Hi, welcome! This is Tom Hart. We're really honored to feature Craig Thompson.

Craig is arguably one of the best cartoonists of his generation. In addition to having sold tons of books, he's also got a beautiful way with words and pictures and has garnered the appreciation of hundreds and thousands of people, including a lot of artists.

So, it's wonderful to sit down with him, and it was really kind of a shock to hear him name me as one of his early inspirations; that's very kind. And Craig also expands the web by mentioning some other people at the end of this interview that we should be contacting.

But more importantly, I want to talk about how that web expanded, because we went to a little, not only out of the way, but sort of secret cafe in Providence, Rhode Island to film this interview. It's surrounded by artist lofts, and we hadn't even started yet, and we're filming outside, and a woman, Claire, came up to us and we had her ask the questions because she was interested in what we were doing.

By the tail end of this interview, and especially after the interview, we realized that Claire was deeply interested in these values. So much so that she was probably living them more than Craig or I. She and her partner, Femi, who also appeared for a few moments in the interview, have an art studio nearby where they host events and have art shows, and Claire, for instance, hates Instagram had some things to say about the soothing scrolling that is hurting her generation.

And way more interestingly., the way you find out about events in their art studio is, you have to call their landline, which is a rotary phone. And so we were really happy to connect with artists almost half our age, who really believed in the value of face-to-face contact and walking across town or walking from town to town, and reaching out the slow way, and the the mindful way and also the cumbersome way.

We were really honored to to be speaking with them. It's in the interest of connecting all these generations that these oral histories have been started and preserved.

So, I want to thank Claire and Femi, and I also want to thank Craig for sitting down with us, and thank what's left of the really interesting parts of Providence, Rhode Island for being there, and the secret cafe and everything else have a listen. Thanks!

The Summer Your Project Moves Forward

Are you working on a bigger project that needs time, focus, and community support to reach the finish line? Join us for our Comics Working Group this Summer!

Each week, we'll come together to share progress on our current and upcoming projects, check in on goals, and, most importantly, work side by side. This space is for projects that unfold over time—graphic novels, zine series, large paintings, novels, and more. Our goal is simple: make steady progress together.

Artists of all levels welcome!

SAW spoke with YLP Alum and FLOW + Publish member Dusty McGowan about his experiences with comics, his creative process, and his unique perspective as a psychotherapist cartoonist.

Dusty was also a guest on the most recent episode of SAW’s Comics Karma podcast with hosts Tom Hart and Lauren Weinstein. Check out the episode!

DIVE INTO WATERCOLOR FOR COMICS!

In this class, participants will learn watercolor techniques including wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, dry brush, and more.

There will be a penciled comic available for folks to paint, so no drawing is required, but participants are welcome to bring their own drawings to paint!

Come play with watercolor and explore how it can bring your comics to life!

Artists of all levels welcome!

Calling all comic artists, doodlers, and storytellers! UPCOMING PRO-CALL WITH CARA BEAN!

Come join us in our most affordable, online ongoing-community COMICS FLOW + PUBLISH MEMBERSHIP GROUP (comes with a two-week free trial) to join in on MONTHLY PRO-CALLS!

We bring in comic professionals from all walks of life to guest speak (virtually) at SAW. These guest speakers give SAW students/members some insight from their personal experiences throughout their comics career and welcome questions at the end of each session.

On Saturday, April 26, 2025, UF’s Graduate Comics Organization will be hosting its 21st annual comics event, “Folding and Unfolding: A GCO Symposium on Zines and Small Press Comics” in Gainesville, Florida. This event is free and open to the public and will be hosted at Gainesville’s own grassroots comics school, the Sequential Artists Workshop (SAW), which is located just south of Downtown/Depot Park at 1314 S Main Street #2 Gainesville, FL 32601.

PRACTICE THE HUMAN FORM

Calling all comic artists, doodlers, and storytellers! Our Monthly Figure Drawing for Comics workshops are a relaxed, supportive space to practice drawing the human form! Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned artist, these sessions are all about honing your skills, exploring gesture and anatomy, and growing your confidence as a comics artist. Bring your favorite drawing tools and come study the figure with us!

Artists of all levels welcome!

MAKING COMICS ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE, OR WANT TO LIVE.

We’re digging around in the vast SAW Friday Night Comics archives (three years now, over 150 workshops) and are noticing some trends. Lots of music, lots of memoir, lots of monsters and animals, and lots of graphic medicine.

For 2025, we hear a lot of people talking LOCAL. Local community, local help, local awareness.

Here are three more comics workshops about PLACE.

PRACTICE THE HUMAN FORM

Calling all comic artists, doodlers, and storytellers! Our Monthly Figure Drawing for Comics workshops are a relaxed, supportive space to practice drawing the human form! Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned artist, these sessions are all about honing your skills, exploring gesture and anatomy, and growing your confidence as a comics artist. Bring your favorite drawing tools and come study the figure with us!

Artists of all levels welcome!

A HUGE thank you to our business sponsors for PANEL PALOOZA 2025: Diane Shooster Keller Williams, West Law Firm, & The Lynx Books.

A Creative Space for Young Artists!

Do you have a teen who loves comics? Whether they’re just getting started or already deep into creating their own stories, Comics for Teens is the perfect place for them to develop their skills, meet fellow young artists, and have fun!

This ongoing group is designed for teens ages 11-16 who want to practice comics regularly in a supportive environment. Each session offers a chance to learn, create, and share their work while receiving guidance from experienced instructors.

We're so excited to have cartoonist, Jamar Nicholas, leading our next PRO-CALL!

Artist of Leon the Extraordinary, Leon: Worst Friends Forever, Leon: Protector of the Playground, and more! Find out how to join in!

We had a marvelous live Graphic Medicine reading February 2025. Five stories, six readers. Multiple looks into the difficulties of communication and resolution in frontline healthcare. Check out the replay, here.

For the next two weeks, SAW is launching a fundraiser in light of 2024 grant funding being vetoed by the Florida legislation.

At SAW, we stand with those who have put their lives on the line for generations to fight for equal rights, equal footing, equal safety, and equal expression. We want to use our platform to amplify Black comics artists from the past and present who make innovative, joyful, reflective comics that are changing the world. 

Please join us for a comics reading and panel discussion from the frontlines of medicine, featuring stories by caregivers and patients. Panelists include Michael Green, Mahour Pourghadim (@mahour_rain), Rachel Casas, Jess Ruliffson, and more!

https://www.graphicmedicine.org/

https://frontlinecomicsproject.org/

Cara Bean, whose latest book, Here I Am, I Am Me, is a masterpiece of cartooning. In this single-session workshop, Cara will give a show of samples from that book, then she'll create some demonstrations and exercises based on your discussion! Sign up to get involved in this interactive workshop with a cartooning great! 7 pm EST / 4 pm PST

State Governor axed ALL STATE ARTS FUNDING in 2024 and 2025. What does it mean for Florida and SAW?