Meeting Max Finder fans in Nunavut

I’ll be spending much of the 2011-12 school year working with learners in my own class in Toronto, Ontario. That means my availability for school visits is extremely limited. However, I do have dates free for bookings after March 2012, but they are filling up fast.

If that time of year works for you, get in touch at:  liamodonnell[at]gmail[dot]com and I’ll be happy to send you my rates and available dates.

Here’s details of one of my most popular presentations:

Between the Panels: How Comics are Made

Grades: 4-8 | Size: 60 students max. | Length: 45-60 minutes

Drawing on my work from The M-Team to Max Finder Mystery, students dive into the world of comics to learn how the writer and illustrator work together to shape a rough idea and turn it into a full colour comic.

This interactive presentation includes:

Mysterious Brainstorming: Through a combination of quick-thinking and sharp detective work, students use brainstorming techniques to identify the essential elements to a mystery and see how an idea grows into a full story.

Max Finder Mystery Theatre: Students star in a collaborative comic reading and mystery solving session featuring a classic issue of Max Finder Mystery. Can your class crack the case and catch the bad guys?

Scribbles to Script: Step into the shoes of the writer and see how we use brainstorming techniques, outlines and many revisions to build a mystery idea into a complete comic script.

Pencils to Print: Using actual comic sketches, students get a hands-on look at how the writer and illustrator work together to bring the comic to life from rough pencil drawings to final colour pages.

Tips for Creators: Writing tips and advice are offered throughout that will help studentsget started on their own creative projects.

Ask an Author: A fun and informal Q&A session that lets students pick my brain to find out anything they want to know about being a writer and the writing process.