Princeton Comic Makers presents: JERSEY ART MEETUPS (JAM), a weekly social event bringing creatives in the greater Central Jersey area together through a shared passion for sequential art and new media.
Participants can use this open workshop space to draw, write and develop their own artwork, with the opportunity to receive peer reviews and feedback from other members if needed. Illustrators, animators, writers and generalists are welcome to join and discuss their art and career goals, share learning resources, promote current projects or find friends and collaborators. Together we strive to build a local community that motivates artists to pursue their dreams!
- Open to people aged 16+ and of all ability levels interested in any form of narrative art and design (e.g. animation, concept art, comics, game design, picture books, etc.).
- The group meets weekly on Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Casual visits are welcome!
- Bringing your own materials is strongly encouraged. Some basic materials will be provided – paper, pencils, etc. – but please bring any tools you need to create (e.g. drawing tablets, sketchbooks, etc.).
Who we are: Sponsored by artist and educator Ronah Harris, Princeton Comic Makers is an artist collective founded in 2023 by local illustrators Christina Castro, Suyang Gong, and Masha Zhdanova after they noticed a lack of in-person community spaces for New Jersey-based artists specializing in narrative arts and communication design. Although we work independently, we often exhibit together at events like MoCCA Fest, Anime NYC, and Camden Comic Con. Our weekly study group has motivated us to strive to complete projects and work toward professional goals, so we hope more people can benefit from this club!
- Christina Castro is a freelance illustrator and storyboard artist who earned a BFA in Digital Arts (2D Animation) and a minor in Creative Writing from Pratt Institute (2018). Her past clients include Smashbits Animation, gal-dem zine, and Bad Robot. Christina also currently organizes and directs production management for several independent charity zines, collaborating with writers, illustrators, and musicians around the world.
- Suyang Gong is a visual artist and illustrator who earned a BFA in Fine Arts from Rutgers University (2021). Previously, she worked as a teaching assistant at the Sharron Art Center for three years, tutoring students as they refine their technical drawing skills. Suyang also specializes in traditional media, often using materials such as graphite, ink, and oil paint to create dynamic works.
- Masha Zhdanova is a freelance writer, editor, and illustrator who earned a BFA in Sequential Art from SCAD in 2019 and recently completed her MFA in Cartooning at the Center for Cartoon Studies (2022). She has been a teaching assistant for two winter workshops at CCS and has taught comics classes for children at the Princeton Public Library. Masha’s clients include Publisher’s Weekly, Women Write About Comics, and Polygon, and she also currently edits content for The Anime Herald.
