California College of the Arts offers free online Comic Creator course

By John Freeman on January 27, 2016

The California College of the Arts will launched a free online course next month offering the opportunity for anyone, anywhere to learn how to make their own comics from one of very few schools in the United States to offer a Master of Fine Arts course in Comics.

The Massive Online Open Course in comics, a first for CCA, entitled “Comics: Art in Relationships”, offers five sessions with instructor Matt Silady (who is both the chair of the MFA Program in Comics, as well as an Associate Professor in the Writing and Literature Program) and is aimed at both beginner and experienced artists.

A Chicagoland native, Matt Silady taught eighth grade for six years in Champaign, Illinois before moving west to study creative writing at the University of California at Davis. It was there he discovered comics as a medium for fine art.

In June of 2007, he published his first graphic novel, The Homeless Channel. The story about a television executive attempting to start a 24-hour cable network for the homeless was nominated for an Eisner award.

Since then, Matt accepted a teaching position at California College of the Arts where he’s helped expand the college’s undergraduate comics curriculum and now guides CCA’s MFA in Comics Program.

Recent projects include serving as Guest Editor of the SF Weekly Comics Issue and the launch of the inaugural San Francisco Comics Festival.

The free version of the course enables you to view course materials and take part in the forums. Premium membesrhip, which cost $10 a month, enables participants to submit assignments, receive grades, collaborate with peers, build a portfolio, earn a verified certificate of accomplishment, and receive discounts on course materials. Premium Membership is just $10 a month.

• Find out more about this free class is being offered by CCA through online platform Kadenze. Learn how to sign up here (and the next start dates, the course is repeated through the year) and more about how Kadenze works here – and watch Matt Silady talking about the program in the video above

• PLEASE NOTE downthetubes has no connection with this course. Please direct any questions about the course to the organisers, not us. Some of your questions may have been answered in comments below from people who have taken part

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.