The Center for Cartoon Studies Graduation 2008

The Center for Cartoon Studies Class of 2008 graduated this weekend.

I'll post photos of the senior exhibits later this week.

But in the meantime, here is a slice of a 2008 CCS grad's day.

We woke bright and early (10am a.k.a. Earlier than the Crack of Dawn for a Cartoonist) and dressed ourselves as best we could to meet in front of our lovely school for a class photo.


Here we see Dane testing his face muscles, making sure he'll be able to smile for the next few hours of ceremonies and festivities. Jeff, in the back, has his grin down to an adorable science.


Chris Wright will be one of the fellow's at CCS next year. We'll see if that smile sticks around after the ten month winter...


Speaking of fellows, here is CCS's 2006-07 Fellow Ken Dahl looking snazzy.


Our grand master James Sturm dressed his best also. Behind him a local lurks down main street, still unsure of the school and its students, even though we've been here for three years.


Denis St.John twisting his mustache into perfection for photo time.


For those who don't know, the school's main classroom and offices are located in a building that used to be a department store. And so here we are doing our best mannequin impressions.


The actual graduation commencement ceremony took place in the local theater.
Sometimes I forget how small our class actually is. Each person in my small class contributed to a beautiful year.

Here is our classmate Denis St.John giving a speech, summing up everything I could hope to say:




Following Denis, James said a few thoughtful, touching words that unfortunately didn't fit onto the camera's memory card.


Alison Bechdel, who is a master of telling a story with the combination of words and images used her projected drawings to support her words for us in her commencement speech. You can see samples of some of her earliest comic work that she shared with us here on her blog.


The ceremony was small and relatively intimate, with most of the attendees close family and friends. Thanks to the faculty and everyone who helped set everything up.


Following the commencement ceremony was the Thesis Exhibition opening at the school. I'll try and photo this sometime this week.


During the opening Ken Dahl and Cat Garza performed. They are in the balcony of the main classroom where we would usually put students who behaved badly, or anyone who asked if CCS was a school for animators or clowns.


CCS co founder Michelle Ollie's lovely baby boy Phineus. He's leaning forward intently to listen to whatever witty banter that the students might make. I hope he didn't over hear any dirty jokes.


Awesome Anthology scholarship award winner Chuck McBuck chats with CCS professor Steve Bissette. Probably about how knowledgeable and witty Steve was in his classes. Or how he went out of his way to make everyone comfortable, but still pushed out of our comfort zones to get the best work out of us. Or maybe they were talking about sandwiches.


The Super St. John Bros.


My buddy JP, and his fiance Jacie.


My wife Becca, classmate Penina, and friend/fellow cartoonist Cat.


The guns?


Classy cartoonist and CCS professor Jason Lutes and his daughter Clementine. Jason is one of my favorite cartoonists of all time, and now he's on the short list of my favorite teachers. And if he shaved he would look EXACTLY like his daughter.


Clem and Phin communicate through plastic cup signing and blank stares.


But all of this passes by Sean Ford who is too concerned with his own affairs.


We thought a party afterwards would keep everyone's interest, but...



And so the year ends. Best wishes to my classmates, and thanks to the school and everyone involved.

The following is a group portrait we put together. Each student drew him/herself.

From left to right: Matt Young, Joe Lambert(the deep sea diver), Penina Gal(the floating head), Jeff Lok(in the green sweater), Bryan Stone(with glasses), Morgan Pielli(in boxes), Blair Sterrett(the giant eyebrow), Sean Ford(the ghost), Alex Kim(with a birdhead), Denis St. John(with the terrifying beard), JP Coovert riding on the back of Chuck Forsman, Dane Martin, and Chris Warren (in the lab coat).