Joe Kubert School of C&GD

**CreationEdge** · June 1st, 2005, 03:54 PM

http://www.kubertsworld.com/kubertsc...bertSchool.htm

I think this is the school I want to go to, but I really need feedback. I'm lost in terms of what I need.

I also need to know if it's the right school for what I want(I hear it's the best..)

I still have a year of High School left, but I'd like to make my decision now. I hear that it's very hard-core, and you don't have time to do much of anything but draw(meaning, good luck getting a job). If so, I'm going to need to start saving up now.

Another plus about the school is that it IS accredited.
My mother went to highschool there for a year or so.

Anyway, I'm interested in this:
Concept Art
Comics
My goal is to write AND illustrate my own graphic novels.

Here's what I know about the school:

Pros:
Best school for comic related fields
Focuses intensely on the art and not other subjects
Accredited
Student discount at the art supply store
Get to meet Frank Frazetta???

Cons:
It's in NJ.(I live in Iowa)
Expensive?
Portfolio requirement
Lack of other classes(creative writing, for example)
Time consuming

Thanks! And if anyone can actually get me an estimated tuition cost it'd be MUCH appreciated

**Mirana** · June 8th, 2005, 07:19 PM

I've heard of the school b/c it was the first to offer comics as a major, but I've never run into anyone who's gone there. The website looks "iffy" to me...not very professional, and I wouldn't send them $100 in application fees without knowing the tuition costs. >_>;

There are other schools that offer comics as a major. There aren't going to be any near Iowa, but I believe there are some in Cali. I go to SCAD in Georgia for my comic major. They also offer other majors and minors of interest for creative writing, concept and industrial design, etc. All the comic professors are pros and excellent at what they do.

**goldenavatar** · June 8th, 2005, 08:39 PM

I remember asking for a catalog of theirs a while ago. It was fairly informative on what the school offered, cost, and whatnot. In the end I didn't even bother applying, but your best bet would be to ask the admissions department for written information about the school.

**Silvertone** · June 8th, 2005, 09:57 PM

I went there for a year. It's a crapload of work dude. You have 10 classes a week. 2 a day 5 days a week. And it piles up fast. The most I worked was a Sunday at 11:00am straight thru to Monday morning at 6:00am doing 3 assignments due that week. You come out with some real strong work ethics though.

You can't choose your teachers or classes though, they are assigned to you. Unfortunately I had a lot of bad teachers at the time and ended up leaving. That could be all different now though. One of my old roommates teaches there now, and he's pretty damn good.

My advice would be to take a trip out there, take a tour of the school and when you get a chance, ask the students if they are happy with the school and their teachers. If you can't get out there try to reach someone online who is going there. I've heard some Kubies hang out at a site called pencilsketch.com?

They will send you a info packet with prices for tuition, housing and art supplies.

I'm guessing 12 - 14,000 for a years tuition?

FRANK FRAZETTA??????? WTF!!! Where did you hear that one?

STUDENT DISCOUNT?! Riiiiiiiiiiight.

Hey, it's like a 40 minute bus ride from Manhattan though, that's pretty cool. We went there quite a few times.

Take a look at SCAD. I think I heard Mark schultz and George Pratt teach down there. Don't limit yourself to only the Kubert school.

**CreationEdge** · June 9th, 2005, 11:13 AM

I have a catalog coming in the mail. Got a reply to my e-mail and was told the tuition(for this year) is $14,550.

http://www.kubertsworld.com/kubertsc...ial_events.htm

They have pics up here, at the bottom, of kids at the Frazetta Museum w/Frazetta and his wife.Looks like the museum is in PA, but a class must've taken a trip there.

I checked out the SCAD site. Not too thoroughly yet(I'm on vacation), but already found out the tuition is about $6,000 more that Kubert's.It also looks like there are some other courses required there for graduation(science/history/whatever)

Either way, it's going to end up costing a lot. Ugh...
Looks like rent in NJ is in the $500-1000 a month, not to mention food and supplies. No idea what it's like near SCAD.

I supposed it's a good thing I don't plan to go right out of high school, then. Probably save up money for several years...

Or I could buff up a bit and become a male stripper...

Well, I'm off to draw. For some reason I think I have to be as good as a graduate of an art college before I can even go. And they say I'm smart...

**CreationEdge** · June 9th, 2005, 11:30 AM

Mirana: What classes do you have to take to graduate in your major? How many years will you attend?

Just a comment about the website... Doesn't look too professional, but the ones that do doesn't necessarily mean quality. It's easier to sell your goods in a fancy package, if if your goods aren't any better than the generic brand,

.

Silvertone: Pencilsketch.com seems to be down. Google has it as a site, but the domain name seems to have been taken by an art search engine thing. So annoying.

**Silvertone** · June 9th, 2005, 03:39 PM

Holy crap! You weren't kiddin about the Frazetta meeting. We didn't even get any guest speakers when I was there. How friggin awesome would that be? I'm so damn jealous!

14,500 for tuition, did they mention how much for the art supplies you have to buy? Maybe 1500 or so? Your mail info will give you prices for everything.

They have housing too, when I went there it was 3000 for 9 months in the mansion. Kinda nice to pay for everything up front and not worry about paying rent every month. I worked a couple jobs to save up everything before I went. Working while going to class there seemed impossible. Some of my friends did it, but I don't know how.

Maybe try Lead(Led) Heavy.com? Those guys are pretty much comic book art people.

Another con....no chicks! Another pro....Jewish holidays!

**glikster** · June 9th, 2005, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Silvertone

Another con....no chicks! Another pro....Jewish holidays!

What? What place are you talking about?

**goldenavatar** · June 10th, 2005, 08:57 PM

Silvertone: You sure you didn't mean Penciljack.com and not pencilsketch.com?

**Silvertone** · June 12th, 2005, 03:24 AM

OOps! Sorry about that. You're right goldenavatar, it is penciljack I was thinking of. It's been a while since I was on that site.

Glikster I was talling about kubert school. You get all the Jewish holidays off besides the traditional christian holidays. And there's not too many girls into comic books let alone any that will go to a comic book school.

**Mirana** · June 12th, 2005, 09:48 PM

Silvertone - LOL! Half the department at SCAD is girls nowadays (a couple of years ago there were only a handful).

Mark schultz and George Pratt were guest professors. We're going to have Glen Villpu next year. Right now we have Linda Medley.

CreationEdge - I highly recommend going to a local community or state college for a couple of years before you transfer to an art school. It'll make your parents happy that you're in school right out of HS and it'll cost a heck of a lot less. I went to the local state school for two years, took all my core classes (Math, Science English <-- of which SCAD requires only 2 classes of english, 2 of science OR math) and transfered everything (including weird things like Japanese History and Web Animation).

The major itself is a 4-yr Fine Arts degree, I'm only taking two. I'm also only paying half of the tutition due to a scholarship.

Cost of living depends on whether you live in the dorms (which is upfront cost + cost of meal plan), or outside and where. The cheapest living is down in Southside; that's about $500 a month. Of course, most people have roommates.

The website looks like it was thrown together by somebody who doesn't know basic html...let alone basic design (and that's important when you're an ART school). It's very unprofessional and disappointing. The marketing might reflect heavily on what people think about the school. :/

**glikster** · June 15th, 2005, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Silvertone

Glikster I was talling about kubert school. You get all the Jewish holidays off besides the traditional christian holidays.

OK... maybe I'm showing my stupidity, but why do they get Jewish Holidays off?

**CreationEdge** · June 15th, 2005, 01:09 PM

Why not?

**glikster** · June 15th, 2005, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by CreationEdge

Why not?

Good answer.... I wish I had known about that school when I was still able to go to school. Oh well...

**Silvertone** · June 15th, 2005, 03:39 PM

Well, the whole family runs and works the school. Administration, faculty, the art store and even caretaker of the mansion and carriage house(student housing) all have Kuberts working. Since they're a jewish family they take off the jewish holidays.

Actually I think it's only rosh hashana and yom kippur they get out but any day off from that school is a blessing.

Another website CreationEdge to look at is sketchbooksessions.com. One of my old buddies and roomy, Toby Cypress is teaching at the school now. You can check out some of his work here:
http://www.sketchbooksessions.com/th...ic.php?t=19818

**CreationEdge** · June 27th, 2005, 04:47 PM

Well, I got that catalog(while on vacation, so I had to wait 2 weeks to actually see it!).

Pretty informative. Had the tuition costs for the 2005-06 school reay(Not the one I'll be attending), plus the costs of supplies and housing.

It listed the holidays off, too. The two Silver mentioned, then Thanksgiving and X-mas, plus winter and spring breaks.

I like the school's portfolio requirements. They tell you a number they expect(15-25), while I can't find such a number on SAIC's site. They just say send in some stuff. Although, I just now registered for a SAIC catalog, so maybe that'll be more specific.

I'm still pretty sure that's where I want to go. It seems like it'd be an accomplishment just graduating there. If you manage that, you have to be good. Because if you're not, they drop you

.

Thanks for the help, guys. I'll check out those links. The one you just posted works, but the forum is down right now

**WalkerTA** · January 23rd, 2006, 08:43 PM

I will ad dmy 2 cents:

Don't attend this school unless your intention it to learn to draw like the people running/teaching at this school. They really like to focus on your art looking like their own.

Workload is very high but acceptable.

More time spent on B.S. than actual teaching/learning.

They really like for you to purchase supplies from thier store that you will never be taught to use or assinged to use.

I did however get to sit in with MCfarland, Vallejho and a few others. My teachers at the time were quite well known in the Comic world except for 2-3 of them. Most were old school but they still have something to offer.

If you go there go early and grab the top floor of the mansion

**EVILNICK** · October 31st, 2006, 08:57 PM

I met Frank Frazetta and shook his hand last year. It was one of the coolest field trips I took last year. The kubert student discount...what a joke! Everything is still overpriced in that store. If I can find an item that I need in another art store chances are its still cheaper without the student discount. Tuition this year is about $16K+ I'm ex military so the gi bill helped out alot in paying for school. I only lived in the Mansion last year,cause I couldn't find an affordable apartment in the area. I'm currently living in the 'Frat house'. The ghost of the little girl appeard in my room in the mansion. So if you don't mind the ghosts,squirrels burroring into the house,or strange roommates then school housing is for you. The school's currently being renovated(asbestos removal,and adding a wal-green's to the school) so classes are currently being held in what appears to be a former semi-conductor factory.