The SAW Single-Year Comics Intensive

Do you know your work isn’t good enough, but  don’t know how to make it better?

Do you NEED to devote yourself for a year to your art, but haven't had the chance?

You’re not alone.

Going at it alone is hard.

Going at it with the wrong tools, in the wrong place is hard.

We've been through it

Justine Mara Andersen, our star drawing teacher, had her mentors tell her she wasn't good enough, and she should go back to college. Determined to show them otherwise, she studied and studied and became a master, eventually working with DC Comics, Lucasfilm, Wizards of the Coast and much much more. 


Our founder Tom Hart quit college to forge his own path with a cohort of like-minded artists in the early 90s. He has since become a New York Times #1 bestselling author. He says "SAW is the school I wished I went to."


Everyone at SAW has at one time or another had to struggle with the same questions and dilemmas, and we’ve all found answers. 

Our faculty can share them with you through our unique blend of mentorship and comics-specific curriculum.

At SAW, We Change Lives.



Testimonials about the SAW Instructors

SAW is for serious students of comic book and sequential art.

  • Suiting Your Needs

    Whether your interest is personal stories, graphic novels, or genre comics or whether your concern is for entertainment, literary depth, or personal expression, then our program is for you.

  • Students of All Kinds

    We have taught comics to young and old, to illustration students, writers and english teachers, fine artists and people who just don’t know what to do and more. If you have passion and a dedication to learning sequential art, then the SAW single-year intensive is for you.

  • Giving Back

    SAW recognizes the need for diversifying the arts and is offering assistance in the form of two newly-funded scholarships, one for women, and one for persons of color.

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome from Tom Hart and Emma Jensen

    2. What is SAW? An alum made this comic.

    3. What is SAW? - Video

    4. Why an art school alternative?

    5. What do I tell my loved ones (When I tell them I want to go to a community run arts school)?

    1. About the SAW Teaching Residency

    2. September 6 to October 15: Andi Santagata

    3. October 25 to December 10: Casey Nowak

    4. January 3 to April 1: Melanie Gillman

    1. Tuesday Studio Day

    2. Pagan Rituals - Video

    1. Who is Emma Jensen?

    2. Group Critique

    1. Online Resources and Community

    1. Who is Tom Hart?

    2. Tom Hart on Comics as Personal Expression --1 Min. Video

    3. Interview with Tom Hart, 2009 - Video

    4. Tom Hart and Carol Tyler at the Society of Illustrators, 2016 - Video

About this course

  • Free
  • 36 lessons
  • 0 hours of video content

What others have been saying about SAW

“SAW has been the single best decision I’ve made for my creative career. It is run by some of the most generous, accepting and insightful people I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. My classmates were equally inspiring and an absolute joy to be around. I still use what I learn almost every day, and continue to reap the benefits...”

“SAW was everything I needed, in the right place at the right time. I learned so much in such a short amount of time. I learned from some of the most dedicated, compassionate people I’ve ever met, with 9 wonderful classmates. If you’re thinking about going there, feel free to talk to me.”

“I travelled ten thousand miles from India to study at SAW. I’ve lived in five countries before, and I can tell you there is something special about the people at SAW that is rare anywhere in the world. My experience here has been invaluable. I have learnt so much about cartooning, art, nature and life. ”

“I think back on my time at SAW almost every day, the amount I got out of my year there is amazing… I’d probably have quit comics without Tom and Justine’s guidance. I think a lot about how much I’d get out of taking the full-year program again.”

Pricing options

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