Superpickle, Dorky Don, and Superpancake came to save the day at Clifton Park’s comic book camp last week.
About 16 campers ranging in age from 7 to 13 created the superheroes, along with villains and victims in need of rescue, as they plotted out their panels, chose their colors and checked their spelling at one of the camp offerings this season sponsored by Clifton Park’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Casey Karl, 7, eagerly explained his in-progress comic book.
It’s kind of about Cruella De Vil (of 101 Dalmations fame) who has twins and they go to a secret Ninja school, and they look for a secret treasure, but first they have to break some boards, Karl said.
His first panel featured Casey and his neighbor, saying `Hi` in big bubbles over their heads. The twins, Ninja school and boards come later, he said.
Another camper, Marc Sanford, 9, drew inspiration from a faraway family member.
`My Aunt Sue ` she’s in the 82nd Airborne,` he said. `Sweetpickle wants to take secrets from the U.S. force. Superpickle stops him. Superpickle has the power of dill.`
He pointed to a panel of Aunt Sue held by a giant claw suspended over a lava pit, explaining that Superpickle would be rescuing her from the evil Sweetpickle.
Fellow comic book artist Joseph Grae, 7, chimed in to explain the extent of Superpickle’s reach.
`He can jump over buildings,` Grae said.
`He can jump over the Empire State Building,` amended Niko Stroud, 8. Then expanding on the theme, Stroud added, `He can jump under ground and then jump all the way up to the Empire State Building and then up to the moon.`
Stroud’s own hero, Supertongue, sported three `really long` tongues, he said.
The campers had spent several days learning to draw and working up rough draft panels, said their camp counselor Shannon Haegele, a Clifton Park native now living in Troy. Haegele, who will finish a master’s degree in literacy this month, said the comics were a great way to inspire not only fun but also learning.
`It’s been really successful. The kids are loving it,` she said.
The program, created by Dark Horse Comics and Columbia University Teachers College, offers tips on drawing as well as making a plot, and stresses creating heroes, Haegele added.
For Marc’s little brother Seth Sanford, 7, creating heroes was not a problem.
`Sweetchip is the sidekick of Potato Chip the boss,` he said, pointing to two round brown figures with red hats. `There’s Superchip,` he added. `His sidekick is Dorito.`
Brendan Trump, 8, said his fellow artists inspired Superpancake.
`Everybody was doing food,` he said. `This is my second page of Superpancake. He has to stop bad fork and spoon from blowing up the bank. His sidekick is syrup.`
Sam Perdek, 10, who had already drawn a comic before coming to camp, said he learned to have a rough draft so he could correct his spelling before the final draft.
`Dorky Don is being picked on by BullyBilly. He’s being bullied for four weeks and one day. Then Dorky Don gets help from one of his best friends Billy Bob who teaches the bully a lesson until the principal comes and puts Bully-Billy in detention,` Perdek said.
The campers’ enthusiasm for their comics may have been predictable, given the overwhelming response to the camp. Thirty-three students signed up for the 20-spot camp, causing Clifton Park’s Parks and Recreation Director Myla Kramer to offer a second week of camp. Kramer decided to offer the camp because she was looking for an activity not available elsewhere in town, and for a set of kids who might not be so sports-oriented, she said.
`It’s a great experience for the kids. It’s a great experience for the staff,` Kramer said.
Perdek agreed. He has already planned on writing part two of the Dorky Don series at next year’s summer camp.
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