90 minute webinar panel with Megan Lloyd, Janna Morishima, and Kiara Valdez
Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 11:00 AM Eastern/10:00 AM Central/9:00 AM Mountain/8:00 AM Pacific
Registration to view webinar live and access recording for 30 days: SCBWI Members: $15; Non-members: $25

2 hour online masterclass for graphic novel WRITERS with Kiara Valdez: Diving Deeper into Graphic Novels
Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 1:00 PM Eastern/12:00 PM Central/11:00 AM Mountain/10:00 AM Pacific
Registration to view webinar live and access recording: SCBWI Members: $60; Non-members: $80
Registration to access recording only: SCBWI Members: $15; Non-members: $25

2 hour online masterclass for ILLUSTRATORS and writer-illustrators with Janna Morishima: Round Table Review of Finished Graphic Novel Spreads
Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 3:00 PM Eastern/2:00 PM Central/1:00 PM Mountain/12 noon Pacific
Registration with in-webinar homework review: SCBWI Members: $60; Non-members: $80
Registration to access recording only: SCBWI Members: $15; Non-members: $25

Please note: there are a limited number of tickets available to view the webinar and master classes live. If you know that you will only be viewing the recording, then please choose the recording-only ticket. 

Exploring writing or illustrating a graphic novel? Already have one in progress? Just want to learn more about a growing segment of children’s publishing?

In the morning panel middle-grade graphic novel author Megan Lloyd (Allergic, Scholastic, 2021), agent Janna Morishima (Janna Co.), and editor Kiara Valdez (First Second Books) will talk about craft, submissions, scheduling, the current market, and more, followed by Q&A.

In the afternoon Kiara will present an online master class for writers, and Janna for illustrators and writer-illustrators.

Illustration Roundtable with Janna Morishima

Live participants will create a finished graphic novel page or spread based on the homework  prompt OR their current work-in-progress. They also have the option of attending an online peer-to-peer roundtable on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, at 7-8:30 PM EST to give each other feedback on work-n-progress, and will receive an in-webinar review of their work during the master class.

Homework Prompt: Tell the story of a moment from one of your strongest childhood memories that had a big impact on you.
Specifications: Prepare your assignment in a 6” x 9” format (single page) or 12″ x 9″ (spread), using as many panels as you like. It can be color or B&W, in your own style. Make sure it includes character development, panels, and treatment of text/dialogue.

Those who select the registration with the in-webinar review will email a jpg, png, or pdf of their finished art (5 MB maximum) to mddewv-ic@scbwi.org by Wednesday, February 2, 2022. If they wish to take part in the peer-to-peer roundtable on at 7-8:30 PM on Tuesday, January  18, 2022, they may email up to 3 jpgs of work-in-progress, such as thumbnails, sketches, character design, or color studies to mddewv-ic@scbwi.org by Monday, January 17, 2022. Access information for the peer-to-peer roundtable will be sent to registered attendees via email on the morning of January 18, 2022. Participants do not need to submit files to attend.

You do not need to submit anything now.

Important Master Class for Illustrators dates:
Monday, January 17, 2022: Work-in-progress files due to mddewv-ic@scbwi.org
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 7-8:30 PM Eastern: Online peer-to peer roundtable discussion
Wednesday, February 2, 2022: Final art files due to mddewv-ic@scbwi.org
Friday, February 4, 2022: Registration deadline to view Master Class live

Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 3:00 PM Eastern: Online master class with in-webinar critique

POST-EVENT CRITIQUES

Cost: $70 each.

Critiques are available to SCBWI Members only.  Not a member yet?  Join here!

Those who purchase critiques will receive submission instructions via email on the day after the live webinar.

NOTE: Please do not sign up for coveted and limited critique slots if you are unable to make the deadlines outlined. We will be unable to issue refunds for missed deadlines.

What to Submit: 

1. Janna Morishima: graphic novel illustrator portfolios, either a link to a website portfolio or a multi-page PDF
2. Kiara Valdez: PDF graphic novel packets from writer-illustrators, 12 page maximum. Must include: Detailed outline or detailed synopsis of the story (2 pages or so) and 3-5 completely finished pages. Optional additions (included in the 12 page count): the 1st chapter of the script or tight sketches of additional pages or character sketches.

About the presenters:

Janna Morishima is a literary agent specializing in graphic novels and visual storytelling. She currently represents a diverse range of comics creators, including Misako Rocks, Shauna Grant, Andi Watson, and Black Sands Entertainment. Janna started her career at Scholastic, where she co-founded the Graphix imprint. Later, she was the director of the Kids Group for Diamond Book Distributors, and launched and ran the NYC Department of Education’s “NYC Reads 365” literacy initiative. She is the founder of Kids Comics Unite, an online community for kids and YA graphic novel professionals. Find out more at http://jannaco.co and https://www.kidscomicsunite.com/.

Kiara Valdez is an Afro-Dominican writer and associate editor at First Second Books. She was born and raised in New York City (shout out to Washington Heights) and has been an avid comics reader all her life. She graduated from Williams College with a double major in English Literature and Japanese, and spends her free time reading, writing, and enjoying a long list of other hobbies she can’t keep up with. She is interested in middle grade and young adult graphic novels, especially magical realism, memoir, #ownvoices stories (especially those from Latinx creators), and stories with LGBTQ+ characters and romance. She likes stories that feel contemporary, real, and are grounded in our world regardless of the genre they’re in, and is a sucker for well-done resolutions/happy endings. The long list of First Second books she’s worked on include: Check, Please! series, Bloom, Kiss Number 8, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Snapdragon, and Himawari House.

Megan Wagner Lloyd is the author of the kids’ graphic novel Allergic, co-created with illustrator Michelle Mee Nutter. She’s also the author of the picture books Finding Wild, Fort-Building Time, Building Books, and Paper Mice. Megan lives with her family in the Washington DC area. You can sign up for her newsletter at meganwagnerlloyd.com and find her on Instagram at @meganwagnerlloyd.

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Registration

To register, fill out the form below. SCBWI members MUST be logged in to get the discounted rate. Registration for the live events will close on February 4, 2022.  Registration for recording access will close on February 5, 2022.

Recordings of the panel and masterclass will be available for 30 days after the live event. The recording will be for registered attendees only, so if you can’t make the live event, you can register to view the recording.

Access information for the live panel webinar and online masterclass will be sent to registered attendees via email on the morning of the webinar and access information on the recordings will be sent out the following day.

Payment options:
-Online with a credit card (processed through PayPal, no account required)

-Online with a PayPal account balance