This year, Moore adds Comics to its list of exciting undergraduate minors, which combines a diverse set of skill sets across print and screen, in a fast-growing field.
“If you want to go into comics, be prepared to really work those artistic muscles!” says Steve Wood, chair of Time/Motion Arts and associate professor in Animation & Game Arts. It was Wood who suggested adding the new minor when he realized that extraordinary comic work was already being produced in the Illustration department, driven by students’ passion for comics and manga. It became clear that a new minor would provide a focused path, harnessing the energy that students were putting into their love for comic arts.
The Comics minor is “an opportunity for a student to develop different aspects of a comic property across multiple classes,” says Joe Kulka, chair of Communication Arts and associate professor in Illustration. Kulka, Wood, Illustration Professor Rich Harrington and Chief Academic Officer Claudine Thomas met in summer 2023 to explore possibilities, ultimately deciding that a minor would give students the most flexibility to explore. The pathway will help prepare students to pursue publication by nurturing the development of each artist’s unique vision.
Opportunities abound for Comics minors, due to the popularity and diversity of the field. The global comic book market is expected to more than double within the next decade, and comic artists find work in film, television, design, children’s books, narrative design, graphic novels, politics, costume design—and beyond! Wood notes that the discipline requires skills in layout, graphic design, cinematography, typography, narrative design, creative writing, drawing, color theory, character design and images over time.
“I am excited about how the new minor will open an avenue of narrative art that hits that sweet spot between full-motion animation and standalone illustration that accompanies text,” says Wood. “Students have a lot of wonderful stories, from the deeply personal to the fantastical, that can be expressed through the medium of comics.”
Students who minor in Comics will, as Kulka notes, “hone their storytelling skills both visually and through the written word—and good storytelling will always be in demand.”
Want to learn more about Comics at Moore? Contact our Admissions team at enroll@moore.edu or 215.965.4015 to set up a call or a campus visit. We’d love to tell you more!
Featured artwork: Dylan B. Caleho '19, Illustration.
