Perhaps you have a story to tell that you just can’t express with words alone. You could have an entire cast of colorful characters trapped in your head that are just begging to be released.
Maybe there’s a whole world waiting for you to shape it scene by scene and you just haven’t discovered the means to do it yet. The comic artists at Art Ducko, the University of Oregon’s comic magazine, might be able to help set you on the right path during their upcoming event “Head in the Gutter,” as they delve into the basic fundamentals of comic creation.
“Head in the Gutter” will be a discussion based workshop held on campus at 5:30 p.m. this Thursday, Nov. 19 in Lawrence 222. Jalan Ember, Art Ducko’s chief layout designer, will host the event and discuss many different aspects of comic creation.
The workshop will focus on the process of creating a comic with specific advice on writing characters, avoiding cliches and drawing. During his presentation, Ember will host an open discussion about creativity, inspiration and the fine line between plagiarism and inspiration as it applies to the creation of comics.
Ember, a digital arts major with a minor in comic studies and computer science, has his work featured regularly in Art Ducko’s print magazine and on his personal Tumblr account.
“Jalan was essential during the early stages of making the magazine. He has a lot of layout experience,” said Alex Milshtein, Art Ducko’s founder and editor-in-chief. “He assembled the first issue mostly by himself and can make adjustments fast when we need to. He is a hard worker and his own comic work is fantastic. It looks like it has a simplistic style, but it has a lot of thought put into it.”
The publication’s long-term goals are to create a community of comic artists and enthusiasts at the UO campus and to develop resources to help find jobs in the comics industry for graduates.
This is Art Ducko’s third workshop this term and its eighth workshop since it was established last fall. Each issue includes both comics and relevant scholarly articles. Physical copies are distributed for free around campus and to select businesses around Eugene, including Emerald City comics, while virtual copies can be viewed online on Art Ducko’s official website. The publication has plans to host more workshops throughout the year as to expand its presence on campus.