Sequential Artists Workshop

Tom Hart and artists at Sequential Artists Workshop
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How do you make comics without all the frustration? SAW talks comics and community, and mindset shift about what it means to make comics and art with Tom Hart, Jess Ruliffson, Lauren Weinstein, Georgia Webber and other amazing artists at SAW. sawcomics.substack.com

  1. The Terrible Anvil Returns!

    3D AGO

    The Terrible Anvil Returns!

    Hi! Welcome back to The Terrible Anvil! Tom Hart and Jess Ruliffson love to talk about making comic-making EASIER, and in this season 2 opener, we’re talking about ART BUDGETING. It’s about how artists manage time, resources, and visual consistency when working on graphic novels. Jess’s favorite examples are from Allison Bechdel's Fun Home who love to silhouette characters, and background, and also set up details that are easily repeatable. Additionally we looked at her dad’s RUG. Jess also talked about simplifying characters for a longer story, even when she previous pulled out all the stops for realism in a previous version of the same story, seen here: Then as we slid into answering questions for people either interested or IN the 2026 Graphic Novel Intensive, we answered questions about art budgeting for color. Tom showed some favorite old-time examples of working FAST which made for bold color choices, like the one below. We answered a few more questions. We hope you’ll join us in the 2026 Graphic Novel Intensive (GNI)! See you there! Next week on The Terrible Anvil, Tom will show Jess some accidental commitments he made and Jess will help him deal with the long term consequences! Thanks for being here! Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 3m

  2. 6D AGO

    Drawing Health: Inner Intimacy, with Sacha Mardou

    Inner intimacy, with Sacha Mardou Have you read IFS comics yet? You’re about to. Sacha Mardou has been making journal comics about the most intimate moments in her life — the inner dialogue she has with all the parts of herself while practicing Internal Family Systems. It’s a beautiful and accessible opening of the most vulnerable intimacy, shown with her robust resource of skill.  Our conversation is mostly me complimenting Sacha -- I got a bit carried away with wanting to tell her all the things I loved about her book, Past Tense, and the IFS comics that touched my own heart. We still managed to discuss graphic memoir, asking permission to tell your own story, leaving a religion, deconstructing belief, inviting the internet into your therapy sessions, and so much more. Always more.  Sacha offers an exercise for you to try at the end, giving you a chance to experience a touch of the grace she’s learned, to feel it for yourself. = Episode Links & Resources Mardou’s therapy comics website: https://ifscomics.com/ Past Tense: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714479/past-tense-by-sacha-mardou/ Mardou’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mardou_draws/ = About the podcast Drawing Health is a podcast about the intersection of comics and health, also called Graphic Medicine. Through community interviews and guided audio practices, we explore the worlds within ourselves and without, nurturing your creative practice, inspiration, and personal health journey. Health and creativity are not at odds, they are two expressions of you.  Our music Our spring season theme music is Piling up the stones by Del Stephen, from his independently produced record, Good Spirit Inner Station. Explore Del’s many albums at https://delstephen.bandcamp.com, and be generous with him as he is so generous with us. Thank you Del! About the Sequential Artists Workshop (SAW) The Sequential Artists Workshop is a grassroots, non-profit comics school and creative community. At SAW, we teach people how to tell stories and make comics in Gainesville, Florida, USA, and around the world via our online courses and resources. Go to www.sequentialartistsworkshop.org or www.drawinghealth.com to join our community of learners and artists today! Disclaimer This podcast is for information and exploration purposes only and is never intended as medical advice. Every viewer and listener is encouraged to seek medical attention at their own discretion. This podcast and the guided practices are tools for listeners to support their whole health, and should be used with care. Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 2m

  3. MAR 22

    Drawing Health: Animal Body

    Do you know you’re still an animal? How do you care for your animal?  Listen and settle into sensation, instinct, quiet observation. Your body knows how to be animal, just listen, and draw it out. Drawing Health is a live class every Saturday from 11am - 12pm EST. Sign up to join in, at drawinghealth.com. = About the podcast Drawing Health is a podcast about the intersection of comics and health, also called Graphic Medicine. Through community interviews and guided audio practices, we explore the worlds within ourselves and without, nurturing your creative practice, inspiration, and personal health journey. Health and creativity are not at odds, they are two expressions of you.  Our music Our spring season theme music is Piling up the stones by Del Stephen, from his independently produced record, Good Spirit Inner Station. Explore Del’s many albums at https://delstephen.bandcamp.com, and be generous with him as he is so generous with us. Thank you Del! About the Sequential Artists Workshop (SAW) The Sequential Artists Workshop is a grassroots, non-profit comics school and creative community. At SAW, we teach people how to tell stories and make comics in Gainesville, Florida, USA, and around the world via our online courses and resources. Go to www.sequentialartistsworkshop.org or www.drawinghealth.com to join our community of learners and artists today! Disclaimer This podcast is for information and exploration purposes only and is never intended as medical advice. Every viewer and listener is encouraged to seek medical attention at their own discretion. This podcast and the guided practices are tools for listeners to support their whole health, and should be used with care. Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

    26 min

  4. MAR 15

    Drawing Health: Creative Commons with Aaron Comeau

    For this, our last episode of the Winter 2025/26 season, we have a special one for you. I decided to share some ramblings at the start of this one, about how practice becomes skill, and skills become automatic. In this world, our burdens are enormous, and we need to find balance between effort and ease — all while living with integrity. Listen to the first 20 minutes of this episode to hear how I explain the connection between practice and skill, ease and integrity. The second half of today’s episode is a BONUS INTERVIEW with none other than Aaron Comeau, the composer of our theme music for this season: Magic Hours, from his album Fully Unformed. On the surface it seems like music and comics are very different art forms, and very different practices…but they might have more in common, and more to offer each other, than you think. F**k AI-generated art! Every season we’re gonna meet the humans behind the theme music that carries the season, and learn more about how each artist creates. Listen to the whole first season, WINTER 2025/26 with new ears after this episode. Spark new creative channels for yourself, make new connections across artistic media and genres. We make great things together! A new season of Drawing Health starts next Sunday: Spring 2026! Youtube link: Episode Links Main St. Music Library website: mainstmusiclibrary.com Main St. Music Library Bandcamp: https://acomeau.bandcamp.com/ Aaron’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaroncomeau/ Music acknowledgement Our theme music is Magic Hours by Aaron Comeau made for the Main St. Music Library. The Main St. Music Library hosts instrumental music created with simple parameters, with scores and instructions for listeners to recreate the music themselves . Musicians, artists, & listeners are encouraged to borrow freely from the library and return the materials in a different form than they found them. Find out more at mainstmusiclibrary.com. Disclaimer This podcast is for information and exploration purposes only and is never intended as medical advice. Every viewer and listener is encouraged to seek medical attention at their own discretion. This podcast and the guided practices are tools for listeners to support their whole health, and should be used with care. #drawinghealth #thememusic #fuckaimusic #supportartists #creativehealth Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 5m

  5. MAR 8

    Drawing Health: Settle Softly

    Get cozy. Lie down.  Softness is all around us, and still hard to find if we’re locked into tension. When I taught this practice, it was because I needed it desperately - and if you watch the video, you’ll see my curling up on the floor to lie down while I guide you through. We start with softness, and grow into acceptance, permission, and getting out of our own way. If you need to notice the softness today, this practice is for you.  Get cozy, get your drawing materials, and sink in. = If you want to practice in sync with others, join my live Drawing Health class every Saturday on Zoom. Sign up at sequentialartistsworkshop.org or drawinghealth.com. Our theme music is Magic Hours by Aaron Comeau made for the Main St. Music Library. The Main St. Music Library hosts instrumental music created with simple parameters, with scores and instructions for listeners to recreate the music themselves . Musicians, artists, & listeners are encouraged to borrow freely from the library and return the materials in a different form than they found them. Find out more at mainstmusiclibrary.com. Disclaimer This podcast is for information and exploration purposes only and is never intended as medical advice. Every viewer and listener is encouraged to seek medical attention at their own discretion. This podcast and the guided practices are tools for listeners to support their whole health, and should be used with care. Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min

  6. MAR 1

    Drawing Health: Living Anatomy, with Kriota Willberg

    This episode brings you the one and only Kriota Willberg! Kriota’s career has been constructed of her own passions, no matter how different they may be - and as a result, she has a completely unique position as a bridge between the medical and comics communities. Our wide-ranging topics include the emotional significance of memoirs, trends in health awareness, the importance of bridging art and medicine, anatomical exploration in understanding the body, paving a new path for others to learn from, and so much more. Kriota offers instructions to explore your forearm and all it can do, so listen to the end and feel along with us to learn more about anatomy through experience! = Episode Links & Resources Kriota’s zines for sale through Birdcage Bottom Books: https://www.birdcagebottombooks.com/collections/artist-willberg-kriota Kriota’s blogspot: https://kriotawelt.blogspot.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ kriotawilberg = Watch on Youtube: About the podcast Drawing Health is a podcast about the intersection of comics and health, also called Graphic Medicine. Through community interviews and guided audio practices, we explore the worlds within ourselves and without, nurturing your creative practice, inspiration, and personal health journey. Health and creativity are not at odds, they are two expressions of you. About the Sequential Artists Workshop (SAW) The Sequential Artists Workshop is a grassroots, non-profit comics school and creative community. At SAW, we teach people how to tell stories and make comics in Gainesville, Florida, USA, and around the world via our online courses and resources. Go to www.sequentialartistsworkshop.org or www.drawinghealth.com to join our community of learners and artists today! Disclaimer This podcast is for information and exploration purposes only and is never intended as medical advice. Every viewer and listener is encouraged to seek medical attention at their own discretion. This podcast and the guided practices are tools for listeners to support their whole health, and should be used with care. Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 9m

  7. FEB 22

    Drawing Health: Pain points, and lines, and shapes

    This one’s gonna hurt. And that’s okay, pain is part of life. We all feel it, so let’s give it the grace of our attention. You may have heard the phrase, “sore spot” or “trigger point” in reference to both metaphorical pain, and physical pain. Does your pain belong to a spot? Is that spot a circle, or more angular, or square? Does it have a third dimension? Is one sore spot connected to another? Pain is the impossible, words never touch what we feel, not really. By approaching pain in a new language of shape, colour, texture, dimensions, there is room for something new: curiosity. Instead of fixating on solution to the pain, or avoiding it altogether, we make a third option by offering our attention without a goal. Just to notice it with our drawing eye. =Watch on YouTube: = If you want to practice in sync with others, join my live Drawing Health class every Saturday on Zoom. Sign up at sequentialartistsworkshop.org or drawinghealth.com. Our theme music is Magic Hours by Aaron Comeau made for the Main St. Music Library. The Main St. Music Library hosts instrumental music created with simple parameters, with scores and instructions for listeners to recreate the music themselves . Musicians, artists, & listeners are encouraged to borrow freely from the library and return the materials in a different form than they found them. Find out more at mainstmusiclibrary.com. Disclaimer This podcast is for information and exploration purposes only and is never intended as medical advice. Every viewer and listener is encouraged to seek medical attention at their own discretion. This podcast and the guided practices are tools for listeners to support their whole health, and should be used with care. Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

    29 min

  8. FEB 15

    Chronic Illness Comics Club, with Zareen Choudhury

    This episode’s guest is Zareen Choudhury! Zareen is relatively new to the comics scene, but her clear ambitions and community-building projects are a beacon for artists living with chronic health and disability experiences. As a person with chronic pain and disabilities myself, I was so excited to connect with Zareen, and you’ll hear me reaching with my words toward things I haven’t yet imagined, because our shared experiences allow me to try.  We talk about challenges of balancing work and health while navigating chronic illness, Zareen's journey from a STEM-focused education into comics, her love of New Yorker cartoons, the shift from humor to narrative storytelling, the importance of community care, mutual aid in the context of chronic illness, and more! Zareen was one of my first interviews, and I got so carried away with our conversation I forgot to ask her for an exercise you, the listener, could try. You can always play with what makes you curious! = Episode Links & Resources Zareen’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catch.some.zees Zareen’s website: https://www.zareenchoudhury.com/ Crucial Comix: https://www.crucialcomix.com/product/chronic-illness-comics-club/ How To Touch Grass Anthology: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/powerandmagic/how-to-touch-grass/posts = About the podcast Drawing Health is a podcast about the intersection of comics and health, also called Graphic Medicine. Through community interviews and guided audio practices, we explore the worlds within ourselves and without, nurturing your creative practice, inspiration, and personal health journey. Health and creativity are not at odds, they are two expressions of you.  About the Sequential Artists Workshop (SAW) The Sequential Artists Workshop is a grassroots, non-profit comics school and creative community. At SAW, we teach people how to tell stories and make comics in Gainesville, Florida, USA, and around the world via our online courses and resources. Go to www.sequentialartistsworkshop.org or www.drawinghealth.com to join our community of learners and artists today! Disclaimer This podcast is for information and exploration purposes only and is never intended as medical advice. Every viewer and listener is encouraged to seek medical attention at their own discretion. This podcast and the guided practices are tools for listeners to support their whole health, and should be used with care. Get full access to How to Make a Graphic Novel at sawcomics.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 20m
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5
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About

How do you make comics without all the frustration? SAW talks comics and community, and mindset shift about what it means to make comics and art with Tom Hart, Jess Ruliffson, Lauren Weinstein, Georgia Webber and other amazing artists at SAW. sawcomics.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Hart and artists at Sequential Artists Workshop
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Tom Hart
  • Show Website
    Sequential Artists Workshop

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