| 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! |
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| 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. |
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…
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.
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.
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.]
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.
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?
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?
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
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?
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!
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!
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book. iPad/iPhone users, submit images from FILES (NOT from Photo Library).
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
Collaborate with professional artists by contributing some artwork of your own! Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.
UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW
