Prepping Your Joe Kubert School Entrance Portfolio (Circa 2000) 

Such a great episode. I want Jim Rugg's "origin story" now.

“He drew clouds behind the sun, Jimmy.” 😂 “I’ll see you all at the top!” 🤣

I had my Kubert diploma laminated so I could eat my ramen noodles off of it...

Thanks. This brings back a lot of memories. mostly traumatic-haha. Attended 89-90. They raised the tuition by at least a grand and I bowed out-burnt out. My room mate didn't make it through the 1st term. The Kuberts were super nice people. Joe's wife gave me a ride up to the house from the school, seeing I was hauling 2 tons of stuff on the 1st day. Mike Chen was running the school and was unnecessarily arrogant and dismissive. Pennington was one of my teachers. Andy Smith was a friend and transformed into a Bart Sears clone. I did my year as an animation student but 1st year everyone was lumped together and wasn't until after that year you started to specialize. They didn't have amigas there and couldn't animate on computers, it was disney process by an old old coot and a few of his assistants. I worked a year at a car-wash in the middle of nowhere in Illinois to pay for my 1 year. Learned a lot. Mostly that I wouldn't be able to hack it as a comic book artist. Still wish I could to this day.

Kubie from '90 to '93 here. You're jogging my memory with this episode -- so much to relate to! Don't remember any jocks in my first-year class. Lots of good-natured burnouts, a few assorted weirdos, and Sergio Carrielo in the corner, on the verge of receiving professional assignments and dropping out as a student. The story of the "clouds behind the sun" kid reminds me of one kid in my first-year class. Very naive and stunted in terms of street smarts and general maturity. His only desire, and all he could evidently do, was to draw like Al Hirschfeld. Couldn't wrap his head around anything else. We all got the impression that his wealthy parents threw in some babysitting money with his tuition. I personally took the "Island of Misfit Toys" track and ended up in video game development. Considering the current state of the comics industry, I'm convinced I made the right choice! One last thing regarding the "slow to go digital" commentary: ABSOLUTELY. I EASILY learned more about digital art my first week at my first game industry job, than in 3 years at the Kubert School!

Have you folks done Frazetta's Lil Abner?

"he drew clouds behind the sun", hahahah, wtf

Damn Ed, your portfolio was way better than mine was to get into the Kubert School. Brandon Vietti went years after I went there and I remember when I was at Valiant seeing a different picture of him posing with Spider-Man. Years later, I started working with him in animation and I gave him a hard time about that picture. Thankfully Brandon's a good guy and can take a joke. edited to add: Steve Lieber was a year ahead of me and I think he graduated maybe '91(?)

I remember reading about the Joe Kubert school in Wizard, and then looking into it after I graduated high school in '01. I called into the school the following summer, made some general inquiries to get the catalog you guys reviewed, and just to glean some insight into how they operate. I remember a woman answered the phone (she sounded older...maybe middle-aged), and she was extremely abrasive and rude; she would sigh with each question I asked, was very dismissive, and she gave me the impression that she would literally rather be anywhere else doing anything else. Having someone with that attitude representing the school convinced me I didn't want to attend, especially with how much the school cost - I wound up going to the Academy of Art in San Francisco instead.

Fernando Ruiz has his own RU-vid channel where he draws Archie characters. I remember his mentioning he taught at Kubert School lol.

I had the catalog around 93. I looked it over so much and never applied. Seeing all the tiny images brings back memories.

I was looking at Joe Kubert in ‘93. A guy who went to my high school was a Kubert grad. He worked at Dark Horse as a production artist up until digital became the default for comics making. Ultimately I didn’t apply at Kubert. My portfolio was accepted to Pratt. I really should have tried for SVA. Got the scholarship to CCAD and that wrapped it up.

That's some great inking found in in your older work, Ed! Thanks for sharing your memories of the Kubert school. The story about the guy who drew clouds behind the sun had me in hysterics lol

I always wanted to be a comic book artist, but after high school, I didn’t have the money to go to college or art school. My old man said I could come work with him selling insurance or join the military so I became a soldier, then a cop. Now almost forty years later I’m finally getting back into drawing, trying to improve my skills. Just made a short graphic novel. Having a blast. It’s never too late.

Super impressive portfolio for a 16-17 year old. Seeing stuff like this is so valuable to young artists. Much like you Ed, when preparing for art school back in the early 90s, I was trying my hardest to be as professional and polished as possible and you don't have to have all the answers at that age, Really great and inspiring episode.

Joe Kubert poking out his office approving your tuition one-liner is that shit.

These type of episodes are my favorite! Anything that is behind the scenes, or covers tools and techniques are interesting as Hell to me! Great stories and insights! Thanks guys!

I live about 10 minutes away from the Kubert school also work in Dover about a minute down the road from the school. I wanted to go to this school so bad but my parents were against it as they thought it was a waste and wanted me to take up a trade instead so off to Lincoln Tech I went to further my education in Auto Mechanics. Thank you sharing

Wow... This is a Powerful video Thank you for sharing. Drew Friedman video???

I was there during the transition from the mansion to the old high school.

This video brought me so much joy.

Christmas in July is an awesome idea. I use to just go straight for the comics that had the Super Friends members in it or Cap or Archie or Richie Rich. Then I came across that awesome sad little box in an out of the way shelf in the corner of the kids reading room in the town library. It had maybe all of 15 or 20 comics ratty comics (even the newer ones were lucky to have even part of their covers). That's where I came across how big DC and Marvel universes really were. Jonah Hex, Sgt. Rock, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, Ghost Rider, even some romance comics and some EC.

Batman yakking on the phone in the Batmobile is hilarious

So the Kubert school is more into digital stuff today? Honestly, I love the old school stuff. But the future is digital.

When I was in art school my first drawing instructor told us, “I better not see any goddamn giant robots, flaming skulls or wall graffiti!” Dude was an atelier classic instructor and he was hilarious at times.

Thats a kick ass Ramones piece.

Yeah, the faculty didn't run Vinny off; 1-D ran Vinny off.

So cool to see your portfolio

Cool to see alec stevens getting mentioned. He is one of my teachers at the kubert school.

Love the Joe story!

31:30 That IS a great Joe Kubert story. I like what little glimpses we've gotten of Joe from Ed and other people who've been on the show. He seemed like a real cool guy.

I got one of those. Had Bart Sears artwork in it... and Lee weeks.

Damn, Ed was a pretty sharp letterer even as a teen. My hand writing never looked that consistent :D

Thanks in big part to your channel and works, I've found myself in Dover for the week, Day 3. My oldest just turned 10 and we made the decision to help push him in the direction he wants to go with his art. Starting with "Character Development" For what it's worth, I've picked up a couple Piskors and a couple signed Ruggs. Keep up the good work guys! Thanks again for sharing your passion.

Such a cool video! loved hearing about the school during those years I attended TKS during 2013-2016

Great show! Strong work for your age at the time! Class of 83 and started teaching there later in 2000. Almost worked with you.

Love that the Ramones are in here.

Gotta say, every time Ed shows us his early work, I am impressed with where he was at and how he developed. That Kubert portrait is really, really good.

Great episode. Those color pages are pretty tight, Ed. Thanks for discussing Alec Stevens, I always wondered what happened to him after Hardcore and The Sinners

Talking about applying to art school, and sending the your portfolio, I graduated high school in 1992. My best friend went to RISDI directly after graduation. Years later, I’m talking years later, I went to SCAD. I remember complaining to her about getting my digital portfolio ready to submit. She put me in check; she had to take photographic slides and submit that for her portfolio and all I had to do was get a bunch of PDFs together!

I love Ed Piskor.

I grew up local to the school and went to the Saturday classes and later the school itself (class of 1991). I have catalogs from 1979, 1987 and the 1989 one you are showing.

Great video. Loved the portfolio, and that Spirit work looked fantastic.

So cool to see this. I stiil have my copie from 2000 when I got there from Brazil's country side to Dover. I got in JKS but gave up to study film.

This was so unexpectedly awesome. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

Nice. Great Kubert

I watched the video tutorial of Joe kubert ,where he mentions how to go from rough sketch to finalise clean illustration.. but he doesn't mention the way to transfer his sketches onto the final board ..did he use a lightbox for his rough comic layouts ? Please shed some light on this .

Oh paths not taken. I got the Joe Kubert catalog in 93 and planned to apply out of High School. Sadly my Art teacher had a chat with my parents, where he convinced them it was a scam school. Not worth the price of the stamp on the package.

Love this episode! Piskor the early years.

Got me curious too!! I still have mine from 99, I was only 12 years old, Inhad Darren Auck who was the Art Director for Marvel at the time recommend applying into the school....”I still dont think he realised I was 12yo though” man If I kept drawing instead of voice over... I dunno where Id be. Wouldnt be a breakfast Radio announcer thats for sure

yo this great man. Great story with Joe Kubert

Onorok! Yess!

I was in graphic design school from 1997 to early 1999 when I was 18. Worked my ass off to get in creating a portfolio, but that school was super elite and snobbish and they said comic art wasn't "mature". I did learn a lot, but I couldn't conform to their standards so I was kicked out for my lousy grades lol

I went to IUP!

NSF is sick for sure.