kubertschool.edu

What It Is

The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art is a vocational art school located in Madison, New Jersey, USA. It was founded in 1976 by legendary comic artist Joe Kubert and Muriel Kubert. The school has a very clear focus: it is not a comprehensive art university, nor is it a degree-granting program. Instead, it is a three-year professional training institution for comics, graphic novels, commercial illustration, and sequential storytelling art.

Core Courses and Resources

Based on the main content, the school emphasizes a three-year Cartoon Graphics study path, covering areas such as traditional drawing, inking, digital illustration, storytelling, and commercial art. The campus provides classrooms, drawing tables, easels, computers, facilities for figure-drawing classes, and more. Class sizes are generally around 17 students or fewer. In terms of faculty, the school states that many instructors are practicing artists and designers currently active in the industry, with professional backgrounds spanning fantasy illustration, computer graphics, and other fields. Its advisory board and alumni network also show strong connections with comics and publishing organizations such as DC, Marvel, Dynamite, and Random House Graphic.

Pricing and Accreditation

The main content does not directly disclose specific tuition amounts, only indicating that applicants should check the Tuition/Fees page. Tuition is paid in two installments, due around July 14 and December 14. The school does not offer Title IV federal financial aid, though it does have a scholarship page and also suggests that students consider loans from banks or credit institutions. In terms of accreditation and approval, it is approved by the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and is authorized to enroll non-immigrant international students. However, the FAQ clearly states that it is not a degree-bearing program.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths lie in its strong career orientation, focused subject area, and deep historical foundation, making it suitable for students who want to enter fields such as comics, commercial illustration, animation, games, advertising, and graphic design. The school also provides career services, including job-search planning, interview skills, and position research. Each year, around 12–15 companies visit the school to review portfolios from third-year students. The drawbacks are also clear: it does not award degrees, does not provide federal financial aid, does not list tuition directly in the main content, and its career services explicitly do not guarantee employment. The program may also be quite intensive; the history page mentions that students need to spend a significant amount of time training at the drawing board.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is better suited to learners with clear goals who are willing to undergo intensive in-person training and who want to become comic artists, illustrators, concept artists, letterers, colorists, storyboard artists, or pursue related commercial art roles. If someone is mainly looking for a university degree, general education, or low-cost online courses, it may not be the right fit. Access from China is not addressed in the main content, so it is temporarily assessed as unknown. Applicants should also verify official website accessibility, visa requirements, housing, tuition, and international student support information.