2013 Programming Info Coming Soon!

In the meantime, you can take a look at last year’s program to get a good idea of what we offer!

SATURDAY

10 am | 11 am | Noon | 1 pm | 2 pm | 3 pm | 4 pm | 5 pm

SUNDAY

Friday Kickoff Event

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Put a Voice to your Character!

Join voice actor Neil Kaplan for an interactive discussion and demonstration of how one can express their characters’ inner lives through voice! Bring your own characters to practice road-tested techniques shared by the voice behind characters from Transformers, Digimon, Power Rangers, StarCraft, and more. Lots of laughs to be had, and you might just learn a new way to think about creating your next comics character!
Multi-Purpose Room – All Ages

Saturday

10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Artist Alley
Artist Alley features over 70 working artists and writers from the worlds of print and web comics, animation, book publishing, and videogames who’ll be displaying their work. They will have material for sale, the occasional free giveaway, and codes for AADL’s Summer Game. They’ll also be happy to talk comics with young and old alike!
3rd Floor – All Ages

10:30 am – 11:30 am
Comics Quickfire!
Part drawing jam, part fast-paced game show! Volunteers from the audience are paired off with (or against) professional cartoonists in a series of fun-filled drawing challenges! Comics Quickfire attendees are encouraged to participate, even if they can only draw stick figures or make silly suggestions. Featuring Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Chris Houghton (Reed Gunther), Gale Willams (Patbird & Galesaur), Jerzy Drozd (The Front) & more!
Multi-Purpose Room – All Ages

10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Super Awesome Kids Spot!
Join in high-energy fun in the AADL Youth Area, including:

Make a Comic Strip: Easy-to-use templates let you focus on creating some fun characters engaging in hilarious antics!
Superhero Masks: Who’s under that mask? Color your own mask and become a shining superhero or sinister villain!
Superhero Capes: Decorate your own fabric cape to show your symbol and magical powers!

Youth Area – Ages 2-6

11:00 am – Noon
Storytime with Neil Kaplan
You’ve never had a storytime like this at your public library! Join voice actor Neil Kaplan for a reading of Winnie the Pooh & the Honey Tree. The voice behind many fan-favorites such as Transformers, Digimon, Power Rangers, and StarCraft will give you a performance like no other.
Youth Area – Ages 2-6

Flour Power: Character Design with a Punch!
Learn tips and tricks to level up your character design chops with Krishna Sadasivam of PC Weenies. If you can draw a bag of flour, you can create exciting character designs!
Computer Lab – Teens and up

11:00 am – 12:30 pm
ComicsPlus: Bringing Digital Comics into Schools and Libraries
Digital comics pioneer iVerse Media is breaking new ground again by bringing digital comics and graphic novels into schools and classrooms worldwide with ComicsPlus: Library Edition. Project head Josh Elder (Reading With Pictures) will be on hand to answer your questions about the service and solicit your opinions to help make the service the best it can possibly be!
4th Floor Meeting Room – Professional Development

11:15 am – 11:45 am
Quick Draw!
Imagine an episode of “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” starring a group of quick-thinking cartoonists, and you’ll begin to get the picture of Quick Draw. It’s improvisational cartooning with plenty of audience participation, brought to you with wit and verve by Jannie Ho, Dani Jones, Mike Roll and Joe Foo!
Robot Repair & Supply – 826 Michigan (115 East Liberty Street) (Jannie Ho and Dani Jones)
and
AADL Entrance (Mike Roll and Joe Foo) – All Ages

11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Quick Draw!
More improv cartooning with Lee Cherolis and Samantha Kyle.
Garden Area – All Ages

Noon – 1:00 pm
Drawing WILD!

Create cool comic characters from WILD “nature clues.” This class will have you digging through a box of bones, skulls, bats and other “bio-facts” and observing creeping creatures as inspiration for a character. Folding and using a “field note” journal, exploring GeEKs (Geo-Explorer Kids) will take notes then fit together the pieces to create a crazy collaged comic character. Make art and meet Kenny, a live candy corn snake.
Garden Area – All Ages

Webcomics from the Ground Up
Want to get your work out there, but not sure how? The internet has made it easier than ever to publish and promote your independent work, and Diana Nock’s crash course in the world of webcomics can help get you started.
Multi-Purpose Room – Teens and up

Animation with Richard Stevens
Learn some of the secrets of creating dynamic animation with Australian cartoonist Richard Stevens!
Computer Lab – Teens

12:30 pm -1:00 pm
Quick Draw!
Imagine an episode of “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” starring a group of quick-thinking cartoonists, and you’ll begin to get the picture of Quick Draw. It’s improvisational cartooning with plenty of audience participation, brought to you with sass and sophistication by Chad Sell and Jono Balliet.
AADL Entrance – All Ages

1:00 pm -1:30 pm
Quick Draw!
Imagine an episode of “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” starring a group of quick-thinking cartoonists, and you’ll begin to get the picture of Quick Draw. It’s improvisational cartooning with plenty of audience participation, brought to you with spunk and humor by Gale Williams and Scott Chantler.
Robot Repair & Supply – 826 Michigan (115 East Liberty Street) – All Ages

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Drawing When I Was Little
Learn how cartoonist Justin Castaneda got into book writing and illustrating. Explore the techniques he uses to create the When I Was Little series such as: writing about his own experiences, finding a style for the book, and how audience participation eventually played a key role in the evolution of the series. Participants will then create their own WIWL drawing to take home with them.
Garden Area – All Ages

Portfolio Review
Get some useful feedback on your comics work from J. Torres!
3rd Floor Quiet Study Room – All Ages

3D Animation with Blender
Join Tom Eaton for an interactive workshop on creating 3D illustrations in the free program Blender!
Computer Lab – Teens

Making Video Games (Panel)
Join a group of video game engineers and designers to explore how video games go from simple sketches to elaborate 3D worlds! Game Designer Rob Stenzinger will moderate this panel featuring concept artist Brandon Dayton and more.
4th Floor Meeting Room – All Ages

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Turn Your Life into a Comic!
Raina Telgemeier, author of the graphic memoir Smile, shows how everyday moments of your life can be made into a comic strip!
Robot Repair & Supply – 826 Michigan (115 East Liberty Street) – All Ages

Build a Lego, Make a Comic!
Take your Lego creation to the next level! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll bring in a previously-created Lego character or diorama of your own and make a comic story about it!
Multi-Purpose Room – All Ages

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
How to Draw the Adventure Time Characters
It’s Adventure Time! Ok, you love the TV show, but have you ever wondered how to draw the characters? In this event, the cover artist for the Adventure Time comic book series artist Chris Houghton will show you how to draw your favorite characters from the land of Ooo! Don’t miss out on this event which is sure to be fun for Adventure Time fans of all-ages!
Garden Area – All Ages

Portfolio Review
Get some useful feedback on your comics work from Scott Chantler!
3rd Floor Quiet Study Room – All Ages

Flatting Comics: Beyond the Paint Bucket
Flatting: it’s the process of laying down colors (or gray tones!) in Photoshop so you can shade your comics more quickly and easily. In this workshop, Gale Wiliams will tell you why it’s awesome, walk you through the tools you need to flat successfully, and share some pointers to help you speed up the process.
Computer Lab – Teens/Professional Development

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Quick Draw!
Imagine an episode of “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” starring a group of quick-thinking cartoonists, and you’ll begin to get the picture of Quick Draw. It’s improvisational cartooning with plenty of audience participation, brought to you with spunk and humor by Sally Carson and Jono Balliet.
AADL Entrance – All Ages

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Comics Are Great! Recorded in front of a live studio audience!
The Comics Are Great! video talkshow has been broadcasting live on Wednesdays out of the Ann Arbor District Library Netcast Studio for just over a year, but never in front of a studio audience! Join host Jerzy Drozd as he talks with KRCC guests about the event and what makes comics so great for kids and adults. Participate in the discussion as the show is simulcast on the web!
4th Floor Meeting Room – All Ages

Teaming Up for the Win
Choosing to team up with another artist can be the BEST or the WORST decision you’ll make on a comics project. You get to split up the work, but who calls the shots? Lee Cherolis of Little Guardians joins Chris and Ginger Ludden of The Brothers Grant to offer practical advice on choosing a partner, sharing the load, and how to fight fair.
Multi-Purpose Room – All Ages

2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Pictionary Tournament
It’s an all-out battle for drawing supremacy in the AADL Pictionary Tournament! Fun for kids and adults alike!
Youth Area – All Ages

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Quick Draw!
Imagine an episode of “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” starring a group of quick-thinking cartoonists, and you’ll begin to get the picture of Quick Draw. It’s improvisational cartooning with plenty of audience participation, brought to you with courage and cheer by Jalen Sparrow and Rachel Polk.
Robot Repair & Supply – 826 Michigan (115 East Liberty Street) – All Ages

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Portfolio Review
Get some useful feedback on your comics work from Diana Nock!
3rd Floor Quiet Study Room – All Ages

The World in Vector- A Look into Adobe Illustrator
Jannie Ho gives a demonstration on the use of Adobe Illustrator for creating artwork and comics. The concept of vector art vs. pixel art will be discussed with tips on getting started, especially learning the all-powerful pen tool.
Computer Lab – Teens/Professional Development

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Make an Ellie McDoodle/Wimpy Kid Book
Join Ellie McDoodle creator Ruth McNally Barshaw for a 90-minute workshop exploring how to make a book in the popular style of Ellie and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The writing-plus-art journal format is captivating kids around the country with more and more new books. Bring your idea for a story (something that happened to you or someone close to you) and become part of the excitement. Roll up your sleeves and get to work like a real cartoonist — brainstorming, creating, writing, drawing, and finally putting together a 12-page cartoony book about your life!
Robot Repair & Supply – 826 Michigan (115 East Liberty Street) – All Ages

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Make a Mini-Comic!
Matt Feazell’s legendary Mini-Comic workshop! Make an 8-page book out of one sheet of paper AND learn the secrets to telling a comic book story to fill those pages in 90 minutes or less.
Garden Area – All Ages

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Underwater Tomato Ninja
Games give us other ways to think about tackling challenges from gardening to space battles. Why not play a game to make a game? In this hands-on workshop, game developer and cartoonist Rob Stenzinger will introduce you to HTML5 Game Development. Daedal Games Co. needs your help to improve their latest game Underwater Tomato Ninja! (Note: this workshop features some basic coding.)
Computer Lab – Teens and up

My Life in Webcomics (Panel)
Thanks to web publishing, it’s never been easier to get your work out to an audience. But even so, publishing your comics on the Internet is not without its challenges. Join webcomics stars Tony Cliff (Delilah Dirk), Scott Yoshinaga & Audra Furuichi (nemu*nemu), and Diana Nock (The Intrepid Girlbot) for a discussion on how they’ve navigated the choppy waters of managing a web presence, finding their audience, and making a living. Moderated by Josh Elder, account director at iVerse Media.
4th Floor Meeting Room – All Ages

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
The Legend of Puppetbening Live!
Kevin Coppa will entertain the audience with puppets from the fan favorite Puppetbenders, showing examples of the work and production involved in the making of the web shorts. Learn how to fire bend like a pro bender through the magic of filmmaking!
Multi-Purpose Room – All Ages

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Writing for Comics (Panel)
Learn about “writing visually” when making graphic novels. Join a celebrated group of authors, including Jim Ottaviani (Feynman, T-Minus), Dan Mishkin (Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld, Creeps), Paul Storrie (Gotham Girls, Justice League Unlimited), and Rob Worley (Scratch 9) for a discussion on the special considerations facing a graphic novel writer: How do you write a series of actions that will be drawn as static images? Do you write dialogue differently in the medium of comics? How to you prepare a script an artist can follow? And how do you find a story or characters readers will care about? Find out from this stellar group of writers!
Robot Repair & Supply – 826 Michigan (115 East Liberty Street) – All Ages

Sunday

10:30 am – 11:30 am
Librarian/Educator/Cartoonist Mixer!
A special event for comics advocates before the Sunday festivities begin! Join us for refreshments and discussions on how to make comics more accessible in libraries and schools. Registration is required – RSVP HERE!
Hatcher Gallery Space (University of Michigan) – Professional Development

Noon – 6:00 pm
Artist Alley
3rd Floor – All Ages

Noon – 1:00 pm
Drawing WILD!
Create cool comic characters from WILD “nature clues.” This class will have you digging through a box of bones, skulls, bats and other “bio-facts” and observing creeping creatures as inspiration for a character. Folding and using a “field note” journal, exploring GeEKs (Geo-Explorer Kids) will take notes then fit together the pieces to create a crazy collaged comic character. Make art and meet Kenny, a live candy corn snake.
Garden Area – All Ages

Animation with Richard Stevens
Learn some of the secrets of creating dynamic animation with Australian cartoonist Richard Stevens!
Computer Lab – Teens

Reading With Pictures: Transforming the Role of Comics in the Classroom
Join Josh Elder, founder and president of Reading With Pictures, for a presentation and Q&A session on all things comics in the classroom – including RWP’s gamechanging “Graphic Textbook” being produced in conjunction with Northwestern University! All educators, librarians, students and parents are welcome!
4th Floor Meeting Room – Professional Development

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Storytime with Neil Kaplan
You’ve never had a storytime like this at your public library! Join voice actor Neil Kaplan for a reading of Winnie the Pooh & the Honey Tree. The voice behind many fan-favorites such as Transformers, Digimon, Power Rangers, and StarCraft will give you a performance like no other.
Youth Area – Ages 2-6

Noon – 2:00 pm
Super Awesome Kids’ Spot!
Join in high-energy fun in the AADL Youth Area, including:

Make a Comic Strip: Easy-to-use templates let you focus on creating some fun characters engaging in hilarious antics!
Superhero Masks: Who’s under that mask? Color your own mask and become a shining superhero or sinister villain!
Superhero Capes: Decorate your own fabric cape to show your symbol and magical powers!

Youth Area – Ages 2-6

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
Quick Draw!
Imagine an episode of “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” starring a group of quick-thinking cartoonists, and you’ll begin to get the picture of Quick Draw. It’s improvisational cartooning with plenty of audience participation, brought to you with spunk and humor by Sally Carson and Jono Balliet.
AADL Entrance – All Ages

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Comics Quickfire!

Part drawing jam, part fast-paced game show! Volunteers from the audience are paired off with (or against) professional cartoonists in a series of fun-filled drawing challenges! Comics Quickfire attendees are encouraged to participate, even if they can only draw stick figures or make silly suggestions. Featuring Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Chris Houghton (Reed Gunther), Gale Willams (Patbird & Galesaur), Jerzy Drozd (The Front) & more!
Multi-Purpose Room – All Ages

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
How to Draw the Adventure Time Characters
It’s Adventure Time! Ok, you love the TV show, but have you ever wondered how to draw the characters? In this event, the cover artist for the Adventure Time comic book series artist Chris Houghton will show you how to draw your favorite characters from the land of Ooo! Don’t miss out on this event which is sure to be fun for Adventure Time fans of all-ages!
Garden Area – All Ages

Portfolio Review
Get some useful feedback on your comics work from Chris and Ginger Ludden!
3rd Floor Quiet Study Room – All Ages

The Genesis of Two Generals
Scott Chantler walks you through the process of researching his Eisner-nominated graphic memoir Two Generals. A unique look at the process — from the beginning of an idea to the final product — of creating a book that is both personal and historical.
4th Floor Meeting Room – Teens and up

Underwater Tomato Ninja
Games give us other ways to think about tackling challenges from gardening to space battles. Why not play a game to make a game? In this hands-on workshop, game developer and cartoonist Rob Stenzinger will introduce you to HTML5 Game Development. Daedal Games Co. needs your help to improve their latest game Underwater Tomato Ninja! (Note: this workshop features some basic coding.)
Computer Lab – Teens and up

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Quick Draw!
Imagine an episode of “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” starring a group of quick-thinking cartoonists, and you’ll begin to get the picture of Quick Draw. It’s improvisational cartooning with plenty of audience participation, brought to you with celerity and panurgy by Lee Cherolis and Samantha Kyle.
AADL Entrance – All Ages

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Draw Funny People from Wacky Shapes
Tired of dull, lifeless characters? Want to know the secret to putting a lot more action and fun into your characters? Join Joe Foo for a demonstration of some secret ways to add a little more spice into your drawings. Foo will discuss such concepts as the line of action, gesture drawing, and simplification. Plus, all participants will get a chance to draw their own wacky characters using techniques taught during this session. Good fun for all ages and skill levels.
Multi-Purpose Room – All Ages

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Drawing When I Was Little
Learn how cartoonist Justin Castaneda got into book writing and illustrating. Explore the techniques he uses to create the When I Was Little series such as: writing about his own experiences, finding a style for the book, and how audience participation eventually played a key role in the evolution of the series. Participants will then create their own WIWL drawing to take home with them.
Garden Area – All Ages

Portfolio Review
Get some useful feedback on your comics work from Diana Nock!
3rd Floor Quiet Study Room – All Ages

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Quick Draw!
Imagine an episode of “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” starring a group of quick-thinking cartoonists, and you’ll begin to get the picture of Quick Draw. It’s improvisational cartooning with plenty of audience participation, brought to you with courage and cheer by Jalen Sparrow and Rachel Polk.
AADL Entrance – All Ages

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Bigfoot Boy Sighting
Bigfoot Boy, the graphic novel by J. Torres and Faith Erin Hicks, isn’t out until September, but you can get an exclusive sneak peek and participate in a live reading at Kids Read Comics!
Multi-Purpose Room – All Ages

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Portfolio Review
Get some useful feedback on your comics work from Scott Chantler!
3rd Floor Quiet Study Room – All Ages

Interactive Graphic Novel Theater
A live comics reading involving lots of audience participation and silliness. Raina Telgemeier (Smile) and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy) will perform chapters from their all-ages graphic novels, including a scene from Raina’s upcoming book Drama! Illustrated panels will be projected onto a large screen for all to see, and volunteers from the audience will be chosen to play some of the characters.
4th Floor Meeting Room – All Ages

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