FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


MoCCA ADULT EDUCATION RESUMES IN MARCH WITH CLAREMONT, DeFALCO, AND O’NEIL MASTER CLASSES

NEW YORK (Feb 16, 2010) – The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art – MoCCA is proud to announce the spring offerings from its Education Department. Organized and headed by Senior Vice-President of Education, DANNY FINGEROTH, the season’s initial offering will be:

MASTER CLASS SERIES IN COMICS WRITING
3 sessions, TUESDAYS, March 16 & 23; April 13
6:30-8:30 pm
March 16: CHRIS CLAREMONT
March 23: TOM DeFALCO
April 13: DENNIS O’NEIL
$100 tuition | $90 for MoCCA members
[Individual sessions: $40 | $35 for MoCCA members]

CHRIS CLAREMONT, TOM DeFALCO, AND DENNIS O’NEIL will each hold a master class session in comics writing. These three extraordinarily accomplished writers have written some of the highest profile and most acclaimed comics of all time, with bodies of work that have played significant parts in defining the modern versions of The X-Men (Claremont), Spider-Man (DeFalco), and Batman (O’Neil). Each of them will condense the most important things they know about writing into highly-concentrated (and entertaining!) lecture form. This is a rare opportunity to hear these top names in the field speak about what makes for great comics writing.

CHRIS CLAREMONT has encountered more success than most writers ever dream of. Best known for his work on Marvel Comics’ X-Men, he has written other seminal characters such as Batman and Superman, originated several creator-owned series, is published throughout the world in many languages, and has authored nine novels. His unbroken 17-year run on Uncanny X-Men is the stuff of industry legend. The story arc “Dark Phoenix,” with its radical treatment of its central character, paved the way for the reinterpretation of superhero mythos. Current projects include the ongoing Marvel series X-Men Forever, X-Women, drawn by renowned Italian artist Milo Manara, the young adult novel Wild Blood, a contemporary urban dark fantasy, and the screen play Hunter’s Moon.

TOM DeFALCO, a former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics with over thirty books currently in print, has written comic books, graphic novels, short stories, prose novels and books like Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide and Comic Creators on Fantastic Four. He was also a major contributor to The Marvel Encyclopedia and The Marvel Chronology. DeFalco has recently worked on Star Wars: The Clone Wars for Titan Comics, The Man From RIVERDALE for Archie Comics, Flash Gordon for Ardden Entertainment, The Flying Fool for Moonstone Books, The Super Seven for Stan Lee Comics and, of course, The Spectacular Spider-Girl for Marvel Comics.

DENNIS O’NEIL is an award-winning comics writer and editor (best known for his landmark work on characters such as Batman and Green Lantern), and an educator at institutions including New York University and The School of Visual Arts. He has also been a journalist, critic, television writer, best-selling novelist (novelizations of The Dark Knight film and the epic Batman: Knightfall comics storyline, and the original novel Green Lantern: Hero’s Quest), and has published dozens of short stories. He lives in Nyack, N.Y. with his wife, Marifran.


And starting in April, MoCCA Education will present two more incredible courses:

ANATOMY FOR CARTOONISTS WORKSHOP
Instructors: R. SIKORYAK AND KRIOTA WILLBERG
4 sessions, Mondays April 19 & 26, May 3 & 10.


HOW TO WRITE COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
Instructor: DANNY FINGEROTH
4 sessions, Tuesdays April 20 & 27, May 4 & 11

Details on these two courses will be announced soon.


For more information and to register, call 212-254-3511 or go to www.moccany.org.

The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art - MoCCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education organization dedicated to the preservation, study and display of all forms of comic and cartoon art. The museum promotes greater understanding and appreciation of the artistic, cultural and historical significance of comic and cartoon art through a variety of events, exhibitions, and educational programs. The museum is located at 594 Broadway (between Houston and Prince Streets) in New York City. MoCCA is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays from 12:00-5:00 pm. Suggested donation to the museum is $5 but free for MoCCA Members as well as for children 12 and under (when accompanied by a paying adult). For more information about the museum and MoCCA events, exhibitions and programs, visit the museum's Website (www.moccany.org).