School of Film and Digital Media’s Thursday Night at the Movies

School of Film and Digital Media’s Thursday Night at the Movies presents “Dog Day Afternoon”
Thursday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m.
DMC Screening Room, Digital Media Center
This 1975 American crime film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Frank Pierson. stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, Chris Sarandon, James Broderick, and Charles Durning. Based on the events of a bank robbery that took place on August 22, 1972, “Dog Day Afternoon” tells the story of John "Sonny" Wortzik, who, with his partner Salvatore Naturile, holds the employees of a Brooklyn, New York, bank hostage. The film, which was nominated for several Academy Awards and Golden Globe awards, won one Academy Award. The screening is free for members of the SCAD Atlanta community.

ILLU-ATL: Brian Stelfreeze

The Atlanta Illustration Department is hosting an event all SEQA students are welcome to attend!

Brian Stelfreeze of Gaijin Studios will be at the Illustration Asylum this Friday from 1 to 3 pm to do a portrait demonstration. He's a terrific colorist and painter, and will share his talent with us in room 379. Mark your calendars!

Collaborate with Mark Millar!

From CBR:
"From his breakout collaboration with J.G. Jones on "Wanted" to more recent projects with the likes of Steve McNiven and Tony Harris, arguably one of the biggest factors in Scottish writer Mark Millar's success with new comic properties outside the Marvel and DC framework is his choice in artistic collaborators. And for his next creator-owned project, Millar is angling to work with someone his fans have never heard of before.

The one catch: he hasn't heard of them yet either.

"I'm looking for someone who hasn't appeared at either Marvel or DC before. The more unusual the better in the sense that I want something a little different here," Millar declared on a thread in his MillarWorld message boards. "If you're anime, painterly, non-sequential, cartoony or just a traditional superhero artist please post a sample below. Fame and fortune awaits."

The writer already tagged web cartoonist Curtis Tiegs, whose work ranges from other worldly Westerns to pop culture gag strips, as a potential future partner and is looking to share the workload and credit for his new idea with a similarly unknown prospect.

Aspiring artists interested in working with Millar are encouraged to log on to the MillarWorld boards and post a three-page sample of their sequential work in this thread. Millar's next creator-owned comic to hit the stands will be March's "Nemesis" as drawn by Steve McNiven and published by Icon."

Conan Challenge

Dianna Bedell

Remington Veteto

SCAD Libraries Student Art Contest

Considering we're in the profession of making (comic) books I thought this an appropriate yet small and fun opportunity.

All current SCAD students are invited to design an original bookmark for the SCAD libraries: the top creation will be printed and distributed at multiple SCAD locations. Winners boost their professional portfolios, get their work seen by thousands, and receive great prizes, too! Rules and submission instructions can be found online. Deadline is Sunday, March 21, 11:59 p.m. Questions? E-mail or call the Jen Library at 912.525.4700.

Vote for a Challenge

Back by popular demand, the poll for "Vote for a Challenge"! It's on the far left side of the blog and will be closed each Friday to establish that week's sketch challenge.

If you don't plan on taking part in the sketch challenge, please don't vote.

If you have an idea for a future challenge, please reply to this post and tell us what it is.

And as always, feel free to complete previous challenges!

Spotlight: Darnell Johnson

Once again it's time to celebrate another student and our choices seem to constantly expand and become harder to make. Darnell Johnson beat out his competition this round and offers up some nice variety too.

Most people mistakenly think our department is the "comic book major" when we are really the "storytelling major". Darnell and his work is a major example of that. His focus is on concept art for video games and movies. That focus over the past few years has taken his work from "above average" to "who wants to hire him immediately?!" He's also expanded his abilities not just in mediums but also styles. Originally very realistic he's found a talent for the cartooned too. Frankly, there's not been anything Darnell hasn't excelled at. What makes him all the more impressive is his humble nature and quiet integrity. Darnell is the complete package.

Darnell has multiple blogs showing off his variety and skills. Illink contains process, works in progress, and academic work, The Art of Darnell Johnson focuses on his conceptual work, and TOON IN is all about his comics and cartooning. Check them both out!

Q. Where are you from and what originally got you interested in sequential art?
A. I am originally from Miami, FL. I got involved with sequential art because it allowed me to visually tell stories. I really enjoy designing characters and environments for a story, whether it’s for comics or video games.

Q. What books (comic or otherwise) do you regularly read and why?
A. Right now I’m slowly working my way through reading Steven Gould’s “Jumper”. I would love to have the ability to teleport anywhere I want. But I’ve mostly been reading and looking a lot of concept art magazines and art books for movies and video games.

Q. Who are your major influences?
A. Sargent, Dean Cornwell, Frank Frazetta, Ian McCaig, Jon Watkiss, Steve Huston, Alphonse Mucha, Carlos Huante, Erik Tiemens, and so many more.

Q. Do you have a specific process in your work and, if so, what is it?
A. Not really. I tend to work in different ways because I try to use different mediums to obtain a look I’m going for or just to work quicker.

Q. What tools do you prefer to use in your work and why?
A. Right now I love working digitally. Mainly in Photoshop and Corel painter. Digitally I’m able to mix mediums that I'm not able to mix traditionally to create awesome effects. But in the end I will always go back to my trusty drawing pencil. There’s something about the look of pencil work and sketches that I love.

Q. Are you working on any personal projects and, if so, what are they?
A. Yes. Character and environment designs for fantasy and futuristic worlds I’ve created from my imagination.

Q. Who would you love to work with one day and why?
A. I would love to work with Ian McCaig. There is so much I feel I can learn from him about visual storytelling and development. I can look at his drawings for hours. He gives so much life his character drawings.

Q. Where do you hope to see yourself professionally in five to ten years?
A. Working in house for a video game studio.

And here's a small sample of his work. Check out his blogs for more!

Publishers' Forum 2010

We're honored to once again have Editors-in-Chief James Lucas Jones, from Oni Press, and Chris Staros, from Top Shelf Productions, for our Publishers' Forum! They've been here in the past and are back because they see promise in the development students show in our department. Mark the dates on your calendar and get your portfolios primed and ready!

The SEQA-Atlanta department Publishers' Forum will be held on Saturday, February 20th and Sunday, February 21st. There will be a sign-up sheet on Shawn and Chris' office door, room 346, shortly which will also contain exact times and room numbers. SEQA graduates and seniors get priority for portfolio reviews but anyone can sign up for their discussions.

SEQA Prof. Featured In "Back Issue" Magazine!

Sequential Art Prof. June Brigman is interviewed in the latest issue of "Back Issue" magazine (TwoMorrows), along with writer Louise Simonson. The duo co-created the "Power Pack" comic for Marvel back in the 80's, and have reteamed for a Power Pack 6 pager to be featured in a Marvel "All-Girl" anthology. In keeping with this theme, SCAD alum Rebecca Buchman is slated to ink Brigman's pencils.