Media Release -- Online registration is now open for the new Impact University Pro Comics and Art Workshop, a one-day intensive of comics, graphic novel and art educational programming featuring some of the industry’s top names. Sponsored by the publisher of Impact Books, this groundbreaking event takes place Wednesday, July 21, 2009 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, California. Impact University is the place for would-be comic writers, illustrators and colorists to learn about breaking into the comic book industry. Seminars, hands-on workshops and portfolio reviews will provide last minute guidance for attendees at Comic Con later that week.
All of the panelists and workshop instructors at Impact University are working in the field and many have garnered awards for their work. Interactive, small group workshops will be conducted before and after the event. The Impact U faculty is:
Peter David, the award-winning writer of Marvel's X-Factor, Dark Tower and Wolverine: First Class, as well as best-selling novels, and a long-running column in Comics Buyer's Guide. Peter has written for practically every comics publisher and his highly regarded 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk is a milestone of his career. Peter will be presenting a special workshop called Writing for Comics with Peter David.
Amanda Conner, who has worked on Vampiriella, X-Men Unlimited, Birds of Prey and The Pro, an Eisner nominated creator owned book for Image Comics. She achieved huge success with her art for DC’s JSA: Classified featuring Power Girl. She has since finished the DC mini-series, Terra, and is drawing a Power Girl ongoing series beginning in 2009. Amanda will be conducting the Comic Book Art Workshop.
Brian and Kristy Miller, the founders and owners of Hi-Fi Colour Design, a digital coloring studio, whose clients are major comics and entertainment businesses, including DC, Marvel, LucasFilm and many others. The Hi-Fi studio has colored such comics as Superman, X-Men, Green Arrow/Black Canary, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and many others. Hi-Fi has been nominated several times for the Wizard Fan Award and Comic Buyer's Guide award for best colorist. Their workshop is called Coloring Comics with Brian and Kristy Miller from Hi-Fi Colour.
Other professionals will offer panel sessions throughout the day. Fellow panelists include:
Jimmy Palmiotti, who started out as an inker before making the transition to writing comics. He is currently writing Jonah Hex, with Justin Gray, and begins on the new Power Girl series, with art by Amanda Conner. He will also be writing the Devil's Due title American Wasteland, based on the novel Vampire Hunter D. Jimmy has also been involved with the television series, Painkiller Jane, a character he co-created, on the Sci-Fi Channel, and has written scripts for TV, video games and film, as well as an ongoing column on Newsarama.
David Petersen, the creator of the acclaimed Mouse Guard series. David was the 2007 Russ Manning Award recipient for Most Promising Newcomer and in 2008, won the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids (Mouse Guard Fall 1152 & Winter 1152) and Best Graphic Album – Reprint (Mouse Guard Fall 1152).
Scott Tipton, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Comics 101.com. Scott writes the weekly column of the same name, the site's most popular and highly trafficked column. In recent years, Scott has crossed over from comics historian to comics creator, writing such miniseries as Angel: Auld Lang Syne, Klingons: Blood Will Tell, Star Trek: Mirror Images and Astro Boy: Underground for IDW Publishing. May 2009 saw the release of Comic Books 101, a history and celebration of comics, co-written by Scott and Chris Ryall.
Chris Ryall, the publisher and editor-in-chief of IDW Publishing, a San Diego-based comic book and graphic novel publisher. He is also an Eagle- and Eisner Award-nominated comic book writer, having written such comics as Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show, Zombies vs. Robots, Doomed, Shaun of the Dead, Beowulf and more. Upcoming comic book releases include the miniseries Groom Lake, Frank Frazetta's Neanderthal for Image Comics, a children's comic picture book, I Am Optimus Prime and Torakator, a graphic novel co-created with author Clive Barker.
Tom Nguyen, one of comics' top artists and inkers. Tom gets to work on projects as diverse as Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters for Dynamite Entertainment and Final Crisis for DC. Tom is known as "The Prince of Pin-Ups" and the author of two Impact books, Incredible Comics with Tom Nguyen and Incredible Comic Book Women.
Andy Schmidt, a former Marvel editor and current IDW editor, works on Star Trek and G.I. Joe. He's currently writing Challenger Deep from Boom! Studios and the forthcoming adaptation of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. Andy is also the founder of Comics Experience, a school dedicated to teaching comics writers and artists. He is the author of Impact's The Insider's Guide to Creating Comics and Graphic Novels.
The one-day day wraps up with Portfolio Reviews conducted by working professionals, editors, agents and publishers. Andy Schmidt, Chris Ryall, agent Kelly Sonnock, editor Pam Wissman and publisher Jamie Markle will be on hand to review portfolios and offer tips just in time for folks to make changes before attending Comic-Con.
“Impact University offers unprecedented access to some of the most admired writers and artists in the comic book field. Attendees will hear straight from working pros, editors and agents the steps they need to take to achieve their career goals, as they learn the important business side of comics,” says Impact University Producer Greg Hatfleld. “They will learn how to pitch ideas to editors, publishers and agents, and get an opinion of their work through a portfolio review, or graphic novel synopsis, by our team of editors and agents.”
The price for the one day conference is $199. Interactive workshops may be added on for an additional $75 fee each but space is limited. Complete details on Impact University and online registration can be found at www.myimpactuniversity.com.
