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. |
Every Great Story
Begins With a Great Character
Welcome to the Made Collaborative Studio! And we begin in the same manner this project began years ago in a classroom in the West Side of Chicago – creating original characters.
Got a great idea for a comic book character? We invite all of you to submit here it to the Made Collaborative Studio and the most eye-catching ideas may be chosen for further development with our team of creative professionals. Some of your crazy characters may even appear in future issues of the Back of the Yards comic!
We will walk you through this process below, but first, for a little creative inspiration to help set the collaborative stage, we present to you five memorable character introductions from the big screen! …
****
Your Collaboration Workbook!
As with all collaborations, we start by urging you to first get an old-fashioned pen (or pencil) and paper in hand. It is with this type of brainstorming that often you will encounter your creative breakthroughs and even more practically, taking notes will help you to organize and summarize your thoughts.
And to help guide you through this collaboration, and a provide you a space to take any related notes, we have also created a Collaborative Workbook for your convenience if helpful, which you can access here by clicking below.
And after you click to access the Workbook, you will see an option to download and print a PDF copy of the workbook on the bottom toolbar of the flipbook (the first icon on the right side of that bottom toolbar).
STEP ONE
Creating Your Character's Basic
Background & Physical Traits
We begin this modest virtual collaboration platform in the same manner this project began years ago in a classroom in the West Side of Chicago – creating original characters. The Made Collaborative project started as a small but ambitious after-school arts program headed by our founder, Jimmy Briseno, with a group of high school students on the West Side of Chicago. Jimmy frequently recalls the pivotal moment when one young person boldly proclaimed: “I have an idea, and it’s going to be great!”
From there, the intrepid student began to develop the character of Andre Davis. His classmates joined in, creating characters of their own, like Tamia Parker and Russell Patterson. These ever-so-humble beginnings are what helped launch the Made Collaborative Studio and our inaugural comic book series–Back of the Yards.
With this Studio Card collaboration, we will help you with the creative development of your own character(s). And we will be using our comic’s first character, Andre Davis, as a frame of reference with each step below. We begin this character development exercise with the basics, or more specifically, your character’s basic characteristics. Within Slide 3, you see that we cover some of those basics for Andre’s character, which may help you as you brainstorm the physical traits of your own new character.
We have also included a copy of Issue 1 of the Back of the Yards comic series here for your convenience, which you can access here by clicking below. This issue was based on the original collaborations with participating youth in the West Side of Chicago, with new characters and scripting further developed by Len Kody and Jimmy Briseno, illustrations by Dan Dougherty.
You will also see an option to download and print a PDF copy of the workbook on the bottom toolbar of the flipbook (the first icon on the right side of that bottom toolbar).
****
PHYSICAL TRAITS TO CONSIDER
Here are some character physical traits that can enhance storytelling. For example, hair color and style can help distinguish your character. Eye shape and eye color is another example (as the old saying goes, eyes can be a window to the soul). Facial features like high cheekbones, firm jawlines, nose shape or size, skin town, etc. And, of course, body type can capture your character’s build and indicate physical strengths or weaknesses. These are just a few physical traits for you to consider as you develop your character. And for your convenience, we’ve included a few more in the table below as well a helpful link here for other physical traits you may consider when developing your character at this stage!
****
BASIC BACKGROUND ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER
And to further help with your character’s basic background description, here’s a quick list of elements to consider age, birthdate, gender, birthplace, race/nationality, marital status, education, current residence and occupation and languages among other basic background elements to consider before we start taking a deeper character dive below.
It may help you to think of this first step (combining personality traits and basic background elements) as if you were making an introduction to your character in a movie screenplay. Within screenplays, a basic character description is the literal introduction of a character, which then translates into the visual introduction in a movie. As such, a good concise description of some of the very basic characteristics within the screenplay is essential.
As an example, look at the following character introduction from the script of the movie Training Day, starring Denzel Washington.
“DETECTIVE SERGEANT ALONZO HARRIS, IN BLACK SHIRT, BLACK LEATHER JACKET. AND JUST ENOUGH PLATINUM AND DIAMONDS TO LOOK LIKE SOMEBODY. HE READS THE PAPER IN A BOOTH. THE GUN-LEATHER-TOUGH L.A.P.D. VET IS A HANDS-ON, BLUE-COLLAR COP WHO CAN KICK YOUR ASS WITH A LOOK."
Within this character introduction, you can get a feel for the physical appearance of Alonzo Harris, as well as some basic insights into his background and current occupation (gun-leather-tough LAPD vet, blue-collar cop).
Now, see how that short basic description translates to the big screen by clicking below!
****
Pen To Paper!
Prompt #1
What are some of the physical characteristics of your new character? Feel free to use some of the examples from the table or link provided above. And you can also refer to Slide 3 of Andre’s Character Dossier if helpful.
Prompt #2
What are some of your character’s basic background elements? Occupation? Age? Birthplace? Family members? Any other basic information that you can think of that may be helpful to describe your character in one or two sentences? And feel free to also us Slide 3 of Andre’s Character Dossier if helpful.
Prompt #3
Now let’s bring it all together and using the Training Day example above along some of the physical characteristics and basic background elements you listed above, try to describe your character in two to three sentences as if you were first introducing that character in a screenplay.
STEP TWO
Developing Your Character's Personality Traits
Now that you have a basic idea of what your character may look like and its basic characteristics as described above, you may now be in a better position to develop your new character’s personality characteristics. And perhaps no other character in cinema today has as complicated of a personality than the comic villain that goes by the name of The Joker …
How would you describe the Joker’s personality? What words come to mind? Impulsive? Disagreeable? Humorous? Creative? Daring? Unpredictable? Would any of the traits listed below apply to the Joker’s personality?
You can find an even more extensive set of personality traits by clicking here to visit a site presented by ProWritingAid, an independent company devoted to providing writers with creative resources and assistance to help develop writing skills.
****
In stark contrast to The Joker's fictional comic personality, we have chosen to feature the real-life legacy of one of the most iconic artists of our time, Frida Kahlo.
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter known for her deeply personal and symbolic self-portraits that explored identity, pain, and the female experience. Her work blended elements of Mexican folk art with surrealist influences, often reflecting her physical suffering and tumultuous relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera. Despite lifelong health challenges, she became an icon of resilience, feminism, and Mexican cultural pride.
If you watched the short video above, how would you describe Frida’s personality from the traits listed above? Creative? Daring? Inventive? Thoughtful?
These are just some personality traits that may come to mind when describing Frida, and as you can see, apart from perhaps a shared creativity and daringness in their approach to life, Frida is otherwise quite the contrast in personality to Joker’s fictional character.
And this contrast in personality traits between the fictional character of the Joker and the real-life legacy of Frida Kahlo could also be captured by something even more fundamental to each of their characters – something referred to as their respective “Character Archetypes,” which will turn our attention to in Step Three below. But first! …
****
Pen To Paper!
Prompt #4
What five personality traits do you think best describes the Joker’s personality if you were describing his character to a friend or family member who knew nothing about the Joker? You can use Slide #4 of Andre’s Character Dossier if helpful.
Prompt #5
What five personality traits do you think best describes Frida’s personality if you were describing her to a friend or family member who knew nothing about her or her legacy? Again, you can use Slide #4 of Andre’s Character Dossier if helpful.
Prompt #6
Now using Slide 4 of Andre’s character dossier as example, let’s bring it together and write down five or more personality traits that you would use to describe your new character to a friend or family member.
STEP THREE
Character Archetypes and Core Personality Traits
Building upon some of your character’s basic background and physical characteristics developed in Step One, along with their personality traits as described in Part Two, we are now ready to start taking a deeper dive into your character’s core set of values. And that deeper dive begins with your character’s primary Archetype.
Returning briefly to the Joker and Frida Kahlo personalities from Step Two above, in addition to highlighting these two very different personalities, we also can see a contrast of two very different life paths. The fictional character of Joker dedicated to mayhem and chaos in response to his early life adversity. Frida Kahlo, on the other hand, who experienced very serious near-fatal medical injuries as a youth, somehow heroically channelling that adversity towards creative expression, art and a unique celebration of life.
To help better understand these two divergent life paths, we present you with an overview of Character Archetypes.
Our quick overview of character archetypes begins with an individual named Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist who is recognized as one of the most influential figures in modern psychology.
Among his many intellectual pursuits, Jung explored the hidden and mysterious aspects of the mind and as part of that exploration, he theorized that some dreams may actually hold intriguing insights into life and the world because they come from the “collective unconscious.”
Jung believed the collective unconscious is bigger and more fundamental than the mind of any single individual; it is the profound and timeless wisdom that all humans share. And it is from this collective unconscious that certain distinct and common character archetypes also emerge.
Just click below to learn more about these Character Archetypes, including which Archetypes might describe The Joker, Frida Kahlo and other well known characters and other historical figures!
****
As you consider Character Archetypes, a closely related set of traits are your character’s “core values.” Core values are fundamental beliefs and principles that guide a person’s actions and decisions. In short, core values can be described as a character’s personal compass as they navigate through life.
We have provided a sample list of such core value traits below. It is your Character’s Archetype combined with their core values that will ultimately drive your character’s actions in any given story.
And if helpful, you can access a more comprehensive list of core values by linking here.
****
Pen To Paper!
Prompt #7
Which of the selected character archetypes below do you feel that you most personally identify with? Feel free to select more than one if you’re so inclined. Both people and fictional characters go through various phases of personal development that can include elements of 2, 3 or more archetypes throughout the course of their lives.
Prompt #8
Andre Davis is “The Hero” of the first several 3 issues of Back of the Yards, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stay that way!
But heroes can change. They may grow to become the mentor in another hero’s story. They may be tempted by the dark side of some of their other character traits and become an outlaw rebel, or a tyrannical ruler.
Based on what you know from Andre’s character, either from the dossier summary above, or from the comic itself, which way do you think Andre’s character might develop in future issues of Back of the Yards? Be creative on this one. There’s no wrong answer!
Prompt #9
In the spirit of the Creator archetype, here’s an opportunity to jot down some ideas for your new character based on any of the 12 archetypes above, along with any corresponding core values. Just give it a try. You don’t have to go into too much detail on this one and you can use Slide 5 from the Andre Character Dossier summary as an example if helpful. Just see where the spark of inspiration takes you.
STEP FOUR
A Lightening Round - Your Character's
Biography and Other Interesting Facts!
So now that you have all the basic building blocks of your character in place, including their basic characteristics, core personality traits and archetype core values, we are ready for a lightening round of sorts! It is here that we will begin to sprinkle in some of the details of your character’s back story and other interesting facts that make your new character unique! And to help you do this, we will present to you 100 quick and easy questions for you to consider within the Google Slide presentation below.
And for a little creative inspiration, we bring you a few words from Stan Lee, creator of Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Black Panther and many more from the Marvel universe.
(Original art to the right by participating artist, Eric Nyamor.)
Of course, you don’t have to answer all these questions for your character – in fact, you don’t have to answer ANY! But we do encourage you to just have fun with it and try to answer at least 10 or so. Even if you don’t have a clear idea of your character’s back story just yet, some of your answers to these questions may nonetheless help you with the next stage of your character’s development if you so choose – developing their Hero’s Journey storyline with Studio Card #2!
****
Pen To Paper!
Prompt #10 - BONUS ROUND!
In many ways, this final round is optional and intended to just be creative icing on your character development cake. If you have completed each of the prompts above already, then you have the foundation for a new character that you can use to build upon further with the next Hero’s Journey Studio Card. However, with this final bonus round, we have provided you with a long list of questions which you can choose from to help build your character’s back story (i.e., it’s biography) even more.
So, with that, using as many questions as you’d like to answer (and that totally up to you!) list out a few other interesting background facts of your new character, and you can use Slide 6 of Andre’s character dossier as an example if helpful.
Let's Collaborate!
With this collaboration, you will have an opportunity to develop your own original comic character.
Especially creative submissions could be chosen for further development with the Made Collaborative team. We'll feature your character on our website. They might appear in the Back of the Yards comics!
We'll also invite some collaborators to take part in our livestream sessions over Zoom.
Submit Your Artwork
Although by no means, required, but to the extent you have developed any concept sketches or illustrations of your new character, we encourage you to submit those illustrations to us. Just do us a favor and let us know which character you are submitting illustrations for, and we will absolutely make sure our artists receive them when they are reviewing your character submissions!
And we may feature your artwork in the future either on the project website or directly in our comic issues, all subject to your approval!
Table of Contents
More Studio Card Collaborations!
Studio Card #4: Our New Comic Hero
Studio Card #6: Our Young Dreamer
Studio Card #7: The Mysterious Mentor
Studio Card #3 | Our New Comic Series!
Studio Card #8: Neighborhoods & Their Residents
Source Card #9: Crossing the Threshold Every Day
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. |
Every Great Character
Has Their Own Hero's Journey
Welcome to the Made Collaborative Studio! And we continue your collaborative journey here by picking up where we left off from Studio Card #1 (Creating Your Own Character(s)) to embark on a Hero’s Journey.
Got a great idea for a Hero’s Journey storyline? We invite all of you to submit here it to the Made Collaborative Studio and the most eye-catching ideas may be chosen for further development with our team of creative professionals. Some of your crazy characters may even appear in future issues of the Back of the Yards comic!
We will walk you through this process below, but first, we once again begin with a little creative inspiration to help set the collaborative stage, we present to you the early origins of one of the greatest Hero’s Journeys every presented on the big screen – the Black Panther…
We’ve Been Waiting for You!
Welcome to the adventure, fellow travelers. As you’ll soon discover in this Collaborative Series, stories and storytelling are essential to human existence. The natural flow of a story—from beginning to middle to end—feels wired into our DNA. The stories we tell ourselves shape how we understand the world.
Starting with the very basics – the Hero’s Journey is a story template where a heroleaves their “ordinary world” for an adventure, faces trials and tribulations in a special world, and then returns transformed with a new wisdom or gift for their community. In in its most common form, the Hero’s Journey can be described in 12 stages (as shown below). Key stages include Departure, where the hero receives a call to adventure and leaves their known world; Initiation, the core of the journey with trials, allies, and a decisive victory or ordeal; and Return, where the hero comes back to their ordinary world, often with a boon that benefits others.
Across history and cultures, many of the greatest stories follow a pattern known as the Hero’s Journey. From Hamlet to Harry Potter, from Buddha to Spider-Man, this universal formula transcends time and place. Why? Because the Hero’s Journey isn’t just about how stories work. It’s about how we work. It’s a roadmap for life itself. Some stories are so powerful they don’t just shape our imaginations. They build nations, religions, skyscrapers and cathedrals around them.
First, We Recommend First Grabbing Pen and Paper
As with all collaborations, as your first step we urge you to first get an old-fashioned pen (or pencil) and paper in hand. In fact, it might be good to have a journal notebook to help with all your collaborations to take notes, jot down ideas, and if you are so inclined, even start illustrations. It is with this type of brainstorming that often you will encounter your creative breakthroughs.
Taking notes will be particularly helpful with this Hero’s Journey collaboration as we will walk you through 4 steps to help you develop your own Hero’s Journey storyline framework, starting with Step 1 below (Developing Your Ordinary World). We have also created this PDF Worksheet [INSERT PDF LINK] for your convenience if helpful.
Once you have your pen and paper in hand or printed out your PDF worksheet, we can begin this collaboration.
STEP ONE
Developing an Ordinary World
& Teasing Out Your Main Storyline(s)
The hero is introduced to us in their ordinary world. The mundane, ordinary world is presented in stark contrast with the “special world” that the hero will enter when they accept their quest.
In Spider-Man, Peter Parker is introduced as a regular, particularly nerdy teen in the residential borough of Queens–quite the opposite of the New York-based superhero he becomes.
In our comic series, the “Ordinary World” is Back of the Yards, a fictionalized version of a real Chicago neighborhood with a community and a history all its own.
For each of the collaborative steps within this Hero's Journey Studio Card Page, we will refer you to a Hero's Journey Guide flipbook that we have created for your reference. Within this guidebook, you will see a summary of each of the corresponding Hero's Journey phases that we will refer you to as we walk you through the steps.
With this Step One, we will focus on (i) generally describing your main story idea and with that, (ii) developing the Ordinary World of your basic story idea.
So, with that in mind, we refer you to pages [_____] below!
Before going to the next collaborative step, take some time to collect your thoughts and notes on paper on the main storyline idea and your Ordinary World.
[TBD – Insert Len’s existing prompts from the existing Google Forms for each of these “Pen to Paper” prompts after developing the Hero’s Journey flipbook and Steps 1 through 4.]
STEP TWO
From a Call to Adventure to Crossing the Threshold!
This is the moment that sets the story in motion—a pivotal event that presents the hero with a challenge they can’t ignore. Their journey begins here.
In Star Wars, the call to adventure arrives through Princess Leia’s desperate message, carried by R2-D2: “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”
In Back of the Yards, Andre’s call comes on a fateful night when he ascends a translucent staircase to a mysterious craft hidden in a dark South Side alleyway.
STEP THREE
STEP FOUR
A hero’s journey begins with a call—an opportunity, a crisis, or a moment of realization that changes everything. Sometimes it’s a whisper, other times a thunderclap, but it always leads toward something new. In your Ordinary World, what kind of call might set someone on a path to adventure?
3. Refusal of the Call
The hero often hesitates before answering the call to adventure. Fear, doubt, or attachment to the life they know can hold them back. Sometimes, they don’t feel ready. Other times, they don’t yet understand the path ahead.
In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo resists leaving the safety of the Shire, uncertain if he has the strength to face the dangers beyond his home.
Mr. Castaneda’s journey reflects this hesitation in a different way. He traveled to Mexico seeking wisdom, only to be rebuffed by the cosmic being he sought. Unready for the knowledge he desired, his path forward remained uncertain.
Whether through fear, uncertainty, or rejection, the hero’s first instinct is often to turn back.
A call to adventure isn’t always answered right away. The unknown is daunting, and stepping forward often means leaving something behind. Fear, doubt, responsibility, or even disbelief can keep a hero from taking that first step.
Before the journey begins, they must decide: stay or go?
4. Meeting The Mentor
The hero encounters a wise mentor—often an older man or woman—who provides the guidance, tools, or knowledge needed to begin the journey. But while the mentor offers wisdom, they can only accompany the hero so far. At some point, the hero must step forward alone.
In The Matrix, Neo meets Morpheus, who presents him with a choice: take the blue pill and remain in the familiar world, or take the red pill and embrace the unknown.
At New City High, the enigmatic Mr. Castaneda serves as a mentor to gifted young creatives, offering them insight and encouragement. Yet, much about him remains a mystery.
No hero starts their journey alone. A mentor appears to offer guidance, whether through knowledge, training, or an unexpected challenge. Gandalf helps Bilbo find his courage, Yoda teaches Luke the ways of the Jedi, and Mr. Castaneda serves as a cryptic guide to promising young minds at New City High.
But no matter how wise or powerful, a mentor can only do so much. In the end, the hero must choose their own path
5. Crossing the Threshold
Every hero reaches a moment of no return—the point where they step beyond the familiar and fully commit to the journey ahead. Fear and uncertainty may linger, but once they cross the threshold, there’s no turning back. They must embrace the unknown and face whatever challenges lie ahead.
In Spider-Man, Peter Parker takes this leap when he catches the thief who killed Uncle Ben, realizing the weight of his choices: “With great power comes great responsibility.” In that moment, he is no longer just Peter—he has stepped fully into his role as Spider-Man.
Now, it’s your turn. Storytelling itself is an adventure, a journey into uncharted territory where you shape the path ahead. Just like the heroes in the stories we love, you stand at the edge of something new.
Will you take the first step?
Let’ s Collaborate!
Are you ready to take the leap?
The time for hesitation is over, dear storyteller. You’ve crafted your character, explored their world, and maybe even glimpsed the path ahead. But a hero isn’t defined by where they start—it’s the moment they step forward that truly begins their journey.
Now, bring it all together. Set the stage. Show us how your hero crosses the threshold and embraces the adventure that awaits!
Draw the Journey
Stories come alive through images. Illustrate a pivotal moment from the first five stages of the Hero’s Journey.
It could be:
• A single image capturing the Call to Adventure or meeting the Mentor.
• A comics page showing the journey from the Ordinary World to Crossing the Threshold.
What does this moment look like? Show us the turning point.
Strong submissions may be featured in Back of the Yards!
Table of Contents
Related Studio Cards
Who is Len Kody?
Older Studio Card #1 | Let’s Create a Character(s)!
Studio Card #4: Our New Comic Hero
The Monahans!
Studio Card #3 – Creating a Character (Part II)
Studio Card #11: Our Gentle Giant Everyman
Studio Card #5: The Back of the Yards Heroine!
Source Card #9: Crossing the Threshold Every Day
OLD Studio Card #1 | Let’s Create a Character(s)!
Studio Card #8: Neighborhoods & Their Residents
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. |
A Quick Introduction
It doesn’t get more real than Back of the Yards, on the South Side of Chicago, when you’re growing up as a teen. It’s where fantasy and the power of story can build resilience, foster healing and lead to greater understanding. Based on the stories and experiences of real urban youth, the Made Collaborative Studio presents Back of the Yards, a story of gritty truth that’s beyond your wildest dreams.
A fictionalized version of the real Back of the Yards neighborhood serves as setting for the eponymous comic book series. Likewise, the stories and the characters themselves are based on the real lives and musings of Chicago youth. These stories were first conceived by students attending an after school arts program. They were collected by our main man, Jimmy Briseno, during Made Collaborative’s first round of urban outreach to inner-city schools. Jimmy had the bright idea to elevate these kids’ ideas in a way that few had contemplated before. By bringing professional comics artists and writers into the creative process, Jimmy hoped to validate the kids’ stories and experiences by weaving them together as the narrative threads of a real comic book series.
The result is a collaborative effort between artists and youth. It is the stuff of Back of the Yards’ first story arc: “Just Dreamin’.” But how, exactly, do kids’ ideas become comics pages? Read on.
First, A Prologue & Comic Series Origin Story
Before we jump into the actual development and related overview of the Back of the Yards comic series, we thought we’d start with a quick peak into how all of this first came about even prior to the comic itself – and be sure to expand to full screen (lower right hand corner within the window below) for the best reading experience…
Back of the Yards Comic - The Early Development Process
The magic of creativity begins with inspiration but it can only be sustained by unwavering dedication and tireless grinding. Project founder, Jimmy Briseno, has since recruited others to grind with him on the Made Collaborative journey (and we’re so glad he did!) but the journey began with him, all by himself, in front of a room full of kids all waiting for what he was going to say next.
It took a little coaxing, at first, to get things started, but once the kids caught the storytelling bug they were off and running. It only made sense to bring a small team of artists into the collaborative process to add greater depth and legitimacy to all that Jimmy had documented from his afterschool creative sessions with the youth.
Together—Jimmy, the artists and the youth—had refined and expanded upon a number of narrative threads. All of them fresh, original ideas from the kids, based on their lives and heightened by their favorite pop culture. Jimmy and his collaborators had compiled a “series bible,” of sorts, with model sheets, storyboards, descriptions of plot and characters. There were even some preliminary scripts that Jimmy had worked out with the youth.
It all amounted to the ingredients of a great comic book story. It had elements of romance, adventure and that all-too-elusive authenticity that came straight from the kids.But it wasn’t a comic book yet. Only the ingredients of one.
Telling a Story About Telling a Story
The first round of collaborations had produced a wide variety of narrative content. Which was wonderful. That’s exactly what the kids had been encouraged to do: tell whatever story they felt was worth telling. But it also presented a challenge in bringing all the disparate elements together into a harmonious whole. That was the challenge presented to the comics production team seeking to make “Back of Yards’” very much a reality.
An anthology of disconnected storylines would have been easier, but not nearly as engaging. We, on the comics production team, were inspired. We were inspired by the kids’ authentic, original stories and driven to produce something worthy of their courage. Because it takes courage to nurture the creative impulse and make something new in Chicago’s harsh urban environment. We wanted to reach a little higher.
But how?
Eureka!
We’d frame the Back of the Yards series in a context that mimics the one in which it was created! (Are you still with me?) In other words, the teenaged characters in kids’ stories would all go to the same school. And they would all be familiar with each other, too, because they are all part of the same afterschool arts program led by the same mysterious facilitator.
Presenting the comic book this way created two opportunities for the production team. First, it allowed us to incorporate elements of Made Collaborative’s amazing genesis into the comic itself. Because, as fascinating as the kids’ stories are, just as appealing is the story behind the story. That is, the story of the kids who created the stories.
On a deeper level, structuring Back of the Yards in this way forced the production team to search for the common themes influencing all the kids’ stories. They were by no means obvious. The stories ranged from heart-wrenchingly real to mind-blowingly fantastic. But the search, indeed, bore fruit, and it led us a journey starting on the Southside of Chicago and taking us to places beyond space and time.
So, how does a story of young love and betrayal connect to a story of secret chiefs from a higher dimension? How do the video game fantasies of two young cousins play into it? And how is the magic of creativity and storytelling somehow responsible?
Read on! …
Introducing Andre Davis! - A Young Man With Big Ideas
Andre is based on an intelligent and charismatic young man from Phase One of Made Collaborative’s youth outreach, and hence, he takes the lead role in our initial story arc of the Back of the Yards comic. Like the Chicago youth who inspired him, he is a curious and creative character, inclined to question, rather than take things at face value.
Andre finds himself the recipient of mysterious superpowers as a result of an amazing encounter with one of the inscrutable secret chiefs of all space and time. He learns that he has a certain mastery over the strange world that we all go to when we dream.
“You can make your dreams real,” he is told.
But, does that mastery carry over into the waking world, too?
Moreover, what would Andre do with that kind of power?
In the dream dimension, Andre’s formidable intellect is given regal form when his whole essence is enhanced to resemble a lion-themed superhero with heightened powers of strength, agility and perception.
The question posed by the Back of the Yards comic story arc is whether Andre’s superhero adventures are simply an escapist power fantasy or a representation of his highest, truest self.
And that’s just the start of the tale as Andre’s story will ultimately become intertwined with Tamia’s story of first love and betrayal …
Studio Card #4: Our New Comic Hero
And Our Comic’s Heroine Tamia Parker! - A Story of Betrayal & Empowerment
Studio Card #5: The Back of the Yards Heroine!
The Back of the Yards comic character of Tamia Parker was also inspired from the first round of youth collaborations in the West Side of Chicago. During those initial collaborations, Jimmy Briseno met with a number of youth who shared initial ideas for comic characters and storylines. One of those youth was a young African American girl from that West-Side neighborhood.
Tamia’s story is surely relatable, but it’s also based on the true-life experiences reported to us by participating urban youth. And, like many of the kids in our program, Tamia turns to creativity as both an outlet and an escape from her daily struggles. She is an avid artist and journaler. Her perspective gives the story emotional depth and balance.
Tamia is a powerful young woman still in search of her voice. Will she ever realize the heights of her potential or will she continue to be stifled by those who seek to take advantage of her?
In the dream dimension, Tamia’s efforts to find her own voice are personified by a tiny fairy with a siren call that reaches beyond the boundaries of linear time. Her potential is great, but still not fully realized, as the fairy form she inhabits is small, undeveloped and not yet a true agent in her own destiny.
She has a special relationship with Russell, who can summon her for help when both of them are dreaming. The depth and the nature of this creative connection is yet to be explored in the pages of Back of the Yards.
The Young Cousins - Russell & Draymond!
Cousins Russell and Draymond share a fraternal bond that is cemented by the fantastic world they both share. It’s a world inspired by the manga and video games so popular in today’s youth culture. The stories they create make them feel powerful when they are so often made to feel powerless by neighborhood bullies and other stressors.
Many of our Phase One participating youth had similarly intricate imaginary worlds, worlds they would create with others. Made Collaborative has provided a structured outlet for these stories and we’ve developed them into real comic books with the help of professional artists and writers.
In the dream dimension, Russell and Draymond are Teshue and Shiro, powerful ninjas forever locked in mortal combat. They collaborate on an intricate storyline that incorporates both elements of the real world and the dream dimension. Their imagination is powerful, but, unlike Andre’s abilities, their shared narrative is not yet “self-aware” enough to have evolved beyond the potential for escape.
Give them time. They’re still young.
Interestingly, Teshue, Russell’s alter ego, is capable of summoning Tamia’s fairy from for assistance. But the process is difficult for Russell to master. And since the fairy has a developing will of her own, she isn’t always helpful to Russell. At not helpful in ways that are immediately obvious.
Studio Card #6: Our Young Dreamer
The Mysterious Lynchpin that Connects Them All - Mr. Carl Castaneda!
Studio Card #7: The Mysterious Mentor
And as we previously described, to tie all of the youth characters together as part of a common comic story narrative, we developed the character of Carl Castaneda.
Mr. Castaneda, that is.
Mr. Castañeda has the poise and bearing of a seasoned teacher.
But nobody knows who he is. Mr. Castañeda may or may not be a real teacher, but his afterschool arts program is ardently attended by those in the know. Their regular meetings in Room 23 are no secret, nor are they what one would call common knowledge. By all appearances, Mr. Castañeda handpicks young people of promise and extends them a personal invitation.
His recruitment efforts have been fruitful. Tamia and Russell are both already in the program. Andre was recently invited. And from there, a special bond between Andre and Mr. Castaneda begins formation from which we will build through future collaborations with participating youth.
And Last But Certainly Not Least, the Bedrock of the Neighborhood - The Elders!
And last but certainly not least, central to the Back of the Yards comic narrative are the Elders. Created by Jimmy Briseno and Len Kody to help provide further context for both the fictional Back of the Yards fictional neighborhood and the younger comic characters, the Elders are three wise-cracking wise guys man a permanent post around a pickle barrel in front of Kozlow’s General Store
They are Peaches, Dex and Big Earl. Although these distinguished gentlemen of the neighborhood are officially retired from whatever eclectic ventures kept them occupied (and mostly out of trouble) in their storied youth, the Elders, as we call them, continue to serve an important purpose in their community—and in our story!
The intertwining threads of fate, Back of the Yards, all intersect at the Elders’ humble pickle barrel, believe it or not. In ancient mythology, the Fates weren’t just observers and commentators but also tailors in life’s grand pageantry. Similarly, Peaches, Dex and Earl color the happenings of their Southside Chicago block with their piercing insight and cutting humor. They provide context, gravitas and perspective, reminding the reader and our younger characters that the world is big and history is long.
Studio Card #11: Our Gentle Giant Everyman
Read Issue #1!
And the plan all along was, indeed, to build upon this comic foundation by working with other participating after school programs to create new comic characters within this Back of the Yards storyline, and with that, new comic storylines. In that way, this Back of the Yards comic series would be a living collaborative project.
And that remains the creative goal of this project, and that’s where we will pick up on Part III of these Project Chronicles. But first we have included the full Issue 1 here for what we hope to be your reading pleasure.
Read Issue #2! (Pre-Production Copy)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Studio Card Project Board!
Let’s Collaborate!
Table of Contents
Related Studio Cards to the Back of the Yards Comic Series
Studio Card #6: The Hero’s Journey (Part III) – The Return
Who is Eric Nyamor?
The Monahans!
Studio Card #1 | Let’s Create a Character(s)!
Studio Card #10: The Street Corner Mentor
Studio Card #8: Neighborhoods & Their Residents
Studio Card #5: The Hero’s Journey (Part II) – Initiation
Studio Card #3 | Our New Comic Series!
Studio Card #3 – Creating a Character (Part II)
Google Form Widget
Studio Card #4: Our New Comic Hero
| Brief | Andre Davis 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. Andre is a young African American high school youth who suddenly obtains god-like superpowers through an encounter he has in an alley within his Back of the Yards neighborhood. |
|---|---|
| Core Personality Traits & Values | Andre is bright, inquisitive and self-reliant, always searching for the truth and a greater understanding of himself and others … but he may also be susceptible to the trappings of his newfound power … |
| Archetype | The Hero |
| Motto | “To dare is to do.” |
| Collaboration Background | Andre’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 |
A Quick Introduction
Many of our initial stories and characters in Back of the Yards aren’t really entirely ours. We are but humble stewards to the exciting new narrative avenues Jimmy Briseno discovered while facilitating the Made Collaborative After School Arts Program with real urban youth in Chicago in the winter of 2013.
Indeed, this entire project can be traced to a single, intrepid utterance by a young man whom we call “Andre.” It was a declaration that emboldened us all:
“I’ve got an idea. I know what story I want to tell. And it’s going to be great!”
Andre’s audacity, creativity and charm crystalized the vision we have for this whole enterprise. So, it is absolutely fitting that the character he inspired should step forward into a leading role for this first chapter of Back of the Yards: “Just Dreamin’.”
Andre's Story
The premise of Andre’s story is that Andre himself, as the main character, obtains “god-like” powers through a supernatural encounter in his Chicago neighborhood.
As originally described, the story begins with Andre and a friend walking to a house party of a known high school acquaintance. At the party, Andre sees some familiar faces and also some new ones. He meets Charmayne for the first time. The two banter as they get to know one another. Charmayne—one-half of a precocious pair of twins—challenges Andre’s rebellious and self-assured manner.
That is, until he hears some commotion outside.
Meanwhile …
Tamia is at the very same party. The party serves as the backdrop for an important point in her narrative, as well. Has she been betrayed? She’s been hearing rumors and fearing the worst. So, she confronts her boyfriend, Wilson, the young man with whom she’d spent one magical summer.
The bracing winds of autumn, however, have a way of revealing difficult truths. The young lovers argue. Wailing and in tears, Tamia dashes from the adolescent revelry.
The Wake-Up Call
A high-pitched whistle, or a siren, rings throughout the party. It’s so loud it’s painful! But only Andre can hear it.
Andre reels, bidding an abrupt farewell to Charmayne. He stumbles to the alley behind the house, the apparent source of the piercing tone. This is where the story takes an interesting turn—both in Andre’s tale and in the story of how the Made Collaborative project came to be.
While “Andre,” our participating youth, described his fantastic alleyway vision to Jimmy, the cinematic sweep of all the kids’ narratives took shape in Jimmy’s mind. There was potential here. It was palpable. These were all creative, fun and sometimes personal teenage stories, to be sure. But, to Jimmy, there seemed to be more to them than only that. As in dreams, the familiar sights and sounds of everyday life can also indicate hidden features of the collective unconscious.
Jimmy felt his suspense heighten as the youth continued his chronicle…
The Translucent Staircase
The alarming sound fades as Andre steps into the alley. He raises his eyes to the soft, pallid glow of what he assumes to be the full moon. Appearing in the middle of the alley, a flight of golden, translucent stairs lead towards the sky, beckoning Andre to ascend.
Ascend he does, where he finds himself in the smooth interior of a higher dimensional craft. He is greeted by a giant—one of the mysterious Secret Chiefs—who immediately speaks words of comfort and reassurance.
“Welcome, Andre. Please, don’t be alarmed. We’ve been expecting you.”
Having heard the otherworldly call to adventure, and answered, Andre can now worthily receive his revelation. The strange visitor explains that he has the power to make his dreams real. It is a power which, for now, distinguishes Andre from the other characters in Back of the Yards.
Fight!
Aloft in the moon-shaped craft, Andre observes others’ dreams, as well, like the video-game combat of Russell and Draymond. As their ninja alter egos, Teshue and Shiro, their sparring is cut short when they are attacked by a gang of bullies.
Andre feels compelled to intercede. Once again answering the hero’s call, he emerges from the dream craft as a heightened version of himself—a true superhero like the kind he draws in his sketchbooks. If not yet a god, Andre is now far more than mere mortal. Using his enhanced physical abilities, he easily beats back the bullies.
An Uncertain Future
We follow Andre’s journey as he comes to terms with his newly obtained powers, and begins to contemplate how he will use those powers as a teen still living in his inner-city neighborhood.
To be continued … in the Back of the Yards comic!
A Made Collaborative Studio Production
Studio Card #3 | Our New Comic Series!
This Studio Card is part of the Back of the Yards comic series, a Creative Commons project developed by the Made Collaborative Studio. You can learn more about our Creative Commons license by visiting the Explore the Studio page, but in short, what this means is that as a Creative Commons project, you can copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the content for any purpose, even commercially, as long as you give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. And if you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license above.
If you’d like to explore the Back of the Yards comic further, you can see and access the Studio Card to your right and/or the related Studio Cards below. Thanks for collaborating with us!
Let's Collaborate!
Andre is one of the first characters we're introduced to within the initial issues of Back of the Yards. And, even though he plays a central role at the outset, there's still plenty of blanks to fill in on this creative young man's promising past and perplexing present!
Submit Your Artwork
The Made Collaborative Studio is fueled by your artistic contributions. We’re a community of artists and storytellers who want to build something supportive for creatives of all backgrounds and ages.
We encourage you to participate in our collaborative community by showing off some of your work. We may feature your artwork in the future. With this submission, we are would welcome in particular any illustrations that include the Andre character, but we welcome all of your submissions even if Andre is not included.
Table of Contents
Studio Cards Related to the Back of the Yards Comic Series Project
Studio Card #6: The Hero’s Journey (Part III) – The Return
Studio Card #4: Our New Comic Hero
Who is Len Kody?
Who is Dan Dougherty?
The Monahans!
Studio Card #6: Our Young Dreamer
Studio Card #7: The Mysterious Mentor
Studio Card #1 | Let’s Create a Character(s)!
Studio Card #3 – Creating a Character (Part II)
Studio Card #3 | Our New Comic Series!
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 |
Quick Introduction
Tamia Parker was a character inspired from the first round of youth collaborations in the West Side of Chicago. During those initial collaborations, Jimmy Briseno met with a number of youth who shared initial ideas for comic characters and storylines. One of those youth was a young African American girl from that West-Side neighborhood.
The young woman’s initial question to Jimmy was whether the comic stories could be based on be based on real life, and more specifically, relationships? When Jimmy affirmed that the characters and stories could be about whatever she wanted, she would go on to describe a recent relationship experience which was characterized by drama, deception and ultimately, heartbreak.
But as she explained her experience and her story premise, the young woman also emphasized to Jimmy that she didn’t want to tell this story to focus on a broken heart and the related drama from her relationship, but rather, she wanted to emphasize how that experience ultimately helped her grow as a person and look within herself to find her value as a woman.
And from there, the inspiration for the comic character of Tamia Parker was born, which we hope will in turn inspire many more collaborations to come.
Tamia's Story - First Love
The dizzying highs and lows have long inspired song and verse. Tamia Parker, like so many young girls her age, confides her deepest thoughts and feelings to a well-worn journal that she always carries with her.
For Tamia, her poems and drawings are both an escape and an inward journey of exploration to the potent and turbulent depths within herself. Adolescence is a time of profound inner and outer change, after all—a metamorphosis. In the rough waters of constant change, it can be difficult for some teens to find their place of centeredness—their axis mundi.
Young girls, especially, are often discouraged from developing their own voice and speaking their truth. This leads to a sense of inferiority and “smallness” among many young women. They don’t think their words and actions matter as much.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
We present Tamia’s self-esteem struggles visually by depicting her dreamworld avatar as a Fairie that has not yet blossomed into the full flowering of maturity. In Tamia’s dreams, she takes on the appearance and abilities of the Fairie. And, as the Fairie grows and evolves, so too will Tamia’s own sense of centeredness within herself.
An Unforgettable Chicago Summer
Perhaps it is a lack of centeredness that leaves so many teens vulnerable to manipulation by others. For Tamia, naive to the often treacherous ways of young love, she simply trusted too much.
During one unforgettable summer, she developed very strong feelings for an older boy in her Southside Chicago neighborhood. Wilson no longer attends New City High, where Tamia is currently a sophomore. He used to play basketball there. Wilson represented for Tamia an intoxicating mix of male athletic ability and a whiff of mature confidence she’d only seen in adults. Being a somewhat shy and serious girl for her age, his attentions were more than she could resist—not that she was all that interested in resisting.
And Wilson certainly appreciated the 10 fold attention she reciprocated. Wilson is good at cultivating attention for himself. He certainly enjoys receiving it from pretty young girls. Wilson basked in the warm glow of Tamia’s constant attention all summer long.
Autumn and the End of Innocence
The sharp, cold winds of autumn also reveal long-hidden truths. When the neighborhood kids go back to school, and the recent grads go off to the working world, higher education or to any number of adult endeavors, Wilson stays home, eschewing responsibility. He falls in with a group of troublemaking neighborhood boys who keep similarly idle agendas: no job, no educational ambitions and no other interests besides a hedonistic pursuit of the diversions of the moment.
As the leaves fall from the knotted old oaks, Back of the Yards, Tamia begins to sense the imbalance in her relationship. Was she just another of Wilson’s diversions? He walks her to school every morning, but then what does he do all day? And why has the boy who basked in her attention all summer long begun to respond sharply to her probing questions? Tamia is a mature young woman. Wilson’s age was once something that drew her to him. His potential and potency were why she fell in love with him. But in the same way that the falling leaves expose a great tree’s spindly branches, Wilson’s true nature is slowly revealed to Tamia.
She unwittingly becomes entangled in a love triangle of sorts with Wilson and another girl at her school named Natalie.
Tamia begins to hear rumors that her boyfriend, Wilson, was already seeing Natalie when the young lovers met. The revelation tests her sense of self as everything she believes (and wants to believe) is called into question.T
The Transformative Power of Creativity
When the real world seems like a dream, Tamia turns to creativity to map her inner reality. The after school arts program in Room 23 and its kind, clever, though peculiar facilitator, Mr. Castaneda, encourage her to develop her art and writing.
Tamia’s creativity enhances her resilience but also her intuition as her dreams begin revealing exactly what Wilson has been hiding from her (and the truths she’s hidden from herself).
Issue #1 of Back of the Yards ends in a shocking revelation: Tamia learns that Natalie is pregnant with Wilson’s child. This fact is confirmed to Tamia when she finally confronts her ex-boyfriend after hearing the rumors from other kids at her school. To overcome the heartbreak and betrayal, Tamia will have to summon vast reservoirs of strength. Though she may be in for a surprise when she learns the extent of all that she is capable of.
In the after school arts program, Tamia strikes up an immediate friendship with Russell. Even though he is younger, the pair seem to resonate on a similar frequency. Both have deep and complex inner lives. Also, Tamia may envy Russell’s sense of wonder and innocence. As we go through periods of growth in our lives, as Tamia is, the exchange we often make for greater power and self-mastery often comes at the expense of our innocence.
Summoning the Fairie
Tamia and Russell share more than a budding, though innocent friendship. The two appear to be linked in an as-yet inexplicable way in their dreams.
Both Russell (as Teshue) and his cousin, Draymond (as Shiro) are capable of summoning familiars to their aid. Shiro’s brutish and assertive personality is matched by his pet, Enyo, a feral war-hound with a pair of curving horns atop her head. She is a loyal and ferocious wolf that obeys Shiro’s every command.
Teshue has a more difficult time summoning his familiar, the Fairie, who seems to have a will all her own. Russell is not yet aware that the Fairie does, indeed, have a will of her own because she is Tamia’s dreamworld avatar.
The difficulty that Tamia—and, by extension, Russell—have in harnessing the power of the Fairie is indicative of the extent of her power. As the Fairie continues to evolve, more powers and abilities will be revealed. But until then, both Tamia and Russell will struggle greatly to truly know themselves.
Perhaps it is some intuitive knowledge of this great yet deeply hidden power still locked within both Tamia and Russell that draws them together as allies in the seen and unseen worlds.
Their heroic journeys are quite different than that of Andre, who experiences his power in a sudden, almost uncontrollable rush. Even so, Andre is linked to the other two in ways he’s only beginning to figure out for himself.
The Call to Adventure Beyond Time and Space
When Andre is called to the craft of the Secret Chiefs, it is by a sound that resonates beyond this dimension. It is a single note from the music of the spheres, a tone that can only be heard by those chosen to hear it.
Andre eagerly answers his call to adventure. But, because of the non-linear nature of higher dimensional travel, it isn’t until a bit later that we learn the source of that call: Tamia in her Fairie-form.
Tamia was, in fact, summoned by Russell (as Teshue), who, at a key moment that would have sent many others into panic, Russell instead becomes calm and focused. His mind quieted by a deep sense of concentration from the still waters within his psyche, Teshue beckons the Fairie to join the battle.
The Fairie cries out her extra-dimensional alarm, back through time and up into the mysterious craft from which Andre incredulously observes the perilous goings-on below. When Andre emerges to save the day in his heightened, lion-form, the paradoxical time loop is closed. The cycle is complete.
Andre makes quick work of the bullies who threaten Teshue and Shiro. It’s at this point when an epiphany strikes Tamia, too. One of the thugs seems to have a connection to her philandering boyfriend, Wilson. Tamia’s intuitive dream senses provide her some glimpse of the truth. Natalie is pregnant with Wilson’s child.
Mr. Castaneda’s Guidance
Mr. Castaneda can see the potential brewing within all the students he’s personally chosen to take part in his after school arts program. Exactly who Mr. Castaneda is and what his connection might be to the bizarre, god-like travelers known as the Secret Chiefs is a story for another day. But whatever his ultimate purpose may be, his current agenda seems focused on pushing his students—like Tamia—to explore the bounds of their creative powers.
Tamia will develop a unique relationship with Mr. Castaneda, who will provide a comforting perspective as she struggles through her relationship troubles, and who will challenge her to become more when he believes she is ready to accept the truth about her power.
As she cries one night, after having had a fight with Wilson, she thinks to herself, between sobs, that art is how one can make their true selves visible to the world. This is more than Mr. Castaneda’s comforting wisdom, and more than a creative conceit of our far-out comic book adventure. It is Made Collaborative’s mission to make visible the hidden power of the project’s participating urban youth.
By helping to give a voice to the real kids in the Made Collaborative Project, we hope to unleash the limitless power within each of them.
A Made Collaborative Production
Studio Card #3 | Our New Comic Series!
This Studio Card is part of the Back of the Yards comic series, a Creative Commons project developed by the Made Collaborative Studio. You can learn more about our Creative Commons license by visiting the Explore the Studio page, but in short, what this means is that as a Creative Commons project, you can copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the content for any purpose, even commercially, as long as you give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. And if you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license above.
If you’d like to explore the Back of the Yards comic further, you can see and access the Studio Card to your right and/or the related Studio Cards below. Thanks for collaborating with us!
Let's Collaborate!
Tamia writes poetry, draws and she is learning to paint. She is also a powerful and graceful athlete. Her creativity and artistic discipline are certainly an asset to her as she grows into womanhood, but how will these talents develop? And where will her yet-to-be-written coming-of-age story take her?
Submit Your Artwork
The Made Collaborative Studio is fueled by your artistic contributions. We’re a community of artists and storytellers who want to build something supportive for creatives of all backgrounds and ages.
We encourage you to participate in our collaborative community by showing off some of your work. We may feature your artwork in the future.
Table of Contents
Studio Cards Related to the Back of the Yards Comic Series Project
Google Form Widget
Studio Card #7: The Mysterious Mentor
Studio Card #2 | Creating Your Own Hero’s Journey!
Studio Card #8: Neighborhoods & Their Residents
Studio Card #11: Our Gentle Giant Everyman
Who is Jimmy Briseno?
Who is John Golden?
Studio Card#17: Who is Draymond Carter?
Action Card #4: Create an Illustration!
Studio Card #12: We All Have That One Trickster In Our Life
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 |
Quick Introduction
Russell and Draymond: Closer Than Brothers
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.
They participate avidly in video games, but their imagination is ultimately too big for the platform. Russell and Draymond collaborate in fully imaginative, visionary campaigns, more akin to the tabletop D&D adventures of a generation before.
Their inner landscape is deep and vivid. Russell and Draymond express themselves through their imaginary ninja avatars, Teshue and Shiro, respectively.
Teshue and Shiro: Continuity of Dreaming
Russell and Draymond’s connection to the power of dreaming is strong. Perhaps it is their youthful innocence which grants them ease of access. Of all our Back of the Yards cast, so far, they are the most easily transported to the surreal depths of imaginative fantasy.
Like Andre, whose awareness is unlocked by his encounter with one of the strange Secret Chiefs, the younger pair’s ninja visions have a continuity with the waking world—broomsticks become katana swords and a band of bullies is a marauding and villainous horde. But, Andre becomes lucid as he evolves; he begins to show signs of godlike control over the dreamscape. Russell and Draymond, on the other hand, are all but completely swept away in their recurring reveries.
Draymond, in fact—the younger and more impetuous of the pair—completely forgets himself.
“Draymond!” his cousin Russell cries.
“I am Shiro,” the mistaken middle schooler repeatedly insists.
But the two young boys do possess some imaginative insight. Russell especially. Russell and Draymond are the first to discover the interconnectedness of the grander dream universe, even if they aren’t quite aware of it yet. Because their dreams aren’t only shared between the pair of them. Their dreams regularly include Tamia and eventually many others.
Both dreams and stories can be a community asset because they reflect the world we know but they also show us something new.
The Fairie and the War-Wolf
Russell and Draymond, as Teshue and Shiro, inhabit a world filled with more than rival bullies, they each have pet allies, as well—familiars which they summon to aid them in the heat of battle: Enyo, the loyal, horned war-wolf, and the strange and mysterious fairie. Captivating in their own right, these fantastic beings also highlight other points of interest.
There’s a developing sense of camaraderie between Tamia and Russell. It goes at least as deep as their preference for the same sweet yet cinnamon-y snack: Red Hot Popcorn. Perhaps she envies his innocence. In the world of dreams, their connection is even more curious. Russell’s ninja avatar, Teshue, has the power to summon Tamia’s nascent fairie-form!
Draymond’s wolf is more of an extension of his own contentious energies. Quite unlike Russell’s experience. Enyo the war-wolf is Shiro’s pugnacious partner. She is steadfast at his side as Shiro bravely (and sometimes recklessly) charges into battle.
Stories Show Us How to Think
Russell and Draymond are at first only immersed in their consuming world of fantasy. But in that bemused state, the boys’ powerful shared story grows to include many other players, even if most of them (including Russell and Draymond themselves) are hardly aware of it.
Stories reflect the everyday world, but they can also change it. One wonders where young Russell’s path, particularly, may lead him as he joins other youth in beginning to “wake up” to the transformative power of dreams.
A Made Collaborative Production
Studio Card #3 | Our New Comic Series!
This Studio Card is part of the Back of the Yards comic series, a Creative Commons project developed by the Made Collaborative Studio. You can learn more about our Creative Commons license by visiting the Explore the Studio page, but in short, what this means is that as a Creative Commons project, you can copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the content for any purpose, even commercially, as long as you give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. And if you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license above.
If you’d like to explore the Back of the Yards comic further, you can see and access the Studio Card to your right and/or the related Studio Cards below. Thanks for collaborating with us!
Let's Collaborate!
Russell Peterson has a lot of growing up to do. And that, dear collaborators, means it's up to you to help us tell his story. But there is more to Russell's story than meets the eye!
Just click below to collaborate with us and we will highlight selected responses from you (i.e., your "Studio Notes") within upcoming virtual Zoom workshop sessions (limited virtual seats available for live viewings, but we will post recordings of all workshops in any case), along with an invitation to some of you to collaborate directly with us and other creators within those virtual working sessions!
Submit Your Artwork
The Made Collaborative Studio is fueled by your artistic contributions. We’re a community of artists and storytellers who want to build something supportive for creatives of all backgrounds and ages.
We encourage you to participate in our collaborative community by showing off some of your work. We may feature your artwork in the future.
Table of Contents
Studio Cards Related to the Back of the Yards Comic Series Project
Source Card #9: Crossing the Threshold Every Day
Studio Card #3 – Creating a Character (Part II)
OLD Studio Card #1 | Let’s Create a Character(s)!
Google Form Widget
Who is Jimmy Briseno?
Who is Dan Dougherty?
Studio Card #6: The Hero’s Journey (Part III) – The Return
Studio Card#17: Who is Draymond Carter?
Studio Card #1 | Let’s Create a Character(s)!
Who is Eric Nyamor?