(Chelsea Update would like to thank Jesse Kauffman for the information in this story.)
By the end of the day on Thursday, April 2 the SRSLY coalition finished distributing over 1,000 comic books to Chelsea students for March is Reading Month.
For the last five years, SRSLY has been partnering with the Chelsea School District, Chelsea District Library, and Edgar Norman Creative to provide professionally produced comic books to students. The comic books feature CPTN SRSLY and the Super Master Sentinels, a team of heroes who thwart the evil plans of the Maniacal Monster Syndicate.
Using the creative and engaging medium of comic books, the stories take place in Chelsea and feature local landmarks and Chelsea students. Touching on topics such as hand-washing, overcoming fear, resisting peer pressure, and using teamwork, the stories offer accessible positive messages to support students in their development.
For March is Reading Month, SRSLY has been visiting schools with Jerzy Drozd, the cartoonist who creates the books, to celebrate reading and promote youth making healthy choices. Students have read through the book together and participated in brief drawing presentations.
Thanks to a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation, and Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs of Chelsea, eight middle school students participated in a comic workshop with Jerzy Drozd this January.
The eight-session course taught students how to create their own characters, plan out their stories, and create their own comic books. The workshop culminated in the production of a 44-page comic book anthology that includes all of the students’ own creations.
The books were distributed to middle school students on Thursday, April 2 during lunch along with an assembly that featured a video interview with the kids who participated.
“My favorite part was the workshop because you could let your creative ideas flow and make anything happen in your comic book,” said Jessie Stahl, a 6th-grade student. “I also loved how we could meet new people and share our ideas for each other’s plot, characters, and other parts of our books.”
“Jessie embraced the creative process and thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the comic workshop,” said Laura Stahl, Jessie’s mother. “It was rewarding to see her actively engaged in such a worthwhile offering within our community. The young authors and artists have every reason to be proud of their finished book and our thanks to all who helped make this experience a reality.”
“It was a true joy to watch the kids who grew up with these characters take the reins and create the next chapter of the series,” said Drozd. “I was especially thrilled to see these young cartoonists treated like stars by their classmates when the books were distributed at their school.”
