Book Posts - The Prince and the Dressmaker
Cathy G. Johnson
The Prince and the Dressmaker is about fashion, self-expression, and the creative spirit. Sebastian and Frances have dreams, but there are so many roadblocks in their way!
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Drawing a Dialogue, Episode 11: Jeffrey Catherine Jones + the Queer Underground
Cathy G. Johnson
In this episode, Cathy + e look at the history of queer comics in the American underground and build a biography for the cartoonist + illustrator Jeffrey Catherine Jones. Queer erasure is examined while a history is looked at, researched, and built.
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 10: The Canon
Cathy G. Johnson
In this episode, Cathy + e examine the art historical idea of “the canon.” They discuss definitions of the word, the history of the practice, canonization’s criticisms, and how comics are understood within the framework.
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 9: Censorship, Age-Appropriateness + Scaffolding
Cathy G. Johnson
Cathy + e take a look at censorship, banned books, and why some things are deemed appropriate for kids and some things aren’t. e looks at the history of obscenity and how societal censorship suppresses marginalized voices. Cathy examines children’s learning development in reading and art, how graphic novels get categorized, and why.
Read MoreIn The Classroom - Expressive Figure Drawing
Cathy G. Johnson
Figure drawing is a well-known art exercise for students of all ages, and can be approached in many different ways. The excitement and joy of cartooning is not the precision of drawing, but the communication through marks and forms. Therefore, my approach to figure drawing with my students is not about capturing the perfect form, but instead capturing the emotion that the figure is conveying.
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 8: History of Low Culture + the Benefits of Cartooning in Education
Cathy G. Johnson
Historically, mass-produced media is monickered as “low culture,” while fine art is “high.” Where does this dichotomy come from, how are comics treated in this binary, and how can educators take advantage of it? In this episode we dissect the history of accessible media and how comics in the classroom can benefit. Live from Comic Arts Los Angeles!
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue Presents, Episode 1: Educator Walker Mettling
Cathy G. Johnson
DaD Presents, Episode 1: Educator Walker Mettling. Walker Mettling is the co-founder of the Providence Comics Consortium, which is a series of comics classes taught in Providence Community Libraries. They have produced over 25 books of kids' and adults' comics over the past 7 years.
Read MoreStudent Work - Comic Warriors: Comics Camp Summer 2017
Cathy G. Johnson
The Comic Warriors were 12 mighty young people, ages 5 - 13. Here you will find their class anthology, collecting all 12 stories, drawn + printed in August 7 - 11, 2017.
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 7: Violence in Comics + How It Affects Us
Cathy G. Johnson
Cathy + e examine the aesthetics of violence, its depictions in comics, + look at research on how media violence affects its viewers. e examines the ways comics are uniquely suited to depict traumatic memories + violent acts; Cathy talks about the ways the art classroom can address school violence.
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 6: The Gaze, Part Two: Complicated + Resisted
Cathy G. Johnson
Jumping off of the last episode, Cathy + e complicate their discussion about ‘the gaze.’ They revisit Laura Mulvey’s original ‘male gaze’ definition + its criticisms. Lesbian, black, female, transgender, imperial + medical gaze theories are discussed, which broaden the conversation + offer resistance.
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 5: The Gaze, Power + Critical Engagement
Cathy G. Johnson
In this episode, Cathy + e talk about the critical theory 'the gaze.' They recount the gaze's history, its applications in comics culture, and how the theory can be used in art education to teach students how to critically engage with their role as a viewer.
Read MoreBook Posts - Taproot
Cathy G. Johnson
Love and the supernatural intermingle in this exciting graphic novel. Taproot is a beautiful comic, swirling warm colors and lush environment contributing to the mystery and romance.
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 4: The Wertham Special
Cathy G. Johnson
Infamously known as the author of the 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent + blamed for the demise of the Golden Age of comics, German psychiatrist Fredric Wertham is more than a censorship scapegoat. Cathy + e discuss his career as a medical psychiatrist, advocate for African American mental healthcare, + talk about the biases + legitimacies behind this controversial figure.
Read MoreIn The Classroom - Creating an Inclusive Environment in an Elementary Comics Class
Cathy G. Johnson
When teaching in an art classroom with younger kids, maintaining a positive and inclusive environment can be tricky. Children can spend a large portion of their time growing up in mainstream settings...
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 3: Memoir Comics + the Personal as Political
Cathy G. Johnson
Using the graphic novel My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness as a jumping off point, Cathy + e talk about recent memoir comics + build a context through political performance art + social justice in art education. (This episode discusses human sexuality + uses some mature language.)
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 2: History of High Culture + Gatekeeping in “The Arts”
Cathy G. Johnson
Cathy + e talk about the evolution of high culture, Clement Greenberg (that guy!), how the Arts keeps the average person at arm’s length, and how comics can combat it.
Read MoreDrawing a Dialogue, Episode 1: Comics Defined + The “Reluctant Reader” Ethos
Cathy G. Johnson
Introduction episode! Cathy + e talk about how comics have been defined throughout history, how + why comics were adopted into English classrooms, + the “reluctant reader” idea.
Read MoreDeveloping the Cartooning Mind, My Graduate Thesis
Cathy G. Johnson
Hello! Earlier this month I earned my masters degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. I was in the Teaching + Learning in Art + Design department, where I completed by thesis...
Read MoreBook Posts - My Brother's Husband: Volume 1
Cathy G. Johnson
A slice-of-life fiction narrative, My Brother's Husband is a story about family, cultural differences, and what gets said and goes unsaid. Mike is an out gay man, which is uncomfortable and confusing for Yaichi at first...
Read MoreBook Posts - Agents of the Realm: Volume 1
Cathy G. Johnson
Agents of the Realm: Volume 1 by Mildred Louis is a take on the magical girls genre, which originates in Japanese manga and anime. Featuring a team of super-powered college students, Agents is action-packed...
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