We started our lesson on Non-Fiction comics with a field trip to Clay Hill Corners Farm in Hartland, VT to talk with Marty Banak and listen in as he was interviewed. He showed us around the amazing farm and his sugar shack (on wheels!). Greenhouses, bees, blueberries, even a little mushroom farm. I kept thinking,...
I collected my Valentines today! Haven't had such fun with Valentine cards since grade school! Although the sentiment is slightly dangerous in the hands of cartoonists. Meanwhile, back in Comic History, we have been learning about the Underground Comix Movement. This is not a movement that I am particularly fond of. Lots of...
Our Visiting Artist today was Zippy the Pinhead! Well, Bill Griffith actually, but he IS a cartoon character in his own comics. This was one of those visits where, even though I had heard of the famous cartoon, I was not much of a fan. But after hearing the story of its creation, and the...
Our artist today was John Martz, a cartoonist and kids' book illustrator from Canada. One idea I'd like to steal is to find a signature character (his is a robot) and use it as a daily drawing exercise - fill a sketchbook with just that character interacting with the panels of the...
When we got our homework last week, I saw the assignment and joked, "96-pages??!!! I can have a breakdown in only 4 pages!" Silly girl. When will I learn not to brag. The Breakdown is still going... On the positive side, the rough week has inspired some interesting plot twists. If I could...
Some of our teachers are really good at that kind of slow, mind-torture that makes you want to curl up in a ball with a bag of chips, mindless tv and just gnaw on your toes. Know what I mean? No? Fine. They all pretended to take pity on us after finishing the grueling 1950&...
