IL410 Illustrated
Story 3: Production and Publication
Course Objectives
Students develop a single
long-form story while learning professional comics production techniques,
including lettering, inking, coloring, and layout. The class culminates in the production and
publication of the story in pamphlet format.
Course Outcomes
The
successful student will achieve the following course outcomes:
•
Students will produce a single comic that is 16 pages in length.
•
Students will successfully introduce characters, and conclude a story within
the set page limit.
•
Students will master their individual approach to visual storytelling in a
single long-form story.
•
Students will demonstrate ability to prepare files for digital and print
publication.
Program Outcomes
The
successful student will achieve the following course outcomes:
•
Students will learn to create engaging stories.
•
Students will produce narratives in various formats, including short-form,
long-form, and serialized.
•
Students will demonstrate knowledge of the formal aspects of comics as a medium.
•
Students will be able to competently craft representational images.
• Students will demonstrate capability with media and techniques.
•
Students will produce evidence of an understanding of the methods of comics
production.
QEP Outcomes
The successful student will
achieve the following course outcomes:
•
Students will demonstrate the ability to write a resume.
•
Students will demonstrate the ability to write a professional cover letter.
•
Students will demonstrate the ability to write an artist statement.
•
Students will demonstrate the ability to exhibit their work beyond the
classroom.
•
Students will demonstrate computer/software literacy applicable to their field.
• Students
will demonstrate the ability to research graduate education and job
opportunities in their field.
• Students
will demonstrate the ability to give a public presentation about their work.
•
Students will demonstrate the ability to research to stay current in their
field.
• Students
will demonstrate knowledge of communication etiquette in their field.
Grading/Professionalism
The
Comic (50%)
Create,
prep, and print a comic book. The comic should include an original story
created for this class that is either 16 pages long (it can also include
pre-existing material, as long as you keep the page count to a multiple of 8).
The interior of the book may be black and white or color, but a front and back
cover should be designed in full color. The story may fit within a larger
narrative, but must be a complete story arc in itself—no cliffhangers or “To be
continued…” endings. See the Comic Schedule handout for due dates.
This course involves both
in-class and out-of-class assignments.
The Comic Project will be graded on visual
storytelling (the clarity of communication), composition (the picture plane of the individual comic panels), page design (the layout of the panels
and overall design of the page), and lastly, presentation (the chosen format and neatness of presentation).
- Incomplete work is work that is not completed according to project
specifications and not completed for critique. Incomplete work is lowered by 15 points,
but can be raised 10 points upon completion.
- Late work is any work not presented at all at the scheduled time
for review or critique. Late work
receives zero points, but can be turned in before the next class with an
irreversible 10 point penalty. The
project is lowered an additional 10 points for each week it is late. It is the student’s responsibility to
present late work. The instructor
will not ask for it.
- Projects are deducted 10 points when they do not adhere to assignment
guidelines. This is eligible for,
but not guaranteed a 10 point increase upon rework.
- Additional points may be deducted for imagery that is unclear,
compositional oversights, misspellings, or an unprofessional presentation.
- Every student is expected to participate in critique and to offer
both positive and negative feedback for a balanced and constructive
critique.
Project grades
- A = Exemplary work that meets or exceeds expectations with little
or no flaws.
A 93 – 100
A- 90 – 92
- B = Good work that meets assignment expectation with some flaws.
B+ 87
– 89
B 83 – 86
B- 80 – 82
- C = Average work that meets assignment expectations with several
flaws.
C+ 77
– 79
C 73 – 76
C- 70 – 72
- D = Poor work that does not successfully meet assignment
expectations and has too many flaws.
D 60
– 69
- F = Unacceptable work with many flaws that does not successfully
meet assignment expectations.
F 0
– 59
Final Project Grades and Averaging
All
out-of-class comic projects are averaged together at the end of the course, and
comprise 50% of the grade for the semester.
A =
4.0
A- = 3.75
B+ = 3.5
B = 3.25
B- = 3.0
C+ = 2.75
C = 2.5
C- = 2.25
D = 1
F = 0
Test
Book (25%)
Familiarize
yourself with the process and potential pitfalls of print-on-demand comics by
preparing a short test booklet. Scan
pre-existing comics pages, either from earlier classes or from extracurricular
efforts. If necessary, adjust the files
sizes in Photoshop so that the pages will fit a standard print-on-demand book
size. Lay the book out in InDesign, output it as a high quality .pdf, and
upload it for print. Order a single copy of the book so that you can see the
final results. Make any necessary
adjustments if the book is not satisfactory and print an additional, revised
copy for my records.
Scanned
pages due: 10/10
Book
layout due: 10/22
Printed
book due: 11/5
Interview Presentation (25%)
Select
a comics creator as your subject. Contact the creator and see if they are
available for an interview. Your subject should most likely be a single creator
who writes and draws their own material, but if you choose a creative team, be
sure to interview all collaborators. Read at least two books by your subject
and write a report on each of them. Examine the storytelling techniques as well
as the artistic and production techniques used in the books. Search online for
interviews with your subject. Prepare a list of at least twelve solid questions
for your subject.
Subject
Selected and availability confirmed: 9/12
Book
Report 1 (1000 words) due: 9/28.
Book
Report 2 (1000 words) due: 10/12.
12
Interview Questions due: 10/17.
Only
then should you interview your subject. In addition to any personal curiosity
about this person, inquire after their creative, artistic, and technical
processes. Ask about influences for both story and art. See if you can get
photos of their workspace. From this interview and your earlier research,
prepare a10 minute PowerPoint presentation on your subject.
Presentation
due: 12/5.
Attendance
Absences
- There is no penalty for 3 or 4 absences.
- The fifth absence reduces the final grade by 10 points (this can
be a tardy-absence)
- The student is automatically failed after 6 absences.
- Absences during critique irreversibly lower the project grade 5
points unless it is turned in before 9am on the morning of critique.
Tardies
- Arriving late to class or leaving early can be marked as a tardy.
- Three tardies equal one absence.
- Being tardy for critique irreversibly lowers the project grade by
10 points
- When possible and as soon as possible, notify your instructor of
impending tardies or absences.
Classroom Etiquette
Cell phones:
Make
sure that your cell phones are turned off during class. You may set your phone to vibrate if you have
an ongoing emergency (meaning birth, death, or catastrophic illness). DO NOT answer your phone in class. It’s rude.
In the event of an emergency call you may exit class and then answer or
return the call.
Music:
Headphones
are permitted, but ONLY during in-class work when I am not instructing and ONLY
if low enough that you can still hear me if I address you. Do not play music through the speakers.
Media:
I
don’t care if you occasionally check your email or watch someone’s bulldog
skateboard on YouTube, but it MUST NOT interfere with your work and it should
never be through the speakers.
Contact
The best way to contact me is
at smcdermott@mca.edu. Please give your
email a clear, descriptive subject line because I’m old and easily
confused. In turn, be sure to check your
MCA email account regularly because I will contact you if there are any last
minute changes to an assignment.
Class Blog
Additionally, there is a class blog at
mcaillsto3.blogspot.com. There you will
find digital copies of this syllabus, the class schedule, class assignments and
announcements concerning changes to assignments. Instructions will also be posted here in the
event of a class cancellation.
Suggested Texts
Making Comics Scott McCloud
Drawing Words and Writing
Pictures
Jessica Abel, Matt Madden
Class materials
1.)
T-Square
2.)
Ames Lettering
Guide
3.)
Metal,
cork-backed ruler (at least 12”, but 18” or 24” would be rule) – get it?
4.)
Drafting
Triangles (30/60/90°
and 45/45/90°)
5.)
Mechanical pencil
6.)
Non-repro-blue pencil
7.)
Waterproof black ink
8.)
Lots of ink-drawing implements (nibs, brushes, technical pens,
felt-tips, Q-tips, sticks, etc.
9.)
Bristol board
10.) Sketchbook
Materials Binder
Maintain a notebook or binder
in which you will keep any handouts presented in class (including this
syllabus), in-class exercises, and visual research from each project. Bring this binder to each critique and plan
on maintaining it through subsequent classes.
Health and Safety
All students must comply with
health and safety regulations. Of
particular relevance to this class will be disposal of art materials. The classroom is provided with a sink, but
only water should be poured down the sink’s drain. All other materials should be collected for
appropriate processing. You will be
required to have an MSDS (material safety data sheet) with any and all
materials you bring to class. MSDS
sheets can be found online at DickBlick.com.
Keep the sheets with your materials when you bring them to class. Some materials require latex gloves, goggles,
or even masks. When using such materials
you will be required to take the necessary safety measures in class. If you have turned in MSDS for materials used
in a previous semester then you need only update existing supplies and record
any new materials you use in class this semester.