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January 20, 2001, NEW YORK. With the demise of Magi21.com (http://www.magi21.com/Tutorials/index.html), many tutorial writers found their months of hard work without a home. At least one writer has done something about it.
Zorikh Lequidre had written fifteen parts of a tutorial, with a contract to write at least fifteen more, on creating comics. Only two of those tutorials, entitled “World of Comics,” ever made it on line before the plug was pulled on the project. Such a happening can be hard on one’s morale. “When I got the word that Magi21.com was folding for lack of funds, I was very depressed. I had put my heart into my work, and it was all for nothing. Then I decided that this would not be the end, I would post the tutorial myself!”
Mr. Lequidre feels such self-starting motivation is at the heart of the Internet. “For every ten failures, there is at least one success story. That’s why I’m not giving up. Also, I believe in this project,” says Mr. Lequidre. "I have always wanted to see a single source for a complete comic creator's reference." He says his idea is to get beginners started with materials and basics and for more advanced artists to explore more sophisticated concepts about the use of the medium. "This is a great opportunity for beginning and intermediate comic creators to learn about and refine their craft."
Several exciting young artists have contributed art to this project, including Zane, Jeff Zornow, Giancarlo Romero, Joey Santiago, Amy G. Kim, and Mr. Lequidre himself. The first step in building his own site of “how to” tutorials was to find a free web host. “I wanted this site to have a home that would have a similar spirit to what I’m trying to communicate. With this in mind he decided upon About.com (http://www.about.com/), a site and web host dedicated to helping people find answers. They also have several sections about comics (http://comicbooks.about.com/hobbies/comicbooks/). “My tutorial and this host are a natural fit. I’m looking forward to a fruitful partnership.” (Update 8/7/02: About.com has discontinued their personal site hosting, including mine. The tutorials have been moved to http://geocities.datacellar.net/watchthisspaceent/tutorial1.html.) The tutorials will include information about the history of comics, the process, the tools, and a study of the principles of the medium. There will also be recommended reading lists and links to other comic sources on the web. Mr. Lequidre says that a good understanding of comic theory is important for not only artists and readers, but also for people who are not familiar with comics. "Comics are one of the most popular and important media of the 20th century, and its concepts translate into illustration, advertising, film, and many other fields. It's not just brightly colored pictures for semi-literate youths to shove in their back pocket. It is a legitimate storytelling medium and has the power to really communicate important concepts in a highly effective manner." Mr. Lequidre has studied comics all his life. He is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts' cartooning and illustration program, where a diverse field of study included courses with such legendary figures as Walter Simonson, Klaus Janson, Carmine Infantino, and the late Joe Orlando. He says this experience, along with much independent study and his self-publishing efforts, gives him a unique and broad-based view of comics as a medium. (Update 8/7/02: The following paragraph is no longer accurate. Both the Magi21.com and about.com sites are gone. Zorikh's Watch This Space (http://www.zorikh.com), however, is still going strong.)Currently, there is a basic home page up, and a preview of some of the art that will be seen in the tutorials (http://pages.about.com/zorikh/). The first tutorials of the series can still be found on Magi21.com (http://www.magi21.com/Tutorials/experts/crafts%20and%20hobbies/zorich_comics/). Future updates and developments will be made on Mr. Lequidre’s personal website, Zorikh’s Watch This Space (http://geocities.datacellar.net/zorikh/).
Zorikh's Watch This Space homepage
Zorikh's "World of Comics" tutorial on Magi21.com
Zorikh's "Creating Comics" tutorial on About.com
Watch This Space entertainment products and services