| Brief | Storyteller, troublemaker and a native son of Chicago, Len Kody serves as the Creative Director and Chief of Marketing for the Made Collaborative Studio. Professionally, Len's career has seen many moons and seasons, including six years as a public school English Teacher in both Chicago and LA. |
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| Core Personality Traits & Values | Made Collaborative's mission marries Len's most ardent aspirations with his prolific passions. He's a crusader and a creator who believes in the power of comics and creativity to change the world. |
| Archetype | The Magician |
| Motto | “I can do this all day.” |
| Collaboration Background | As a writer, Len has been collaborating to create comics for casual consumption since he was a kid. His recent efforts include Chicago: 1968 (with Tony Maldonado) and Master Jesus (with Steve Bialik). |
| Debut | Project founder Jimmy Briseno tapped Len shortly after Made Collaborative's initial outreach to urban youth. |
Len Kody was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, not far from the real Back of the Yards neighborhood. He was 8 years old when his late mother bought him Marvel Tales #227 off the spinner rack at a 7-Eleven. It was a Spider-Man story written by Stan Lee with Todd McFarlane art on the cover.
The comic’s action-packed interior illustrations and Stan Lee’s wise-cracking dialog immediately captivated young Len Kody. It changed the course of his life forever.
How does one become a comic book writer when they grow up? Len didn’t know. But he knew that was what he wanted. Through determination and quite a bit of good luck, Len actually snagged his first professional writing gig before graduating high school.
He continued pursuing comics work during and after college. Ultimately, his master’s degree in Journalism was more a follow-up than preparation for creating content and putting it out there. By writing, producing and promoting his own comics, Len learned about web-presence and graphic storytelling from the school of hard knocks–he just did it and saw what worked.
As a young adult, he partnered with a number of local Chicago-area artists and plugged into a nationwide community of creators.
It was by way of Chicago’s community of comic creators that Len crossed paths with Jimmy Briseno, founder of the Made Collaborative project. The two met for coffee in Logan Square.
Jimmy’s pitch captivated him:
Made Collaborative is a social entrepreneurship enterprise that uses the magic of comics and storytelling to empower urban youth and give them a voice.
Len loved the idea because comic books had provided him so much purpose and direction; this was an opportunity to share that with others. When Len and Jimmy concluded their first meeting with a handshake, it was the beginning of a prosperous partnership and a beautiful friendship.
The hardscrabble, DIY world of independent comic books taught Len everything he knows about graphic storytelling and marketing from the school of hard knocks–he just did it and saw what worked.
A couple of his recent efforts include Chicago: 1968 (with Tony Maldonado), a political drama about the Democratic National Convention, and Master Jesus (with Steve Bialik), a metaphysical martial arts epic.
Click below to collaborate with Len on his creative projects. You can provide constructive feedback and join the conversation.
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book. iPad/iPhone users, submit images from FILES (NOT from Photo Library).
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
Collaborate with professional artists by contributing some artwork of your own! Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
