KEVIN CATALAN, PROFESSIONAL COMIC BOOK ARTIST: Kevin Anthony Catalan is a freelance Comic Cartoonist with two published comic books, Space Knights and Tales of Space Knights, and is featured as a cover artist and guest artist for various other comics.  Kevin was taught how to draw at a very young age by his father, an animator that worked at Disney and Warner Brothers, and was introduced to comics at age 9, instantly falling in love with the medium. Kevin graduated with a B.A. from San Francisco State University, majoring in Studio Arts with a focus on oil painting, and took various comic book classes. While in the University, Kevin tutored his fellow classmates in various subjects including Astronomy, Painting, and Comics Making. Kevin self published his epic action-packed comic book “Space Knights” a month after his college graduation in 2020, which has now been picked up by an independent Publisher. With all of this success as a comic book artist, teaching has been the most gratifying thing that has come out of his art career. Teaching is about growth on both sides. Kevin’s approach is to start a dialogue with his students, being able to ask questions and let them form their own way of tackling problems. There are no solid rules to art making, but they are lots of guides. So Kevin will help his students find their own individuality by showing them his methods but encouraging them to find their own unique interests and style. Outside of drawing comics, Kevin loves to play video games, watch movies, use his telescope to stargaze and exercise. 

MIKE JASORKA, PROFESSIONAL CARTOONIST AND COMIC ARTIST: Mike Jasorka grew up in a small rural town in New Jersey and graduated in 2007 from Rowan University with a studio art degree in illustration before making a move to his dream city of Los Angeles. There, he spent his time juggling his joy for self-publishing and creating his own comic books, providing storyboards for the advertising/film/music industry and teaching sequential art (comics) at Venice Arts - a non-profit multi-media arts organization. At Venice Arts, Mike has taught over 500 youth how to write and draw comics by applying the methods and foundations he uses in creating his own comics as well as the opportunities he has had professionally. Mike's teaching philosophy revolves around approaching creativity with a patience to grow - as every project brings new growth through challenge and requires great patience in order to passionately complete them. Most of Mike's time today is spent creating his next comic works, hanging out with his fiancée and friends, writing songs on the guitar and playing drums when he can.

🤩 RJ STERLING, ILLUSTRATOR AND EDUCATOR
RJ Sterling is a certified visual arts educator and freelance illustrator who has self published 8 comics and completed a variety of artwork for clients from  comics and character designs to portraits, tattoo designs and logos. RJ Sterling discovered his passion for drawing when he first opened the pages of Marvel and DC Comics. RJ learned to draw by studying the visual styles he saw in his favorite comic books. His favorite characters to draw are Spiderman and Batman. To develop his technical skills, RJ pursued illustration and comic design at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He received his BFA in Illustration and a year later his MFA in Art Education. As a teacher, RJ finds joy in aiding the discovery of art-making and visual thinking with his students. Students learn not only how to draw in his classes, but also how to creatively problem-solve, communicate, and think. As an illustrator, RJ loves working with people to bring their wildest ideas to life. In the time RJ is not drawing or teaching, he is playing his Playstation 5, reading books or enjoying time with his wife Annie.