FUNNY DRAWERS: The Serious Art of Visual Humor
Humor is powerful. Funny books have an uncanny way of finding their way into our hearts and onto best selling lists. Deployed strategically, comedy also creates a safe space to broach sensitive topics, discuss scary emotions, and introduce unfamiliar concepts. In children’s books, it’s a playful and effective way to introduce windows and mirrors that may change hearts and minds. Levity provides the honey that helps “the medicine go down”.
In this half-day intensive, three successful illustrators reveal how they create relatable characters, pin-point expressions and interactions, and use precise comic timing to set up and deliver visual punch lines. These masters of humor will help us understand what it takes to turn funny images into memorable stories with depth and resonance.
Sunday, August 3 2025 - 11:30 to 3:45 Pacific (2:30 to 6:45 Eastern)
SCHEDULE:
11:30 am to 11:40 am PACIFIC (2:30 Eastern): Intro with Laurent Linn and Cecilia Yung
11:40 am to 12:35 pm PACIFIC (2:40pm Eastern): Debbie Ohi In conversation with Cecilia Yung
12:35 pm to 12:45 pm PACIFIC (3:35pm Eastern): 10-minute break
12:45 pm to 1:40 pm PACIFIC (3:45pm Eastern): Lane Smith and Bob Shea in conversation with Pat Cummings
1:40 to 1:50pm PACIFIC (4:40pm Eastern): 10-minute break
1:50p m to 2:45 pm PACIFIC (4:50pm Eastern): Cece Bell in conversation with Laurent Linn
2:45 pm to 2:55pm (5:45 Eastern): 10-minute break
2:55 pm to 3:45 pm PACIFIC (5:55 Eastern): Q&A Panel moderated by Pat Cummings
Faculty
