MILLERSBURG - As part of an after school program, 13 students from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School joined in the creative process of creating a comic book based on a character created by their art instructor, Matt Leavens. Students not only came up with the story that tells the tale of the comic, they also illustrated it using sketching, inking and blending techniques picked up under Leavens' direction.
To culminate their learning experience, the students toured Susquehanna Design & Printing, 510 Union St., while their comic, titled "The Adventures of Kid Feedback" was printed Thursday.
Students watched a digital printer as their collaborative efforts were brought to life. They saw the detail in the work that the team at Susquehanna Design & Printing does as well. Before printing, the professionals scanned the student's artwork into a computer and enchanced with Photoshop to ensure top quality of the print product.
The star of the comic wasn't a something dreamed up overnight, either.
"Feedback is an avatar of myself that I created for my artwork back in 1987. He is a spirit covered in armor and the helmet he wears holds unknown powers" Leavens said. "His enemies seek his destruction and try to acquire the mystical helmet he wears for their own selfish needs."
"Over the years I've been seeking an opportunity to bring Feedback out to the public, and when the CSIU asked me to teach something, I thought this is the perfect time for me to introduce Feedback and have my students help me write and illustrate a comic based on the character" Leavens said.
The after school project Teens in Innovative Educational Structures (TIES) is part of a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, which is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and administered by the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU).