Creating Steam – Comic Art and Artists adding the ‘A’ to STEM
BY JENNIFER JONES; COMIC ART BY JAYSON KRETZER
Jason Kretzer has worked with art and as an artist nearly his entire adult life. Early on, he developed his talent by creating what other people wanted or needed him to design. Then his work became his passion – the telling of stories through art and graphic novels.
Growing up in the nearly rural Northwest Florida, the opportunities to see firsthand the professionals in the career he dreamed of were not rare, they were non-existent. After attending his first comic conference and getting guidance and encouragement from the professionals he met there, Jayson was empowered to strike out on his own and pursue his dream.
Through freelance and commissioned work, Jayson was able to develop his own brand with enviable success. Jayson’s comic art has been published in hardcopy as well as web-comic books. His characters show up on comic trading cards and phone cases and he has worked on the licenses of some heavy hitters in the industry including Marvel and Cartoon Network.
Jayson describes his own original characters, Wannabe Heroes, as the “World’s Mightiest Losers.”. They have quirky super powers that can be fragile at times, destructive, empowering and mysterious. There is an undeniable message to young readers against bullying and guidance on how to be true to oneself. His features reference current popular culture and at times require a bit of historical cultural literacy to “get” their meaning. He has a clever appreciation for irony and puns and, as a child of the ’80s, you will find lots of “Easter eggs” in his three-panel strips.
Jayson recalls some resistance during his school years from teachers who may not have appreciated his doodling in class and he credits his grandmother, Cloteal Burke, with instilling in him a love for the art of language. Henri Matisse said “Creativity takes courage.” Jayson agrees and admits it’s hard-found sometimes, but his experience with freelance work has helped him to keep rejection or slow progress in perspective. He says “If I’m not failing, I’m not learning” and credits his mother and his wife for encouraging him as an artist.
As is the case with many who find their passion, they are driven to share it with others and, over lunch with a friend, Jayson was inspired to set the groundwork for a yearly conference which would become a positive environment for creative people, Creative Con Panama City.
[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]This year’s Fifth Annual Creative Con included sessions aimed at those seeking a creative career path with forums focused on sequential art, game and costume design, creative writing, and much more. In the beginning, Creative Con Panama City was held in the foyer of the Bay County Public Library with six artists doing free sketches. Today, the conference features 50 visiting artists. From 2012 to 2013, the attendance doubled, exceeding 1,000 attendees and requiring the relocation to Gulf Coast State College. Of that number, approximately 25 per cent of those attending were from out of town.
Not only does Creative Con Panama City foster career development for aspiring artists, its purpose is to encourage young people to pursue their passions and develop the valuable tools they already have in their love for visual art and creative storytelling. Jayson is an advocate for the addition of an ‘A’ for Art to the highly marketed STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum movement, thus creating the STEAM curriculum. Jayson is so convinced of the value and importance of art in the development of young minds that he prioritizes education at the conference and year around. “Art spurs innovation and growth within children of all ages,” he states.
More information for all things Creative Con Panama City can be found at www.pccreativecon.com where Jayson updates fans on the latest secured guest artists, asks for attendee feedback, and reports on the event’s success. The next Creative Con in 2015 will have an increased number of activities for children and will offer more educational panels and on-site gaming and even more artists.
Jayson’s creative projects are expanding into new dimensions – the Wannabe Heroes universe is expanding and a board game is set to come out next year.[/box]
[author image=”https://www.panamacityliving.com/media/2014/07/Jennifer-Jones.jpg” ]At the pulse of the local music and arts is Jennifer Jones. She majored at Florida State University in music with minor studies in literature. Her career included working as marketing director of the Bay Arts Alliance. She quickly advanced to the position of Executive Director. Bay Arts Alliance has served as Bay County’s arts agency since 1978 and has brought many national acts to Bay County residents. Jennifer enjoys the uniqueness of Bay County and is proud to witness the growth of the cultural community. Jennifer is also a solo and back-up vocalist, charter member of the Ukulele Orchestra of St Andrews, and avid ukulele player, binge reader and shoe shopper. She is the proud and amused mother of Maggie, who has discovered a love of theater at Mosley High School. [/author]