Background
This set of comic collaborations is part of an ongoing Made Collaborative series: Law Enforcement & Community Relations. With this set of comic collaborations, we will be working with youth from an interested after school program to develop three related comic collaborations described below. These collaborations will draw upon the “Peel’s Principles” blog, as well as the preceding “A Man Named Peel and His Vision” blog as reference points, and all resulting collaborations will be incorporated and published within the Back of the Yards comic series starting with the upcoming Issue #3.
The Comic Collaborations
1. Independent Comic Feature on Peel’s Principles & Modern Realities
With this collaboration we will be working with participating youth to develop a short independent comic (three to six pages in length) covering Peel’s Principles and how they may or may not apply today within our urban centers from the perspective of collaborating urban youth and ideally, at least one participating police officer.
This comic will explore how some of these principles are relevant today both from the perspectives of the youth and the collaborating police officer(s), as well as some of the challenges that police face in trying to achieve those principles in our modern day society. This collaboration may also include some further description of present day police tactics in that context.
This collaboration will include development of a general story outline, dialogue, and working with artists to create the corresponding illustrative panels. Depending on the actual length of this comic feature after production, we will either include this feature as part of the Back of the Yards supplement section for Issue #3, or a future issue.
2. Creating a new Back of the Yards Character – The More Seasoned Police Officer
As part of this collaboration, we will be developing a more seasoned police officer character as part of the Back of the Yards comic series. This new police character will have seen the impact of crimes within the urban communities he has patrolled over the years, including violence and numerous brushed with danger himself.
It is in that context that he will have a more hardened edge to his personality and bio, as compared to the police officer that will be created as part of the “Peel’s Principles” collaborations above. Both this police officer, as well as the police officer created as part of “Peel’s Principles” will be introduced in Comic Issue #3.
3. Create a Back Story Involving Crime for the Fictional Back of the Yards Neighborhood
Given that danger and violence is an underlying issue in many of our urban communities (even if declining steadily over time), as part of this collaboration we will be working with participating youth to develop a back story involving crime (or perhaps a string of criminal activity) within the Back of the Yards neighborhood.
This back story may be the basis for introducing within Issue 3, the newly created police officer characters, as well as the new politician character created as part of this collaborative series above, within Issue #3.
Collaboration References
Project Blog:
When Principles Meet Modern Realities
Book
by Norm Stamper entitled “To Serve and Protect,” Copyright @2106 Norm Stamper.
Collaborative Process
Every collaboration we facilitate will follow the general process outlined below, with perhaps just slight variations depending on the subject matter or scope. And all such collaborations will be primarily facilitated via the Made Collaborative Facebook Workplace site (you can find out more about Workplace here.)
1. Develop the Template Manuscript
First, we will further research the topic, brainstorm together, and begin to develop a basic manuscript/outline for the comic feature topic.
2. Solicit and Engage Artist & Writer Team
Once the manuscript is developed, we will solicit and engage a team of artists together and begin preliminary work, including concept sketches and further story development.
3. Develop Budget and Secure Funding
Once the manuscript is developed and the artist team is recruited, along with some preliminary work developed, we will develop a more definitive budget for the project and secure funding (either through a targeted crowdfunding campaign, or self-funded depending on the specific collaboration).
4. Production
Once funding is secured, we will work together to bring the collaboration to life, with continuous input from the youth and other collaborators via the Workplace site and supplemented by Zoom calls when necessary.
5. Publication
Once completed, we will immediately publish on this website and in a future comic issue.
Collaboration Updates & Other Notes
This Collaboration has not yet been assigned! If interested, you can learn more by contacting us at info@madecollaborative.com!
Once assigned, we will post collaborative updates here as they develop right up until publication.
