On Saturday, February 11, from 12 to 5pm, the students from Meltdown University director Jim Higgins’s college classes will be presenting and selling their minicomics to YOU! These students from Otis College of Art and Design and CalArts will be showing off the great comics they’ve made during this past Fall semester in the college-versions of the Creating Comics Jim teaches at Meltdown. There’s some great work in these minicomics by these fabulous art students, some of whom may be the future stars of their own comics series. And you can discover them now!

(Want to take Jim’s next Creating Comics class, which starts on Wednesday, February 15? Want to find out about the other Meltdown U classes like the Webcomics and Inking and Coloring classes which are starting new series in the next week or two? Or learn about the ongoing Kids Comics class? Then go here for more info and to sign up:

http://www.meltcomics.com/blog/meltdown-university/

http://www.meetup.com/DrawMelt/

And what else are you doing on with your Saturday afternoon anyway — watching reality television?  Spending important hours of your life on Facebook? Hanging around in some stupid park where you’ll just wind up with grass stains on your jeans? Your really good jeans? Instead, bring yourself down to Meltdown and see these rising stars and get some great comics. We have spoken!

Two pages from the minicomic by Otis student Carolyn Tom.

About the Meltdown Comics EXTRAS edition

Included in this pack will be a commemorative Meltdown Comics envelope and letterhead, Meltdown Comics sticker, vintage Baby Melt ribbon (yeah, we made this), a tiny 1:6 scale T-Shirt (Sized-to-Fit the DEATH RAY ACTION FIGURE, the Hi-Fashion Enid DOLL or to class-up your child’s BRATZ doll if you will), a little silkscreen print, a pin, plus other surprises. All using the Meltdown Comics Mel Mascot and logo designed last century for Meltdown, Inc. by Dan Clowes. That is like  back in the 1990s,man! ONLY 200 sets will be made. FUN! Will cost us more that 10 bux to make all of these bits but will only add 10 bux over the cover price if you buy the book from us.  Pre-order Meltdown Comics EXTRAS edition here

Throughout his 25-year career, alternative cartoonist/screenwriter Daniel Clowes has always been ahead of artistic and cultural movements. In the late 1980s his groundbreaking comic book series Eightball defined indie culture with wit, venom, and even a little sympathy. With each successive graphic novel (Ghost World, David Boring, Ice Haven, Wilson, Mister Wonderful ), Clowes has been praised for his emotionally compelling narratives that reimagine the ways that stories can be told in comics. The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist is the first monograph on this award-winning, New York Times–bestselling creator, compiled with his complete cooperation. It includes all of Clowes’s best-known illustrations as well as rare and previously unpublished work, all reproduced from the original art, and also includes essays by noted contributors such as designer Chip Kidd and cartoonist Chris Ware.

Alvin Buenaventura recently started the publishing company Pigeon Press. He previously published artistic and insightful graphic novels, books, and prints under the imprint Buenaventura Press from 2003 to 2009. Buenaventura also edits the monthly comics section for McSweeney’s literary magazine, The Believer. He lives in Oakland, California.

Tonight!!!!

Meltdown University DrawMelt Life Drawing Class: Clothed Figure Drawing 

Comic Book Writing And Drawing Classes Are What’s Hot!

Meltdown University announces the start of its next series of classes on writing and drawing comics, Creating Comics, plus a brand new series, Inking and Coloring Comics. What started three years ago as just one class, has now expanded to seven classes on five different subjects and is still growing. It’s a graphic novel school in the making!

“I was doing private classes in New York City while I was also teaching in the Cartooning and Illustration Department at The School of Visual Art,” said Meltdown U Program Director and former DC Comics editor Jim Higgins. “When I moved to LA, I approached Meltdown Comics about hosting similar classes. They were very receptive and supportive, and already doing things like gallery shows and book signings. Owner Gaston Dominguez-Letelier turned out to be probably the most innovative and aggressive event host in the comic book business.  I started the classes and ran them just like a semester of my college comics courses, but for a lot less money.”

The program has now grown to include two sections of Creating Comics, where the students either write and draw their own minicomic (a short-run, locally printed, photocopied comic) or write a short comic book script. In the past six months, the program has added an ongoing Kid’s Comics class for ages 7 to 12 taught by LA artist Donna Letterese, a Web Comics class about doing comics on the Internet by comedy writer and editor of the humor magazine The Devastator Geoffrey Golden, two DrawMelt: Life Drawing classes moderated by artist and celebutante Satine Phoenix, and will soon add more.

Meltdown U’s newest offering, Inking and Coloring Comics, is starting on Tuesday, February 14 at 7pm. The class is taught by professional comics artist and colorist Chris Northrop, who has worked for Marvel, DC, and other major comics companies.  “Inking and coloring are skills very specific to comics and we’re one of the only places in California where you can learn them in one place,” Higgins said.  Northrup has been teaching comic art for years.

So who takes these classes? Screenwriters, graphic artists, computer programmers, teachers, social workers – anyone who has a story to tell and wants to do it with comics! Higgins also teaches comic book classes at Otis College of Art and Design and CalArts, but says, “Meltdown U is for everyone.”

The next Creating Comics class begins Wednesday, February 15 from 7 to 9:30pm.

The next Web Comics class starts Saturday, February 11 from 12 to 3pm.

The Kid’s Comics class meet on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:30pm and is ongoing.

To sign up for these classes, go to: www.meltcomics.com/blog/meltdown-university/

The DrawMelt: Life Drawing classes meet on Mondays and Tuesdays at 7pm and are ongoing.

To sign up for these classes, e-mail Satine at DnD@Meltcomics.com.

DnDMelt’s Celebrity Charity Dungeons and Dragons Event!

When: January 28, 2012. Time: 1-6 pm Where: http://meltcomics.com (online) Charity: Reach out and Read Los Angeles Http://rorLosAngeles.org @ReadTogether

Meltdown’s own Satine Phoenix (http://satinephoenix.net/) is Hosting a 4 table Celebrity gaming event. Each table, with up to 6 players per table, will be running the same adventure written by Celebrity Writer Keith Baker (creator of Eberron, who will also be DMing one of the 4 tables.)

The fundraising part of this event starts HERE!  We’re working with Stickam.com to bring to you, wherever in the world you are, Pay Per View access to each table. With a minimum payment of $1 you can watch how one table of creatives solves this adventure. Don’t limit yourself to one group, watch all 4 tables! But that’s not all, you’ll be able to purchase the adventure as a PDF for $5 to play with your own group of gamers!

The proceeds will then be announced the following Monday (allowing all who wish to continue to donate through the weekend to do so) and presented to Reach Out and Read.

What exactly is Reach Out and Read?
Reach Out and Read Is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.

Visit Http://rorLosAngeles.org for more info or chat with them directly on Twitter @ReadTogether

If you want more information about this event email DnD@meltcomics.com

http://www.meetup.com/DnDMelt/

DRAWMELT! 2 life drawing days a week

Monday: EXTREME cosplay   Tuesday: Traditional clothed figure

Every event is $20/person*. There’s limited space so first come first serve and/or contact DnD@Meltcomics.com to prepay and hold your spot. Bring as little as a sketch book and pencil or as much as canvas & Paints. Hosted by Satine Phoenix. (available for art instruction)

Location: Meet us in the new side gallery  Time: 7pm – 10pm

*water & light snack included

DRAWMELT! 2 life drawing days a week

Monday: EXTREME cosplay Tuesday: Traditional clothed figure

Every event is $20/person*. There’s limited space so first come first serve and/or contact DnD@Meltcomics.com to prepay and hold your spot. Bring as little as a sketch book and pencil or as much as canvas & Paints. Hosted by Satine Phoenix (available for art instruction)

Location: Meet us in the new side gallery

Time: 7pm – 10pm

*water & light snack included

This week’s models are:

MONDAY: Azmyth Kaminski http://www.azmythkaminski.com/  http://www.modelmayhem.com/648688

TUESDAY: Vivid Vivka http://www.modelmayhem.com/32477

Monday: Azmyth Kaminski

TUESDAY: Vivid Vivka

Go behind the scenes of the making of the #TMNT Mural at Meltdown Comics, painted by Ninja Turtle creator Kevin Eastman and Graffiti icon Mark Bode. Filmed and Edited by Adam Dorsey.

For more information on all of the events in the 35 Days of Kevin Eastman celebration at Meltdown Comics, visit http://tinyurl.com/meltdowneastman

November 30th: “TMNT” Exhibit Opens
December 7th: “Underwhere” Exhibit Opens
December 14th: “Biz and Buzz” Exhibit Opens
December 21st: “Lost Angeles” Exhibit Opens
December 28th-January 4th: Heavy Metal 35 Anniversary Exhibit Opens

35 Days of Kevin Eastman Calendar