Geppi's Halloween ComicFest

Halloween came early in Baltimore! 

Saturday, AWA and Geppi's Entertainment Museum hosted a spectacular Halloween ComicFest with cosplayers, artists, and workshops. 

The day included a Cosplay contest, free comics, and our new 3 Panel Comic Workshop. There, special artists Jerry and Penelope Gaylord of Identity Comics Studio, spoke on how to become a comic book artist by showcasing a published comic book page from Sonic the Hedgehog.

With this page, they revealed the progression of a comic book from start to finish. First, a comic book script is sent to the penciler, who sketches an idea for how s/he sees the story. After that idea is approved, the penciler creates a finalized version of his panels which, after approval, is then sent in turn to the inker, colorist, and letterer. This process continues until the comic book is finished, which can take up to a month. 

Jerry and Penelope Gaylord speak to the audience about working in the comic book industry. 

The Gaylords also revealed how to convey the story of the "The Three Little Pigs" in three panels. They asked the audience for help in creating their comic book page. Focusing on creating dynamic and dramatic panels, they asked what was the most important part of the script was ('the wolf blowing down the house') and planned to make that the biggest panel. With the first panel, they created an air of mystery by partially obscuring the wolf from view. In the second panel, they focused on the pigs saying, 'NO,' to the wolf. Then, going back to the audience recommendation, they drew the wolf destroying the pig's abode. 

The Three Little Pigs in three panels. 

Overall, the day was phenomenal, and our first Comic Book Workshop could not have gone better. We thank the Gaylords for donating their time to the workshop. And we thank the other artists who donated their time to the day, Tyrone Barnes of SycrosD4 Art, Keir Lyles of Apocrypha Comics Studio, and Andrew Smart and Michele Milliante of Call That Art, T.B.D. and Comics Cupcakes. 

And don't forget to check out these and other pictures in our gallery!