Studio Card #15: Who is Big Earl?
| Summary | "Big Earl" 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. Big Earl is a big man with a big heart. Beloved by all in the neighborhood, everybody knows his name and has heard a story or two about this gentle giant. |
|---|---|
| Core Personality Traits & Values | Earl was the neighborhood football hero before an injury pushed him to the sidelines. And undiagnosed dyslexia prevented him for excelling in school. But Earl’s kind soul and balanced nature granted him resilience through life’s toughest struggles. |
| Primary Archetype | The Everyman |
| Motto | “If I didn’t get hurt, then I would never have found me.” |
| Collaboration Background | Big Earl was developed by Jimmy Briseno and Len Kody in 2015 as part of the initial Issue 1 scripting process. |
| Debut | Issue #1 of the Back of the Yards comic series |
Quick Introduction
The Funky Finger of Fate
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 in 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 tapestry. 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.
How did Earl endure?
Before he packed on the pounds, Earl was towering 6’5” of solid muscle. He matured early, physically. But his otherwise brilliant brain is burdened by a severe case of dyslexia, which meant he would always struggle in his studies. Because of his large size and kind nature, Earl stood up to the local bullies. So, the other kids all pitched in to help him pass his classes. Thanks to their help, he remained eligible to play high school football.
On the field, Earl was a champion.
As an adult Earl, avoided the temptation to become muscle for the various Chicago criminal outfits. He tried to become a cop or a firefighter, but his reading and writing difficulties held him back once again. He couldn’t pass the entrance exams.
Earl settled for a career in security, a position in which he excelled, until that fateful night…
The Everyman
Following his injury, Earl’s once-unstoppable metabolism slowed down. It became difficult for him to fight his weight. So, his old high school nickname, “Big Earl,” took on new meaning.
Recovery was difficult for Earl, but he’s not bitter. His peace doesn’t come from ignorance or blind optimism but from deep understanding.
Earl’s journey of the Everyman is one that has taught him acceptance. Sometimes you’re up, and sometimes you get knocked down. Usually, life is pretty unfair. But, as long as you do right by your friends and loved ones, that’s all that really matters when the grim reaper comes a-calling!
Let's Collaborate!
The long life of Big Earl Perkins has gone through many seasons. For the moment, we'd like to investigate two dramatic inflection points in his teenage and young adult years. That's where you, our brilliant and imaginative collaborators, can help! There are a couple of important events during and shortly after high school that helped shape the man he is today. Your input on these events can help further develop the rich tapestry of overlapping stories that compose Back of the Yards.
A Straight and Narrow Path
In the early 1960’s, Big Earl Perkins felt like life was passing him by.
Sometimes Trouble Finds You
A Made Collaborative Production
Studio Card #7: Introducing The Back of the Yards 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!
As Earl confronts a major turning point in his life, things are also changing in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Indeed, the entire nation seems to be in crisis.
Table of Contents
Related Studio Cards
Studio Card #4: The Hero’s Journey (Part I) – A Call To Action
Studio Card #6: The Hero’s Journey (Part III) – The Return
Studio Card #7: Introducing The Back of the Yards Comic Series!
Who is John Golden?
Google Form Widget
Studio Card #2: Creating Characters!
Studio Card #10: Who is Russell Patterson?
Studio Card #11: Who is Carl Castaneda?
Who is Dan Dougherty?
Who is Manny Dominguez?
Studio Card #16: Who is Dexter Coleman?
| 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 |
Quick Introduction
The Funky Finger of Fate
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 in 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 tapestry. 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.
Lightning Quick Wit
Dex has a sharp mind. As steel sharpens steel, he keeps his mind sharp through constant use: chess in the park, all-night poker games and the occasional hustle.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but that isn’t true of Dex—he’s probably the only one of the Elders who knows how to work a smartphone! Even so, he’s never learned his lesson.
Dex has lost a step or two but he stays one step ahead of the law, for now.
Old Habits Die Hard
Unlike Peaches, who became a community leader at marches and church picnics, Dex made his way running numbers for the policy kings of Chicago. “Policy” was an underground lottery in poor and working-class neighborhoods that was something of an illegitimate institution. The whole racket was run by the mob but supported by local politicians and preachers who always counted on their cut.
Dex is a good man, at heart. He’s never hurt anyone (intentionally) nor has he scammed anyone who didn’t have it coming (mostly). He’s just not one to turn the other cheek. Dex is an operator. When he sees injustice, he’s going to figure out a way to finish ahead.
The Policy Kings of Chicago
Who's Hustlin' Who?
For others in the community, Policy was opportunity in a time when legitimate opportunities were scarce. The Policy hustle was an economic engine that helped drive the growth of many legal black-owned businesses
Policy made millionaires of the men (and women) who hustled in that racket. But, as a criminal gambling enterprise, it certainly left its own victims in its wake; most notably, the poor folks who played multiple times a day, throwing away their scant earnings in the desperate hope that the numbers would fall their way one day…
Dream Logic
A Made Collaborative Production
Studio Card #7: Introducing The Back of the Yards 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!
Imagine that it's 30 years ago. It's the mid-1980s. Dex is a slightly younger man, in his early 40s. He's misspent his entire youth by crossing people and double-crossing them.
Table of Contents
Studio Cards Related to the Back of the Yards Comic Series Project
Action Card #4: Create an Illustration!
Studio Card #3 – Creating a Character (Part II)
Studio Card #12: Neighborhoods & Residents
Who is John Golden?
Studio Card #2: Creating Characters!
Studio Card #7: Introducing The Back of the Yards Comic Series!
Studio Card #6: The Hero’s Journey (Part III) – The Return
Who is Eric Nyamor?
Source Card #13: Law Enforcement & The Community
Who is Manny Dominguez?
Studio Card#17: Who is Draymond Carter?
| Brief | Draymond Carter 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. Draymond is Russell Patterson’s fiery-tempered younger cousin. But the cousins are more like brothers ever since Russell moved in with his Auntie, Evelyn (Draymond’s mother). |
|---|---|
| Core Personality | Draymond’s extroverted and assertive personality is a stark contrast to Russell’s more gentle and introverted nature. |
| Archetype | The Sidekick |
| Motto | “You're going to lose.” |
| Collaboration Background | Draymond 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 |
Quick Introduction
A Bond Forged in Dreams
Russell wasn’t supposed to stay forever. That’s what Draymond thought, at least. When his quiet, lanky cousin first moved in, it felt like a temporary thing—a visit that would end. But as the months stretched on, Draymond realized that Russell wasn’t going anywhere.
It was weird having him around, with his head always buried in books or lost in his own thoughts. But then something happened that Draymond didn’t expect—even as they teased each other and fought like brothers, Draymond started looking up to Russell. Not that he’d ever say it out loud, of course. Russell had this whole other world inside his head, filled with wild adventures and incredible stories, and before Draymond knew it, he was pulled right in.
The Adventures of Teshue & Shiro
It didn’t take long for them to become both rivals and teamates—Russell leading the way on their imaginary quests, and Draymond charging in as Shiro, his fearless ninja alter ego. Even in the real world, Draymond secretly admired Russell’s calm, even if it drove him crazy at times. Maybe being the sidekick wasn’t so bad, not when the hero was his cousin.
In their dream world, anything was possible. Broomsticks became katana blades, and bullies turned into warlords. Russell became Teshue, the silent warrior, while Draymond was Shiro—fierce and unstoppable.
Who is the Caregiver?
Draymond’s mother, Evelyn Carter, is Russell’s auntie. Evelyn is caring for both both of the boys, currently. Russell won’t tell Draymond what happened to his own mother.
It is a mystery.
Evelyn approaches the boys with a careful balance of strength and care. With Draymond, she’s firm and unyielding, guiding his fiery impulsiveness with discipline.
For Russell, her touch is softer—nurturing his quiet, sensitive side with understanding. Her own grounded nature keeps the household steady, providing the stability both boys desperately need as their worlds grow increasingly chaotic.
A Made Collaborative Production
Studio Card #7: Introducing The Back of the Yards 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!
Draymond’s world was turned upside down when his older cousin came to live with him. Some of those changes have been amazing, others have been a struggle. Either way, Draymond is growing and his family is changing.
What events from Draymond’s mother’s past have brought Russell into his life? What happened between Evelyn Carter and her sister?
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
Related Studio Cards
Studio Card #4: The Hero’s Journey (Part I) – A Call To Action
Studio Card #15: Who is Big Earl?
Studio Card #6: The Hero’s Journey (Part III) – The Return
Studio Card #16: Who is Dexter Coleman?
Who is Len Kody?
Studio Card#17: Who is Draymond Carter?
Google Form Widget
Studio Card #3 – Creating a Character (Part II)
Studio Card #11: Who is Carl Castaneda?
Law Enforcement and Community Relations
Law Enforcement and Community Relations
| Summary | This Studio Card production part of the Back of the Yards comic series, a Creative Commons project produced by Made Collaborative. With this Studio Card production, we will begin to take peek into the issues facing law enforcement within our urban communities and with that, our hope is to build in these concepts and ongoing dialogue into our Creative Commons comic project, the Back of the Yards. |
|---|---|
| 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. |
Quick Introduction
First, a Quick Introduction and Origin Story About a Guy Name Robert Peel
With this Source Card collaboration, we will be covering various topics related to law enforcement & community relations, together with your input. We’ll start this ongoing collaboration with a peek at the origins of our modern police forces, eventually transitioning to some of the many challenges our police forces face today, and then focus on the impact of those challenges within our black and brown communities in particular.
And as we cover these various topics, we will invite you to the same, either on your own or collaboratively with others. And we hope to not only collaborate with urban youth and their academic administrators, but also other subject matters experts along the way, and perhaps no more important in that regard than those on the very front lines we speak of, our police officers.
That’s the hope anyway. But we’ll see exactly where this collaboration goes together. For now, we’ll simply kick things off with a peak into the origins of the modern day police force.
And as turns out, that tale starts with some guy named Robert Peel. Who, you ask? Well just turn the pages below we’ll dive right into it.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
From Peel to Modern Day Realities
Ahh, our man Peel. Just what would he be thinking if he were alive today?
Of course, to say a lot has changed since Robert Peel’s day would be like saying a lot has changed for us generally over the last year. Just a bit of an understatement.
In Peel’s day, the newly formed police (nicknamed “Bobbies” in honor of our man Robert Peel) would patrol metropolitan areas carrying only wooden batons and their most common encounters would be drunkenness and street fighting, with the hope all along that their mere presence would significantly reduce such crimes.
So, for some further context, here’s a list of some innovations developed since Peel’s day:
- The electric motor
- Color Photography
- The incandescent light bulb
- The zipper (very underrated)
- Plastic (also on a related note, and perhaps more importantly, Legos)
- Dynamite
- Radio
- TV
- The automobile
- Airplanes
- Helicopters
- Rockets!
Yes, indeed, lots of innovation since Peel’s day. Which unfortunately brings us to some of the more somber realities of today. In parallel with this modern day innovation, crime has seemed to evolve just as rapidly. In contrast to the Bobbies of Peel’s day, police officers of today must deal with a wide array of violent crime, and this is particularly true within our urban centers.
Violence in our Cities
In the summer of 2020, total Chicago shootings that July were at a 75% increase as compared to previous July. And as I write this blog entry, just over the last weekend alone here in Chicago, at least 49 people were shot, seven fatally.
Violence in our cities is nothing new. And to be fair, the fact of the matter is that violent crime within the United States has actually been on a steady decline over the last 15 years. But that shouldn’t in any way diminish the very real challenges within our urban centers today, as further evidenced by a murder rate that was up 16.1 percent in America’s 25 largest cities in 2020.
And it is this volatility that police officers walk right into the front lines every day. As Chicago’s former superintendent David Brown put it just after a shooting of 3 Chicago officers, “when they leave home, they leave their loved ones and put their stars on and risk everything. They risk everything protecting us all.”
And the danger our police officers face every day is just part of the story. As we will begin to cover more as this collaboration develops, in his book To Protect and Serve, author and former police chief Norm Stamper describes an environment for police that is entrenched in pressures to produce “numbers.”
“Numbers” often in the form of revenue. Moving violations. Speeding. Running a red light. This is particularly true in cities that have stressed budgets. As Stamper describes it, there was no “quota” system per se, but the pressures from above are nonetheless very real.
Systematic Pressures on All Sides
All of this exacerbated by modern day drug enforcement laws that the police are, of course, further tasked to enforce on the front lines.
All of which tends to put our officers in the position where they must “produce” in order to comply with their job requirements, but in so doing, often an adversarial relationship is collectively formed within the very same communities they are assigned to patrol and protect.
In his book Justice Without Trial, Law Enforcement in Democratic Society (1967, latest edition 2015), sociologist Jerome Skolnick maintains that any job description that calls upon a person to exercise decision-making authority in the face of physical danger may simply be asking too much of the practitioner.
Combine that danger with the systematic pressures police officers feel from above and from within, it would seem to be a wholly undeniable understatement to say that the job of a police officer is a profoundly difficult one.
But as we will try to further explore as this collaboration develops, the same systematic pressures that our police officers feel from above and within, as they also put their lives on the line daily, may also be contributing to the widely disproportionately negative impacts within our black and brown communities that exist today, which are equally undeniable.
And from there, we will pick up this Source Card collaboration to learn more about this pressures and related issues together with you starting with the “Let’s Collaborate” section below, with the hope that we will be able to incorporate what we learn over time into the Back of the Yards comic.
Let's Collaborate!
A Made Collaborative Production!
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 related Studio Cards below. And finally, you can also take a peek into our corresponding project board below, where you may find some of the collaborators tracking your input to our Studio Cards and related topics. Happy collaborating!
Let’ s Collaborate!
Table of Contents
Related Studio Cards
Who is Len Kody?
Who is Manny Dominguez?
Studio Card #3 – Creating a Character (Part II)
Studio Card #12: Neighborhoods & Residents
Studio Card #8: Who Is Andre Davis?
Action Card #4: Create an Illustration!
Studio Card #9: Who Is Tamia Parker?
Studio Card#17: Who is Draymond Carter?
Studio Card #6: The Hero’s Journey (Part III) – The Return
Studio Card #4: The Hero’s Journey (Part I) – A Call To Action
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. |
Quick Introduction
Sometimes dreams are bizarre. Some dreams are scary. Others are downright silly. Most of the time, your dreams don’t have anything to say that is especially deep or profound. They simply echo your everyday experiences.
But Dr. Carl Gustav Jung was a 20th-century Swiss psychologist who thought that dreams had something more to tell us. He explored the hidden and mysterious aspects of the mind and found that some dreams are energized by timeless motifs that have echoes in art, poetry and music throughout all human existence. These dreams may hold intriguing new insights into life and the world, Jung believed, because they come from the “collective unconscious.”
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. But, because our waking minds aren’t able to directly communicate with the collective unconscious, it will sometimes send us unexpected signs and signals in our dreams.
When you decode the images in these important dreams you may find yourself the beneficiary of some new or hidden knowledge. In the classic cases of these instances, prophetic dreamers will receive esoteric knowledge that can help their community through a coming crisis.
With this Source Card production, we will provide you an overview of each of the 12 primary character archetypes, starting with The Hero.
The Hero
The Mentor
The Ruler
The Ruler is also known as the King, the Queen, the Guardian, the Politician, etc. All of the archetypes go by many names because the simple and intuitive roles they describe belie significant complexity. Like real people, the archetypes of the unconscious contain both light and dark energy.
At their best, a Ruler provides structure and protection against the creeping threat of chaos and anarchy. But when does one’s quest for power make him or her a tyrant? At their worst, the Ruler’s “structure” is simply a prison. So you see that the Ruler especially, along with all the archetypes of the unconscious, has both good and bad aspects to them. Whichever aspects of the Ruler are manifest in a given story or situation depends a lot on context and the character that happens to be inhabiting the Ruler role at the time.
Much of the resistance the Hero first encounters when they leave the familiar behind frequently comes in the form of institutional “red tape,” close-minded laws or irrational traditions. In fact, as part of their initial heroic baptism, the Hero might find his or herself having to take a stand against a corrupt Ruler, government or philosophy that defines the boundaries of the Ordinary World.
In this way, Robin Hood classically combats the tyrannical Sheriff of Nottingham when the dashing archer and his Merrie Men rob from the rich and give to the poor on their quest to undermine the political and economic inequalities of their day. King Arthur, on the other hand, eventually became the Ruler as part of his Heroic Journey. A big theme of the Arthurian legends was Arthur’s quest to unite the feuding powers of medieval Britain to create a peaceful and stable homeland for his people. In some stories, the Hero rises to become Ruler but is eventually corrupted by that power.
The Explorer
The Explorer wants to see the world! If every story is a journey of some sort, the Explorer embodies the willingness—nay, the eagerness—to seek the novel, the exotic and the intriguingly unfamiliar.
In life, dreams and in stories, characters are constantly changing roles, archetypes are always exchanging masks. If the Hero crosses paths with the Explorer, the Explorer may provide the Hero with some helpful information from the wider world, thus becoming a Mentor and guide. The Explorer’s wanderlust may be what sends him or her on a journey in the first place, across the threshold of adventure; thus the Explorer may become a Hero, in some cases. On the other hand, the lonely life of the Explorer may make them a permanent misfit, never at home wherever he goes. This makes the Explorer quite different than a Hero, depending on your perspective, because heroes are usually a champion of a particular community.
In 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first human being to ever set foot on the moon. He eventually returned, of course. But, in that “one small step” he took onto the cold and distant lunar surface, he embodied the spirit of the Explorer for the 20th century.
The Dreamer
All of us were innocent Dreamers once. As we learn the ways of the world and become wiser, there is something that is lost, too.
The Dreamer experiences the world as we all did when we were wide-eyed children, when everything was still charged by the electric fairy dust of imagination. The Dreamer believes in a world beyond the one we can see. To some, these innocent young cherubs might seem very detached from the real world. The Dreamer can be incredibly naive. However, they do serve to constantly remind us (and possibly remind the Hero, as well) that paradise awaits at the end of the Journey when our present struggles have reached their conclusion.
Even if their childish aphorisms are ultimately untrue, they’re worth fighting for. So, the Dreamer often reminds the Hero what he or she is fighting for. The Dreamer can be a focal point for all the transformative potential that transcends the restrictive structures of the Ordinary World, making them the stewards of some very potent energies, indeed.
The adorable and innocent Baby Yoda character from the Mandalorian show is a good example of a Dreamer character. The show’s rugged protagonist fights to defend the green infant who unwittingly commands the powerful force. And yet another Dreamer is a man named Tucker …
The Rebel
The rebel wants to change the world by tearing down the status quo. Many of the other archetypes have a strained relationship with “the ordinary world” that often sets the scene for dramatic changes and amazing journeys later in the story: the Hero, the Creator, the Explorer, etc. What distinguishes the Rebel from similar archetypes is his or her fiery passion for immediate change and their willingness to engage in disruptive, even destructive behavior in order to achieve their goals.
Whether you view a Rebel character as either good or evil depends a lot on your perspective—one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter. Many criminals engage in Rebel-like behavior when they break the law to advance their own agenda. Entrepreneurs, like Steve Jobs, have a rebellious streak in them too, because they defy expectations and subvert conventions that would otherwise restrict innovation and creativity in their industry—that’s why Apple’s slogan is “Think Different.”
Civil rights leaders and activists must all be Rebels, too, because they are trying to topple the established structures of institutional racism.
The Magician
The Magician is the master of the universe. He or she is sometimes depicted with the forces of nature bending to their will. Also known as the Wizard, the Visionary or the Healer, we see these Shaman characters in fiction and in real life.
The founders of the great Silicon Valley tech giants are often spoken of in the same terms as Wizards and Magicians—they imagined a different way of doing things and, using the mastery over occult forces (computer technology, in this case) they made those dreams a physical reality. Today, we are truly living in a world that was first dreamt of by Steve Jobs and the Google brain trust.
In fantasy stories, like the Lord of the Rings, the Magician role is inhabited by a literal Wizard. Gandalf guides the journeys of his hobbit allies, also taking on the role of Mentor, on occasion. Some see the Magician as the inevitable conclusion of the Hero’s Journey, a journey which we’ll discuss in detail later. As the Hero is transformed through his or her trials of initiation, they transcend the boundaries of crude duality and basic conflict.
Unlike the Hero, the Magician’s will is in accord with the will of the greater universe, and so they seek win-win solutions that dissolve differences rather than getting bound up in all that antagonistic tension. The Magician is sometimes the Hero’s shadow companion, using their unique talents to support the Hero’s crusade, as Merlin did with King Arthur.
The Trickster
There is a great tradition of comedy in American culture. We celebrate the Trickster because of his ability to speak truth to power and to turn expectations on their head. Also known as the Jester, the Joker, the Comedian or the Disruptor, this character does more than make us laugh.
The Trickster brashly points out the unseen absurdities that govern all our lives. These absurdities are unseen because most “normal folks” are either unable or unwilling to acknowledge any incongruities in their boring existence until the Trickster’s cutting quips make them impossible to ignore. The classic observational comedy of Jerry Seinfeld is so fondly remembered for taking the mundane silliness of day-to-day life—things like airplane peanuts, searching for parking and going to a restaurant—and presenting them in a humorous way that makes us see the preposterous assumptions we make all the time. Comedians like Richard Prior and Dave Chapelle spotlight institutional racial injustices in a similar way. They challenged the invisible and unspeakable mechanisms of racism operating in every aspect of our society by making them look stupid (which they are).
With their ability to help others see beyond the various veils of illusion, the Trickster often provides welcome “comic relief” in many movies and TV shows. They are the goofy friend or sidekick who release the pent-up tension of the pulse-pounding action and heart-rending drama with a few well-timed jokes. Trickster-Heroes like Deadpool use humor to outwit their opponents and confuse their rivals. Trickster-Villains like the Joker are a colorful contrast to absolute, black and white, law and order represented by Batman’s single-minded quest for vengeance.
The Sidekick
The “Sidekick” archetype is traditionally known as “the Lover,” but the “love” alluded to in this role can encompass many varieties of companionship. The Lover may literally be an intimate associate of the Hero, like a spouse or romantic partner. This role may also be inhabited by a dear friend or close associate to the protagonist.
Robin is Batman’s Sidekick because they fight crime together. They share a mutual affection, admiration and respect for one another along with whatever professional bonds they’ve developed in the course of their superhero duties. The classic love shared between Romeo and Juliet certainly fulfills our expectations of the Lover role more closely. Even though it was forbidden by their feuding families, Romeo and Juliet’s flaming passion continued to develop until the two could not live without each other. They chose to squelch their own lives rather than live without each other.
And therein lies the weakness of the Sidekick archetype. At his or her best, the Sidekick supports the Hero through the inevitable trials of the Journey. At their worst, the Sidekick can develop a self-destructive codependency as a result of their attachment to the Hero.
The Caregiver
The Caregiver can be a parent or an especially caring mother figure or father figure. More than a mere teacher (as the Mentor is), the Caregiver is a source of unconditional love and support. As such, the Caregiver often plays a vital role in the emotional stakes of a story. They personify the warm, loving feelings that are associated with home, which can motivate the Hero and in the last, most difficult steps of his or her Journey.
The untimely passing of a Caregiver also lends energy to the narrative and may become a memorable inflection point in the development of a particular character. Batman and Spider-Man both lost important Caregivers as part of their tragic origin stories.
When taken to a dark extreme, the Caregiver role can become distorted into an overbearing, tyrannical figure that stands as an obstacle in the path of the Hero’s personal development. Who can forget when Darth Vader uttered the memorable words “I am your father” at the surprise ending of Return of the Jedi? In that moment, Vader became more than just a political adversary to the young Jedi, Luke Skywalker, and his newfound friends in the Rebellion. As a Caregiver gone bad, Darth lends frightful immanence and palpable peril to Luke’s internal struggle to come to terms with his own enigmatic past.
Elsewhere in the Star Wars universe, on the popular Mandalorian TV show, we see an armored, gun-slinging bounty hunter become an unlikely Caregiver when he chooses to double-cross his client and instead save a strange, green, pointy-eared baby Yoda from being kidnapped by the mad doctors of the Galactic Empire.
The Everyperson
The Everyperson represents all that we have in common as fellow travelers through the human experience. They are the down-to-earth, “regular guy” or “girl next door” that does not have and great wealth or impressive power… and they don’t want then, either. That’s because the Everyperson is extremely fair. They are guided by a highly developed (though very conventional) moral code that stresses equality for all members of their community.
The Everyperson doesn’t appreciate it when either prejudice or privilege causes somebody to be treated unfairly. So, they sometimes find themselves as the unlikely champion of the oppressed. In these instances, the Everyperson moves towards the role of Hero not to seek glory or to revel in the glory of battle, but merely to set right the imbalances that would rob somebody of their basic human dignity.
Frequently, politicians take on manners of speech and dress that make them appear like a “regular guy” because people tend to trust the mild-mannered ways of the Everyperson. As bespectacled reporter, Clark Kent, Superman pretends to be an Everyman when he moves about the crowds of Metropolis so that nobody suspects that he is a flying god from another planet.
The Creator
Alternately known as the Artist, the Inventor, the Author and the Master of the Craft, this archetype is a visionary with the skills and the drive to make their vision a reality. Characters who inhabit the
Creator archetypes may take on other roles, as well. Pablo Picasso was an artist with a unique perspective on the world who took a very distinctive approach to his art. He was a consummate Creator but parts of his story read like the Hero’s Journey as well. When Picasso started his career, all painting aspired to emulate real life as closely as possible. But, Picasso was on the vanguard of a sweeping change in art and expression in the 20th century. He and other brave “Heroes” like him had to leave familiar forms of expression behind as old-fashioned portraits and landscape paintings frankly became obsolete when the photographic technology had advanced enough to replace them. Like the Explorer, Picasso probed new aesthetic approaches and discovered a completely original, innovative, abstract approach to painting that presented drama and emotion in a way that does not compete with the camera’s lens.
The Creator can also take on the roles of Sidekick, Magician or Trickster in your story, depending on what the scene requires. The Creator archetype is a popular one in movies and books because it provides an interesting opportunity to tell a story about telling a story. “Making of” documentaries and “Behind the Scenes” features capitalize on this same curiosity to see the Creator at work.
Let’ s Collaborate!
Table of Contents
Related Studio Cards
Studio Card #3 – Creating a Character (Part II)
Who is Eric Nyamor?
Studio Card #15: Who is Big Earl?
Who is Len Kody?
Studio Card #10: Who is Russell Patterson?
Studio Card #9: Who Is Tamia Parker?
Studio Card #4: The Hero’s Journey (Part I) – A Call To Action
Studio Card #6: The Hero’s Journey (Part III) – The Return
Studio Card #8: Who Is Andre Davis?
Studio Card#17: Who is Draymond Carter?
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. |
Introduction to Eric Nyamor
[Background on Eric, plus education and credentials. Include John’s art to further promote his work.]
[TBD - Links to Eric's sites and other works/projects to be inserted]
More space for John to introduce his interests and projects, etc.
And Then Came Made Collaborative and a New Comic, the Back fo the Yards!
REVISE TO INCORPORATE JOHN’S WORK ON THE PROJECT MORE SPECIFICALLY. It was by way of Chicago’s community of comic creators that Len crossed paths with Jimmy Briseno, founder of the Made Collaborative project. The two met for coffee in Logan Square during what turned out to be Len’s final week in Chi-Town. Great changes were afoot in Len’s life at the time — he was about to relocate to Los Angeles.
Even so, Jimmy’s pitch captivated him:
Made Collaborative is a social entrepreneurship enterprise that uses the magic of comics and storytelling to empower urban youth and give them a voice.
Len loved the idea because comic books had provided him so much purpose and direction; this was an opportunity to share that with others. When Len and Jimmy concluded their first meeting with a handshake, it was the beginning of a prosperous partnership and a beautiful friendship.
Let’s Collaborate! [WORK WITH ERIC TO CREATE A GOOGLE FORM THAT TARGETS HIS OWN PROJECTS AND INTERESTS AND SOLICITS OTHERS TO HELP/COLLABORATE, ETC.]
Table of Contents
Related Studio Cards
Studio Card #14: Who is Peaches?
Source Card #13: Law Enforcement & The Community
Studio Card #7: Introducing The Back of the Yards Comic Series!
Studio Card #8: Who Is Andre Davis?
Who is Dan Dougherty?
Law Enforcement and Community Relations
Studio Card #5: The Hero’s Journey (Part II) – Initiation
Google Form Widget
Studio Card #6: The Hero’s Journey (Part III) – The Return
Studio Card #12: Neighborhoods & Residents