Many course topics are believed to be “unteachable” online. Tom Hart teaches one of them — cartooning. Not only that, his school operates as a nonprofit. But despite bucking conventional wisdom in both ways, Tom’s school has been comically successful.

Tom Hart is a graphic novelist and the founder and executive director of The Sequential Artists Workshop, a non-profit school and arts organization located in Gainesville, Florida.

In this episode, Danny, Abe, and Tom discuss:

• How Tom’s courses have evolved over his years in business
• The importance of marketing
• Course pricing
• Employing additional instructors
• Tom’s school’s nonprofit model
• Student emotions and providing community support
• Addressing student mindset challenges
• Tom’s advice for aspiring course creators
• Acquiring students

“Forming a community is actually one of the best things we do for people. They don’t really know that going in — they don’t realize one of the main things they need is a support system of readers and fellow learners.”

Tom Hart

Tom Hart is a graphic novelist and the founder and executive director of The Sequential Artists Workshop, a non-profit school and arts organization located in Gainesville, Florida.

Since 2001, he has been a teacher at the School of Visual Arts in New York City as well as Parsons, Brooklyn College, the University of Florida, and a host of other institutions before starting his own school in 2012.

His graphic novel about his daughter called Rosalie Lightning was a New York Times #1 bestseller and has been translated into numerous other languages, was featured on many “Best of 2016” lists, and was also nominated for two comics industry Eisner Awards.

Resources or websites mentioned in this episode:
Mirasee
Ruzuku
Tom’s websites: learn.sawcomics.org and SequentialArtistsWorkshop.org

Credits:
Hosts: Danny Iny and Abe Crystal
Producer: Cynthia Lamb
Assembled by: Geoff Govertsen
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Audio Post Supervisors: Evan Miles and Christopher Martin
Audio Post Production: Post Office Sound
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

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Music credits:
Track Title: Bossa BB
Artist Name: Marie
Writer Name: Chelsea McGough
Publisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist Name: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer Name: Matthew Wigton
Publisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Grace
Artist Name: Shimmer
Writer Name: Matthew Wigton
Publisher Name: BOSS SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONS

Track Title: Carousel Lights
Artist Name: Chelsea McGough
Writer Name: Chelsea McGough
Writer Name: Matthew Wigton
Publisher Name: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Publisher Name: BOSS SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONS

Special effects credits:
24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.