Draymond Carter

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

Introducing
Back of the Yards!

The Back of the Yards! – A Made Collaborative Comic Series

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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.
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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!

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?

 

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!  
Badass Shiro

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

And Action!
Create a Hero’s Journey

Action Card #3: Create A Hero’s Journey!

QR Code for Action Card #3: Create A Hero’s Journey!
Collaboration Summary
Action Card #3 will challenge you develop your own Hero Journey storylines (based on concepts developed by Joseph Campbell) which you can use for own creative projects. You can also submit your Hero Journey storylines to us if you would like us to help further develop your ideas, and in some instances, include those storylines as part of Back of the Yards comic series.
Collaboration Background
At the heart of our project’s collaborative is the creation of Hero's Journey storylines. This all started as part of a supplemental art program in the West Side of Chicago where participating youth would help create the original characters of the Back of the Yards comic series, and with that, independent storylines for those characters, which we then synthesized into one integrated comic storyline. With this collaboration, we are simply trying to extend this same collaborative opportunity to others virtually.
This & That
Action Card cover illustrated by Andrew Dimmett. Content developed by Jimmy Briseno, Len Kody and … you? Learn more on how by linking to the QR Code above.
Read more

Who is…
Andre Davis?

Andre Davis

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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
Read more

Who is…
Dex?

Dexter Colemen

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

Who is…
Russell Patterson?

Google Form Widget

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

Neighborhoods & Residents

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What
With this Source Card collaborative production, we examine the unique characteristics of our urban neighborhoods, including their unique histories, events and residents.
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.
Who
As part of this collaborative series, we will also examine the residents of these neighborhoods, including early immigrants to present day inhabitants, and their corresponding influence and impact to our urban communities.
Why
In order to more fully understand some of the complexities of our urban centers, we must understand their neighborhoods, including the evolution of those neighborhoods and their residents. And, of course, we plan to incorporate some of these related themes into our ongoing comic series, Back of the Yards, with your collaborations.
Read more

A Map of The
Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey – A Foundation for Story Telling

QR Code for The Hero’s Journey – A Foundation for Story Telling
Summary
This Studio Card production was developed by the Made Collaborative Studio as part of its comic series the Back of the Yards. With this Studio Card, we present you with a summary of the Hero's Journey, which is a framework that helped many to develop their own creative projects through the centuries and with that, it is our hope this summary may help participating youth with their own creative projects.
When
The Made Collaborative Studio began as a modest grass roots project started by a ragtag group of participating artists in Chicago and was designed to provide a unique collaborative opportunity for after school programs and participating youth from our urban communities.
Who
This Made Collaborative Studio project technically started over 10 years ago as only a kernel of an idea in the mind of the project’s founder on one of his many bus rides home and through much trial and error over the years, evolved into the Made Collaborative Studio virtual model that exists today.
Why
The Made Collaborative Studio was created to help promote creative thought and provide a unique (and free) collaborative experience for afterschool programs and participating youth alike.
Read more

Introducing
Back of the Yards!

The Back of the Yards! – A Made Collaborative Comic Series

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

Who is…
Carl Castaneda?

Carl Castaneda

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

A Call to Action
Join the Hero’s Journey

Studio Card #7b: The Hero’s Journey Pt II

QR Code for Studio Card #7b: The Hero’s Journey Pt II
Collaboration Summary
Action Card #3 will challenge you to develop your own Hero Journey storylines (based on concepts developed by Joseph Campbell) which you can use for own creative projects. You can also submit your Hero Journey storylines to us if you would like us to help further develop your ideas, and in some instances, include those storylines as part of Back of the Yards comic series.
Collaboration Background
At the heart of our project’s collaborative is the creation of Hero's Journey storylines. This all started as part of a supplemental art program in the West Side of Chicago where participating youth would help create the original characters of the Back of the Yards comic series, and with that, independent storylines for those characters, which we then synthesized into one integrated comic storyline. With this collaboration, we are simply trying to extend this same collaborative opportunity to others virtually.
This & That
Action Card cover illustrated by Andrew Dimmett. Content developed by Jimmy Briseno, Len Kody and … you? Learn more on how by linking to the QR Code above.
Read more

Who is…
Big Earl?

Big Earl

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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
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My Skill
Web Designer 50%

Submit Your Artwork

Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.

UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW 

Submit Your Artwork

Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.

UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW 

Submit Your Artwork

Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.

UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW 

Submit Your Artwork

Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.

UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW 

Submit Your Artwork

Some special pieces may be selected to appear in the Back of the Yards comic book.

UPLOAD YOUR IMAGES BELOW 

Submit Your Artwork

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