The Firing Squad.
So last wednesday marked not only the launch of my snazzy new website, it was also my first night running the show in the classroom as an adjunct prof. at Dominican University of California. I charged in loaded up on coffee, armed with fifteen graded scripts, three packs of index cards, two powerpoint presentations, and one magic 8 ball...
It's quite possible I wasn't what the kids were expecting.
I was more than a little bit nervous. I had been working towards this moment for a while. In fact, you could say that a big part of my reasoning for even going back to school to get my MFA was that having grad school cred would actually make it feasible for university types to hire a manic comic nerd like me. Lo and behold, after months of hustle, it actually worked.
At CCA I did get a sense of the job, first as a TA for the wonderful Justin Hall, and then in Matthew Iribarne's fantastic Teaching Creative Writing course, where I was placed in a journalism class at Oakland School for the Arts. So I got to run the paces a little bit, plan lessons and work with high school and undergrad students, but this new gig at Dominican...this was the big (vegan) enchilada I'd been gunning for ever since I graduated.
I got an early start, heading out to San Rafael in the morning for a tech-tutorial.
I twiddled my thumbs and pawed at the latest fantasy novel I'm reading (don't be fooled by that godawful cover, Locke Lamora is a totally great read,) and waited for the bus. Unfortunately commuting to Dominican requires Bart fare as well as a ride on Golden Gate transit. The bus ride is 5 bucks, and leads to the San Rafael transit center, which is totally the dropping off point for prisoners released from San Quentin. It makes for an interesting ride.
But I got to end up here...
Dominican campus is totally beautiful. Its riddled with wooded pathways and footbridges. Little reading nooks are tucked away beside a winding creek bed. Even the various department buildings are cute and eclectic, ranging from stone fortresses, to backwoods cottages.
I made my way to the Library, where my course is held. I tracked down the head of IT, who was required to give me a techtorial on the 'Smart Classroom' gear.
Unsurprisingly, nothing worked at first, but the IT guys worked with me until I was reasonably certain I could run my presentations without burning down the lab.
I vamoosed the student dining hall (clearly labeled vegan options!!!) and checked in on my site. It was at this point however when I started to notice a pretty groady tooth ache.
For those of you who don't know me, hi, my name is Kettner and my teeth are utter garbage. They've been falling apart for so long it is a genuine shocker that I haven't been fitted for dentures.
Anywho, I resolved to not let it get me down, slurped down some ibuprofs with my iced coffee and got prepped.
I set up in the library and unpacked my handy dandy teacher utility kit. It's almost perfect. If only it could fit on a belt I'd be all set...
This was last minute panic o' clock. I ran through my presentations, organized my roster book (thanks Lacy,) and recited the Litany Against Fear. It was time.
I got to my classroom and found a group of five or six of my students already milling around the hallway 15 minutes early. The previous class was taking their time packing up and my students all looked as impatient as I was to get started. When I walked up I doubt they took me for the instructor, but I introduced myself and made a quick confession that they were to be my first college class, and together we decided to storm the castle and kick the stragglers out.
It was an Avengers Assemble moment.
The class had already been working on scripts with another instructor, and many of them were eager to draw. I had everyone work in their sketchbooks while I prepped my tech gear and waited for everyone to arrive. I knew going in that I wanted to strike a balance between friendliness and authority, but once we got started I was no longer self conscious enough to even attempt to control how I presented myself. My nervous energy took over (in a good way...I think,) and I rode the wave.
Talktalktalktalktalktalktalktalktalktalktalk
My first presentation was a sort of "get to know me" slideshow where I told the students about my background as a cartoonist, so they could trust that I halfway knew what I was talking about when I offered critiques. Mostly I used examples of my own comics work at different stages to show them the process I expect from them over the next 8 weeks, from character design, to thumbnails, to full pencils, and if they are super fast and super ambitious, inks.
From there I had them draw little index card profiles of themselves, and went around the room putting face to script, and had the students pitch me their ideas. Then I handed them back their script notes and let them ask one question from the Magic 8 Ball.
I wonder how many other instructors would allow them to practice the dark arts on campus? And at a catholic school, no less!
Most of the answers were pretty grim.
I was horrified that the previous section of the course had not prepared them for comics. One student confessed that she had "never touched one." It's pretty hard to write for/create a comic when you've never really read one. Other members of the class had varying degrees of comics literacy, but I knew by the end of the get to know you sesh that I had my work cut out for me.
Fortunately the remainder of my lecturing was focused on the basics. The anatomy of a comics page, the bare bones of how to read them. Not the intense Scott McCloud shit, (I'm saving that for tonight's class,) but simple terminology, reading order, etc.
Before everyone got restless I got them drawing again, this time with an excellent activity from Drawing Words & Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. The activity is called 'Panel Lottery' and the kids got to work on index cards drawing these fine folks:
Pingüino, Lucky, and Chris Kross...
I made it clear that (duh) drawing ability isn't important, but to have fun with their drawings. One panel per index card. They drew until the end of class, which means THIS week, I get to mix up and redistribute all the drawings and see what kind of stories they can tell. Only one thing is certain...
...someone is going to take a fall.
After class I had to book it back to the station to make the 9pm bus. I had basically talked non-stop for 3 hours. It reminded me of a blind date, where I kind of had to perform, keep things snappy, and hope that I didn't catch anyone playing with their phone. By the time I made it to Bart I had a killer tooth ache, was severely dehydrated and ready to indulge in a 12 hour coma.
Yo, no joke. Being a teacher is hard work.
But for all that, it was still pretty damn awesome to make it to where I am now. I am genuinely stoked to try and pass on some of my skills and enthusiasm for the medium. Tonight I'm taking them through the seven types of panel to panel transitions and then get them thumbnailing their scripts.
I'll probably make it out alive.
