Art Baltazar. Photo provided.
By Jenefar de Leon, The Vista Staff Writer
UCO will welcome comic book author and illustrator Art Baltazar Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Communication Building Room 120.
Baltazar is best known for his creations “Patrick the Wolf Boy” and Eisner Award-winning “Tiny Titans.”
Art will discuss his work and answer questions from the audience.
“I know they will be entertained,” James Dolph of the English Department said. “Art is a really funny and interesting guy. I hope they will be inspired.”
Baltazar started his art studio in 1994 with his self-published comic book, “The Cray-Baby Adventure,” according to Baltazar’s Web site.
Baltazar also created other comics such as “Gyro-Man,” “Captain Camel & the Space Chicken,” “Jimmy Dydo,” “Lunar Lizar” and “Meteor Mite.”
Baltazar has also worked with Warner Bros. and has a monthly comic book in Disney’s Adventure Magazine known as “Gorilla, Gorilla.”
The English Department’s Creative Studies Writers’ Institute co-sponsors with New World Comics for the event.
“One of the best parts of this event is that we have a co-sponsor from the community [Buck Berlin of New World Comics],” Dolph said. “This helps the university’s visibility and connects us with the world outside. I expect quite a few of Buck’s customers who are non-UCO fans to show up for this event.”
Dolph says he hopes his students will be inspired by his work and learn that there are other ways to write beside just novels and screenplays.
Dolph described comic books as art in and of themselves.
He said that comic books are completely different from novels and film.
“Many students are interested in writing comics and since the process of scripting comics and graphic novels is very similar to writing a stage or screenplay,” Dolph said. “We decided to have a writer, who is also happens to be an illustrator, from one of the major publishers come and discuss his process.”
Dolph said, although Baltazar’s comics are geared toward a younger audience, parents and older comic book collectors enjoy them as much kids.
Comic books are introduced at an early age and help develop reading skills for children, he said.
“The work promotes early reading and that important togetherness that parents and children benefit from reading together,” Dolph said.
Dolph said he is personally a fan of Baltazar’s work as well.
“I love his whimsical take on the DC comic heroes in “Tiny Titans,” Dolph said. “I’m a huge fan of his re-envisioned version of Shazam.”
Baltazar will also have a special appearance at 11 a.m. Saturday at New World Comics, 6219 N Meridian Ave.
“Art’s got a great personality and everyone will find him to be a lot of fun,” Dolph said. “I think just his presence will truly delight people who attend, as well as the creative writing classes he visits.”
