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Have you always wondered how your favorite comics are made? Join us for COMICS RELIEF: A FIRST SECOND FESTIVAL on Saturday, April 18th from 11am-5pm ET (8am-2pm PT).
This free virtual festival will give comics fans an in-depth look at the key moments in comic creation, and you’ll hear from many beloved graphic novel creators including Lisa Brown, Lucy Knisley, Kat Leyh, Ngozi Ukazu, Lily Williams, Karen Schneeman, and Gene Luen Yang!
Exciting stuff, right? We can’t wait to “see” you all and connect about our favorite thing: comics! AND we want to hear from you, so we’re running a sweepstakes where one lucky winner will walk away with a stack of books from the participating creators! All you have to do is comment on this blog post with a question for one (or more!) of our creators. . . and we’ll be announcing the winner live during the Q&A portion of the event!
And don’t forget to register for the festival and stay up-to-date on everything Comics Relief!
No purchase necessary. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. who are age 13 or older. Entry period begins at 12:00am Eastern Time (ET) on 4/13/2020 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 4/17/2020 Void where prohibited. For full Official Rules, visit https://firstsecondbooks.com/blog/. Sponsored by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
I have an almost 8 year old who loves comics and graphic novels. She lives Zita, Best Friends, Julia’s house for lost critters and we are getting into the Maker series. What other books do you recommend and particularly any with Latino characters
For Lisa Brown and Lucy Knisley, how is the process of creating a picture book different from creating comics? Are there aspects of comics (content or process) that you incorporate into your picture books?
For everyone, have any of you created an audiobook for your comics? What was that process like (or what do you think that process would be like) and how do you translate something so visual into audio? I’ve seen a handful of graphic novel audiobooks, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot after Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s “Hey Kiddo” won the 2020 Odyssey Award.
Hi,
I would like recommendations for young adult/teen comics that I can promote in my 6-8 grade middle school. Which comics do you recommend?
I have this question in mind for Ngozi since I know she has experience with this but of course I’d be happy to receive any response.
What tips might you offer to an artist seeking to initially release their comic as a webcomic but hoping to eventually publish and print it? If it helps, the genre is fantasy and the audience is YA readers.
What is something that you’ve done or some period of your life that wasn’t directly related to making comics, but that you think has contributed to your success (however you choose to define success)?
Did you ever feel like you took a huge risk when sharing a very vulnerable moment or scene in your story?
Creating a graphic novel is a monumental effort! Many aspiring cartoonists want to jump right in to making graphic novels and long-form comics, and many veteran cartoonists recommend starting with shorter work, like minicomics.
Creators, how do you make the decision that a story needs to be made into a book? When did you decide to start making longer work? What forces (both creative and commercial) have pulled you in this direction?
Hello!
What do your comics look like their first drafts? Do you write the script or lay out the panels and pictures? Also how do you organize your ideas or threads that you weave into your work?
When your story tells you it wants to go in a different direction than you planned as you actually start to take it from concept to execution, how you properly steer so it is everything you envisioned while also becoming what it desires?
I teach art in a public middle school. I am trying my best to support my doodlers and comics/GN readers. I’m curious if you can share how an educator encouraged (or discouraged) you in your art.
Hi there! My question is for all the comic creators. For your first graphic novel proposal, what did you submit? I have heard some submit the full manuscript and some submit the story summary and story beats. How many finalized spreads did you send? Do you submit character studies? Thanks!
I’m a SEQA major with a Film minor, and have any of you struggled with scripting comics?
I used to base my writing on what makes a good screenplay. I learned quickly that it was hindering my process; whenever I wrote dialogue, I was told I had good characters but the clarity of the story was lost to the reader.
Comic scripting feels like it needs to be more clear than film. Especially so when your focus is atmosphere and character. I feel film is more accommodating for subtlety in dialogue – it’s harder to have the same delivery in comics.
Do y’all feel the same? Did any of you experience the same issues? How did you combat or even solved the problem?
Thank you for your time!
Any advice on writing characters with various ethnic backgrounds without resorting to stereotypes?
teaching craig thompson’s ‘blankets’ in my graphic novels class inevitably dealt with the maturbation scene and the exposure of breasts. do folks have a good way to answer to parents who raise concerns?
how do you handle the balance of art & words?
Two questions from a graphic novel enthusiast and children’s librarian, for everyone:
1. There are still a lot of caregivers (especially immigrant caregivers) that say GNs are a waste of time and that their kids should be reading other materials (like chapter books, nonfic). I highly disagree with the sentiment – but what what would you say to persuade them to read your book?
2. I’ve had such a fun time reading all of your books! Did you have a favorite scene or panel that you really enjoyed drawing/writing?
Thank you!
I have several students interested in becoming graphic novel creators. What is the best way for them to enter the field and eventually get published? Thanks!
Hello! What is your favorite book to read in your free time?
What inspired you or who inspired you to create your stories!
Hello!
When you’re dealing with writing experiences and people who are different from yourself — whether in terms of faith, ethnicity, gender, etc… How do you go about making sure you’re being true to that particular character without falling into bias traps or stereotypes about that thing? TLDR: What is your advice about writing from the outside of a group?
Thanks for running these panels, it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun.
For Lucy Knisley: First, thank you for what you shared in Kid Gloves. As a person who experienced fertility and delivery complications, Kid Gloves made me feel less alone and made me feel empowered to normalize conversation around fertility, pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. How many documents did you fill collecting research in prep for Kid Gloves? Also, in what ways was your approach to Kid Gloves the same and different than your previous memoirs like, say, Age of License and Something New?
What was the comic book/graphic novel that changed your whole perspective on what you do as an artist? Doesn’t necessarily have to be your favorite, the most impactful.
How to make a realistic fiction story interesting and have an arc?
How can creators from geographical areas with small to none comic publishing history reach out to actual markets? What advice could such creators use to make this into a sustainable profession while telling diverse stories that should be reaching a wider audience?
Hello all! :) Do you have any suggestions for still finding time to work consistently on comics while married, having a full time job, being super involved at my church, and eventually wanting kids in the mix? I’ve picked my passion comic project back up multiple times, but a consistent schedule never seems to stick with everything else going on.
Hello all! :) Do you have any suggestions for still finding time to work consistently on comics while having a full time job, being married, and eventually wanting kids in the mix? I’ve picked my passion comic project back up multiple times, but a consistent schedule never seems to stick with everything else going on.
Thanks for taking the time to answer questions! ^_^
My question is; how do you handle anxiety when submitting your portfolio for review or when applying for an illustration job (comics)? How do any of you handle the anxiety and approach a job posting/job recruiter?
For Ms. Knisley: As someone who experienced infertility, the treatments, and a premature delivery, THANK YOU for what you shared in Kid Gloves. I felt less alone and more empowered to normalize my experience. How many pages (or notebooks) did you fill with research about fertility, pregnancy, and the unspoken complications in prep for the book?
Was there a particular drawing style/theme that you all thought of to suit the content and characters of your books? If so, how did you develop them?
During this Quarantime, a lot of people are finding it hard to work, including myself. How do you find the motivation to get in action? Do you have any tricks to get in the right zone for working?
For Ngozi, what made you decide to go to SCAD? Did you already know you were going before you started Check Please, or did creating the comic made you decide to get a degree for it?
Hi, Ngozi! I’m an avid hockey fan who loves to bake, so CHECK, PLEASE has made me very happy! What inspired you to pair hockey and baking in your work?
Hello! How much can you expect a concept/story to change after it is picked up by a publisher? Does it need to be fully fleshed out by the time a publisher becomes interested, or is there a possibility to workshop some elements together?
Do you feel that graphic biographies and memoirs have a better opportunity for adaptation into independent movies with the prevalence of crowdsourcing sites like Kickstarter and indigogo? Which one would you like to be adapted for the big screen or say a limited series on Netflix?
What’s the hardest part of getting started in the comic industry?
What is the thing you wish you had known when you were starting out making comics? AKA what would’ve been the best advice you could have given yourself?
As a comic artist making their way into traditional publishing, I’d really like to hear everyone’s answer to this! How were your stories/pitches picked up? What do you suppose was the biggest thing that got publishers interested in your story?
Thank you for setting this event up! Very excited for it!
I would love to hear about how you manage your files! There are so many pages to keep track of. How do you rename or adjust files when you decide to insert additional pages partway through the process?
What do you hope the biggest takeaway from your stories is?
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever researched for a project?
What’s a new genre you would like to explore in the future with your work?
Thanks so much for giving us this Q and A opportunity and hosting this awesome event! :) I’m an art student so I’m super excited to hear from everyone!
What makes you excited about drawing comics and inspired to create? And how do you handle creative blocks when they hit you? Especially in this time where we’re all isolated and everything is so different, are you finding it easier or harder to stay inspired?
Ngozi congrats on completing your comic, I love it so much!
To all creators, how do you introduce diversity to a story so the audience connects with it? I’m a highschool student who is planning to write a play for my mostly white Massachusetts highschool.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences :-)
What scares you? Where and when have you failed? What risks have you taken or continue to take to enrich your life?
What routines or habits or practices do you keep (or lack thereof) to support your creative life?
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this and answer question!
My question is how much time do you find yourself working on your craft each day? Do you have a strict schedule or a loose one you don’t need to follow exactly? This is for any speaker.
Once again thank you so much!
Cartoonists have to be able to master drawing so many things- Is there something that you still get nervous about drawing, or something that you feel like you’re faking whenever you do draw it, like backgrounds, or weird perspectives, or cars?
I’m in my last year of art school and I was wondering how each of the artists manages a work/life balance. Do they keep to a strict 9 to 5 schedule? Do they keep an office to work in? And thanks for hosting this event!
Do you come up with a story first, or characters??
When pulling from your own experiences for inspiration, how do you decide if you want to make something that is memoir, fiction, or fantasy?
Hi folks!
Here’s my question for creators:
Why did you choose to use the graphic novel format to tell these stories? How does the decision to show characters emotional journeys through drawing change the way you tell a story?
Thanks!
Allie
When dealing with sensitive topics (identity – as in American Born Chinese, or trauma), how does depicting the visual weigh against the text? What goes into deciding how graphic or direct the images will be?
Is there a dream project/story you would like to make a the graphic novel for?
Thank you :01FirstSecond for celebrating and publishing great graphic novels for all ages. Your books and authors have helped grow my collection exponentially! Graphic novels have emboldened readers to find and embrace their own stories! Thank you to the authors and illustrators who make it possible for we librarians, to find books to “sell” to our kids through booktalks and shares etc.
How do you feel when you have finished your work and it is out there in the open for all the public to read? Do you feel nervous trying to please anyone? And how do you handle the stress worrying about what other people think?
What is it about your project that made you feel like you just had to make it? Was it for you or for someone important to you? Was it out of love or spite? What about your story do you believe is the special thing that helped it resonate with so many people?
What is it about your project that made you feel like you just had to make it? Was it for you or for someone important to you? Was it out of love or spite? What about your story do you believe is the special thing that helped it resonate with so many people?
What special role do comics and comics creators have in helping us understand and get through this pandemic? How can art and stories help us navigate our new normal?
To any of the creators:
With huge changes likely coming to the “direct to market” comics industry as a result of Coronavirus disruptions, what advice would you give to aspiring creators who must now navigate a traditional publishing market that is likely about to be flooded by highly experienced talent from super hero books?
As a male caucasian creator who wants to incorporate and highlight diverse characters and their voices, what do you feel would be the largest obstacles for me, and how would you suggest I overcome them? I feel like I know some ways, but definitely looking for all the input I can get!
I’m stoked for the festival! Can’t wait!
Lucy Knisley, how did you track and organize your research for Kid Gloves? How did you decide what to put in and what to leave out?
Who are the artists that inspire you the most?
What does the creative process look like for you, from coming up with an idea to finishing it?
For all the speakers, what is your outlet – your secondary creative endeavor that you turn to when you can’t find a way forward in your project? (Gardening, crafting, learning how to make the perfect omelet, horse yoga, etc.) And, if that outlet has changed or disappeared with the recent #stayhome lifestyle, how do you cope?
Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions. :)
I was wondering how creators decide who to have on their creative team? What are some of the qualities and traits you look for in either fellow comic team members or in a project?
What do you think of the argument that print comics are for “old” fans? Where do you see the market going and how is it impacting your work?
Hi! Thanks for doing this, it’s great to still get a chance to see everyone even in this odd situation! This question is for everyone:
If you had describe your comic to someone who has never heard of it before to try and convince them to read it, and you only could use on sentence, what would you say?
how do you balance words and images when you have a lot of ‘detailed information’ to pass on?
To everyone: What is your process when coming up with your comics? Do you have the whole thing planned out or do you do it chapter by chapter? Do you thumbnail everything or focus on a script or both? If you script how do you know you have a script finished? How many times do you look through a script before putting pages down?
What does the process of creating new characters/stories/concepts usually look like for you? Do you build a world first before filling it with characters or do you build your worlds around characters that have been mulling around in your brain forever?
To Ngozi Ukazu,
Again thank you so much for creating this amazing story I simply can’t express my gratitude to you enough.
In terms of creating a story especially concerning check please, what is your favorite part of the creative process to you?
What projects are you excited for in the upcoming year, either as an author/artist or a reader/fan?
How old were you when you made your first comic? What was it about?
Hi!
My question to all of the creators is:
What do you think is unique about comics in their ability to depict time and space compared to other art mediums?
Question for Kat Leyh–do you prefer traditional or digital inking, and what are some of the pros and cons of each?
How do you gain recognition as an illustrator? Are most authors & illustrators paired up by publishers?
Any artists or illustrators that inspire you? & How do you develop your own unique art style?
Hi! I’m a college student (writing major), and I’m taking my first graphic novel course in the fall. What advice do you have for me (and others) who want to get into writing graphic novels, but have no idea where to start and are a bit nervous about it all?
(For any creator) How do you avoid burnout? Most projects have a fairly long lifespan, so strategies do you use to make sure you get to that finish line without becoming too exhausted or bored with the project to finish?
Juniper (6 years old and big Lumberjanes fan) asks “how do you come up with your characters?” Isaiah (4) says “I want to learn how to read, so I want them to have a place so young kids who don’t know how to read can learn how to read in comic books”. I (Emily) can say that graphic novels have been immensely engaging for these two kids and for me, and in the last few years I’ve been so happy to discover more and more books to love, especially with great LGBTQ+ representation. As a parent and reader and librarian, I appreciate all the work you all do to create these graphic novels, and that you are taking the time to connect with readers in this crisis!
Question for Gene.
Dragon Hoops has so many different and fascinating strands, were there any strands or narratives that didn’t make the finished book?
This is for Ngozi: When did you realize that Check, Please! was a hit online? Did it change how you moved forward with the comic once you knew we were all just as deeply invested in it as you? :)
Do you like to have music, TV shows, or movies playing as you work? Do you make a playlist for each book you work on?
How do I know if I’m being original? Best way to publicize your webcomic? How much research should I be doing for a modern-day fiction?
Question for the artists – How did you develop a style specific to coloring and shading? I’ve seen a lot of unique styles. What were your stylistic influences?
[…] The :01 Books virtual convention, Comics Relief, which is set for Saturday next week¹, has released some more details in the form of a schedule. The event is shaping up to be something like an All :01 All The Time day of panel content, with the schedule and participants now up for your perusal. Fun starts at 11:00am EDT on the 18th (platform TBA), and if you have any questions for the panelists, you can submit them now². […]
When (how?) did you make the switch (if you did) from drawing objects or people floating on a page in a sketchbook to grounding them in a scenes or full fledged story?
Hello!
My question is about auto/biographical comics, so maybe it’ll be best suited for Gene and Lucy, but any other insight would be much appreciated!
When planning an auto/biographical comic and thinking back on yours or your subjects’ experiences, how do you balance the factual events vs a compelling story? Do you have trouble selecting which events to omit for the broader storyline?
Thank you!
What kind of books do you wish were written when you were a kid? Do you write/illustrate those kinds of books now?
Ngozi! My dream is to make graphic novels for children and young adults, but with LGBT representation. What kind of troubles have you faced in the reading community because of check, please? As a transgender man, adding this representation would mean a lot to me but I’m nervous about the reprocussions when I publish. Do editors ever fight you on it? Thanks!
Hello, I have two questions
The first one that how do you come up with your ideas, do you look to your likes and dislikes on what to write about.
The last one is for everyone how long did it take to make your art style.
Thank’s