Two grads. Nine crew members. Eleven comic creators teaming up for the ultimate caper.

ABOUT

The Grad-Guided Gambit is a long-term mentorship spanning the 2024-2025 school year. Selected juniors and seniors will be paired with a grad student who will coach them through a project of their choosing. Ideally, projects that students submit to this gambit will be created in addition to their standard classwork and geared toward professional development.The goal of this collaboration is to get students thinking about their careers outside of class and help them launch larger projects that don’t fit within the scope of a class assignment. Any junior or senior SEQA major is welcome to apply!The two grads for this year are Sarah Davidson and Gwen MooreSarah is a final-year grad student, former peer tutor, and comics instructor. Her specialties include:
-YA/MG Graphic Novels
-Webcomics
-Clip Studio PaintGwen is a second-year grad student and executive editor at Level Ground Comics. Their specialties include:
-Self Publishing / Crowdfunding
-Traditional techniques (inking, watercolor, etc)
-Mini ComicsAnyone who applies to this program must be willing to:
-Do work outside of class
-Attend two meetings per quarter in person
-Take feedback and critique from peers and grad mentors
-Create and adhere to their own deadlines
-Maintain communication through Discord

FAQ

Q: Is this an official SCAD or Sequential Art Department Event?A: Nope! It's just a fun thing that Sarah and Gwen want to doQ: Can I turn in my Gambit project for class assignments?A: Nope! The point of this project is to get students to create work outside of just class assignments, so nothing you do for this should be submitted for classworkQ: Can I attend any of the mandatory meetings virtually?A: This can be decided on a case-by-case basis in case of unforeseen circumstances, but in general, no. You should plan on attending two mandatory in-person meetings every quarter (dates TBD)Q: What will happen at the gambit meetings?A: Crew members will share their project progress, give each other feedback, and Gwen and Sarah will answer questions about the comics industry as a profession, and potentially give workshops on valuable professional practices and informationQ: If I am a Freshman/Sophomore can I apply?A: For this particular gambit, we are looking at Juniors and Seniors onlyQ: What kind of project can I do for this mentorship?A: We are encouraging applicants to pick a project that will either 1) help you develop a new skill, 2) create a product or a pitch, or 3) further your professional portfolio. Projects should be thoughtful and purposeful to further your careerQ: Can I do storyboards for my gambit project?A: While we won't automatically exclude anyone from the program for wanting to do a storyboard project, Gwen and Sarah are exclusively comic artists, and may not have strong feedback or the industry knowledge to properly mentor a storyboard artistQ: How are Gwen and Sarah qualified to be mentors?A: Gwen and Sarah are both Sequential Art graduate students on their second and third years in the graduate program, who also completed their undergrad in SEQA. Gwen is the head editor of Level Ground Comics and their career goal is to be an editor and work in publishing. Sarah has been a peer tutor, grad mentor, taught classes for Comics Experience, and her goal is to be a professor at SCADQ: Will there be any consequences if I fail to deliver on my goals or if I drop from the gambit?A: There will be no official consequences except not being able to present at the final showcase in Spring Quarter, but Sarah and Gwen will be very, very disappointed in you