Comics Connection is now available to provide educational services, professional expertise, and community support for comic book creators at every level.
Comics Connection (https://comicsconnection.net/ ) combines the artistic education and creative community of the Comics Experience Creators Workshop with the business and legal education of the Comics Publishing Institute to create a comprehensive offering to anyone in the business of publishing comics.
The new service is led by Andy Schmidt and Gamal Hennessy. Andy began his comics career at Marvel as an editor and in his twenty-year career, he has worked as an editor, writer, and publisher for companies including IDW, Hasbro, DC, Boom, and CEX Publishing. He is the founder of the Comics Experience educational program that has run since 2007 and author of The Insider’s Guide to Creating Comics and Graphic Novels (2008) and The Comics Experience Guide to Writing Comics: Scripting Your Story Ideas from Start to Finish (2018). Gamal is an attorney, author, and business consultant who has specialized in the comic book industry since 1996 and released The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing in 2020. Comics Connection will tap into their combined forty years of industry experience and insight.
Comics Connection will provide three levels of service. The first level is free to everyone in the comic book community. It will include both The Comics Connection Podcast and a complimentary newsletter and will discuss the latest news and topics in the comic book industry. The second level is reserved for Comics Connection subscribers who will gain access to the Comics Connection Discord, weekly live question and answer sessions, monthly educational classes, interviews with industry figures, and other resources to help creators navigate their comic careers. There is also a level of optional premium packages that include creative services, professional critiques, business development, legal services, printing, distribution, and publication of finished comics.
“Comics Connection is designed to provide wide-ranging tools for comic creators of every type at every level.” Gamal Hennessy explained. “Andy and I have tried to support comic creators for years with separate, complementary programs. Now we can bring everything together in one package and for a lower overall price.”
“I love working with new and seasoned creators alike and this is the best way to help creators develop their creative and business skills for going into comics,” said Andy Schmidt. “The reality is, even if you just want to collect a check from companies, you still need to understand the business. And as a creator entering into the field today, you’ve got to compete with a glut of extremely talented people. Honing your craft, your skills, and understanding of the medium itself is likely what will propel you to the top.”
About Comics Connection
Comics Connection is a subscription-based service providing community, education, and professional services for comic creators. It is a joint offering from the Kentucky-based company Comics Experience LLC and New York-based Nightlife Publishing LLC.