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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.

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Law Enforcement &
The Community

Source Card #9: Crossing the Threshold Every Day

What

This collaborative series is a peek into the issues facing law enforcement and community relations within our urban communities.

When

We will begin Part I of this collaborative series with a snapshot of the early origins of modern day policing, setting the stage for a deeper dive into the present day issues in Part II of this series.

Who

This Source Card overview begins with a look at a man named Robert Peel who may not be a household name to many of us, but as it turns out, in many ways he may well be the founding father of today’s modern day police force as we know it.

Why

To facilitate a collaborative process that promotes just a little more understanding from all sides on a complicated set of issues facing our country’s urban centers. And along the way, with your help and input, incorporate some of these themes and issues into our Back of the Yards comic series.

Who is…
Russell Patterson?

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

Who is…
Erihii Nyamor?

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.

Who is…
Len Kody?

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.

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.

Who is…
Tamia Parker?

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

All Stories Start With

A Great Character!

OLD Studio Card #1 | Let’s Create a Character(s)!

Brief

Welcome to the Made Collaborative Studio! This Studio Card #2 represents your first step on a creative journey with us. We begin this collaborative virtual studio just as it began in a classroom in the West Side of Chicago years ago - by providing you with an opportunity to create your own original comic character(s).

Scope

As you might expect, creative collaboration is at the heart of the Made Collaborative Studio. We believe in sharing stories, intertwining ideas and giving a voice to participating urban youth and collaborators like you. ALL OF YOUR STORIES MATTER. And that's why we begin this virtual journey with the creation of your own original character, some of which may be including in our Back of the Yards comic series!

This & That

The most intriguing submissions to this and all of our Studio Card may highlighted on our website. We'll showcase them on our "This & That" blog. And a few of you may also be invited to take part in one of our regular Zoom workshop sessions to further develop selected characters.

Creating A Character (Part II)
Character Archetypes

Studio Card #3 – Creating a Character (Part II)

What

This Studio Card production is part of the Back of the Yards comic series, a Creative Commons project produced by Made Collaborative Studio, and features Carl Jung’s Archetypes of the Unconscious Mind. This Studio Card sets forth the 12 primary character archetypes which we hope help participating youth with their own creative projects and ideas.

When

These 12 character archetypes can be used by participating youth for their own independent collaborations, just as they have been used by others throughout the course of time, from the ancient Greek plays to modern day Star Wars trilogies.

Who

These character archetypes are important to understand because unlike character stereotypes, which are superficial generic generalizations, archetypes are said to have been deduced through the development of storytelling over tens of thousands of years, indicating repeating patterns of individual and group experience.

Why

Character Archetypes can help one gain a better understanding and development of literary characters and stories for not only our Made Collaborative comic publications, but also independent collaborations of any participating youth and others.

Who is…
John Golden?

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.

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.

Who is…
Russell Patterson?