Saw Fundraiser Update, 6/9/2011

Hello from the Sequential Artists Workshop and our summer fundraising campaign at http://www.indiegogo.com/Creating-The-Sequential-Artists-Workshop

First we want to THANK everyone who has contributed. Your help will ensure we get this school of the ground.

We’re midway through our fundraiser and for those of you who haven’t joined in, we’ve got lots of brand new thank you gifts to share with you in this second half, including original art from Dave Lasky, Megan Kelso, new posters from Jed Alexander, The Will Eisner Foundation, Josh Neufeld and our own Ballpoint Boxers poster courtesy seen here. Plus, John Porcellino is hard at work on his Wildlife of Florida poster!

The above gifts are not listed on our indiegogo fundraiser page. But donate the amount above, ad in the comments field or via email tell which you’d like. There is only one of each of the above except the Eisner poster, of which we have 20!

In addition to our fundraiser, we’ve made some plans and organized some projects and publications we want to tell you about.

First, we published Tom Hart’s “SAW Guide To Making Professional Comic Strips.” Tom worked daily for 5 years including 3 in mainstream newspapers and lived to tell the tale. This book features everything from “What size do I draw?” to “How do I get new ideas?” to “What font should I use?” to use of materials, to humanizing your characters, to composition and coloring, etc. It’s all in here. Viva la comic strip! You can order that book here:

http://www.sequentialartistsworkshop.org/projects/

We organized a silly celebration of comics’ 60-year reorganization gender-wise, in an event we call “Ball Point Boxers.” Hilary Allison writes all about it here:

http://sequentialartistsworkshop.org/wordpress/2011/06/ball-point-boxers/

Tons of fun pictures, and we’re offering two posters as thank yous at the $25 level. Click the indiegogo link here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Creating-The-Sequential-Artists-Workshop

We packaged and offering a digitally-printed collection of Tom Hart’s mini-comics from 1991-1996. These books are still fresh and funny. Tom Spurgeon says about them:

Angry Crimnal and The Most Powerful Gate are wonderful Tom Hart mini-comics from his prolific early- to mid-1990s phase, as good a sustained output in minis for anyone not named John Porcellino.
[and]…  Tom Hart is a multi-talented threat in today’s alternative comics scene. As smart and engaging a person as works with comic art, Hart makes graphic novels, produces web comics, and teaches cartooning classes in New York City. In the early to mid 1990s, Tom Hart was one of the most dedicated mini-comics makers around. His minis are very simply designed, and Hart uses a vibrant art style that borders on crudity. But the stories are offbeat and funny, and anyone who reads them will be reminded of the first time you saw an independent film or heard a non-major-label rock and roll record. Hart’s unique voice is in all of his mini-comics, and although my favorite is the out of print Love Looks Left, the pages of The Angry Criminal should open any doubting eyes.
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/all_about_comics/all_about/78/

You can order that book here: http://www.sequentialartistsworkshop.org/projects/

Thanks, Mr. Spurgeon.

And to top if all off, we’re forming a school. Our fundraising campaign is here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Creating-The-Sequential-Artists-Workshop .

Right now, we’re in discussions with a few places in Gainesville about our initial educational space, and we’re excited to get our feet on the ground there. Thank you to everyone who has contributed, and please realize there is still a month yet to contribute your tax-deductible donations. Help us reach this goal and get this high-touch school (look it up!) up and running.

Again, our donation page is: http://www.indiegogo.com/Creating-The-Sequential-Artists-Workshop . Please consider dropping by and grabbing one of these great gifts!

Best to you all,

Tom Hart and the others at The Sequential Artists Workshop.