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entertainment
stoutonia.com February 1 - February 14 Sept. 24 - Oct. 07, 2013 stoutonia.com
Laura Dohman/Stoutonia
The amazing comic creators issue #1 Billy Tuite Entertainment Writer Move over, Stan Lee! There’s a new generation of artistic storytellers on the horizon, and the University of Wisconsin–Stout’s Comic Creators are leading the charge. The club, lead by President Amanda Nordman and Vice President Keaton Van’t Hull, specializes in both the art and writing aspects of comic creation. Their inspiration to turn their hobby into an official club has a rather crude history. “The group began as a social gathering of us and some friends doodling funny pictures on the white boards in Harvey Hall,” said Nordman. “We thought it would be cool to turn it into something bigger.” Now just over a year old, Comic Creators consists of about 20 members. Nordman and Van’t Hull coordinate the weekly
meetings, which involve members sharing their own sketches and critiquing each other’s work. “It’s nice to have that space for critiques and feedback,” said Van’t Hull. “The work is varied, but everyone has a common interest.” “Varied” is a fitting description of the group’s artistic vision, since their interests extend far beyond the superhero realm. “Comics can be all sorts of different things, not just the DC and Marvel affair,” said Nordman. The club’s diverse creative prowess came to fruition during the second meeting of the semester. Given a 20-minute time limit, members were tasked with drawing their own character designs. The results were magnificent, with designs ranging from armor-clad stick figures and blob monsters to more refined four-armed creatures and fancy Victorian gentlemen. Many of these designs come from skilled students with an Entertainment Design background. “We just wanted something fun to do, something outside of classes,” said Michelle Johnsen, a senior in the Comics and Sequential Art concentration.
Expert comic creator Michelle Johnsen.
Laura Dohman/Stoutonia
Troy Turvold, another Entertainment Design major, joined the club in search of inspiration. “I have a hard time motivating myself to work,” said Turvold. “So I surrounded myself with creative people to become more motivated and inspired.” The club leaders emphasize that anyone with an interest in comics can join. Prior skill is not a requirement. “Stick figures are welcome,” said Nordman. Aside from the usual club meetings, Nordman and Van’t Hull have plans to take the group to comic conventions in the future, allowing students to learn more about the industry and promote their work. As Comic Creators continues to grow, its members continue to push the comics medium to its creative limits. “You can express ideas more effectively through comics,” said Van’t Hull. “To tell a story, you can manipulate every aspect of an image down to the direction of each brush stroke.” Comic Creators meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in 175 Micheels Hall. Check out Comic Creators online at OrgSync and Facebook. Laura Dohman/Stoutonia