Come Join Us!

Join Art Way Alliance  Saturday, April 5, 2014 for The Annapolis Book Fair!

Featuring...

Geppi's Entertainment Museum

Museum of Science Fiction

Phil Cho

Darren Soto

QuinnEssential Arts

Tyler Hoover aka T-stunning Spidey

Rockmere Comics

with

Third Eye Comics

....and many more local artists!

Come enjoy the fun with AWA as we celebrate books at The Key School!

Who are you excited to see? Sound off below! 

Louise Simonson

Louise Simonson killed Superman!

Well, kind of. If you were alive in the 90s, you may remember the Death of Superman, where the eponymous Man of Steel met his (supposed) demise at the hands of  Doomsday. Louise Simonson (nee Jones) was one of the writers during that monumental story arc and has continuously created key moments and characters for both DC and Marvel.

Louise Simonson, nicknamed Weezie, began working in comics in 1974. She worked as an editor for Warren Comics before moving on to write for Marvel and DC. Simonson has created some of the most influential and critically acclaimed stories of the 80s and 90s. She created The Power Pack with artist June Brigman, wrote extensively for the original X-Factor, and of course, wrote and story boarded the Death of Superman. She created Apocalypse, one of the X-men's most insidious and recurring villains. She also created Steel, an African American man named John Henry Irons who, upon seeing the void left by Superman, built a suit of armor that gave him super strength.

Louise Simonson has also written picture books and novels for younger readers. She has also created Covergirls, a historical non-fiction book dedicated to the women of the DC Universe. Find more from and about Ms. Simonson after the jump!

Artist Highlight: Ashley Gonzales

My name is Ashley Gonzales.  I currently attend The Art Institute of Washington as a senior with a focus in Character Design. I’ve been drawing ever since I was a little girl, and art was always something that I wanted to do. I tend to draw fantasy themed people, creatures, and animals, and I have realized that Character Design is where my heart truly lies. I mostly stick to Sci-fi and Fantasy themed characters, although I can do a variety of themes. When it comes to my artwork I like to keep liveliness to my characters by leaving in some of my sketch lines. Though I am able to draw both organic and mechanical forms, drawing things of an organic nature is what I love most. Because I am pushing forward towards my career, I am always learning new things, and I’m always excited to gain new inspiration from other aspiring artists. I also love to inspire others and help them find the motivation to work harder and continue to become the very best artist they can be.

Women's History Month

Louise Simonson - comic book writer and creator

Last month, we reflected on the contributions of African American artists (see our posts on Jackie Ormes and George Herriman on our blog). For March, in honor of Women's History Month, we continue in the same vein by highlighting the contributions of women in the comic book industry. 

Women have always been present in the comic book industry, but like other minorities, their accomplishments have not been highlighted. Louise Simonson and Gail Simone are just a few of the women who shaped the comic book universe. Author G. Willow Wilsonrecently made history with the introduction of Ms. Marvel, a Muslim teenage girl who moonlights as a superhero in New Jersey.

We hope that you join us in this celebration of women throughout the month of March. As always, we are open for suggestions on whom we should highlight. Just let us know who you want acknowledged.  

AWA Gets A Shout Out!

Art Way Alliance was at the Alpha Kappa Alpha STEM and Leadership Summit on March 16, 2014 and had a great time. We even got a mention in The Examiner with other community leaders.

 [On] hand were the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Art Way Alliance and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Inc. There were also stations titled Everyday STEM Fun=STEM Career, and STEM Girls Rock! Lastly there was a Parents only session titled Raising Children in the 21st Century.

Talk about good company! Click here to read the entire article. If you know of any other events and want AWA to be a part of them, feel free to contact us!

Artist Highlight - Tyrone Barnes

Tyrone Barnes, II works as a Multimedia Designer at Lockheed Martin. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and a Minor in Interactive Design/Game Development from Savannah College of Art and Design. Tyrone currently attends the Academy of Art University, San Fransisco, CA, where he is earning his Master of Fine Arts in Illustration.

Tyrone's technical proficiencies include Photoshop, Flash, Visual C++, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, CSS, ActionScript 2/3 along with a list of others. He specializes in Manga and Anime.

Visit the website below for more information:
Deviant Art
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