With great creativity comes great opportunity

Lauren Lowry
The Signal
Aspiring comic book writers and illustrators, mark your calendars. University of Houston-Clear Lake will be offering an opportunity of a lifetime for the students interested in becoming comic book/graphic novel writers and illustrators.

Comic books and graphic novels with notable characters such as Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and many more did not just appear out of thin air. It all starts with the creative process.

UHCL will be hosting its first comic book and graphic novel Symposium called ‘comiCulture: From Creation to Consumption,’ Sept. 21.  The Symposium will include a panel discussion by comic book/graphic novel writers and illustrators and a portfolio review for upcoming artists.

Leading up to the Symposium, UHCL will be presenting Student Illustration and The Art of Sequential Storytelling Exhibitions.  The Student Illustration Exhibition will display student comic book and graphic novel works.

“Students are encouraged to submit artworks to the UHCL comiCulture Student Illustration Exhibition,” said Stuart Larson, associate professor of applied design and graphic arts and member of the comiCulture advisory committee.  “If you are interested in graphic novels, manga, anime, or children’s books, don’t let this opportunity go by. Be daring, be dynamic, use unique perspective and above all, have fun.”

Jeff Bowen, the director of the UHCL Art Gallery, and the comiCulture advisory committee will select student works.

Larson encourages students to submit the following:  “Suggested illustrations include, but are not limited to: Graphic novel pages, comic book sequences, children’s book pages and panels, character designs sketches and samples.  All artwork must be original designs, characters, and material.”

Kalan Lyra, a UHCL graduate student alumnus and staff cartoonist for The Signal, is looking forward to the upcoming Symposium.

“I would advise students to submit their best work to date,” Lyra said. “Work that they feel really communicates their point of view and who they are as an artist. If they have a variety of work to present, then would tell them to submit the best examples of their portfolio to show off a range of their abilities.

“I would also advise them to practice talking about their work. Often times a subject that is presented in a piece can seem convoluted to a viewer’s eye. An artist should be well versed in their responses and explanations of the things that they create.”

The theme for comiCulture, From Creation to Consumption, will focus on how aspiring comic book and graphic novel artists break into the publishing industry.  The panel of successful comic book writers and illustrators will be answering questions about the creative and publishing process.

“The creative process is a magical thing, but if the plans in that initial stage are never executed then the art is never realized,” Lyra said. “A work of art is result of an individual who has taken an idea from concept to creation.”

Some featured artists and writers will include James O’Barr, creator of The Crow, David Doub, publisher/writer at Dusk Comics and Nick Pitarra, artist at Image Comics.

The exhibitions will take place Aug. 22-Oct. 18 in the Bayou Building Atrium I and the UHCL Art Gallery. The deadline for student submissions has not been determined yet but will be released soon. See comiCulture.org for information.