This week, Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani welcome -Jay Larson -Brent Weinbach -from NYC, Sara Schaefer -KP Anderson -Jackie Kashian

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At the end, students had the option create monsters– “Wild Things”– of your own!  Below is the lesson we went over in class.  And below that, is everyone’s work.  Scroll down and have fun reading!

Now, for everyone’s comics and drawings!

Below is the work of Carson Strassman!

Both his own monster, and “Scarecrow.” His monster’s name is “Stectch,” but sadly, his minions think his real name is “Stretch.” This often gets him mad, and causes him to hit them.  How do you think Max from “Where The Wild Things Are” would get along with “Stetch?”

Next up is the work of Jasper Von Studnitz!

Notice the many human characters, as well as the monster in the background in the third of the covers!  He has the ferocious head of a dinosaur, loch-nessy monster.

Next up, is the work of Woody Tuttle!

We have the continuation of the “Moth Man” saga.  But before that, run!  Duck and hide!  Or, perhaps offer him a treat– this monster may not be as scary as he seems.  Woody’s version of a “Wild Thng?   A monster named Saber!!

And finally, we have the work of Jackson Siegel!

His style of “Wild Thing” monsters were completely original for some, and inspired by “The Hunger Games” for the others  (which, if you think about it– is a movie that shows just how monstrous people, and people who have too much power, can be).

Below, look to find an original monster, another original monster attacking a couple of people, the “Hunger Games” wolf monster, a monster nearby the “Hunger Games” logl, and a comic based around Katniss and her struggles.

Hoping you were inspired by the wild antics of Sendak’s original characters, as well as the kinds of wild creatures that live in all of our imaginations (and sometimes, onto paper by way of our pens and pencils).

Thanks for reading  –!!

There are very few comedy festivals as prestigious as Montreal’s Just For Laughs, which is why we are pleased to present a showcase show wherein some of our favorite local comedians will be scouted to potentially perform in Montreal this Monday at 8pm!

We want the hottest, jammed packed crowd possible for our comedian debutants at this coming out party (strained analogy, we know) so we’re setting ticket prices at five dollars, a bargain! The lineup is being kept silence until the show, but past New Faces include Kumail Nanjiani, Pete Holmes and Kristen Schaal! What are you waiting for? Get those tickets!

BONUS: the High-5 Man! 

Every week, if you come to The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, this is what you get.

Meltdown University DrawMelt Life Drawing Class: COSPLAY. Come to Meltdown and take a Life Drawing Class 7-10 every Monday. All levels & experience welcome.

All Mediums welcome. $20/person

Digital Comics Now Available

]]> http://www.meltcomics.com/blog/2012/05/13/pull-customers-and-comixology-subscribers-this-weeks-new-books-and-restocks-posted/feed/ 0 http://www.meltcomics.com/blog/2012/05/11/owen-wiseman-samurai-blood/ http://www.meltcomics.com/blog/2012/05/11/owen-wiseman-samurai-blood/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 14:02:57 +0000 ShannonC http://www.meltcomics.com/blog/?p=21198 [...]]]>

Photo: Shannon Cottrell

Owen Wiseman was in seventh grade when he accidentally stumbled into a Japanese language class at a Catholic school in Oregon. It was a scheduling error that brought him into the classroom and a persistent teacher who encouraged him to stay. Throughout the course, the students learned about Japan’s language and history. They played rounds of hanafuda. They watched Akira Kurosawa, classics like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo.

That class sparked an interest in Wiseman that would manifest years later in his comic book series, Samurai’s Blood.

Photo: Shannon Cottrell

Released last year, Samurai’s Blood emerged as a six-issue miniseries. The original run ended at the close of 2011. There’s a possibility that the series will continue as a comic book, Wiseman has sketched out a few more arcs, but it’s still up in the air. In the meantime, the L.A.-based writer continues to publish Samurai’s Blood short stories online.

“Whether there are more comics or not, I’m going to continue to work in this world,” says Wiseman while seated in his living room.

Photo: Shannon Cottrell

Wiseman tells the story behind Samurai’s Blood as his new puppy, Ninja, jumps and chews her way across the room. His background is in film. A graduate of Pomona College who studied philosophy, Wiseman returned to Oregon after he finished school. He was living in Portland, not doing much career-wise, when a friend suggested he move back to L.A. and take a stab at screenwriting.

“I discovered that they aren’t just handing out plumb writing assignments at the airport,” Wiseman says with a chuckle. After a few years of odd jobs– grocery store delivery guy, video game delivery guy, reality show P.A.– his friend, Mike Benaroya hired him as a screenwriter for the production company he had launch.

Several years later, Wiseman is still a screenwriter with Benaroya Pictures. Samurai’s Blood actually started out as a screenplay based on character Benaroya gave Wiseman, but epic tales of teenage samurai are a hard sell. When Benaroya launched its publishing wing, the story got a new life as a comic book, illustrated by fantastic artist Nam Kim, that was eventually released through Image.

And now, here’s everyone’s responses/interpretations to the challenge of “Setting!”
First, we have Jasper Von Studnitz.  He elected to take home the comic he made, featuring characters in a playground setting, and wanted to share this cartoon drawing– set at L.A.’s “The Grove!”

Next up,  Jackson Siegel!  His comics were set in many settings for this lesson– and most prominently, the Desert!  Featuring, Evil Skeleton.

And next, here’s a comic Jackson made to use as the class Hall Pass!  Usually, there is a zine already in the classroom used when anyone has to leave the table for any reason.  But, once Jackson finishes coloring this double paged story, it’ll also work well as a pass.  Here’s the work in progress.

And last but not least, the work of Woody Tuttle!  Here are the continued adventures of Mothman.  The Big City is where his adventures are set.  See below, in the shots of characters atop buildings, and in the actual comic itself!

The villain stands tall!

Mothman stands taller!

And the comic set throughout the city.  “Sweet Mother of Grenades!!,” as the characters are saying (-:

Hope you all enjoyed reading about the latest lesson.  Stay tuned  –!!

About the book:

At once contemporary and timeless, HABIBI gives us a love story of astounding resonance; a parable about our relationship to the natural world, the cultural divide between the first and third worlds, the common heritage of Christianity and Islam, and the magic of storytelling.

About the author:
Craig Thompson was born in Michigan in 1975, and grew up in a rural farming community in central Wisconsin. His graphic novel Blankets won numerous industry awards and has been published in nearly twenty languages. Thompson lives in Portland, Oregon.
Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, HABIBI  tells the tale of Dodola and Zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, circumstance, and love. We follow them as their lives unfold together and apart; as they struggle to make a place for themselves in a world fueled by fear and greed.

Craig Thompson at Meltdown Comics
Q&A, Slideshow Presentation and Signing.
May 11th, 2012 at 7pm
7522 Sunset Bl.
LA, CA 90046
@MeltdownComics

Meltdown University DrawMelt Life Drawing Class: COSPLAY. Come to Meltdown and take a Life Drawing Class 7-10 every Monday. All levels & experience welcome.

All Mediums welcome. $20/person