Here's the list of classes
offered:
Making Comics
Writing Horror for Comics and Film
How to Edit Comics and
Graphic Novels
Testimonials
"Jim Higgins has a great story mind. His notes are spot on, and he got me to step up my game in a big way. My story is so much richer for his input.”
- Clay Adams, co-writer RED XMAS, Scout Comics
"As an editor, Jim has a very strong ability to structure a storyline, develop character and remain enthusiastic and encouraging through to the end of a project. His skills in organizing a book project to completion are unsurpassed. An exhaustive knowledge of cinematic and comics history, as well as, a sharp eye for suggesting creative solutions in drawing, design and composition make him an invaluable asset for any storytelling endeavor."
Mary Walter
VFX editor, Cartoonist
"Enthusiastic and professional, Jim has been a constant source of entrepreneurial ideas and inspiration, as well as a trusted colleague."
Langdon Foss
Freelance artist, illustrator, and designer
"Jim is a great teacher and editor with a solid understanding of storytelling and art. I've always found his insights to be objective and helpful in strengthening the work of mine that he's reviewed."
Steven Prince
Brand Manager, Writer
An in-person class!
Starting on Monday, September 29, 2025, I'll be doing a class at the new LA homebase the for The Jim Higgins College of Comics (faculty of 1), The Comic Bug's Manhattan Beach location. The Comic Bug is a great comic store with a huge selection of comics and all kinds of other merch, with many gaming events and ongoing game-playing.
Join this weekly workshop where you can accomplish your goals as a comic book writer, artist or both. In the class, participants bring in their work, exchange useful and honest criticism, and share ideas while being led and instructed by an experienced, passionate comics professional.
Learn the most important aspect of writing — how to structure a story as it relates to the medium of comics and graphic novels. In this workshop, writers and cartoonists learn the essential knowledge needed to write a story with interesting characters, an engaging plot, and a satisfying ending. Both will learn about visual storytelling, as it relates to comics. Artists will learn about composition, lighting, figure work, and other drawing skills. The goal for writer/artists is to have a finished 8 to 10-page minicomic at the end of the classes. The goal for writers is to have a completed script for a 15 to 16-page short comics script.
-
Dates: September 29 to December 15, 2025
-
Day: Mondays
-
Time: 6:00 to 9:00pm
-
Cost: It was $495, BUT -- The Comic Bug is giving a
-
20% discount, so it's now only $395
-
Where: The Comic Bug - 1807 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
-
Students need to be 18 or older to take the classes.
SPACE IS LIMITED. Once you sign up, just bring a sketch pad and pencils or a notebook, depending whether or not you’re just writing or writing and drawing to the first class.
The class (and all the others here) is taught by me, Jim Higgins. I'm a former DC Comics editor and have been in the comics field for over 25 years. I've written comics and screenplays. I've taught comics at CalArts, The School of Visual Arts, UCLA, The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Otis College of Art and Design, and more. My 12-episode online show, "Crafting Comics with Jim Higgins," was produced by Nerdist.
Sign up now! To join the class, email me at jim@newsuit.net, let me know you want to take the class, and I'll give you instructions about how to pay.
Are you thinking about doing a graphic novel? Or maybe a comics series? Are you doing it, or still just thinking about it? Take my WRITING LONGFORM COMICS class and it'll jumpstart you and get you on your way. Before you sit down to do the art (or hire someone to do it) you need to make sure your story is as good as it can be. I'll help you with story structure, character development, get you to bring out the emotional beats, and the themes you want to explore. Plus, you'll get constructive feedback and support from the other students. And deadlines to get things done. Every creative person works better with deadlines!
-
Dates: September 18 to November 6, 2025
-
Day: Thursdays
-
Time: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Pacific time
-
Cost: $450
-
Students need to be 18 or older to take the classes.
-
Where: Online using Zoom.
SPACE IS LIMITED so sign up now!
This class is done through the nice people at The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. Go to their website and you can find out all about the benefits there are to becoming a member, as well as the details about the their annual Illustration West awards. https://si-la.org/
To join the class, go HERE:
https://si-la.org/courses-offered/
In this online class, we’ll analyze various comics and films in order to understand some of the tropes, methods, and techniques used to make great horror stories, as well as the reasons behind our desire to be scared. You'll learn about psychological issues that will help you understand the effects of your horror elements on the audience. We'll look at common and interesting themes in horror and how to develop them. And you'll learn how horror can be best used in the structure of your story.
Everyone will work toward finishing a scene-by-scene outline for their story, whether it's a graphic novel, a screenplay, or a shorter comic story. The class will be done in a workshop style, where the students and I will give both critical and positive feedback.
We'll meet live online, but the class will be recorded so that students can re-watch it later or can watch for the first time if they can’t be in the class live. The class runs for eight sessions.
Dates: September 17 to November 5, 2025
Day: Wednesdays
Time: 5:00pm to 8:00pm Pacific Time
Cost: $450
Where: Online and recorded using Skype.
Students need to be 18 or older.
SPACE IS LIMITED! To sign up, send me an email at jim@newsuit.net, then pay with your PayPal account, or with your credit card at the PayPal site as a "guest." You can also pay with Venmo. Both use the same email address:
Let's say you're a book editor. You're someone who can read a lot and can see the strengths and high points of a manuscript, the weaknesses and the things that don't work, and everything in between. At some point you started seeing graphic novels popping up in bookstores and reviews, and thought they were an interesting way to publish a book. You think, “I’m a pretty good editor, but I don't know if I’d know how to edit a graphic novel.”
What if you're a comics reader who wants to get into the creative side of the comics world, but you're not a writer our artist?
What is a graphic novel? Is there a difference between comics and graphic novels (the short answer is: not really)? A graphic novel is the kind of thing that you know when you see one. But how does one get made? What are the steps the creators take and in what order? And you think, “You mean I have to be able to look and assess artwork??”
This six-session class will help you learn how to do that, and will cover a wide range of topics including the creative side of making a graphic novel, the editing process, and the distribution of the finished book out to the world. You’ll learn the jargon used in the comics biz (You‘ll be able to say things like, “This balloon should be higher up and not go into the gutter.”) We’ll spend a lot of time looking at great comics art, as well as some not-so-great comics art. And you'll get good at seeing the difference between the two. You’ll also read some great graphic novels.
When: Wednesdays, TBA
Time: 5:00pm to 8:00pm Pacific Time
Cost: $375
Online and recorded using Skype.
Students need to be 18 or older.
SPACE IS LIMITED! To sign up, send me an email at jim@newsuit.net
then pay with your PayPal account, or with your credit card at the PayPal site as a "guest." You can also pay with Venmo. Both use the same email address:
If you have any questions, email me at jim@newsuit.net.
You can pay with your PayPal account, or with your credit card at the PayPal site as a "guest."