From idea to ink: Mid Michigan Community College offers graphic novel class

If you're a fan of comic books, you probably thought to yourself a time or two (or far more) that you could do a better job than some of the professionals who get paid to make them.

Well, if you live anywhere near Mid Michigan Community College, you can at least get a taste of what the process is like thanks to a class by Brad Olrich.

The class, open to anyone who has taken the prerequisite drawing course, finds students working on creating their own storyline and drawing it out from start to finish.

"That can be a challenge sometimes," says Olrich, who was at the Cherry Capital Convention earlier this year with several students. "The difficulty isn't usually in drawing (the comics) but telling the story."

Olrich should know. He produces his own graphic novels and has worked in the comic industry for small, independent presses. He uses that knowledge to help teach the students the flow of the graphic novel and comic book world.

Students who choose to take the class have a very simple-sounding requirement in order to pass: Write and illustrate a complete story. Those that successfully do so find their work published in the Mid-Riff, a graphic novel comprised entirely of the work done in the class by the students themselves.

That graphic novel, which is now in its fifth edition, was being showcased at the Cherry Capital Convention. Olrich, his wife Lisa McCartney, and several students took up position on an end table in Artists' Alley. There they sold and signed copies of the graphic novel and did their own commissions for interested fans.

"This is really a great opportunity," says Olrich. "The kids really enjoy it and this convention is a great experience for them."

Just down the alley from the students were notable artists like Tony Moore, Ryan Stegman (who also lives in Michigan), Angel Medina and Steve Dillon--all of whom have made a living out of drawing in the world of comics.

Don't worry if you didn't make it up to the convention--not only will the class likely be there again next year as the convention continues to grow and prosper, but copies of the current edition and some of the past publications are available at both Mid Michigan Community College book stores.

The course is fairly unusual in terms of allowing students to actively participate in creating their own comic pages and then getting it published. According to the National Association of Comics Art Educators, only Michigan State University offers a comic book class in Michigan, and the focus of that class is non-studio work and the history of the modern comic book.

"It's a great class to teach," says Olrich. "I am often impressed with the work many of the students do. Some of them could honestly have a career in the industry if they really worked at it."

Sam Eggleston is the managing editor of Mid Michigan Second Wave. He was born and raised in Michigan and is an avid comic book fan, collecting several titles each week and hosting nearly 30 long boxes in his office. He can be reached via email.