JUNE 8-12, 2026
“For me, working with Paul was an important step in getting the book deal I was looking for!”
-Susan MacLeod, Author of “Dying for Attention: A Graphic Memoir of Nursing Home Care”
A Bootcamp to Focus, Create, and Grow as a Cartoonist.
Do you have the start of a graphic novel but feel stuck? A story you've always wanted to tell in comics but haven't known where to begin? Does your cartooning feel stale and you're ready to break through?
Whether you're a beginning cartoonist or a seasoned pro, if you have an idea that's been simmering, this workshop is for you.
Over five immersive days, I'll guide you through live sessions, exercises, and group critiques to help you focus, grow, and connect with your creative voice. You'll discover what your stories mean and develop the confidence to tell them. You'll get one-on-one feedback on everything from finding your story to building your cartooning skills.
You'll learn to think like a cartoonist and walk out with everything you need to finish your project.
Plus: Within a month, we'll reconnect for a one-hour follow-up session to refine what's working, troubleshoot what's not, and keep your story moving forward.
At a Glance
Dates: June 8-12, 2026
Venue: Zoom
Ages: 21+
Tuition: $800
Time: 10:00 - 4:00 Monday-Friday (with lunch breaks)
Interested in learning more? Please email me now:
paulkarasikcomics@gmail.com
Why This Workshop?
This workshop is a laboratory with the space and structure to learn from me and from others in the class, test experiments, and get solid results.
You'll leave with:
Clear understanding of your story
A plan to finish your project
Renewed confidence and manageable goals
Initial sequence sketches
A solid workflow process
Deeper knowledge of yourself as an artist
Understanding of the current publishing landscape
About Me:
I'm Paul Karasik, a two-time Eisner Award-winning cartoonist who has been teaching and writing about the language of comics for over 40 years. My work has appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and I've authored acclaimed books including the graphic novel adaptation of Paul Auster's New York Trilogy, The Ride Together: A Memoir of Autism in the Family (co-authored with Judy Karasik), and How to Read Nancy (co-authored with Mark Newgarden).
Past workshop participants include:
Kit Anderson (Safer Places, Avery Hill), Paige Braddock (Jane's World), Arwen Donahue (Landings, Hub City Press), Beth Hetland (Tender, Fantagraphics), Susan MacLeod (Dying for Attention: A Graphic Memoir of Nursing Home Care, Conundrum Press), Dan Nott (Hidden Systems, Random House), Laura Terry (Graveyard Shakes, Scholastic), Katharine Woodman-Maynard (Tuck Everlasting, Macmillan).
…and 2025 Ignatz Award winner for Outstanding Series, Sanika Phawde (Wedding Juice, self-published)—for a comic she workshopped with me in 2024!
What People Are Saying:
“Paul guided me through the full process of making comics. The work I completed under his guidance became the pitch deck for my nonfiction graphic novel, which has since landed a book deal.”
“Imagine my fortune when I had Paul Karasik as one of my cartooning instructors. Paul challenged me to look beyond the panel and lock into story. I use those very same techniques decades later. My life was transformed forever.”
“If you ever had any interest in taking a comics class, I recommend THIS ONE. Paul is probably one of the most insightful and all around influential and amazing teachers I’ve ever had…I give this class ten thumbs up, if I only had thumbs for each finger.”
“Paul has a kind of intelligence combined with earnestness that comes from someplace deep, not a recipe book. He is very, very, very intelligent.”
“ A person gets only a handful of great teachers during one’s lifetime, and for me, Paul was one of them. ”
