Build Your Career with Studio
If you’re looking for a private, supportive community of children’s graphic novel creators who are serious about improving their work and building their careers—KCU Studio is for you.
Studio is an ongoing, evolving, intimate community focused on this wonderful (but very specific!) world of kids and YA graphic novels. It’s a place where we can get to know kindred spirits, learn, and feel safe to talk about what’s really going on with our creative careers.
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What You’ll Find Inside
Studio is a dedicated space in our community where we meet for weekly events every Wednesday at 12:30pm EST, and sometimes on weekends. Replays of presentations and workshops are available within 48 hours.
Accountability Group
We meet monthly to discuss our goals and help each other with action plans. We have weekly check ins to discuss how well we’re doing: does it look like we’re going to accomplish our goal, what has hindered us, and what insights have we gotten to help us plan our next steps?
Live Critique Sessions & Critique Groups
Every month, we host live open critique sessions where you can bring your work for feedback, and twice a year, Janna Morishima curates private critique groups for Kids Comics Studio members where you can work together with fellow creators based on the type of work you do, the age level you create for, genre, etc.
Lunch and Learn
Lunch & Learn sessions targeted at specific practical topics, like “CSP for Beginners”, “Everything you need to know about working with agents,” or “Amazon 101.”
Video Library
Every event is recorded so that if you missed a live session, you can watch it later. With over three years of recorded events (and still counting), you have a whole library of useful industry information to visit!
Workshops
We offer in-depth workshops on topics including: craft, technique, marketing, publishing, business, and self-care. These workshops are free for Studio members and are also available a la carte.
Studio is for Creators looking for…
- A supportive community of peers who will cheer you on in the hard work of building a career in kidlit comics and graphic novels
- Networking opportunities with industry insiders
- Focused feedback on manuscripts, artwork, and pitches from people who understand the industry
- Weekly live events featuring insider tips and info on what agents and publishers are currently looking for from kidlit comics creators
- Marketing and business tips and tools that are specifically tailored to the kidlit graphic novel market
- Ways to socialize and connect with other kidlit comics creators via live video events where you can get to know each other, share stories, and offer feedback and advice on how to make it in kidlit comics and graphic novels.
What Creators have to say about KCU Studio
“I love having a community that is accessible and full of artists & writers who are skilled at this work. There are so many resources that enable me to really learn— from the individuals as well as the structured meetups online.”
—Maritza Ruiz-Kim
“We love KC Studio because it's the missing link! It's the only place for professional development for comics creators, and it provides an invaluable infrastructure that has been lacking in comics so far.”
—Sandra Marrs & John Chalmers (Metaphrog)
“Janna provides an excellent experience through her kid's comics unite organization through events & interviews. Each one gives more and more visibility to underrepresented groups within the industry. And giving value to different demographics leads to an enjoyable experience for all different types of people.”
—Kyle Horne
Jump right in
Let’s Do This
Ready to jumpstart your career? Try it and see. The membership is $39/month or $399/annually and can be cancelled at any time.