More WonderCon Photos: Tradeshow connects artists to community
By JOELLE BURNETTE
ROHNERT PARK CORRESPONDENT
Trade shows like WonderCon in San Francisco last weekend not only are a way for fans to check out what’s hot in the comics, popular art, gaming and movie industries, they’re also a way to connect artists’ works with stores like the Comic Book Box in Rohnert Park.
Last Sunday, while fans were posing with their favorite super hero, Kathy Bottarini, the owner of Comic Book Box, made her way through the crowded Moscone Center where she connected with local artist Emily Martin with Megamoth Studio in Rohnert Park. Bottarini said she liked the anthology of students’ artwork compiled by Megamoth and Martin.
High Tech High teacher Patrick Yurick and student artist Sean Fuchs
Another group of student artists also took their work to WonderCon in an effort to sell their comic books. Teacher Patrick Yurick from High Tech High—a charter school in San Diego—started the class on creating comics using some grant monies. Their class has turned into a business they hope will soon support itself as popularity of their comic books grows.
The students in Yurick’s class take current issues and turn them into modern mythology; school dropout, violence in Tijuana and more issues.
“We’re more like business partners than student-teacher,” said Yurick. Still, transitioning from creating the art to selling it has been challenging as the class has taken their work to the next level. The after-school class has been funded by various grants including monies from the Gates Foundation, but much of that 3-year funding ends this year. They’re hoping their sales will support the program in the years to come.
Regardless of all the hard work put in by the students and Yurick, freshman Sean Fuchs who designed one of the comics they were selling said, “It’s a lot of fun.”
Here in Rohnert Park, students can learn more about creating comic book art in classes taught by Martin who is one of the teachers at Megamoth Studio where she teaches comics, manga—also known as Japanese comics—and illustration classes on Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m. for ages 12 and older. Classes range in cost of $35 for a single class up to $100 for four classes in a month. She also teaches art classes in the Santa Rosa area. The studio is located at the new Art Center of Rohnert Park at 5435 Snyder Lane.
This Sunday, the studio will be holding a fundraiser during the Art Center’s grand opening while Scribbles and Giggles celebrates 20 years in Rohnert Park. The fundraiser runs from 1 to 5 p.m. with special class offers and selling artwork and crafts created by the students. All proceeds from the event will be split between the Japanese Red Cross and the Murray family whose 2-year-old daughter died after being struck by a car while walking in a crosswalk with her mother last December in Rohnert Park.
During Sunday’s event, some students will be accepting donations to draw art pieces by request while guests enjoy live music, food and other activities at the studio and at the Scribbles and Giggles open house.
For more information about Megamoth Studio and classes offered, visit online at http://megamoth.net or call Scribbles and Giggles at 584-8220 where the two share classrooms. More information about High Tech High’s graphic novel project can be found at http://gnp.hightechhigh.org.
More photos from WonderCon 2011
(photos by Joelle Burnette)
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- Lou Ferrigno, known for his role as the original “Incredible Hulk”
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- (pictured from left) “Battlestar Galactica” actors Herbert Jefferson Jr. (Lt. Boomer) and Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek)
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- Don Pedro Colley played the hologram in George Lucas’s “THX 1138″
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- Cindy Morgan acted as Lora in “Tron” and Lacey Underall in “Caddyshack”
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- WonderCon 2011
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- High Tech High teacher Patrick Yurick and student artist Sean Fuchs
Check back tomorrow for more photos.
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Thank you so much for the feature in the article! Great to know about other programs around the state which are inspiring young graphic novel artists and illustrators!
Do you have any photos to share of those who went in costume/”cosplay”? That would be fun!! =)
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