In this workshop we will explore and practice elements of story-telling in comics, with a focus on autobiography. We will create original work through writing exercises and guided cartooning assignments, and discuss work in a supportive atmosphere to highlight each artist’s strengths. Students will learn the techniques, tools, and theory behind successful graphic narrative, learn essential organizational techniques for the creation of short and long-form comics and be peppered with digressions, Ponyo, and professional practices tips along the way.
Students will come away with many drawings, some new characters, a deeper relationship with characters from their lives, a week of daily drawing exercises and practices that can be used for the Rest Of Their Lives. access to a community of students who have taken courses with me in the past and continue to draw and support one another!
This class is appropriate for both beginners and more advanced cartoonists. No drawing experience is required, just a willingness to draw.
Mentorships: I offer one-on-one mentorships, editing and comics coaching in addition to my regular classes.
Q: What happens in a mentorship? A: It’s like having a private comics coach/advisor/editor/tutor. With my current mentees, we meet regularly to talk about their comics projects, set goals, and track progress. I work in a supportive and editorial role, and offer my mentees guided writing exercises, personalized homework, and answer professional practices questions about comics & publishing. No comics experience required. We can start right where you are. This is great for long projects, or just to get personalized tools & support for your practice.
Q: How much does it cost & how often do we meet? A: Sessions are $200/hr I have some mentees who I meet with every week, some every other week or once a month. And it fluxuates! It just depends on their budget, their practice, and their project. New option for 2026: 4-session packages. Book 4 at once for $750. Sessions need to be used within 6 months.
Q: How do I book this? https://calendly.com/nicolejgeorges If you have any issues with the calendar, or would like to book a 90 minute session, please email me.
Policies: Please send any work you’d like me to read at least 24 hours ahead of our meeting time. 16 pages maximum, unless we have otherwise discussed. Payment is due prior to our session.
Long Project Club Note: LPC is at capacity for 2026. Applications for 2027 will open in mid to late fall 2026.
This is a year-long program for people who are working on long comics projects and want regular support, check-ins, community & critiques. This program is application-only. We meet as a large group once a month for 2-3 hours. Students will also be placed in small groups that will meet to get individual feedback and support outside of our main group. We will critique chunks of your work along the way, set goals, and will also have opportunities for people to opt into having their long projects read by others. I will also offer lessons and exercises in organization, story structure, characterization, story generation and professional practices (yes- I’ll talk about….commerce).
This program is geared towards women, queer, trans & nonbinary cartoonists. If you do not fit into one of these categories and would like to work together, please reach out!
In this workshop, I will tell you everything I know about building and implementing a comics curriculum for young people. This workshop can help you build a one-time workshop or a long-form project. I’ll share a 5-6 session curriculum with worksheets and exercises, talk to you about classroom management and developmental considerations, and how comics can meet the educational goals of many classrooms. No drawing experience necessary, but you must have a willingness to draw alongside your students. I’ve taught comics and literacy to tens of thousands (!!!) of kids over the past 25 years. I won a Sunburst Award for Excellence in Arts Education through Young Audiences and have led comics & zine programming for the Independent Publishing Resource Center, Rock’n’Roll Camp for Girls, for p:ear homeless youth, and as artist in residence at Sherwood Middle School. I’m scheduling a grief workshop for summer 2026 now. Stay in touch via instagram or patreon for information when it drops.
About the instructor:
photo by Ashley L. Conti
Nicole J. Georges is an award-winning graphic memoirist, podcaster and professor with over 25 years of experience teaching comics. She is the author of the autobiographical comic zine Invincible Summer, and the full-length graphic memoirs Calling Dr. Laura and Fetch: How a Bad Dog Brought Me Home. Her middle grade graphic novel, The Ballad of X-Ray and Koko, will be out in 2027. Nicole helped develop the Independent Publishing Resource Center’s Comics Certificate Program. She taught elementary and middle school students Young Audiences of Oregon and high school as a Literary Arts Writer In The Schools before she was a fellow at the Center for Cartoon Studies MFA Program, and a Writer in Residence at Colby College and the College of William and Mary. She is a frequent visiting artist at the Sequential Arts Workshop (SAW) and the Fine Arts Work Center. She was awarded a Sunburst Award for Excellence in Arts Education by Young Audiences of Oregon. Nicole taught for over a decade at California College of the Arts MFA Comics Program, and has been running an independent Graphic Memoir comics school for the past 6 years.
