As we said last Autumn at Broken Frontier we are actively interested in supporting wider projects that embody a true sense of comics community. A couple of years back Joe Stone told us about the work of the WIP (Work-In-Progress) Comics group and how it brought together aspiring creators in one supportive network. Today Chloe Starling from WIP Comics talks to us about the WIP Comics’ Creating Comics sub-group. If you want to learn more about their work there are links at the bottom of this piece. And don’t forget that if you have a similar project you would like to share with the Broken Frontier audience then please get in touch with BF’s Andy Oliver here.
Over to Chloe…
WIP Creating Comics – a side-group of WIP Comics, and a space to learn about the craft of comics creation
Growing up I was a keen reader and loved the wide range of fantastic worlds I could get lost in. I also made up my own similar stories, but they always stayed in my head. Over a decade later, I built up the confidence to tell people these stories.
I arrived at my first WIP Comics event in September 2018. WIP Comics, run by Joe Stone, is a comics community group that gives comic creators an informal space to discuss comics. People can share their experiences, aspirations or get constructive feedback on their work.
One thing that struck me was how much I didn’t know about comics. I wanted to know more!
WIP Creating Comics started as a side-group, originally called Visual Storytelling Studies, and was run by Maggie Appleton. The aim was to create a more formal space to study visual storytelling. The topics we explored ranged from learning comic terminology, character development, and creating daily comics.
With engaging activities and lots of discussion, we all learnt a lot and it deepened my love for comics! However, Maggie had to step-down due to other commitments and there was no longer an organiser for the group.
I volunteered to take over the group and kept Maggie’s original ethos of formal sessions with the aim to learn. However, the name was changed to focus on comics. Sessions were run at the Westminster Reference Library and everything ran smoothly. But this was 2020 and, like all groups, we found ourselves meeting online for the majority of the year.
Adapting sessions to be online was a challenge. We no longer had the books at Westminster Reference Library and a physical space for activities. But everyone in the group has been excellent! Since starting to meet online, we’ve covered a range of topics, from character design to the comic page, and had a session on comic creation with Rachael Ball as a guest.
Resources created from WIP Creating Comics are now available to download from my website with suggestions for further reading, so people can continue to learn. The group will focus on learning as a collaborative experience, enabling discussions with others so everyone can develop their comics creation.
Whether you’re a beginner comic creator or more experienced, Creating Comics has something for you! If you would like to attend WIP Creating Comics, we run every third Saturday of the month, online, from 1pm-3pm. To attend, book online using the Meet-up WIP Comics page.
WIP Comics Meet-up page: https://www.meetup.com/WipComics
WIP Creating Comics resources: https://chloeestarling.co.uk/creating-comics
