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Legal Ink - Our features from Lisa Fantino, Esq
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594 Broadway,
Suite 401
New York, NY 10012
Tel. 212-254-3511
Fax 212-254-3590
CLOSED FOR REMODELING
Reopening in May.
General Admission: $5
Group Rates - call ahead!
Questions, comments or concerns? Please e-mail us at info@moccany.org |
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MoCCA Inaugural On-Site Minds-On Education Program, April 29, 2003
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
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more photos
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MoCCA Inaugural On-Site Minds-On Education Program, April 29, 2003
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
Well, not exactly, but that’s what it felt like on Tuesday, April 29, 2003when MoCCA’s HQ welcomed its first wave of eager comic book kids!
The children, students in an Art of Making Comics workshop, were there to view the gallery’s first exhibit, THE SILENCERS: MODUS OPERANDI, a behind-the-scenes look at the comic book creation process in the form of artist Steve Ellis and writer Fred Van Lente’s new “super crime” series from Moonstone Books .
Their instructor, freelance writer Alex Simmons, introduced the students to SILENCERS writer and co-creator Fred Van Lente (a MoCCA Corporate Officer), and MoCCA Chairman Lawrence Klein. Along with Lawrence and Alex, Fred spent the first few minutes of the visit giving the students a brief history of MoCCA, as well as comics and comic strips in general.
At first the children were shy and hesitant. Some adopted the familiar persona of “too-cool-to-be-impressed” as they stepped through the door and into the deceptively small exhibition space. But that calm vanished as Lawrence, Fred, and Alex introduced the students to the diverse and colorful world of comic and cartoon art.
First, the students received a brief history of the museum’s accomplishments and future goals. The MoCCA staff shared their enthusiasm as they spoke about various comic art styles and creators, from Hank Ketcham’s, DENNIS THE MENACE, to Billy’s pop art technique to originals from animators Bill Plympton and Tom Warburton.
Fred Van Lente gave the children a basic insight into the process he and artist Steve used to create, develop, and produce The Silencer comic. He identified the many of the production steps, working from the exhibit’s example of script pages, thumbnails, and original character designs, as well as the other professionals involved, including the colorist and publisher.
The children were excited by the display of Steve’s original pen-and-ink comic book along the walls. At one end of the room two computer monitors displayed samples of the series’ lettering and coloring process in their electronic form. One of Steve’s sketchbooks was displayed in between the monitors. It was an excellent chronicle of the thought behind the project, containing random thumbnails of characters, scenes, pages, and even designs for the series’ technology.
The importance of work ethics were also a part of the information shared with the students. Fred Van Lente told a few stories about his other experiences working on other comic book projects. These stories helped the students better appreciate the level of commitment and responsibility that comes with accepting an assignment.
Their teacher, Alex Simmons (also Chairman of MoCCA’s Education Committee and member of MoCCA’s Board of Advisors), encouraged his students to offer questions and comments. The children didn’t hesitate, and made their instructor proud as they voiced their thoughts and opinions on the work that surrounded them.
Guided by the MoCCA staff, the children analyzed two different versions of the same comic page – an earlier one that was rejected, and the more recent one that made it into the finished book, and deduced how and why the artist made certain choices – from camera angles, to mood, to uses of lights and darks.
The experience didn’t stop there.
MoCCA added an unexpected treat to the tour. Musician and composer Nik Phelps had stopped by that afternoon. Nik has composed the soundtrack for numerous animated films, and was there to help setup for his evening appearance with animator Nina Paley.
Nik eagerly gave a twenty-minute demonstration of how music underscores and enhances a film’s pacing and mood. The children were even treated to a live performance when he accompanied two of Nina’s cartoons (FETCH and LEXI), on his clarinet.
At the end of their visit the students departed not only more informed about comics and music – they were also more excited about their own potential. The Art of Making Comics workshops had already shown them many of the ins and outs of creating their own comics and cartoons. During the previous workshops, they’d come up with concepts, designed characters, plotted stories, and published their own comic strip “ashcans” (printed booklets).
Now they had even more creative ideas and avenues to explore. It was obvious that some could hardly wait to try them out.
The children’s visit had also served another purpose. It had helped to confirm MoCCA's belief and commitment to their overall goals, and to the value of the educational programs they have worked so hard to create. That, in its self, is well worth a celebration.
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