Spark your kids' creativity with a visit from New York Times bestselling illustrator and author Jeff Weigel.
Now you can give your young readers the chance to meet and talk with New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Jeff Weigel—right in their own classroom or library! Even the most reluctant reader's interest will come alive when Jeff demonstrates how to create stories and characters for books and comics, and when he shows kids how they can unleash their imaginations and tell their own stories with words and pictures.
Reaction from Jeff's presentations:
"There are simply no words to thank you for (your) amazing workshop. I wish I could playback verbatim all the comments I have heard from parents and mentors! You really gave these kids and families (and us) a lifelong gift."
—Beth Ketcher, Executive Director, StudioSTL, St. Louis, MO
"Jeff came to do a cartooning workshop at our library. It was a fabulous program, and definitely one to recommend to teachers and librarians. It is educational and fun—the perfect balance!"
—Alison Donnelly, Children's Librarian, Collinsville Memorial Public Library, Collinsville, IL
"Thank you, Jeff, for your fun and informative visit! The younger kids loved creating their own superheros with you. And the middle schoolers are still talking about the drawing lessons! It was obvious that you put a lot of thought into what you shared with different groups of kids and we really appreciated it!"
—Krystina Kelley, District Librarian, Belle Valley School District, Belleville, IL
Here are some of the presentations Jeff can provide
for your group of kids...
Creative character design:
Jeff teaches students how to tap into their creativity by leading the class as it designs its own super-character. As Jeff draws from the kids' suggestions on costuming, super powers and special crime-fighting equipment, the students’ new creation takes form right in the classroom. Through this process, kids learn the logic behind character design, and how that image dictates the readers' understanding of the character's role in the story. Kids will be excited to watch their ideas take shape, and they learn how a character projects personality through appearance. (Recommended for Grades K through 6.)
Telling a story in pictures:
Jeff demonstrates the concept of telling a story in pictures as the class assembles a sequence of artwork panels into the world’s biggest comic strip. The fun starts with the class designing its own character. Then the character is used in a giant comic strip as students choose from a selection of twenty large comic panel templates that depict actions, settings, and character interactions. As the kids dictate the story, Jeff adds details and dialog to the panels until the class has it's very own giant comic strip! The process unleashes the children's creativity and exposes them to story structure, event logic and the visual elements need to tell a coherent graphic story. (Recommended for Grades K through 6.)
How a book is written and illustrated:
Jeff describes how he creates his children’s books and comics, from concept to finished artwork. Aspiring artists and writers, or just curious readers, will be fascinated to learn the behind-the-scenes work that goes on to create books and comics. Jeff discusses and demonstrates each stage of the process with the actual materials and original artwork used in the creation of his books. Jeff demonstrates writing, sketching, inking, and using the computer to color illustrations and assemble pictures and text into a real book. The perfect presentation for any student who's always wondered how an idea goes from the author's brain to the local bookshelf. For older audiences with ambitions of someday becoming writers and artists, advice on how to get published can be a part of the presentation. (Recommended for Grades 4 through 12.)
Drawing figures in action:
Jeff provides basic instruction for young artists on how to construct expressive, dramatic figures in action. For aspiring artists, and for kids that just like to draw, Jeff conducts a lesson in dynamic figure drawing. Kids can draw along and learn about the basics of figure construction, expressive poses and choosing a dramatic point of view for their characters. This presentation is a great way for kids to not only advance their drawing skills, but also to understand how an illustrator make the decisions that best suit the characters and story being depicted. (Recommended for Grades 6 through 12.)
Fee Schedule:
• Single Session (45 to 90 minutes): $300
• Half-Day Session (Two to three consecutive sessions, with short breaks in between, or a single long, workshop session where kids can draw and create under Jeff's instruction and supervision for for up to three hours total): $450
• All-Day Session (A full day of activity and instruction in whatever configuration of short and long sessions best suits your school's needs. This plan accommodates a wide range of ages and grade levels, and can be shared by several neighboring schools if travel time permits.): $850
Bookings farther than 60 miles from Jeff's home in the St. Louis and Metro East area will be billed for travel expenses, which may include gas, air fare, hotel, and modest meal allowances. In these days of tight budgets, Jeff is happy to work with schools and library systems to come up with affordable visit plans that meet their budget constraints.
About Jeff Weigel:
Jeff's 2010 children's graphic novel, Thunder From The Sea, published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, is an action-packed story about a young boy's adventure in the British navy during the Napoleonic War. Thunder From The Sea was named a Junior Library Guild Spring 2010 Selection, and is included on The New York Public Library System's 2010 list of 100 Children's Books . Jeff also wrote, illustrated and designed Atomic Ace (He’s Just My Dad), published by Albert Whitman & Company in 2004. Atomic Ace received a starred review in School Library Journal and was a Parents’ Choice 2004 Recommended Award Winner. A sequel, Atomic Ace and the Robot Rampage, was published in the Fall of 2006. Jeff received a Don Freeman Award Honorable Mention from The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) for his picture book work in 2004. Along with his books for children, Jeff illustrated It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Zombies: A Book Of Zombie Christmas Carols by Michael P. Spradlin, which spent five weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in 2009. The extraordinary success of It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Zombies has resulted in a sequel called Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime: A Book of Zombie Love Songs, published in 2010, and Jack and Jill Went Up To Kill: A Book of Zombie Nursury Rhymes, released in 2011. 2012 will see the release or another Spradlin/Weigel collaboration, The Monster Alphabet, a children's picture book. Jeff was also a regular contributor to Image Comics' anthology title, Big Bang Comics, for more than ten years.
You can contact Jeff by email at jeffweigel@charter.net.
Write or call him at:
Jeff Weigel • 113 Villa Drive • Belleville, IL 62223
Home phone: 618-538-5767
Cell phone: 618-791-9005