Monday, September 17, 2012

Press Release: The Comic Studio

Hey! Here is the official press release for the Comic Studio. If there is anyone interested in signing up for classes, let me know. Any media outlets that would like to post this up, please feel free. As well, anyone that would like to share this on their pages are welcome.

OFFICIAL COMIC STUDIO PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact Persons for The Comic Studio:
Martheus A. Wade
martheus@toshigawa.com
www.mawpro.com

INDEPENDENT COMIC CREATOR PUTS A COMIC BOOK SPIN ON ART CLASSES
September 5, 2012

Indy comic book creator, Martheus Wade, creator of the hit graphic novel series Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa and Turra: Gun Angel and art director for MAW Productions Studios, is proud to announce the formation of The Comic Studio, a series of classes that specialize in the art of comic book and graphic novel creation.

The Comic Studio will be art classes with a comic book twist. The classes take an innovative approach to creative design that combines fine art, writing and graphic design skills and team them with goal setting techniques that will empower students to see projects through to completion. Courses will cover everything from photoshop techniques, to illustration techniques, to writing all from the perspective of comic book and graphic novel creation. "I've always wanted to give back to the Memphis area," Martheus said. "The idea for the Comic Studio began when I taught comic illustration in the penitentiary system. There were some extremely talented individuals there that could have contributed so much to the art world if someone would have reached them early and helped develop their talent. I want to find that child before it's too late." Thanks to fellow artist and prolific painter, Adam Shaw, classes will start at his studio in November at 2547 Broad Ave, Memphis TN. "The revitalization of Broad Avenue as an arts district fits The Comic Studio perfectly," said Martheus. "It's the perfect place to open minds to the arts and the power of the graphic medium."

Classes start in November and will meet Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. More information on times will be available in the coming weeks. Anyone interested in enrollment should contact Martheus Wade at martheus@toshigawa.com or join our facebook page, keyword: The Comic Studio. Free art tutorials are also available online at www.mawpro.com.

-more-

Martheus Antone Wade

Optioned for motion picture, Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa was created in 1985 by Martheus Antone Wade, a graduate of the University of Memphis. Martheus' love for martial arts, along with his talent as a graphic artist, was a natural fit for creating exciting characters and imaginative storylines. He then began his carrier as an intern at Signature Advertising. After completing his internship, Martheus worked as graphic designer. After two years, Martheus struck out on his own as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator working with companies such as the Radison Hotel, Trust Marketing, Senior Services, The YWCA, The Girl Scouts Council of the Mid-South, and Special Olympics.

He has illustrated for Maximum CNG, Bloodstream for Image Comics, Shooting Star Comics, Chaos Campus for Approbation Comics and Andrew Dabb's Slices just to name a few. Recently, he has worked on such titles as Action Man and Nanovor for IDW, Bad Girls Club for the Oxygen Network, and illustrated, wrote, and produced a comic book crossover with his title character, Jetta, and William Tucci's, Shi. His work has been used for the movie Role Models from Universal Pictures as well as the instructional DVD and book, Hi-Fi Digital Color for Comics available from IMPACT Publishing.


Visit www.mawpro.com to see more of his work and artistic process .

Thursday, September 6, 2012

letter to thai

i friend posted the following on her facebook this morning...

"So sick and tired of kids saying something to Thai because she wears superhero shirts to school! Teacher getting a call! She cried about it this morning."

>:( 

this is not acceptable.  this is downright rage-inducing.  messing w/ this girl?  because of SUPERHERO TSHIRTS???  this is like messing w/ my own child.  we go to cons w/ her & her family.  we hang out at kickboxing class.  shoot, we have more pix of her on our fridge than we do of our own son.

i know kids can be stupid & use a strange logic that we grown people just don't get, but this needs to be nipped in the bud.  i remember once upon a time when self esteem wasn't an issue for me.   i mean, every kid coming into the world has unlimited potential to do great things...until they are told by someone else they can't/don't/shouldn't.  i use to be the fastest runner in school & queen of the monkey bars (i had the blisters on my palms to prove it).  then 6th grade hit & i was made fun of because i didn't play quiet games during recess.

& it didn't quit there.  i withdrew further into myself when in 8th grade was told i was suppose to draw flowers instead of dragons.  & then in high school i was 'weird' because i read (for fun, not for homework) at lunch instead of gossip, didn't wear make up, didn't go on dates.  &, oh yeah, i didn't care for new kids on the block.  i know, ole weirdo janet.

it wasn't until i hit my mid-20s before i realized i was tired & unhappy of trying to fit in & hiding the things i liked, all for people who i never saw again & did not matter whatsoever in my life anyways.

a girl doesn't have to wear pink or draw only flowers & unicorns or wear hannah montana shirts or like princesses to be a girl.  

she can dress up as her favorite superhero.
best black canary EVER!

she can be in ballet.
graceful.

she can whoop some tail in kickboxing class.
she's smiling because you think she's cute & can't hit hard.
she can learn to play violin. 
country fiddlin' or classical.

she can have taekwondo family fun time, too.
choke him out!!!
 
oh yeah, & she can read a comic book whilst wearing a SUPERHERO tshirt.

in yo faces, haters.
so here's my words of encouragment to this multifaceted young lady.

dear thai:

i know sometimes it's hard being 10, trying to figure out who you are & where you fit into this world that can be full of people who, at times, are rather stupid & slow to realize that not everyone's a cookie cutter clone. 

you are an individual.  you are ok to like the things you like and enjoy the things you do because those things make you happy.  and too bad if it bothers someone else so much that they feel they need to make fun of you.  those people need to find a hobby, like knitting, if they really don't have anything else going for them.

keep wearing batman tees.  keep playing w/ star wars legos.  keep reading comic books.  one day you'll understand that you are an AWESOME kid.  everyone who love you already know your awesome-osity is boundless.  :)

love <3<3<3,
~~me
 
that's right.  wear that superhero tshirt, miss thai.