2014!

With 2013 behind us, we take pride in our inaugural year. Our events and classes were nothing short of spectacular, and we have you to thank for that!

Now as we formally welcome 2014, we are pleased to expand our reach across the DMV area. Our STEAM Character Creation class, hosted in conjunction with The Patriots Technology Training Center and taught by Darren Soto (our January featured artist), is just the beginning of our fantastic programs and events.

As you know, Art Way Alliance has long promised to expand our list of classes to feature in-depth instruction on the more advanced aspects of comic book creation. This year, AWA is currently offering an assortment of classes, including:

• Intro to Comic Book Creation/ Penciler, Inker, Colorist or Letterer Class 

• Create Your Own Character/ Character Designer Class 

• Create your Own Environment/ Background Artist Class 

• Comic Writer, Scripter & Illustrator Class 

• The Art of Storyboarding/ Sequential Art Class

AWA classes not only teach the fundamentals of comic book media and arts. They instill students with self-confidence in their abilities as artists and evaluators of the media they consume. Our instructors’ experiences in the industry provide insider information on possible opportunities to turn their talent into lasting careers. Our classes also have set curriculum that can be fined tuned to incorporate themes. Our STEAM classes in particular have been popular.

Our classes can accommodate up to ten kids per session and are “hands on.” Children learn by continually drawing throughout the classes while referring to teacher’s instructions, drawing tutorials, and of course, comic books. Materials are provided for the children.

We are always eager and willing to provide these classes to the DMV area. We work with schools to provide after school programs or partner with other non-profits to provide Saturday classes. If you or anyone you know is interested in coordinating a class or event with AWA, please let us know. We have also partnered with PTAs and can provide materials and presentations to interested parties.

Thank you! 

The Art Way Alliance Team

MILESTONE

Milestone Comics Logo

Christmas just passed, and AWA is well underway to having a spectacular new year. But we could not go into the New Year without highlighting the 20 year anniversary of Milestone Comics. 

Founded in 1993 by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, and Derek Dingle, Milestone Comics was the one of the first comic book companies owned and operated by African Americans. It created black characters who were empowered, three-dimensional, and just really cool. 

The company started as a dream held by Cowan and McDuffie, who felt stifled by Marvel and the limited number of black characters. McDuffie explains: 

"If you do a black character or a female character or an Asian character, then they aren't just that character. They represent that race or that sex, and they can't be interesting because everything they do has to represent an entire block of people. [...] We knew we had to present a range of characters within each ethnic group, which means that we couldn't do just one book. We had to do a series of books and we had to present a view of the world that's wider than the world we've seen before."

With McDuffie as editor in chief, Dingle as president, Cowan as creative director and president  and DC Comics as distributor, Milestone created a company that highlighted not only African Americans, but other minorities as well. After a jump. we have a list of key reads to get you acquainted with their work. (1)