Ryan Claytor
- (He/Him)
- Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Comic Art and Graphic Novel Minor
- Art, Art History and Design
Biography
Ryan Claytor is a comics artist and professor living in Lansing, Michigan. He is the coordinator of the Michigan State University Comic Art and Graphic Novel Minor and teaches the comics studio courses at MSU. Claytor’s work has garnered numerous awards including 1st place in the Graphic Novel category, top prize at the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo annual awards, as well as nominations for the Eisner and Ringo Comics Industry Awards.
Claytor’s achievements have included a Cartoonist in Residence position at the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum, visiting lectureships at the Dallas Museum of Art , The Center for Cartoon Studies, and The Savannah College of Art and Design, and an internship with Marvel Comics. He also judged the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award in 2008 and served as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Book Industry Awards in 2024. In 2009, Claytor had a featured exhibition of his work in the Cartoon Art Museum and Claytor began teaching the first comics studio course in Michigan State University‘s history. He has also served as the Director of the Michigan State University Comics Forum, an event for scholars, creators and fans, since 2009, as well as Host and Producer of the MSU Comic Art and Graphic Novel Podcast from 2016-2020.
As a creator, Claytor is known for his award-winning, self-published, autobiographical, comic book series And Then One Day. as well as his work on Coin-Op Carnival, A Hunter’s Tale, and his 20-year retrospective art book, One Bite at a Time.
Claytor’s international client list includes companies such as Moleskine, Stern Pinball, Walmart, Mr. Jones Watches, Verizon Wireless, and more. Other artistic pursuits include designing neon signs and watches.
Gallery
Videos
College of Arts & Letters News
- Ryan Claytor’s 20-Year Legacy as a Comics Education TrailblazerCollege of Arts & Letters
March 11, 2025Ryan Claytor is a trailblazer in comics education whose passion for teaching and talent as an award-winning comics artist and creator is fueled by his love of the expressive medium. Since joining Michigan State University’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design in 2008, […] Read Now →
- Several College Projects Supported by HARP Development and Production AwardsCollege of Arts & Letters
December 13, 2024Projects by College of Arts & Letters faculty, ranging from a linguistic course, to traveling exhibitions, to books on a range of subjects, received support this year from Humanities and Arts Research Program (HARP) Development or Production Awards. Funding for these HARP […] Read Now →
- Art, Art History, and Design Faculty Triennial Exhibit Runs Through July 21 at MSU BroadCollege of Arts & Letters
February 5, 2024The works of 22 Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD) faculty are now on display through July 21, 2024, at the MSU Broad Art Museum as part of an exhibition that highlights the diverse, experimental, and interdisciplinary creative practices of these talented and […] Read Now →
- MSU Comics Forum Set for February 21-22College of Arts & Letters
February 8, 2020This year’s Michigan State University Comics Forum, scheduled for February 21 and 22, will feature two keynote speakers, an artist alley, academic panel discussions, comic art exhibition, and private tours of the world’s largest public collection of comic books. The MSU […] Read Now →
- Studio Art Major Interns at Cartoon NetworkCollege of Arts & Letters
March 20, 2019College of Arts & Letters student Dania Abu-Rmaileh recently spent four months working at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California, as a production intern. “I grew up on a lot of Cartoon Network shows,” said Abu-Rmaileh, a senior Studio Art major with a […] Read Now →
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