The Kubert School
 | |
| Type | Proprietary, For-Profit |
|---|---|
| Established | 1976 |
| President | Joe Kubert |
Academic staff | 10–15 per school year |
| Undergraduates | 150 |
| Location | Dover, New Jersey |
| Campus | Urban |
| Mascot | Tor |
| Website |
kubertschool |
The Kubert School, formerly the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art or Joe Kubert School, located in Dover, New Jersey, is a three-year technical school that teaches the principles of sequential art and the particular craft of the comics industry as well as commercial illustration. The Kubert School was and still is the only accredited school devoted entirely to cartooning.
The school's instructors are full-time professionals working in the industry, many of them graduates of the school themselves, and the instruction is hands-on and practical. The school has a reputation for demanding and intensive coursework. Its alumni include Amanda Conner, Lee Weeks, and Alex Maleev, as well as many other successful and well-known comics pencilers and inkers.
History
The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art was founded in September 1976 by cartoonist Joe Kubert and his wife Muriel in Dover's former high school, whose tall windows offered optimal lighting.[1] Its first graduating class of 1978 included Stephen R. Bissette, Thomas Yeates, and Rick Veitch.
Founder and teacher Kubert kept his own studio in the school, later joined by his sons Adam and Andy, who are also comic book professionals and who teach at the school.
Campus and student body
The three official student houses are the Carriage House and Mansion, at the former site of the school on Lehigh Street, in Dover, and the Clinton House on W. Clinton Street. The school houses the Kubert Art Store, which sells art supplies needed for assignments, such as books and drafting tables.
There are usually no more than 150 students attending the school at any time. As well as regular weekday classes, the school also holds a weekly class every Saturday, which are available for people who are not enrolled in the main program. The class is on basic lessons in cartooning, and is taught by Fernando Ruiz and Fabio Redivo.
The school has students from as far away as Japan and Malaysia, in addition to students from the local area. Kubert expressed the school's philosophy in a 2003 profile:
| “ | There's no other way to learn this stuff, except through other people in the business. ... 80 to 90 percent of the students get jobs in related fields, but they really have to work. The average student is drawing 8 to 10 hours a day, 6 to 7 days a week. ... You get a complete and total dedication from these students. ... This is their lifeline out. A chance to make a livelihood at something they love to do.[1] | ” |
References
- 1 2 Jennings, Dana. "Paper, Pencil And a Dream," New York Times (Dec. 14, 2003).
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Kubert School. |
Coordinates: 40°53′14″N 74°33′09″W / 40.8873°N 74.5526°W