Date: Thursday, October 22nd

Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM

We are looking forward to hosting a cozy evening with Chris Vanjonack who will be sharing a workshop, reading, and Q&A from his debut short story collection, Out of Body.

5:30 - 6:30 workshop

6:30 - dinner served

7:00 - reading and Q&A

Dinner will be catered from C. King & Co. Please email us if you have any dietary needs and we will do our best! Email us at info@dzanchouse.org

Whether it’s Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, or something more indie like Monster of the Week or Kids on Bikes, tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) have never been more popular. It’s also never been easier to start making and sharing your own games. Join games designer Misha Grifka Wander for an intensive workshop on designing, playtesting, and publishing your own games. This workshop is best for people who have some familiarity with TTRPGs already, and are interested in designing their own game. Come prepared to share ideas, read new things, and even play a few little games!

Bio:

Misha Grifka Wander (they/he) grew up in Ann Arbor and attended college in Chicago, where they learned about making comics in one of America’s greatest cities for independent comics creation. They worked at arts nonprofits for a while, started designing games in 2019, and got a PhD in English in 2024. Since then, they have learned to combine their skills with narrative, image, and design to create a business as a freelance designer, artist, writer, and editor. They have worked with a number of companies and artists, including Plus One Exp, Far Horizons Co-Op, Storybrewers Games, and others. They have a passion for teaching, acquired while teaching English in grad school, and experience with a wide variety of creative practices, including a two-time Hugo Award finalist placement as an editor of Ancillary Review of Books.

(Choose your dates and price you are able to pay. Best to do both sessions as they build on each other)

Have you ever wanted to make your own comic, graphic novel, or webtoon, but you

weren’t sure where to start? Or have you started on your idea, but are now wondering

whether you’re headed in the right direction? This two-session class will introduce you to the fundamental concepts of graphic storytelling, including the terms, tools, and techniques you need to make your own comics stand out. Come learn about timing Through panels, visual rhyming, crow quills and Bristol board, and so much more!

The first session will focus on the building blocks of graphic storytelling and what you need to know to understand what makes a comic successful. In the second session, we’ll zoom in to the specific techniques that make a comic great, and discuss how we can improve our own work. The sessions build on each other, so please plan on coming to both!

Bio:

Misha Grifka Wander (they/he) grew up in Ann Arbor and attended college in Chicago,

where they learned about making comics in one of America’s greatest cities for

independent comics creation. They worked at arts nonprofits for a while, started

designing games in 2019, and got a PhD in English in 2024. Since then, they have

learned to combine their skills with narrative, image, and design to create a business as

a freelance designer, artist, writer, and editor. They have worked with a number of

companies and artists, including Plus One Exp, Far Horizons Co-Op, Storybrewers

Games, and others. They have a passion for teaching, acquired while teaching English

in grad school, and experience with a wide variety of creative practices, including a two-

time Hugo Award finalist placement as an editor of Ancillary Review of Books.