This four-week course explores what makes a compelling comic and graphic novel, and will help you take the first steps towards making an original story of your own creation.

Comics and graphic novels are a diverse and powerful form with a huge presence in popular culture. From Marvel to Manga to Maus, comics are as varied as the individuals who create them. Through this course, you will learn the fundamentals of communicating stories through pictures, how to simplify and clarify ideas, create consistent recognisable characters, and take those characters on a journey through comic panels.

As a comic creator, you will learn to draw on the resources that we all share, the dreams and experiences of our every day, the special events in our lives, and the world we observe all around us. The course will build towards the creation of a two-page original story, with practical workshops exploring different aspects of comic-making each day.

Themes explored will include:

– Making legible and consistent artwork

– Planning and constructing stories in panels

– Scriptwriting for comics

– Interpreting comic scripts

– How to work with reference for inspiration

– Planning and completing longer narratives

– Approaching publishers and finding a market for your work.

You will also be encouraged to create a comic of your own, and have the opportunity to discuss your story in depth during a half-hour one-to-one tutorial with Alexis Deacon.

The course is open to participants with all levels of writing and illustration experience. Classes are held online over Zoom. The teaching style will be interactive and hands-on, and the course will feature weekly exercises for participants to work at in between classes.

For tickets and further details click here.