“My dad noticed I was reading the comics with no trouble. Soon there were comic books in the house and I was writing and drawing stories of my own. Instead of shame, I felt empowered.”
– Michelle Ollie
Michelle Ollie is a cartoonist and co-founder of The Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont.
She shared her personal journey with dyslexia and comics HERE (excerpts on following pages). Today she runs an MFA and certificate program for cartooning. The program gives young artists to focus their work on drawing sequential art and working closely with professional mentors.
Today cartooning and animation are 250 billion dollar industries, and cartoonists find their jobs in areas such as comics, editorial work, advertising, sports, children’s books, or animated movies.
I had a chance to talk with Michelle and learn more about her center and personal career:
Read Michelle’s entire comic HERE.
Read Michelle’s entire comic HERE.
Coco Fox is a second year student at Michelle’s Center for Cartoon Studies. She shared Michelle’s comic with her 14 year old niece who has having school challenges because of her dyslexia and she was moved by Michelle’s comic.
She shared a graphic novel with her (The Prince and the Dressmaker) and she was amazed how easy it was to read. Unlike dense texts, she could “just read” and enjoy the story. From that moment on, she was hooked on reading.
Other projects Coco has been involved with includes Dog with Jobs and a group project, This is What Democracy Looks Like. You can see more of her work at MediumWeird.com and get a free (or donate) copy of the democracy comic on Gumroad.
