#anina Bennett

[helioscopepdx]

Join letterers Rus Wooton (The Walking Dead, Invincible, Monstress) and Deron Bennett (Sleepless, Excellence, writer of Quixote); writer Cathy Camper (Lowriders in Space, Ten Ways to Hear Snow); and writer/editor Anina Bennett (Boilerplate, Heartbreakers) as they talk about the under-appreciated craft of lettering comics and the art of visual storytelling.

[balu8]

Dark Horse Presents #52: Heartbreakers

by Anina Bennett; Paul Guinan;Willie Schubert

Dark Horse

[onlylonelylatino]

"Practice, Practice, Practice" by Marie Severin

[evilhorse]

First Person column (circa May 1991)

[lucybellwood]

Do you know of a website that has Sample comic book scripts, or copies of original comic book scripts?

I sure do!

My colleagues Anina Bennett and Paul Guinan have a very handy page on their website with several different sample scripts of different types.

You can also check out Tim Simmons's Comics Experience Script Archive.

Victoria Ying discusses some scripting options on her blog.

Shannon Hale also has an example of the opening scene of Rapunzel's Revenge in script format, so you can compare and see what became of it in the final book.

There's a lot more if you google around, too. Folks are generally quite generous with sharing script examples! (Worth considering whether you're more interested in graphic novel scripts or monthly comic book scripts. They two may diverge in a number of respects!)

[tlatollotl]

✨ NEW EPISODE ✨

039. Aztec Empire with Paul Guinan

Paul Guinan, along with illustrator David Hahn, produce Aztec Empire, a historic webcomic about the conquest of Tenochtitlan that is free to read at Paul’s website bigredhair.com. Currently, Aztec Empire is up to 9 episodes with Cortes and his men currently in Veracruz. Aztec Empire has been nominated by both the Ringo and Eisner Awards for Best Digital Comic. In addition to Aztec Empire, Paul is a founding member of Helioscope Studio and is co-creator of other works such as Cargonauts, Heartbreakers, Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel, Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention, and the DC Comic Chronos.

[nfcomics]

Flashback Friday Fun • Alan and Moby with artists Anina Bennett @bigreadhair and Paul Guinan • Boilerplate

[wpmorse]

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cartoonists-northwests-september-meeting-with-anina-bennett-tickets-416800550667

[comicweek]

Comic-Con@Home 2020- Coloring Comics

Gender, Race, and Comic Book Coloring

Did you know that comic book colors used to be hand-separated by an army of women in Connecticut? That “benday dots” are named after a real person? Or that there’s a technical reason African-American skin tones look wrong in old comics? Geek out on the hidden corners of comics history, from the Golden Age up to today’s digital era, and learn about the craft of coloring with color artist Marissa Louise (Amethyst), comics creator Mildred Louis (Astrea's Nexus Studio), researcher and essayist Zoë D. Smith (University of Chicago), and master letterer/former DC production artist Todd Klein (Sandman). Moderated by author Anina Bennett (Boilerplate).

Livestream Q&A following the event: July 25, at 3pm PT on www.twitch.tv/ml_illo  - (I’ll link to VOD when it is avaliable it is currently on going)

Learn How to Color Comics

Do you know how comic books are colored? Learn about the creative art of comic book coloring as Hi-Fi's Brian Miller (The Flash) and Kristy Miller (Femme Magnifique) demonstrate the step-by-step transformation of a comic book page from black and white to full color. Learn professional techniques for flatting, rendering, color holds, and special effects, along with top digital coloring tips.

[helioscopepdx]

One of the many stunning process shots from Paul Guinan, David Hahn, and Anina Bennett's meticulously-researched online graphic novel, Aztec Empire.

[oldnerdybasterd]

The delightful panelists who discussed the “50th Anniversary of IT AIN’T ME BABE, the First All-Women comic”. (L-R) Trina Robbins, moderator Anina Bennett, and the adorble Barbara ‘Willy’ Mendes (in her charming hand-painted dress!).

San Diego Comic Fest Saturday March 7, 2020.

Four Points Sheraton.

[gritboy]

Gay Comics #23

Heartbreakers: My Lover…My Clone!; Walter Ego: The Kloseted Kid; Blue Whale Inn: I Heard It Through The Grapevine; Personal Adventuring; Human Interaction; Wanted; Pride: Misconceptions; Steven’s Comics: The Lost Dolls; Bitchy Butch Meets A Nice Guy! Art & Story by: Andy Mangels, Anina Bennett, Paul Guinan, Andy Hartzell, Stephanie Pennington, Jon Macy, Beck Main, Catherine Doherty, J.A. Fludd,…

[my-imogenie-fan]

Boilerplate

Everyone!

Meet Boilerplate History’s Mechanical Marvel written by Paul Guinan & Anina Bennett. Boilerplate was designed by Professor Archibald Campion in 1893 as a prototype to help save lives. For more information there are many sites – Goodreads.com, Bing.com, Librarian From Alaska.Wordpress.com

Is this backwards? Yes it is and the reason why it’s a printing boiler plate used for…

[tlatollotl]

Depiction of a battle between Spanish and Maya forces from the graphic novel Aztec Empire.

DRAWN BY GUINAN AND HAHN

The story of the fall of the Aztec empire is a compelling human drama that has all to often been oversimplified into a story of perceived technological or cultural advantage.  For centuries, Western historians downplayed the sophistication of the empire, emphasizing instead the alleged inherent superiority of Western culture. Paul Guinan, David Hahn, and Anina Bennett are upending these narratives with a compelling new retelling of the events surrounding the fall of the empire in a digital graphic novel named Aztec Empire.

The choice of medium may surprise some, but Matt Smith, Vice President of the Comic Studies Society and professor at Radford University, notes that “for anyone who thinks that comics are limited to caped crime fighters from Metropolis, or tempestuous teenagers from Riverdale, there’s a whole world of comics storytelling to discover.” Smith says that “Aztec Empire is one in a long list of comics that allows us to re-imagine our history through this story telling medium and to do so with visual flair.”

Scene from the graphic novel Aztec Empire.

DRAWN BY GUINAN AND HAHN

The flair behind Guinan, Hahn, and Bennett’s Aztec Empire is attracting attention! Earlier this year, the graphic novel was nominated for an Eisner Award for best digital comic of 2019.  Nominees for the Eisner awards are chosen each year by a panel of judges seeking to celebrate “the wide range of material being published in the U.S. today.”

Part of what makes Aztec Empire so compelling is the series’ intense interest in accuracy; it's not every comic book that ends with a list of references and research notes. Guinan noted that “the events we’re covering have been heavily mythologized over the centuries, to the point where most people believe that a handful of conquistadors overthrew an empire of millions.”  Aztec Empire uses “documentation to battle the myths surrounding this epic.”

The Aztec Council as depicted in 16th century manuscripts and the Aztec Empire graphic Novel.

DRAWN BY GUINAN AND HAHN

Jared Diamond’s popular book Guns, Germs, and Steel, for example, essentialized the outcome of this clash of cultures down to a simple matter of technological differences. Anthropologists and archaeologists have long noted that Diamond’s narrative overlooked the important roles played by indigenous actors during the conquest, both in support of the Spanish as well as in resisting their advances. Aztec Empire centers indigenous agency, regularly fronting the ways in which the people living in and around the empire acted and reacted to the invasion of their homeland.

Guinan says that “this epic is much more than just an example of technological or biological advantage—it’s much more interesting than that, more nuanced, and almost literally incredible.” In order to tell this story effectively “we have to show the personalities involved and the complexities of the political dynamics that caused the fall of the Aztec.”

The obsessive interest in accuracy behind Aztec Empire includes more than just the actors and the complex roles they played.  Guinan has carried out detailed research on the various 16thcentury sources that survive from both European and indigenous authors to ensure that everything from military weaponry to dress and hair styles are accurately depicted.

Visual references used to produce accurate environments for the graphic novel Aztec Empire

DRAWN BY GUINAN AND HAHN

Even the moment noted by chronicler Bernal Diaz where the famous Hernan Cortez lost a shoe during a battle with Maya forces makes its way into Aztec Empire.

https://twitter.com/AztecEmpire1520/status/994334215771635713

With just the first four chapters of the saga published on Guinan and Bennett’s website, the series is estimated to be only 10% complete.  For Guinan, this project arose out of his “love of history and science fiction, because it’s a ‘first contact’ story. When Spanish expeditions met the Aztec Empire, it was like a meeting between people from two different planets.”

Voting for the Eisner awards finishes on June 14th, with voting open to comics industry professionals and educators. Winners will be announced in an award ceremony on July 19th.

Regardless of the results, as a graphic novel Aztec Empire has opened a remarkable window onto the past. “Skilled cartoonists,” Smith says, “can re-create the past (or imagine a future) that transports audiences across space and time. ‘Aztec Empire’ recreates a world that audiences may never before have been able to visualize in quite the same way. Could a filmmaker do that too? Sure, but at the cost of several million dollars and the help of scores of production people. Comics are wonderfully elegant at achieving a visualization of history that doesn’t need a financier to help realize.”

Scene from the graphic novel Aztec Empire.

DRAWN BY GUINAN AND HAHN

[nfcomics]

Edward James Olmos • Anina Bennett 📚 #edwardjamesolmos #aninabennett #eisnerawards #hiltonbayfront #comicconinternational #sandiego (at Hilton San Diego Bayfront) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtWzQ-8hF8K/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ydb052i7ldz7

[herenciachaman]

Aztec Empire

Cómic por por Paul Guinan y Anina Bennett

Navegando por el internet me encontré con esta joya.  

Ya tenía tiempo que estaba pensando acerca de cómo nuestros jóvenes no tienen historias de héroes que seguir. Con esto no me refiero a que no haya libros escritos por mexicanos o basados en la cultura mexicana que cumplan con este objetivo. Pero, al ver el gran movimiento que logró el cómic (como DC y Marvel), el manga y el anime, me hizo pensar en qué buscan las personas cuando siguen estas historias con tanto fervor. 

Y me di cuenta que hay muy pocas figuras ficticias de héroes basados en la cultura mexicana (si a ustedes se les vienen a la mente algunos, lo agradecería mucho para continuar con esta reflexión). No dudo que hubo, o que haya (la primera imagen que me vino de esto fue El Santo), pero, ¿por qué no tienen la popularidad de otras historias? 

Como adolescentes buscamos figuras virtuosas que seguir, con quiénes identificarnos, de quienes aprender.  Todos queremos saber que sintió Spiderman cuando el tío Ben le dio la lección más grande de su vida. 

 "Un gran poder conlleva una gran responsabilidad". 

Nuestros jóvenes crecen con esas historias. Casi toda la gente de los 90's para acá, sabe quién es Goku, quién es Batman, ni se diga de la fama actual que tienen los Advengers. Pero, a pesar de que son personajes ficticios que pueden darnos grandes lecciones, no puedo evitar pensar que nos quedan muy lejos. 

Entonces, me encontré con este proyecto que me dio mucho gusto. Un proyecto realizado por dos artistas de comic de Estados Unidos, que no podían creer que las historias de la conquista fueran como se las habían contado. Decidieron entonces, investigar, documentarse, y crear esta historia ilustrada, mostrando toda la majestuosidad con la que ellos se imaginan tubo la gran Mexico-Tenochtitlán. 

Estoy muy contenta que existan estos proyectos cada vez en mayor número. Un poco triste de que no sea en ciertos casos iniciativa mexicana. Porque si los hay, si hay gente con proyectos como este de mexicanos, me encantaría conocerlos. Me encantaría divulgarlos y que poco a poco lleguen a la gente que los necesita. 

Aquí les dejó el link al cómic, lamentablemente está en inglés pero algo es algo. https://www.bigredhair.com/books/aztec-empire/about/