National Lampoon's Split Rock

The fact that Split Rock is closing reminds me of the final act in National Lampoons vacation: when the Griswolds travel all that way only to find out that Wally World is closed. Well, although my travel wasn't in vain, it still pains me to know that other may have had to wait another year and now know that they're opportunity is lost. Maybe if those responsible for the closing understood what efforts people took to get to the Split Rock Arts Program, then they wouldn't disgard it so easily. So let's start with my story, at least.

Although I've been drawing for 15 years, I still consider myself an amateur cartoonist taught by "the self-learning method"of comics strips and graphic novels. They're were few that I could call "peers in the field", as other cartooning people I knew did so for fun and had no plans for serious pursuit. Although I searched for like-minded souls in comic book store gatherings, the closest locations only hosted "Magic: The Gathering" Parties and nothing more. Even in college I found only the usual readers (not illustrators/writers) of the superhero genre. What kept me going was my own study of cartoonists, comic artists, and the history and social impact of the craft itself. By the time I graduated, I knew that I was going to have to search long and hard to find formal lessons. I didn't know how hard it would be. 

The first search was not so successful when I moved back home. Of the region-wide Comic Book stores that had websites, no meetings could be found on their events calendars. Reaching the peak of my frustration, I took a break from the search and focused on my creative writing.

In between writing groups, I travelled through the online branches of database links, collecting as many writing workshop postings as I could. I knew, however that it wouldn't hurt to peek at the art databases, you know, just in case. In the best stroke of luck, I could not believe what stood out among the droves of watercolor, acrylic and other traditional workshops: Comic Art. With a little financial help from Mom
(and a promise to let her tag along on the trip west) I was on my way to a real structured workshop!

As I conclude this blog, I'm setting up for a Comic Art Meet-up located 3 hours from home. Because it's the closest one available.  I hope those responsible understand what they're taking away when they let Split Rock close down.

Split Rock, Come Back

When I came to the Split Rock Arts Program in St. Paul, MN, I was as surprised as the other participants to learn that the 2011 season was the last for the 90 year old program. At first I exhaled, relieved that I did not wait to go next year, but then I felt slight grief.  Many of my classmates decide to express our feelings about this through the program evaluations. However, I don't think enough can be expressed on an simple scantron. If only this responsible understood what the program did for me:

Good Outreach

When searching for workshops, I seek the usual: google with the right selection of keywords, and workshop databases with links to other databases and so on. I collect whatever posting appealed to my qualifications. Split happened to be among those that appealed to my personal qualifications.  

Convenient Access 

I was able to apply online and pay online. If I had questions, I was able to call the appropriate parties who, if unavailable, returned my call within a day. 

Excellent Accommodations

Of the many workshops I collected, I found many that catered to their local community. Unfortunately that meant that these programs didn't anticipate out of state participants and therefore did not accommodate them with housing or links to assistance. One workshop even scheduled one class a week for 6 weeks! Not worth the hotel bill or time.  When I saw that Split Rock was offering a week long workshop with equal stay in a dorm, I was estatic. Even my mother was allowed to stay with me and work at her job's St. Paul branch, which was a better alternative to the St. Paul hotel 45 minutes away. But that surprise leads us to…

Unexpected Assistance

When this city girl arrived, she was prepared to learn her own way around two campuses by herself. Little did she expect to find a Split rock staff member waiting out the dorm building waiting to drive her to her class room. Later that day a second staff member escorted her and other participants along the commuter bus ride so they knew how to get back to their dorms and catch the bus the next day. This city girl was stuck for words. 

Unexpected Avenues

I learn new things everyday, but going to this workshop exposed me to venues that I could not have been able to find ( or trust ) through an online filter. For example, I did not know mini-comics existed before coming to this workshop. Nor did I know about the term "emanata" (i.e. those little things over cartoons heads, like exclamation points,  anger steam or Spiderman's "spidey senses"). Even seemingly small details from where word balloons pointed to the directional layout of panels determined how coherent your story was. Most of all, I did not know that many of the largest Comic art communities ( many of whom were workshopping with me) resided west of the mississippi. Why should I be surprised, after all, Comi-Con's in California. By now I'm pretty serious about pursuing this field, so if I have to move west, I will. But for the next person as lost as me, this was an excellent gateway. Don't close it just yet.

Drawing Words and Writing Pictures in Minnesota

The week of July 10, I travelled to the Split Rock Arts Program at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities for some serious in-depth comic Art instruction with Jessica Abel. I finally learned the basics, such as inking (properly), lettering, and measuring tiers and panels correctly on bristol board and even converting the scan resolutions for reproduction. When compared to all my preceding art, the difference is astounding.  I still can't believe I used to use a ball point pen to ink.  :-P

My poster entry on Jack Rabbit Slims

Through an interesting turn of events I discovered that the Irish Band Jack Rabbit Slims likes my Blues Poster entry enough to put it on their site. We all win.