This is the conclusion of the Bermuda National Gallery whose Workshop on this aspect of contemporary art was expected to draw only a small, specialised group of enthusiasts.

To their surprise, over 100 people have signed up for the one-evening event, which will answer such questions as "Are comic books art? Are comic books literature? Or are they both?'' Anthony Cannonier and Alex Monk, both cartoonists themselves, will be in the hot seat, sharing their enthusiasm and first-hand knowledge of an art form that has actually existed for hundreds of years.

There will also be hands-on demonstration, showing how the basic idea of a plot can be transformed into a visual story line.

"People will need a sketch pad, notebook, and something to draw and write with,'' says Mr. Monk, "but the most important thing will be just to look and listen. We will be showing how a cartoon is created, step by step. We'll be showing the sort of stuff we do, but also discussing different styles, such as that used by Disney.'' Comics, says Mr. Monk, are more difficult to create than most people realise and are rooted in good drawing, a grasp of perspective and a sense of design.

"You also have to be able to take the vital points of a script or a plot and visualise it in comic book form. The artist has to decide where to place the `cuts' between pictures to move the story along, but also understand the importance of leaving a certain amount to the imagination.'' `Superheroes' have always been a popular subject, so it is essential to learn how to transform these or other villainous figures from `normal' people through the use of exaggerated scale, distance and distorted proportions to make the biggest impact.'' Acknowledging that creator-owned material offers the artist far more freedom, Mr. Monk points out that many cartoonists prefer to work in the safer environment of corporate-owned industries, such as Disney.

Mr. Monk, who is completely self-taught, says he began drawing as a child, but gave it up then until his late teens.

"It gets to be like an addiction! Some days you just can't stop drawing.

That's just as well, because the key to success is perseverance as well as creativity. Anthony Cannonier, who has published his own comic book, has taught me more than anyone. I would consider him my teacher!'' He stresses that anyone interested in this form of art ("yes, of course it's an art!'') should try and get a good grounding in basic drawing. The best draughtsmen to study, he says, are, "Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rubens, and people like that. The Bermuda College has some excellent courses. Once you learn how to draw, you go on to learn how to do comics. Walt Disney hired people with formal art training because he knew once they had that, they could do anything.'' Mr. Monk's personal taste leans to the `fantasy', `barbarian' characters featured in many of today's comics.

"It's my way of getting out of myself! Sometimes, people commission me to do drawings or paintings for them. I like to experiment, with white and black space and the use of colours, which can alter the whole mood of a picture.

Colour can also help to tell the story. A simple example would be two people kissing, so you put in a nice, red hot sunset!'' Mr. Monk says that in the early '70s, there was a great deal of progress in the art of cartoon creation: "Baron Story was teaching at the Pratt Institute in New York, for instance, and he was one of the top talents. In those days, students would be taken under professionals' wings, but they don't really do that today.'' He expects that there will be "a lot'' of young people at the workshop. At the moment, says Mr. Monk, he and Anthony Cannonier are working on a book together.

"Some of the pictures are in oil, some in computerised colour. It's going to take a long time.'' Shane Kelly of local store Comic Images will also be on hand with advice on how to handle the marketing of comic books and posters.

"There is a steady market for comics in Bermuda,'' he says. "One of the problems a retailer has to do deal with is the level of sex and violence that is permissible. If we feel that a certain comic is just too violent, we restrict sales to adults -- people over the age of 18. What we try to achieve is a happy medium.'' The Comic Book Workshop takes place at the Bermuda National Gallery on Wednesday, December 7, commencing at 5.30 p.m. Admission is $10, or $5 for members and $2 for students. Telephone 295-9428 for further details.

CREATING COMICS -- An illustration from the sketch pad of Alex Monk demonstrates how a comic book figure takes shape.