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The Kubert School

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The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, commonly known as The Kubert School or Joe Kubert School, is a private for-profit art school focused on cartooning and located in Dover, New Jersey. It teaches the principles of sequential art and the particular craft of the comics industry as well as commercial illustration. It is the only accredited school devoted entirely to cartooning.[citation needed]

The Kubert School
TypePrivate for-profit art school
Established1976
FounderJoe Kubert
PresidentAnthony Marques
Academic staff
10–15 per school year
Undergraduates150
Location
Dover
,
New Jersey
,
United States
CampusUrban
MascotTor
Websitekubertschool.edu

The school's instructors are full-time professionals working in the industry, many of them graduates of the school themselves, and the instruction is hands-on and practical. The school has a reputation for demanding and intensive coursework. Its alumni include Amanda Conner, Lee Weeks, Andy Price, Ed Piskor, and Alex Maleev, as well as many other comics pencilers and inkers.[1][2]

History

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The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art was founded in September 1976 by cartoonist Joe Kubert and his wife Muriel in the old Baker mansion on 45 Lehigh Street in Dover; then, from 1984 onwards, Dover's former high school, whose tall windows offered optimal lighting.[3] Its first graduating class of 1978 included Stephen R. Bissette,[4] Thomas Yeates,[5] and Rick Veitch.[citation needed]

By 1984, the school offered a three-year program in Cartoon Illustration, Graphic Arts, and Cinematic Animation, accredited by the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools. Approved by the New Jersey Department of Education, the Kubert School advertised itself to veterans and "non-resident alien" students.[6]

In 1993, Dark Horse Comics announced it would begin funding the "Jack Kirby Scholarship" at the school.[7]

Founder and teacher Kubert kept his own studio in the school, later joined by his sons Adam and Andy, who are also comic book professionals and who teach at the school.[8][9] (In addition to The Kubert School, in the late 1990s, Joe Kubert was offering "Joe Kubert's World of Cartooning" correspondence courses to prospective students.)[10]

Campus and student body

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Anthony Marques and Adam Kubert at a Kubert School presentation at the 2012 New York Comic Con

The school houses the Kubert Art Store, which sells art supplies needed for assignments, such as books and drafting tables.[citation needed]

There are usually no more than 150 students attending the school at any time. As well as regular weekday classes, the school also holds a weekly class every Saturday, which is available for people who are not enrolled in the main program. The class is on basic lessons in cartooning, and is taught by various alumni.

The school attracts students from countries such as Japan and Malaysia, in addition to students from the local area. Kubert expressed the school's philosophy in a 2003 profile:

There's no other way to learn this stuff, except through other people in the business. ... 80 to 90 percent of the students get jobs in related fields, but they really have to work. The average student is drawing 8 to 10 hours a day, 6 to 7 days a week. ... You get a complete and total dedication from these students. ... This is their lifeline out. A chance to make a livelihood at something they love to do.[3]

Criticism

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A 2003 article in The Comics Journal criticized the school for turning out "hack" artists with no individual character.[11] Similarly, Kubert alum Ed Piskor (who only attended the school for one year) criticized the school for its hackneyed approach and outmoded techniques.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Molnar, Phillip (October 8, 2010). "Comic's Kuberts Teach Art to Next Generation". Associated Press via Newsday. Archived from the original on December 7, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  2. ^ "THE KUBERT SCHOOL -- Alumni". THE KUBERT SCHOOL. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b Jennings, Dana (December 14, 2003). "Paper, Pencil And a Dream". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Dahlen, Chris (July 23, 2009). "Steve Bissette". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 22, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  5. ^ "Talent From The Kubert School: Thomas Yeates". The Kubert School. n.d. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014.
  6. ^ "full page advertisement for the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, Inc". Vigilante. No. 7. DC Comics. June 1984.
  7. ^ "Dark Horse Offers Scholarships"". Newswatch. The Comics Journal. No. 150. May 1992. p. 27.
  8. ^ "Adam Kubert, Illustrator, Comic Book Illustrator and VP". The Kubert School. n.d. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  9. ^ "Andy Kubert, Illustrator, Cartoonist and VP". The Kubert School. n.d. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  10. ^ "Joe Kubert's Correspondence Courses". Cartoonist Profiles. No. 122. Interviewed by Peter Carlsson. June 1999. pp. 72–81.
  11. ^ Williams, John E. (Dec 2003). "Hack U". The Comics Journal. No. 257. pp. 54–55.
  12. ^ "Pekar, Piskor, and a Preview of Macedonia". Sequart. Interviewed by Rob Clough. 9 June 2006.

Further reading

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  • Busbee, James (Apr 1998). "Wizard U: Wizard Scouts America's Top Schools for Budding Comic Pros and Fanboys". Wizard: The Guide to Comics. No. 80. pp. 67–78.
  • Relkin, R. (Oct 1994). "School's In". Cultural Corner. Comic Culture. Vol. 2, no. 1. pp. 37–42.
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