Behing the Scenes: the August Monthly Report from SAW
Apologies for the summer-hiatus from these monthly reports (you’ll remember the last one was back in April!) We’ve been busy here at SAW! This is where I’ll recap some of what we’ve been working on behind the scenes and spotlight the great work that has been visible in our community network.
If you’re new to SAW, welcome! We’re a non-profit comics school and creative community. We want to center community and collective agency in everything we do. Maintaining a connection between the admin team/staff and the wider community is a big part of it.
I’m the Assistant Director here at SAW and my door is always open. If you’re worried about reaching out directly, don’t be. Feel free to message me in the network or send through an email. I’m here to create and maintain systems that make sure everyone feels heard. Sometimes that means posts in the network, other times its google form submissions. Whatever works for you!
For those of you who’ve been here a while, here goes my August/summer recap!
IN PERSON PROGRAMS
We tend to slow down here in Gainesville over the summer. The town empties out as college students disperse and the locals enjoy the peaceful streets and hot weather. This year SAW kept its doors open and hosted 3 x weeklong works: 2 teen workshops hosted by our Visiting Artist in Residence, Pat Aulisio, and 1 Visionary Workshop lead by SAW Ship Captain, Tom Hart.
I can’t oversell how wonderful it is to have people in the space, making noise, sharing art secrets and creating a mess.
You can sign up for our next weeklong comics retreat in October (Monday 24 to Friday 28) through Eventbrite. We also have a Weeklong Graphic Memoir Workshop scheduled for February 27 to March 3, 2023. The sign up page is coming soon.
With the start of our 2022-23 school calendar year we’ve launched our inaugural Emerging Artists in Residence program here in the SAW space, which provides studio space and materials for young and emerging artist working in visual, narrative and print media. Spotlight features to come!
ONLINE PROGRAMS
We’ve been listening! And we’re here to launch a new series of short courses (and recalibrate some of the things we already had in the works). Join some of our favorite cartoonists for 4 x 90 minute or 2 hour live sessions that are focused on specific comics-making skills!
First up, Josh Bayer and Hyena Hell are back again due to popular demand. They’ll be re-running their Making Comics workshop starting Monday October 3, 2022.
And in November Mel Gillman will be bringing their comics wisdom to SAW in 4 x 90 minute sessions focussed on Romance Comics. This is the chance for anyone who is interested in expanding their genre comics skills and coming out the other side with some swoon worthy stories. Sign up now to start November 13, 2022.
For anyone who is interested in something a little bit more intense (we’re talking 10 weeks rather than 4), Jess has designed a new kind of course called Reading and Writing for Comics. Through weekly live sessions and assigned readings, students will explore how to read critically to write better comics. Starting October 8, with a break off for Thanksgiving, this a good chance for anyone who is confident making comics, to think about what they can do.
And we have more classes scheduled for the spring! We will release the Spring calendar in November but they include Drawing for Comics with Jess (January), a 12 week Graphic Memoir course with Beth Trembley (February through April), and crowd favorite, Going in for the Snakes with Tom (March).
We’re also planning a few others: Personal Writing Course with Vanessa Davis in January, a Publishing focussed 4-weeks with Sarah Maloney in February and possibly a constraints driven workshop with Matt Madden for March/April. These are still to be confirmed but give you an idea of the range of ideas we’re hoping to explore!
All of these will be added to the SAW events in the Mighty Network. Try calendar view to see what's already scheduled.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS SPOTLIGHT
Where to begin?! With thanks to everyone who makes our community what it is, of course. Thank you A.J. and Libby for keeping the Draw Jam flame alight, thank you to Donna for her amazing Procreate and Other tech videos, Adrean and Hannah for the Underdrawing Club, Michael for the Sunday Open studios, as well as the other open studios hosted by Donna, Dante and Adrean.
And the biggest thank you of all to Susan Marks and Adrean Clark who created the SAWgust event that has cultivated so much creative energy in August. Thank you thank you thank you. Every single one of these community leaders volunteer their time, skills and expertise. If you come across them here in the network, make sure you say hi! (Here's the official thank you list!)
Do you want to share a community offering but don’t know where to start? Reach out to me directly and we can see what we can do to get the ball rolling.
STUDENT SUCCESSES
There were so many over the summer! Stay up to date with our topic thread. And let us know if you’re a student, past or present, who has been kicking comic goals. We want to shout your name from the rooftops!
Like Beth Trembley. One of our first online students, and now Graphic Memoir instructor whose new book, ‘Look Again’ is out in the world to wonderful reviews! Congratulations Beth!
PUBLISHING AT SAW
Our year long anthology has just gone to the printer for its second print run. Thank you everyone for your patience as we process your orders.
Already received your copy? Send us a photo! Tag us on social media!
Our next anthology in the works is the Flow + Publishing Genre anthology. Keep an eye out for our next monthly update to preorder your copy.
CATCH US IN PERSON
The end of 2022 is packed with comics conventions across the country. You can see us at SPX in Bethesda, Maryland in September (that’s next weekend!), at MICE in Boston in October and the same day at DCAZ in Jacksonville, and then at Short Run in Seattle come November and SPF in South Florida. Whew.
THANK YOU PATRONS
To our official Patreon supporters, to our anonymous donors and the people who give to our Friday Night Workshops each week, thank you! We are a non-profit school committed to making low-cost, high-quality learning opportunities available to all. Your support makes that possible. Thank you!
IT'S FRIDAY, REACH OUT
I’m here if you want to chat. Please let me know if I’ve missed anything or there’s something you think needs attention in these monthly roundups. Until next time, happy comics making!