Real stories. Extraordinary possibilities.
Welcome to Back of the Yards, a Creative Commons comic series developed by the Made Collaborative Studio and inspired by the stories, experiences and imaginations of young people from Chicago’s West Side.
Set in a fictionalized version of Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, the series follows Andre Davis, a young man whose seemingly supernatural encounter sets him on a journey to discover what is real, what lies beneath the surface of his community, and how the lives of those around him are connected.
Originally developed through collaborations between Chicago youth and professional comic artists and writers, Back of the Yards blends everyday struggles, extraordinary mysteries and the transformative power of imagination.
Below, we invite you to explore the comic for yourself — beginning with Issues #1 and #2, followed by a look at our developing Issue #3.
Having completed Issue 1 as essentially a proof of concept, we immediately turned our attention to the development and production of Issue 2. Our thought at the time was developing Issue 2 would provide an even stronger foundation for us to then re-engage broader collaborations with youth in the Chicago community.
For Issue 2, one of primary storyline objectives was to introduce Mr. Carl Castaneda. As previously covered, Mr. Castaneda was created by Len Kody as the connective tissue that holds all the disparate narrative structures of Back of Yards together by framing the Back of the Yards comic series in a context that mimics the one in which it was created.
Production of Issue 1 would begin in 2018 and final edits to scripts and illustrations were completed by 2019. The issue was largely self-funded and was, more or less, a proof of concept for the project team.
The comic issue itself is divided into two parts. The first part is the actual comic script panels, 25 pages in length. The second part of the comic is a supplement that essentially tells the “story behind the story,” i.e., the underlying collaborative process that led to the comic itself. We felt this underlying context was essential to provide a framework for future collaborations with other participating youth.
Which brings us to the our subsequent development of this new virtual studio framework and with that, your Featured Collaborations presented just below!
With this set of collaborations, we will be developing Issue 3 together, virtually. And to do that, we have developed Featured Collaboration summaries which we present on the Back Page of our Explore the Studio, and each of which you can access the Back Page by clicking on the button to the left!
We also include the Issue 3 Working Script here for your reading pleaure.
Explore the Back of the Yards Studio Card
Take a deeper look into the world of Back of the Yards. Explore the series’ origins, revisit Issues #1 and #2, meet the characters, and discover what’s taking shape for Issue #3.
And through our virtual workshops, you’re invited to share your own ideas and help shape what comes next.
The story is still being written. Come help us build it.
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
