Announcing “How the West was Drawn!”
I'm thrilled to share this collaboration with the Sacramento History Museum this summer! "How the West was Drawn" will put a spotlight on the museum's collection of dime novels and early "graphic novels" which we learn visual storytelling and hands-on cartooning workshops to build life-long appreciation for comics and more!
These workshop series are open to all ages and will be held in-person at the Sacramento History Museum. Open to all ages – 24 student capacity – minimum of 12 students to hold series. Cost – $125 per student for the whole 5-week series ($25 per session)
Plus, we'll have a guest session from D. Bethel, the creator of the Western-genre webcomic, Long John and the co-creator of Eben07: Covert Custodian.
Explore All Upcoming Workshops
“Comics are as old as recorded history, and a surprisingly big part of the Old West. Join the Sacramento History Museum and Eben Burgoon for How the West Was Drawn! – A hands-on, visual storytelling workshop tracing the lineage from the 1800s dime novel to the graphic novel of today.
How the West Was Drawn! comprises five Saturday sessions in July and August, each broken up into 30 minutes of lecture time and 30 minutes of hands-on activity. The Sacramento History Museum is proud to host the workshops, which also give you the opportunity to explore the rich illustration in our newest exhibit, California in Print.”
The five sessions include:
Session One: The Exhibit + Storytelling Lab – July 9 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
A look at writer Joseph Campbell’s monomyth theory – Campbell was a major influence on George Lucas’ Star Wars universe – and how it applies to storytelling tools for a writer. It includes a 30-minute free writing session.
Session Two: Comics & Zine Making Lab – July 16 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
A look at comic book stories that pair art and story – plus 30 minutes for making our own zines.
Session Three: Guest Cartoonist with Dan Bethel – July 23 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Learn storytelling and illustration alongside D. Bethel, the creator of the Western genre webcomic, Long John. A Sacramento-based author and illustrator, D.Bethel will show you his approach to telling impactful stories in comic book form, and follow with a Q&A session.
Session Four: Wild West Characters and Archetypes – July 30 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
By blending Joseph Campbell’s heroic characters, LEGOs, and the Wild West, we’ll create and design the main characters & supporting characters you need for your comic and dime novel.
Session Five: Putting it All Together – August 13 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
A capstone session to tie everything together, chock full of art creation tips, and practice skills.