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I first saw Bill Plympton's work in the Spike and Mike's Animation Festival back in the early 1990's.  My friends and I loved his work, for its technical mastery and outrageously weird humor.  I went on to become a writer, and helped co-found a year-long Certificate Program in Cartooning/Graphic Novels through Portland's Independent Publishing Resource Center.  There's a huge amount of interest in cartooning right now, thanks in part to innovators like Billy Plympton.

posted 1 year, 10 months ago
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Thanks again to the producers of Think Out Loud for bringing Shawn, Alex and I into the studio.  One thing I was hoping to go deeper into was the future of books and zines in an era when text is increasingly read online. My feeling is that the books and zines that will survive and thrive are those done with a strong sense of design and craft, and that are an "art" object in and of themselves.  With this in mind, and to further or mission of facilitating creative expression, identity and community, the Independent Publishing Resource Center is launching a new year-long certificate program in Writing, Comics and Independent Publishing, beginning in mid-September 09.  In the first semester, students will have a choice between a creative writing or a comics/graphic novel track; the second semester will be focused on publishing and production, with instruction in book design, layout, perfect binding (using our new perfect binding machine), New Media and distro.  The idea is to not only help students hone their craft, but to empower them to then actually publish their own books.  For more info or an application, please write me at justin@iprc.org.

Also, please join us at Holocene this Thursday the 23rd for an IPRC benefit rock show, including performances by Alex Wrekk, Ah Holly Fam'ly, Arrington de Dionyso, and a late night 90's themed dance party called the Zenith of Zines.  For more information please visit iprc.org.

Thanks again to OPB for hosting us.

--Justin Hocking, IPRC Director

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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