Who is John Golden?
| Summary Traits | John is a master illustrator who can take any transform any idea into illustrative magic. He is the owner of his own independent art studio, the Mortal Mirror Studio, and he was one of the early participating artists for Made Collaborative, his art featured in both Issues 1 and 2 of the Back of the Yards comic series. |
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| Core Personality Traits & Values | John is smart, creative and always open for a new challenge. He hails from the great state of New York, moved to the windy city of Chicago, ending up where he is today in the mountain tops of Colorado, where he continues to apply his creativity to new creative projects. And if you'd like to collaborate with him, just hit the "Let's Collaborate" button on the left to start the conversation! |
| Archetype | The Magician |
| Motto | TBD |
| John's Projects | TBD |
| Debut | John started working with Jimmy Briseno and Manny Dominguez in the very early days of this Made Collaborative project back in 2014, during initial meetings with youth in the after school programs of Chicago. |
Introduction to John Ashton Golden
[Background on John, plus education and credentials. Include John’s art to further promote his work.]
[TBD - Links to John's sites and other works/projects to be inserted]
More space for John to introduce his interests and projects, etc.
And Then Came Made Collaborative and a New Comic, the Back fo the Yards!
REVISE TO INCORPORATE JOHN’S WORK ON THE PROJECT MORE SPECIFICALLY. 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 during what turned out to be Len’s final week in Chi-Town. Great changes were afoot in Len’s life at the time — he was about to relocate to Los Angeles.
Even so, 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.
Let’s Collaborate! [WORK WITH JOHN TO CREATE A GOOGLE FORM THAT TARGETS HIS OWN PROJECTS AND INTERESTS AND SOLICITS OTHERS TO HELP/COLLABORATE, ETC.]
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Who is Len Kody?
| 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. |
A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Man
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.
Creative Explorations
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.
The Birth of 'Back of the Yards'
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.
Studio Card #7: Introducing The Back of the Yards Comic Series!
Let’s Collaborate!
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.
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