Dr. Doodle's Comics Summer Camp 12th-16th August

This August I would like to invite your child to join me in Ballinderreen, Co. Galway, for a very fun week of learning cartooning. In case you were confused about having a pencil in charge of a class of kids…I hate to disappoint, but that’s me dressed up. There is no real Dr. Doodle.

Children of all ages adore writing their own stories. They love to come up with characters and stories of their own. I teach them how to create very simple shapes that miraculously become real characters with a few well-places lines.

The children will learn:

Speech bubbles
Thought bubbles
Effects for visual drama
Sound effects
Scale
Visual gags
Storytelling
Plotting
Comic timing
Lettering
Characterisation: goodies, baddies and sidekicks
Movement
Kawaii characters of the Far East
Symbolism in cartooning

See how the same basic shapes can be used for a range of characters?

I would also like to inspire and educate the children in the history of cartooning. We will draw inspiration from the work of 20th century greats like Sempé, Hergé, Ronald Searle, Posy Simmonds, Uderzo and many more, as well as some of the work of incredible modern-day cartoonists such as Quentin Blake – and even some of the Instagram stars!

We will have games and group brainstorming sessions and I always make sure everyone’s voice is heard. Rest assured I keep everything perfectly age-appropriate, and while I take a range of children from 8 to 12, I know they like to sit with children their own age.

At the end of the week the children will have written their own cartoon: children may write as little as one A4 page, or ten – they go at their own pace.

I drew this based on the kids’ story…but they’ll write and draw their own.

If you are interested in this workshop then I would advise you not to delay, as places are limited.

Home-made brown bread with butter and jam, and tea, will be provided for the children during the break, as children get a huge thrill from having food cooked by someone else – especially where jam and grown up things like tea (extremely weak and without sugar!) are involved! But you might like to give them something more substantial for lunch. We will be in Ballinderreen Community Centre which has its own kitchen.

I have taught cartooning to children (with some rather wistful adults looking on – or even joining in!) many times, and the children absolutely love it.