For cartoonists who are committed to making their work the best it can possibly be
Comics is a demanding and time-intensive art form. The number of choices you need to make on each page and in each panel can feel overwhelming, especially since you are juggling several modes: drawing, text, design… It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re working on a book-length comic, to feel like you don’t have a clear enough grasp of where you’re going.
Maybe you…
- have a personal story to share and you want to bring to life for readers in the most sensitive and vivid way possible.
- want to engage your readers with powerful, dynamic comics page layouts?
- need to help readers make sense of your your vast imaginary world.
- want to gain confidence that your book is ready to show to publishers, and want someone to “check your work.”
- are ready to adapt your webcomic to a book-friendly format.
- are an illustrator, animator, or artist working in comics for the first time, and you need guidance to get started strong.
Imagine if…
- you could sit at your drafting table (or tablet) with a clear sense of the path you need to take to finish your comic.
- You had an understanding of the richness of comics storytelling and were using the formal tools of the medium to its maximum potential.
- you gained the confidence that you were making the right choices to make your comic as engaging and as rich as possible.
“Matt helped me find those small tweaks that made a big impact.”
—Syne Mitchell, Vampire Ex-Boyfriend
“Matt coached me through my lastest project and he was immensely helpful.”
—Britton Sukys, cartoonist and illustrator
Hi, I’m Matt Madden.
I’m a cartoonist just like you and have myself faced just about any problem you are likely to be encountering.
I’ve struggled to learn if not master how to draw convincing figures, to use 3-point perspective, to “find my style”… I was once stalled on a 32-page comic for several years because I wasn’t sure I could pull it off and at the same time was unable to prioritize the drawing time to get it done.
But despite that, I persevered and I’ve gone on to publish comics, short stories and books. I’ve collaborated with my wife Jessica Abel and the French experimental comics group Oubapo. I have taught at the School of Visual Arts and the Sequential Artists Workshop and I have given countless talks and workshops all over the world.
And I want to bring all that experience to supporting you.
“Matt helped me bring clarity to a project that at first seemed overwhelmingly chaotic and unmanageable. His suggestions, both on the narrative and the visual elements were right on target.”
—Scott Spencer, Knothole: Into the Looneyverse
“Really solid feedback that I’ve been looking for […] I feel like this is the conversation I’ve been really wanting to have with someone who can really get into the meat of it.”
—Normandie Luscher, Demigodess
Comics coaching could be great for you if:
- You’ve got a book-length project that feels overwhelming
- You are having trouble finding the structure and motivation to make real progress on an ambitious project
- You need help breaking down your project into manageable chunks
- You have a great story idea but you’re not confident about how to tell it visually
- You are an experienced artist (illustrator, animator, novelist) but this is your first comics project
How it works
We will plan out our time together in a way that best suits your particular project.
A typical way to work together would be to schedule an online meeting every few weeks over the course of 2-3 months, for a total of 4 meetings.
Why this time frame?
Two months gives you time to make some concrete progress and for the two of us to develop a sustained dialogue about whatever issues are holding you up at the drawing table (real or virtual).
Meetings last one hour and you can schedule them in advance using my scheduling calendar. You will have my full attention for the hour, and you can bring pages to show or discuss more global issues you want to get into.
How much does it cost?
$1500 USD. Think of my coaching program as an advanced independent study with a knowledgeable thesis advisor. It’s more expensive than some online classes or continuing education classes but you’ll be motivated to advance on your personal project knowing you’ll be getting undivided attention from me during our meetings.
Perhaps the best argument I can make for the “return-on-investment” value of my coaching is that several of my clients have re-upped for a second (discounted!) round with me.
“It was worth the price!”
—Otto M., professor and cartoonist
Let’s talk it over
If you want to have a chat about my coaching offer, shoot me an e-mail to set up a free half-hour meeting where we can decide together if this seems like a good fit.