a heck of a rookie card.   Come and meet ’em both tonight, and pat them on the back.

“She died of rage.”  If that ain’t a great line, then I should eat my shoes.  And the story just gets better from there!   But it was that wonderful line by author Sam Ruano that sold me on this script when he first pitched it at me.  And there’s nobody better to sell the story than his artist, Gibson Quarter.  Gibson’s a bit of a ringer in our group, as  he’s already worked with some big name creators  in his career (Judge Dredd creator Alan Grant, Miracle Man artist Gary Leach, to name-drop a few), but he’s kind enough to lend us his hands when we get a script this good.  I’ll bet both Sam and Gibson have a few comic book war stories to share with the gang at the launch party.

Writer/Artist Marshall Geddes is one of those people that really makes me mad.  Like Vince Tourangeau, this is ALSO his first ever story, and it’s remarkably good for his first time out of the gate.  But Marshall was only SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD when he started this tale.  He’s just turned eighteen, so you can’t buy him a beer yet.  But he’s annoyingly good for someone that young.  If I was that good when I was that age, I’d probably own Marvel Comics by now.  Normally I encourage our creators, but Marshall must be stopped before he rules the world.  Jeff Longstreet’s steps in to give us more of his mighty brushwork, and Jeff did it all while on vacation!  The dedication of this guy is frightening.  A pox on both of them for being so good at this without the normal decades of hard work.

If you recall from the first set of preview pages on Tuesday, our issue starts off with the memorable image of Sherlock Holmes’ open grave and his rotting body.  As an editor, I know how to pick a heck of a curtain raising image.  Well, “Safe” ends up with the most shocking moment of the collection, and you don’t get to see it unless you come on down to TCW tonight.  Or, of course, you can see it when the issue is distributed to local comic stores, and is available free online.  Actually, you’ll get to see it in a lot of places, but I promise you’ll remember it once you do.   Aaron Feldman’s dynamic script packs a gutshot punch that’s worth whatever wait you have, and Rachael Wells turned in pencils so lovely and detailed that I couldn’t help it…I grabbed my kit and inked this one myself.  I only hope those two were as happy with my inks as I was with their issue-ending thriller.  Why don’t you come on down tonight and get their opinion?

All right, that’s enough out of me.  If you ain’t excited by all this new talent on display than you ain’t a comic fan.  And if you ain’t a comic fan, than you’re not invited to the launch party tonight.

But everyone else is.

TORONTO CARTOONISTS WORKSHOP,  587A College Street (at Clinton).  I’ll see you there!

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your BONUS Holmes Incorporated COMIC MOMENT:

The teenaged Sherlock Holmes the Third. Art and colours by Christopher Yao.

And don’t forget to download Issue #1, with an equally amazing array of talent and fun, including, Rachael Wells, Gibson Quarter, Christopher Yao, and Jeff Longstreet, showing off THEIR first work with the Holmes Family.   You can find the free download HERE:

I believe we can officially call this the TCW Age of Comics, right?

(and, as always, to check out bios of the creators, and links to sites with more of their work, check out the Holmes Incorporated website–kts)