Google Form Widget

Who is ...
Russell Patterson?
Summary Traits Russell is a very shy and creative young man. He is a grade or two younger than the rest of our young principal characters.
Core Personality Traits & Values Russell Patterson has an extremely vivid imagination and a very active dream life. He just may be the most talented and creative student at New City High, but he lacks confidence so he too often daydreams as a means of escape.
Archetype The Dreamer
Motto “It is okay to live a life that others don't understand”
Collaboration Background Russell’s character was initially developed during the original Made Collaborative in-person classroom collaborations with youth in the fall and winter of 2013, as part of an after school program in the West-Side of Chicago.
Debut Issue #1 of the Back of the Yards comic series
Let's Collaborate

There’s a magical time in a young person’s life, before the opposite sex becomes quite so interesting, when the diaphanous membrane between dreams and reality is at its most permeable. It’s a time when dreams can be shared easily between those with whom we’ve forged a special, life-long bond.

Russel and Draymond are cousins—but more like brothers, really—and they share a common dream iconography made up of interwoven archetypes and meta-narratives. Together, they intermittently inhabit a whole universe of stories that are both created and experienced by the two. 

Table of Contents

Related Studio Cards

Who is…
Erihii Nyamor?

Who is Eric Nyamor?

QR Code for Who is Eric Nyamor?
Brief
Erihii Nyamor (aka Eric) keeps things grounded and real while being one of the team’s biggest dreamers. His anime-influenced art adds both vibrance and credibility to the project. Since the launch, he’s played a key role in artistic and character development.
Core Personality Traits & Values
Eric combines his passion for storytelling with a strong belief in the transformative power of art. He’s both a visionary and a collaborator, using creativity to connect and inspire.
Archetype
The Creator
Motto
"No matter how hard or impossible it is, never lose sight of your goals."
Collaboration Background
Erihii has been creating dynamic art and characters for as long as he can remember. His recent projects include collaborations with the Nashville Black Market and illustrations for children's books across Tennessee.
Latest Work
Linked below you'll find Erihii's Instagram for the latest on work and appearances. Further info can also be found on his "I Can Draw" website. The Yas x Yen IG is a production journal of Nyamor's graphic novel in progress.
Read more

The Hero’s Journey (Part II)
Initiation

Crazy Journey

Studio Card #5: The Hero’s Journey (Part II) – Initiation

QR Code for Studio Card #5:  The Hero’s Journey (Part II) – Initiation
Brief
In the first part of the Hero’s Journey, the hero answered the call and stepped into the unknown. Now comes the real test. This stage—Initiation—is where the hero is challenged, pushed, and transformed.
Scope
The middle of the journey is where things get messy. The hero faces trials, enemies, and obstacles that test their strength and resolve. But they also find allies—unexpected friendships that help them push forward. Every challenge brings them closer to who they need to become, preparing them for the greatest test still to come.
This & That
The Made Collaborative has developed a storytelling framework rooted in timeless methods. Through this process, urban youth and professional collaborators alike have shaped Back of the Yards. Now, it’s your turn. Dive into the journey, add your voice, and your work could even be featured in a future issue of the comic
Read more

Who is…
Russell Patterson?

Studio Card #6: Our Young Dreamer

QR Code for Studio Card #6: Our Young Dreamer
Brief
Russell Patterson is a comic character developed as part of the Back of the Yards comic series, a Creative Commons project produced by the Made Collaborative Studio. Russell is a very shy and creative young man. He is a grade or two younger than the rest of our young principal characters.
Core Personality Traits & Values
Russell Patterson has an extremely vivid imagination and a very active dream life. He just may be the most talented and creative student at New City High, but he lacks confidence so he too often daydreams as a means of escape.
Archetype
The Dreamer
Motto
“It is okay to live a life that others don't understand”
Collaboration Background
Russell’s character was initially developed during the original Made Collaborative in-person classroom collaborations with youth in the fall and winter of 2013, as part of an after school program in the West-Side of Chicago.
Debut
Issue #1 of the Back of the Yards comic series
Read more

And Every Great Character Has
A Hero’s Journey

The Journey Begins

Studio Card #2 | Creating Your Own Hero’s Journey!

QR Code for Studio Card #2 | Creating Your Own Hero’s Journey!
Brief
In the previous Studio Card, you took your first creative steps—bringing a character to life and exploring what makes them unique. Now, it’s time for their journey to begin. Every hero, from the first stories ever told to today, follows a path filled with trials, transformation, and discovery. Welcome to the Hero’s Journey!
Scope
The first five stages of the Hero’s Journey form a Call to Action. We meet your hero, step into their world, and watch as a challenge disrupts the balance. Will they answer the call? Will they step onto the rocky road of adventure? Or will they cling to blissful ignorance?
This & That
The Made Collaborative has developed a storytelling template rooted in ancient methods intrinsic to human nature. We invite you to engage in the same process that urban youth and our cadre of professional collaborators have used to shape Back of the Yards. Join us in building a richer, deeper world—on the comics page and beyond. And who knows? Your story could become part of it.
Read more

Who is…
Dan Dougherty?

Who is Dan Dougherty?

QR Code for Who is Dan Dougherty?
Summary Traits
TBD
Core Personality Traits & Values
TBD
Archetype
The Magician
Motto
TBD
Collaboration Background
TBD
Debut
Eric 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.
Read more

Who is…
Carl Castaneda?

Studio Card #7: The Mysterious Mentor

QR Code for Studio Card #7: The Mysterious Mentor
Brief
Carl Castaneda is a comic character developed as part of the Back of the Yards comic series; a Creative Commons project produced by the Made Collaborative Studio. Mr. Castañeda is a mysterious teacher and mentor who guides our main characters on their road to realization. Glimpses at his own foggy past reveal that he embarked on a similar journey long ago.
Core Personality Traits & Values
He clearly knows more than what he is saying, but the best teachers do not give they answers but merely point the way.
Primary Archetype
The Mentor
Motto
“Your dreams are part of the same primal energy that brings all existence into being!”
Collaboration Background
Mr. Castañeda is a character developed by Len Kody. He is a way of tying the various narratives and characters created by the first wave of participating youth as part of an after school program in the West-Side of Chicago.
Debut
Issue #2 of the Back of the Yards comic series
Read more

Who is…
Tamia Parker?

Studio Card #5: The Back of the Yards Heroine!

QR Code for Studio Card #5: The Back of the Yards Heroine!
Brief
Tamia Parker is a character developed as part of the Back of the Yards comic series, a Creative Commons project produced by Made Collaborative. Tamia is a young African American high school youth who learns more about herself as she experiences the pain of betrayal and lost love.
Core Personality Traits & Values
Tamia is extremely bright, curious, introspective and creative. She is an artist at heart, with empathy that forms connections with others in ways that she even doesn’t fully understand yet…
Archetype
The Creator
Motto
“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” - Leonard Cohen
Collaboration Background
Tamia’s character was initially developed during the original Made Collaborative in-person classroom collaborations with youth in the fall and winter of 2013, as part of an after school program in the West-Side of Chicago.
Debut
Issue #1 of the Back of the Yards comic series
Read more

Who is…
Manny Dominguez?

Who is Manny Dominguez?

QR Code for Who is Manny Dominguez?
Summary Traits
TBD
Core Personality Traits & Values
TBD
Archetype
The Magician
Motto
TBD
Collaboration Background
TBD
Debut
Eric 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.
Read more

Introducing a New Hero’s Journey
Back of the Yards!

Studio Card #3 | Our New Comic Series!

QR Code for Studio Card #3 | Our New Comic Series!
Summary
With this Studio Card production, we introduce you to the Back of the Yards!, a Creative Commons comic project produced by the Made Collaborative Studio. Back of the Yards is a story about young man in the West Side of Chicago that has what he believes to be a supernatural encounter and his subsequent journey to understand what is real and what isn't within his neighborhood.
When
We will examine past, present and future states of these neighborhoods in attempt to gain a better understanding of how these neighborhoods originally developed and evolved through the years.developed in collaboration with participating youth from the West Side of Chicago.
Who
As part of this collaborative series, we will also examine the residents of these neighborhoods, including early immigrants to present day inhabitants, and their corresponding influence and impact to our urban communities.
Why
In order to more fully understand some of the complexities of our urban centers, we must understand their neighborhoods, including the evolution of those neighborhoods and their residents. And, of course, we plan to incorporate some of these related themes into our ongoing comic series, Back of the Yards, with your collaborations.
Read more

Who is…
Dex?

Studio Card #12: We All Have That One Trickster In Our Life

QR Code for Studio Card #12: We All Have That One Trickster In Our Life
Summary
Dexter Coleman is a comic character developed as part of the Back of the Yards comic series, a Creative Commons project produced by the Made Collaborative Studio. "Dex" is one of the last of a previous generation of neighborhood troublemakers who are alive and not in prison. He’s gone (mostly) straight in his older years, trying his best to make amends for the bad deeds of his youth.
Core Personality Traits & Values
Dex is a wisecracker, a sharp dresser and a straight talker. Even though his moral compass has evolved over the years into that of a respectable citizen of Back of the Yards, he’s still known to indulge in a few vices.
Primary Archetype
The Rebel
Motto
“I ain’t got time for dreamin’. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
Collaboration Background
Dex was developed by Jimmy Briseno and Len Kody as part of the initial Issue 1 scripting process.
Debut
Issue #1 of the Back of the Yards comic series
Read more