About
Learn more about Cathy G. Johnson and Comic Art Ed!
About
Comic Art Ed!
Comic books in art education aka Comic Art Ed! by Cathy G. Johnson contains five different pedagogical values: teamwork, ideation, literacy, self-actualization, and fun. These values, which promote youth empowerment, are fundamental to the comic book classroom. Cathy's art education approach puts making comics into the hands of students, casting them as creators rather than solely readers. Cartooning combines drawing and writing into its own unique learning and creating form. In the Comic Art Ed! classroom, students play drawing games, create characters, brainstorm stories, draw finished comics, and publish final books together. This shows how an arts education approach to teaching comics promotes important pedagogical values.
About This Website
Comic Art Ed! is a website dedicated to sharing the educational work of Cathy G. Johnson (that’s me!). Comic books offer so much to students of any age. I strongly believe that cartooning should be taught in visual arts classrooms, and this website is designed to support that movement.
Specifically, Comic Art Ed! documents my comic book education work, is a gallery of student work, offers visiting opportunities, shares resources for cartooning students, hosts my scholarship podcast Drawing a Dialogue, and is the home for my middle-school graphic novel titled The Breakaways. All this is to serve the common goal of furthering comic book art education more broadly.
Why Comics?
What comic books offer the student is unique and exciting. Comic books are not only a combination of art and literature, but become a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.
Comic books are an exciting and accessible medium for students. The language of cartooning can capitalize on the strengths of visual as well as verbal learners, while pushing students to develop beyond their comfort zones. The Arts can be alienating and intimidating. Conversely, comic books are populist and accessible, engaging and empowering. They welcome readers of all literacies, backgrounds, and experiences. Images and words together clarify communication, and illuminate possibilities. Through comics, children can create identity space and counter-narratives, and explore their own realities. Every child has the right to feel creative, and to engage with literacy. Cartooning offers exciting opportunities for innovative thinking; a child's imagination can build worlds on the page. Comics are amazing, and belong in the classroom!
Contact me to set up a workshop or visit!
Support my work by donating!
Photo by David Goff
Cathy G. Johnson
Hello! My name is Cathy G. Johnson. I'm an artist, author + educator in Providence, Rhode Island. I use she/they pronouns and the title Mx.
I teach art classes and workshops throughout New England and North America, adapting my lessons from Pre-K to 12th graders, and beyond! I have been teaching since 2012, and earned my master’s degree in Teaching + Learning in Art + Design from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2017. I wrote my thesis about the benefits of teaching comics in visual arts education. In addition to my work with K-12 students, I am also an Adjunct Professor in the MFA Visual Narrative department at Boston University College of Fine Arts in Boston MA. A full CV is available on my portfolio website here (note that the linked website is for mature audiences and I recommend adult supervision).
I have a middle-grade graphic novel out titled The Breakaways. Learn more about my graphic novel, The Breakaways, here!
Email me: comicarted@gmail.com
Art Portfolio
If you are interested in my comics, prints + drawings, please visit CathyGJohn.net! (Note: Since it is an art portfolio website, it contains some mature content. Please have adult supervision.)
Past Workshops + Appearances
Note: This list does not include every event and is condensed to respect the privacy of my students. Please contact me directly if you’d like more details.
Past Appearances 2024:
November 9, Kids Con New England, S. Portland, ME
October 29, Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, MA
September 24, West Milford Township Library, West Milford, NJ (virtual workshop)
September 19, Sawyer Free Library, Gloucester, MA
August 15, Woonsocket Harris Public Library, RI
August 5, Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, MA
July 18, East Smithfield Public Library, RI
July 12, North Scituate Public Library, RI
June 25, Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, MA (Zine Workshop!)
May 4, May 11, May 18 and June 1: Providence Public Library, RI
May 29: Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, MA
May 11: Haverhill Public Library, MA
April 15, 17 + 19, Cumberland Public Library, Cumberland RI
Apr 6, We Are All Readers children’s book festival, North Kingstown RI
Mar 30, Rochambeau Library, Providence RI
Jan 31, Elementary Comics workshop, MA
Jan 15, Girl Scouts badge workshop, RI
Past Appearances 2023:
Oct 21, Calmer Con, Being Our Own Superhero: Recycled Art Workshop, Weston MA
Jun 23, Groton Public Library, Groton MA
May 17, Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, Teen Comic Book Drawing Workshop, Danvers MA
May 13, Haverhill Public Library Comic Con, Comic Book Drawing Workshop, Haverhill MA
Past Appearances 2022:
Dec 16, Virtual Visit, Dobbs Ferry Public Library, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Oct 15, Comic Book Workshop, Swampscott Public Library, Swampscott MA
Oct 3, Lecture, Bryant University, Smithfield RI
Jul 16, Workshop, Grafton Public Library, Grafton MA
May 14, Workshop, Reading Public Library, Reading MA
April 9, Workshop, Beaman Memorial Public Library, West Boylston MA
April 30, Workshop, Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library, Gloucester MA
April 9, Workshop, Gale Free Library, Holden, MA
Past Appearances 2021:
Oct 16, Swampscott, MA - Swampscott Public Library, SwampyCon! Comic Book Workshop, In-Person Workshop
Sep 25, Forest Park, IL - Forest Park Public Library, Drawing Workshop with Breakaways author Cathy G. Johnson, Virtual Workshop
Feb 15, Pittsburgh, PA - Mt. Lebanon Public Library, Comics Are For Everyone!, Virtual Workshop
Jan 11, Little Falls NJ - Little Falls Pubic Library, Comic Book Adventures, Virtual Workshop
Past Appearances 2020:
Nov 4, Clifton NJ - Clifton Public Library, Comic Book Adventures! Workshop
Oct 14, Newton MA - Newton Free Library, Draw Your Own Comics, Virtual Workshop
Oct 17, Largo MD - Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Virtual Author Talk + Workshop
Aug 18, Wayne NJ - Wayne Pubic Library, Draw Comics, Virtual Workshop
Jul 31, Clifton NJ - Clifton Public Library, Draw Your Own Comics, Virtual Workshop
Jul 22, Little Falls NJ - Little Falls Pubic Library, Comic Book Drawing, Virtual Workshop
Jun 27, Allentown PA - Parkland Community Library, Teen Virtual Comic Drawing Workshop, Virtual Workshop
Jun 23, Amesbury MA - Amesbury Public Library - LibCon Online: Creating Comics, Virtual Workshop
May 22, Brooklyn NY - Brooklyn Public Library - Comic Story Collaborations, Virtual Workshop
May 8, Brooklyn NY - Brooklyn Public Library - Making Comic Book Characters, Virtual Workshop
Apr 21, Wilmington MA - Wilmington Memorial Library - Virtual Workshop
Mar 14, Bolton MA - Mini Comic Con, Bolton Public Library - Workshop + Appearance
Feb 5, Providence RI - Teachers’ Lounge: Building Literacy with Graphic Novels and Picture Books, RISD Museum - Professional Adult Workshop
Jan 25, Maynard MA - Library Comicon, Maynard Public Library - Workshop + Appearance
Past Appearances 2019:
Dec 7 - 8, Los Angeles CA - Comic Arts Los Angeles (CALA) - Exhibiting
Oct 19 - 20, Cambridge MA - Massachusetts Indie Comics Expo (MICE) - Special Guest, Workshop, Panelist + Exhibiting
Oct 3 - 6, New York City NY - New York Comic Con (NYCC) - Speaker, Visiting Author + Panelist
Oct 12, Providence RI - RISD Craft Fair - Exhibiting
Sep 14 - 15, Bethesda MD - Small Press Expo (SPX) - Exhibiting + Panelist
Aug 11 - 12, New York NY - Bluestockings Queer + Trans Comic Festival - exhibiting
June 1 - 2, Chicago IL - Chicago Alternative Comics Expo - exhibiting
May 19, Nashua NH - Kids Con New England - exhibiting, workshop educator
May 11 - 12, Toronto ON, Canada - Toronto Comic Arts Festival - exhibitor, panelist + signing
Queer YA Comics from First Second
Queer & Trans Comics for Kids!
April 27, Boston MA - Boston Kids Comic Fest - exhibitor
April 20, Somerville MA - Hub Comics - presentation + signing
April 14, San Francisco CA - Comix Experience - Kid’s Club appearance, interview + signing
April 6, New York NY - MoCCA Arts Festival - signing
March 14, Providence RI - Ada Books Release Party
March 9, Brooklyn NY - Brooklyn Public Library, Comic Art Ed!: Comics in the Classroom, lecture + workshop
March 2 - 3, Tucson AZ - Tucson Festival of Books - visiting author, signing + workshop educator
More: A full CV is available on my artist portfolio website by clicking here (external link).