What do cartoonists to after a wild and wonderful weekend of drawing? They draw some more!
Kids Read Comics Celebration ’12 was a phenomenal, fantabulous event! We saw kids pouring out their creative impulses – like the five-year-old who proudly showed us the monster-filled 8-page mini-comic he wrote and drew in Matt Feazell’s mini-comics workshop! We watched kids learn about making art from nature with Lori Taylor (and her friendly snake Kenny)! We heard kids gleefully shout out drawing challenges that really put our guest artists to the test (a wolverine eating an ice cream cone while being eaten by a sandwich?!?)!
We observed parents and children alike lighting up with delight as Neil Kaplan answered questions about his life as a voice-over actor Friday night, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings read Winnie-the-Pooh in character voices for storytime. We even spied professional artists joining teens for special workshops in the computer lab to learn from their peers about digital drawing techniques.
And of course we listened in on many conversations that conveyed a shared love of comics, of reading, and of creative expression – between cartoonists eager to engage, kids eager to learn, parents eager to explore new activities, and teachers eager to discover the best of what comics have to offer their students.
We’re so grateful to the Ann Arbor District Library‘s leadership and its staff for their unbelievable support (and its air conditioning system for holding out during Saturday’s triple-digit heat); to 826michigan for the chance to bring some of our programs to their Robot Supply & Repair store; to our guests who traveled from near and far and soared through the weekend with unflagging enthusiasm; and most of all to the kids, teens and adults whose participation is what Kids Read Comics is all about!
And when all was said and done, with smiles on our faces and satisfaction in our hearts, we went off to unwind at a local pub and eatery…and the cartoonists kept on drawing! Look for more photos from the Kids Read Comics Celebration coming soon.
