Comics Mentor Directory
A directory of people involved in any aspect of comics who offer regular mentorships. While every attempt will be made to keep this list up to date, inclusion in this list is not a guarantee that mentorship is currently being offered, will be offered again, or an endorsement of the mentorship; please visit the mentor's website for the most up-to-date info.
LAST UPDATED: To add yourself to the directory, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/tYjCHo3hhy3efuty5
10/25/2023 If you have questions or would like to revise/remove your entry, please contact Gale Galligan at: http://galesaur.com/contact/
Date Added Name Pronouns Area(s) of Expertise Social Media Bio Mentorship Info Mentorship Project Mentorship Length Contact Format Contact Frequency Cost to Mentee Benefits Offered Seeking Mentees Who Are... Application Requirements
6/6/2020 Matthew Loux He/him Kids Graphic novels both art and writing, painting @Mattloux (twitter and Instagram) Cartoonist/writer in the NYC area, books include The Time Museum Vol. 1+2 (First Second Books) Salt Water Taffy series, goodnight Gabbaland, Sidescrollers (Oni Press) http://www.mattloux.com Can help with all aspects of creating comics for kids, improving backgrounds and world building, and painting. Flexible depending on what the individual is looking for. Longer/Ongoing [email protected] Flexible None None Interested in making kids Graphic novels, want to improve on their background art and visual world building, will be ok with honest and constructive criticism of your work. Statement of their goals and what they're interested in learning from this, and a portfolio link of some kind.
6/6/2020 Abs Bailey She/Her Character design, general comics drawing (composition, pacing, process ect), self publishing & getting into the comics industry. @barbawk (instagram, twitter) Abs Bailey is a cartoonist and teacher from Cardiff, UK. She specialises in character-based work, and has lectured on the topics of self publishing and breaking into industry at the University of South Wales since 2019. www.barbawk.com PGCE qualified with experience with one-to-one and group mentoring on a BA illustration course. Can assist in any aspect of making comics or help with producing and self publishing work. Taking a short comic (max 32 pages) from script to finals. Plan and produce a small run of printed work for art fairs. All general feedback requests are welcome and I am open to suggestions of projects and goals. 4-6 Months email 1 email/week, but am flexible. None None portfolio or social media link, brief explanation of project goal or mentorship intention.
6/6/2020 MK Reed she/ they pitching, writing & freelance editorial @yesthatmkreed on twitter, @mkreed on IG mkreed.com, comics writer that has written YA fiction, nonfiction science & history educational GNs for the past decade for a variety of publishers. No page for it yet, please send me an email & we'll figure out a schedule Available for feedback on projects and will help set goals for the mentee to get a script sample & pitch together 1-3 Months video chat & email 2x /month None None Comics writers! You do not need to have an artist you're working with yet, we can talk about finding one or pitching without an artist. I'm best able to help writers who know what they want to write/have written a script, and are looking at what step to take next. Please tell me about yourself, about the project, and about any goals you might have for it.
6/6/2020 Gale Galligan they/she Middle grade graphic novels, comics craft, scheduling @robochai Gale Galligan is a middle-grade graphic novelist best known for adapting BABY-SITTERS CLUB volumes five through eight, as well as some fun Garfield fanzines (shh don't tell). They have an MFA in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and love talking process. http://galesaur.com/ I offer two-month mentorships on a fairly regular basis. Each is structured around the needs and goals of each individual; I do my best to help with schedule-setting and comics craft, while answering questions about process, publishing, etc as they come up. http://galesaur.com/aboutgale/mentorship/ A 6-8 page comic (or excerpt; can be part of a pitch or larger story) from start to finish. 1-3 Months Mainly email, with occasional phone/video chat; am happy to accommodate preferences/needs Minimum 1 email/week. None Mini grant upon completion of successful comic within timeframe of mentorship. Have the basics down, feel as though they are at some level of "breaking in." Must be able to discuss work without defensiveness. Must not be for school credit. Open to all applicants, but especially encourage marginalized cartoonists and those who have not had the opportunity to attend art school/take comics courses. Portfolio (MUST have comics), filled-out application (http://galesaur.com/aboutgale/mentorship/)
6/7/2020 Kiel Phegley he/him Middle Grade and/or comics journalism @KielPhegley on Twitter 15 years experience as a comics professional: 10 years as a reporter and editor for top news outlets like CBR, 5 years writing Middle Grade graphic novels and licensed books for the like of Penguin, Scholastic and Lerner Books/Graphic Universe. https://kielphegley.com General career feedback for those looking to advance. Possible to review OGN pitches or script samples. 1-3 Weeks e-mail with phone follow ups flexible None None Looking for people with a foot in the door but who are not sure where to go from here. If you've published a few comics or have written for a few online outlets but are uncertain on how to turn that experience into more stable or longterm work, I'm your guy. Links to previously published (including self-published) work.
6/8/2020 Nidhi Chanani She/her Comics and picture books @nidhiart Nidhi Chanani was born in Kolkata, India and raised in California. She holds a degree in literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She creates illustrations that capture love in everyday moments. In 2012 she was honored by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change. Her illustrations are often featured at Disney Parks. She’s the author of Pashmina, the graphic novel, Shubh Raatri Dost/Good Night Friend, a bilingual board book and illustrator of the picture book I will be fierce and Binny’s Diwali. Nidhi draws and dreams in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and kid. everydayloveart.com https://everydayloveart.com/ I can provide feedback via phone or email and point person to industry resources 1-3 Months Phone, email Flexible, depending on schedule None None BIPOC, South Asian Portfolio and work in progress
6/8/2020 Ben Applegate He/him Manga translation (Japanese-English), editorial, publishing/sales, production Twitter: @benapplegate Director of publishing services at Penguin Random House for client Kodansha Comics. Book and periodical publishing, translated and original comics, all kinds of editing, Japan travel, and translation. I work with one of the top English-language manga publishers, and have touched every part of the business at one time or another. Eager to help resourceful folks who just want to know what working in manga involves. (I also occasionally have freelance openings in various areas.) Informational interviews on all kinds of manga industry roles. I only work with manga that's been published in Japan, so no submissions or aspiring writers/artists please—I would only disappoint you. Longer/Ongoing Email (bapplegate [at] penguinrandomhouse [dot] com Occasional calls—I am seasonally very busy but will make time None None Statement of intent
6/9/2020 Christian Ochoa They/He Project Management, Creative Direction, Book Design, Concept Art, 3D modeling @comicalfoods (twitter) Latinx Creative Director and Founder of Comicalfoods, a small publisher creating food-themed stories. Experienced with architectural 3d modeling and loves world building. Currently working on a middle grade fantasy comic called Journey to the Top of the Food Pyramid. https://www.comicalfoods.com/taste I offer 2 month mentorships when available. They are structured around a small comic book project to help you understand the different processes of self publishing from pre production ( Idea/pitch) , production (comic book script & art), and post production (book design). A 6-8 page Comic (or excerpt; can be part of a pitch or larger story) from start to finish. 1-3 Months Email, Discord flexible None Mini grant upon completion of comic pitch within timeframe of mentorship. Artists interested in Self Publishing, writing & drawing a sci-fi and/or fantasy comic book and are open to trying out many different workflows. Must not be for school credit. Open to all applicants, but especially encourage marginalized artists. Email with Statement of your goals, what you're interested in learning, and a portfolio link
6/9/2020 Jayd Aït-Kaci she/her artistic improvement in general, but with a specialty in comic making @ArtOfChira (Twitter) Independent illustrator and comic artist. https://www.jaydaitkaci.com/about.html https://www.jaydaitkaci.com/services.html I offer mentorship workshops around 12-session curriculum over 12 weeks, specifically tailored to the client's personal artistic goals and needs. This can range from supervising a comic from script to completion or creating a series of exercises to help integrate concepts/techniques to build for a stronger method and a better relationship between artist and canvas. 1-3 Months https://www.jaydaitkaci.com/contact.html 1 session per week over text messenger (average 2 hours) $200 USD a week (though negotiable to sliding scale) none who feel in a rut, stagnant, frustrated, or generally dissatisfied with their current creative direction -- if you feel lost about where to take your art, or if you have an idea of what you