Summit No. 15: The History of Comics + PARTY!

TOPIC: The History of Comics
MODERATOR: Jon Sloan
DATE: Thursday, June 7, 2012
TIME: 6 – 6:30 pm (right before the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam)
LOCATION: 1618 Central Ave NE, Ste. 216, Nordeast MPLS

I know basically nothing about the history of comics, so I'm really looking forward to hearing Jon Sloan explain it during his presentation! As you may have heard, this will be the final Nordeast Comics Summit, so please come out and pour some whiskey on the ground or whatever people do in these situations.

Also, Zander and I are throwing a party in the studio immediately following the Summit, so for pete's sake come out and enjoy the company of your fellow man (along with some ice-cold Nordeast-themed beverages and the catering of Twin Cities' greatest food truck, Messy Giuseppe!)

As always, we’ll have Nordeast-themed beverages on hand, and you can grab a bite downstairs at Diamonds. The Summit starts right at 6pm, so come a little early if you want to grab a seat on what Jordan Shiveley calls “The most comfortable couch in Nordeast.” Then, after the Summit, wander downstairs and draw your heart out at the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam (6:30-10pm)!

We will be filming the Summit for the archives, and in theory will post those videos at a later date. And if you have an idea for a future Summit, or would like to lead a particular discussion, let me know in the comments or send an email to nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com

BONUS: Follow us on THE TWITTER for updates on future Summits!

Summit No. 14: Illustrator Boot Camp

TOPIC: Illustrator Boot Camp
MODERATOR: Gordon McAlpin
DATE: Thursday, May 3, 2012
TIME: 6 – 6:30 pm (right before the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam)
LOCATION: 1618 Central Ave NE, Ste. 216, Nordeast MPLS

Illustrator is the most difficult of the three Adobe programs we'll be covering this year. I have vivid memories of the early days of my career, trying unsuccessfully to navigate Illustrator's tool bar, perplexed by all the arrows and lost as to what exactly "vector" meant. I eventually did learn to master the program -- thanks in part to some production work with a big client that forced me to either learn the damn program or pack my bags -- but it was not a pleasant experience.

Which is why we're pleased to welcome back Gordon McAlpin to the Nordeast stage to spill the beans on how exactly he makes such awesome comics using Adobe Illustrator. I say 'welcome back' because Gordon was kind enough to deliver a special Summit during MIX last November, but sadly my video recording skills proved deficient so there was no way to post his Summit like I did with Sarah Glidden's.

Gordon will be cutting through the fog of Illustrator and explaining the basics of what you, as a cartoonist, should know about working with vector graphics. Specifically:

• Intro to Illustrator: A very quick explanation of what vectors are for the complete novice.
• Vector drawing basics: How to construct complex shapes out of multiple simple shapes.
• Lettering in Illustrator: Tricks for how to use this basic knowledge to letter your comics.

As always, we’ll have Nordeast-themed beverages on hand, and you can grab a bite downstairs at Diamonds. The Summit starts right at 6pm, so come a little early if you want to grab a seat on what Jordan Shiveley calls “The most comfortable couch in Nordeast.” Then, after the Summit, wander downstairs and draw your heart out at the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam (6:30-10pm)!

We will be filming the Summit for the archives, and in theory will post those videos at a later date. And if you have an idea for a future Summit, or would like to lead a particular discussion, let me know in the comments or send an email to nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com

BONUS: Follow us on THE TWITTER for updates on future Summits!

Summit No. 13: How to Organize Successful Groups

TOPIC: How to Organize Successful Groups
MODERATOR: Jamie Schumacher
DATE: Thursday, April 5, 2012
TIME: 6 – 6:30 pm (right before the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam)
LOCATION: 1618 Central Ave NE, Ste. 216, Nordeast MPLS

Are you planning on organizing an Adventure Time fan club in the near future? How about a furry meet-up? Or even the next Pixar? Whatever your aspirations, there are several key things you should keep in mind, from conducting a resource inventory, knowing your strengths and planning for your weaknesses, creating milestones, and being able to delegate tasks. Jamie Schumacher, founder of Altered Esthetics gallery in sunny Northeast Minneapolis, will stop by to share the secrets of her success, from planning a successful camping trip to organizing a successful project or group.

Also note that there will be time for a question and answer session, so if you've got a specific question about your project or something you have in mind - bring your thoughts! Jamie will be available after the summit to help direct you towards potential resources and tools.

As always, we’ll have Nordeast-themed beverages on hand, and you can grab a bite downstairs at Diamonds. The Summit starts right at 6pm, so come a little early if you want to grab a seat on what Jordan Shiveley calls “The most comfortable couch in Nordeast.” Then, after the Summit, wander downstairs and draw your heart out at the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam (6:30-10pm)!

We will be filming the Summit for the archives, and in theory will post those videos at a later date. And if you have an idea for a future Summit, or would like to lead a particular discussion, let me know in the comments or send an email to nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com

BONUS: Follow us on THE TWITTER for updates on future Summits!

Summit No. 12: Getting Rich in the Ebook Gold Rush

TOPIC: Getting Rich in the Ebook Gold Rush
MODERATOR: Adrean Clark
DATE: Thursday, March 1, 2012
TIME: 6 – 6:30 pm (right before the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam)
LOCATION: 1618 Central Ave NE, Ste. 216, Nordeast MPLS

"There's gold in them thar hills!" was the cry that sparked the California Gold Rush. Today the gold is in the digital hills of the ebook industry. In this Summit, Adrean Clark takes you and your comic on a wagon train ride from idea to striking it rich. She'll steer you away from the bandits and give you the blueprint for success. Come prepared!

As always, we’ll have Nordeast-themed beverages on hand, and you can grab a bite downstairs at Diamonds. The Summit starts right at 6pm, so come a little early if you want to grab a seat on what Jordan Shiveley calls “The most comfortable couch in Nordeast.” Then, after the Summit, wander downstairs and draw your heart out at the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam (6:30-10pm)!

We will be filming the Summit for the archives, and in theory will post those videos at a later date. And if you have an idea for a future Summit, or would like to lead a particular discussion, let me know in the comments or send an email to nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com

BONUS: Follow us on THE TWITTER for updates on future Summits!

Summit No. 11: InDesign Boot Camp

TOPIC: InDesign Boot Camp
MODERATOR: Kevin Cannon & Nick Straight (in absentia)
DATE: Thursday, February 2, 2012
TIME: 6 – 6:30 pm (right before the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam)
LOCATION: 1618 Central Ave NE, Ste. 216, Nordeast MPLS

InDesign is the second cartoonist-friendly Adobe program we'll be tackling this winter. Unlike Photoshop, InDesign is probably the least well known of the big three design programs, which is too bad because there are tons of features inside that can help you create great looking comics. InDesign is what I use in my day job as a book designer/producer, and from what I can tell it has replaced Quark as the industry standard tool. But for your needs -- assuming you're an independent cartoonist -- you'll find it helpful when compiling pdfs and, although it's beyond the scope of this Summit, ebooks.

As with the previous Summit on Photoshop, we're going to assume that you've never used InDesign before. A half hour is not a ton of time, so we're just going to walk through the basics of the program and show you some of the key tools you'll need to know. As a framework for the talk, we'll be compiling a four-page comic into a pdf.

Our good friend Nick Straight was scheduled to co-host this event, but unfortunately he ran into a scheduling conflict. The good news is that he has produced some great print-outs that explain some of the stuff I'll be covering, including shortcuts, etc., and you'll be able to take that with you after the event.

As always, we’ll have Nordeast-themed beverages on hand, and you can grab a bite downstairs at Diamonds. The Summit starts right at 6pm, so come a little early if you want to grab a seat on what Jordan Shiveley calls “The most comfortable couch in Nordeast.” Then, after the Summit, wander downstairs and draw your heart out at the Cartoonist Conspiracy Jam (6:30-10pm)!

We will be filming the Summit for the archives, and in theory will post those videos at a later date. And if you have an idea for a future Summit, or would like to lead a particular discussion, let me know in the comments or send an email to nordeastcomics [at] gmail.com

BONUS: Follow us on THE TWITTER for updates on future Summits!

Some Shout-Outs on the Web

Autobio cartoonist and game show contestant Athena Currier gave a very nice nod to the Nordeast Comics Summit on her blog, and there are pictures! I'll steal one of them here, but you should read her whole post, as well as her awesome M/W/F webcomic, at ActionAthena.com.


Also, our good friends at City Pages did a little Nordeast name-dropping in the midst of an article about the Lutefisk Sushi Podcast.

If you like comics & Minnesota, then you should definitely be listening to the Lutefisk Sushi Podcast, the brainchild of Danno Klonowski. Danno is going around the Twin Cities producing in-depth interviews with local cartoonists. The interviews are wonderful because Danno spends lots of time delving into the background, influences, and inspiration of each of the cartoonists he interviews, and unlike most interviewers he has actually taken the time to read each artists' oeuvre beforehand, which often surprises the guests (myself included). I'm not sure whether to best compare Danno to Ira Glass or Marc Maron, but he definitely carries the weight and humor of both.


Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that the Nordeast Comics Summit is a sponsor of Danno's podcast, but that's only because of how much we love these discussions and how valuable they will be when people look back in thirty years and wonder aloud what the hell was happening in the Minnesota cartooning scene back then in the twenty-teens.

The next interview drops this Thursday. It's an interview with Ryan Dow, so you should be spending the next few days catching up with Ryan's Introspective Comics!

Videos: Photoshop Boot Camp

Part One:


Part Two:


Part Three:


Want more videos? You might also like Sarah Glidden's tutorial on watercolor, filmed live at the 2011 Mpls Indie Xpo.