Create a Comic Project
Encyclopedia
The Create a Comic Project (CCP) is a youth literacy
program and webcomic
created by John Baird. The program uses comics
, many taken from the Internet
, to encourage children to write their own narratives. The program began in November 2006 at the main branch of the New Haven Free Public Library
as an after-school program. The project has since worked with several other groups, including the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
, Braddock Carnegie Library
, and the Pittsburgh YMCA
. Baird has presented the results of his work on the project at several conventions and conferences, including South by Southwest
Interactive.
The webcomic side of the project posts comics made by the children. The website was launched January 4, 2007. Archives of the Taiwan comics, labeled "Create a Comic Project ROC" or "CCP Version 1.0," go from July 9, 2005 through November 28, 2006. Comics generated in America, labeled "CCP Version 2.0," were first posted November 29, 2006 to present.
while Baird was teaching English at Hess Educational Organization
. He used it as an ESL activity in class. A version of the project was eventually published as part Hess's official curriculum materials in their Student Activities Booklet, which is currently used in both the ROC and Singapore
. One of Baird's inspirations was the Penny Arcade
Remix Project.
After going to New Haven graduate school at Yale University
, Baird remade the project as a stand-alone activity for the New Haven Public Library. Library staffers called the program "wonderful" and that it had "encouraged children to willingly express their creativity." In Pittsburgh, Baird hosted a number of workshops in the city before entering into a year-long collaboration with the Greater Pittsburgh YMCA's summer camp and after-school programs. While attending Teachers College, Columbia University
, Baird brought the project into several area schools in the city, including LaGuardia High School and The School at Columbia University
. The project is currently based in Houston, Texas
, where Baird has given workshops to employees at the University of Texas
Charter School and been invited to give workshops at the Conference for the Advancement of Math Teaching in 2011.
The program hosts regular comic tournaments at the New Haven library, which are funded by grant awards from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. The CCP is the single largest multi-webcomic collaborative project of its kind. It was the only comic-based children's program of its type in New Haven and Pittsburgh.
In 2009, Baird and other webcomic creators held a panel and two project-based workshops at Otakon
. The project has also hosted panels and workshops at Tekkoshocon
in 2009 and 2010.
Erin Ptah (And Shine Heaven Now, Emeralds: Hearts in Oz) has created art for the project's official materials.
Various comic creators allow Baird to use their work for the Create a Comic Project. The first webcomic ever used was Okashina Okashi - Strange Candy, with others following later. They include (in alphabetical order):
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
program and webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
created by John Baird. The program uses comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
, many taken from the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, to encourage children to write their own narratives. The program began in November 2006 at the main branch of the New Haven Free Public Library
New Haven Free Public Library
The New Haven Free Public Library is the public library system serving New Haven, Connecticut.The system began in 1887 in a leased location but quickly outgrew its space. The Ives Memorial Library is the main branch of the system and is located on the New Haven Green. The neo-Georgian building...
as an after-school program. The project has since worked with several other groups, including the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is a children's museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is in the Allegheny Center neighborhood in Pittsburgh's Northside.- History :...
, Braddock Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library, Carnegie Public Library, Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie Free Public Library, Andrew Carnegie Library, Andrew Carnegie Free Library or Carnegie Library Building may refer to any of the following Carnegie libraries:- California :*Carnegie Library , listed on the National Register...
, and the Pittsburgh YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
. Baird has presented the results of his work on the project at several conventions and conferences, including South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
Interactive.
The webcomic side of the project posts comics made by the children. The website was launched January 4, 2007. Archives of the Taiwan comics, labeled "Create a Comic Project ROC" or "CCP Version 1.0," go from July 9, 2005 through November 28, 2006. Comics generated in America, labeled "CCP Version 2.0," were first posted November 29, 2006 to present.
Project background
The Create a Comic Project was first conceived in the Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
while Baird was teaching English at Hess Educational Organization
Hess Educational Organization
Hess Educational Organization , or Hess for short, is the single largest private provider of English education in the Republic of China and has an estimated 60,000 students currently enrolled...
. He used it as an ESL activity in class. A version of the project was eventually published as part Hess's official curriculum materials in their Student Activities Booklet, which is currently used in both the ROC and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. One of Baird's inspirations was the Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade (webcomic)
Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
Remix Project.
After going to New Haven graduate school at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Baird remade the project as a stand-alone activity for the New Haven Public Library. Library staffers called the program "wonderful" and that it had "encouraged children to willingly express their creativity." In Pittsburgh, Baird hosted a number of workshops in the city before entering into a year-long collaboration with the Greater Pittsburgh YMCA's summer camp and after-school programs. While attending Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University is a graduate school of education located in New York City, New York...
, Baird brought the project into several area schools in the city, including LaGuardia High School and The School at Columbia University
The School at Columbia University
The School at Columbia University is located at 110th Street and Broadway in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The school is an independent K-8 school affiliated with Columbia University for children drawn equally from the Morningside Heights, Manhattan/Upper West Side/Harlem community and...
. The project is currently based in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where Baird has given workshops to employees at the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
Charter School and been invited to give workshops at the Conference for the Advancement of Math Teaching in 2011.
The program hosts regular comic tournaments at the New Haven library, which are funded by grant awards from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. The CCP is the single largest multi-webcomic collaborative project of its kind. It was the only comic-based children's program of its type in New Haven and Pittsburgh.
In 2009, Baird and other webcomic creators held a panel and two project-based workshops at Otakon
Otakon
Otakon is a fan convention in the United States focusing on East Asian popular culture and its fandom. The name is a portmanteau derived from convention and the Japanese word otaku...
. The project has also hosted panels and workshops at Tekkoshocon
Tekkoshocon
Tekkoshocon is an anime convention in the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Tekkoshocon is run by the non-profit organization Tekkoshocon, Inc. The convention's name is a blend of the Japanese word tekkosho, meaning steel mill, and adapting the suffix "-con" , which is a common nomenclature archetype among...
in 2009 and 2010.
Erin Ptah (And Shine Heaven Now, Emeralds: Hearts in Oz) has created art for the project's official materials.
Contributing comics
- Pete Abrams - Sluggy FreelanceSluggy FreelanceSluggy Freelance is a popular, long-running daily webcomic written and drawn by Pete Abrams. The comic has over 100,000 daily readers and premiered on August 25, 1997...
- Gene Ambaum - UnshelvedUnshelvedUnshelved is a daily comic strip most notable for being set in a library. Published by Overdue Media, the web comic was created by writer Gene Ambaum and co-writer/artist Bill Barnes, and has been appearing at the rate of a strip per day since February 16, 2002, with a virtual circulation in...
- Christopher BaldwinChristopher BaldwinChristopher Baldwin is an American illustrator and author of several webcomics, the most significant being Bruno, a look at the life of an introspective young woman set in the real world....
- Little DeeLittle DeeLittle Dee is a webcomic by Christopher Baldwin about a little girl lost in the woods who is befriended by three animals. The animals talk; Dee doesn't. The Washington Post termed it "charming", while others called it "innocent and funny" and "age appropriate".Begun on June 7, 2004, Little Dee is... - Gina Biggs - Red StringRed String (webcomic)Red String is a webcomic series created by Gina Biggs. Starting in 2002, this story chronicles the daily life of a Japanese high school student, Miharu Ogawa who discovers one day that she is the victim of an arranged marriage. The series premise is based on the red string of fate of Japanese and...
- Jennie Breeden - The Devil's PantiesThe Devil's PantiesThe Devil's Panties is a webcomic created by Jennie Breeden.-Overview:It is based widely on her own life experiences and interactions with other people...
, Geebas on Parade - T Campbell - Fans, Penny & Aggie, Cool Cat Studios, Sketchies, Rip & Teri
- Maritza Campos - College Roomies from Hell!!!College Roomies from Hell!!!College Roomies from Hell!!! or CRFH!!! as it is known to fans, is a webcomic strip by Maritza Campos-Rebolledo. Running since January 1, 1999 and featuring a new comic strip every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday , College Roomies from Hell!!! depicts the lives of six college students attending an...
, Doomies - Jorge ChamJorge ChamJorge Cham is a Chinese Panamanian cartoonist and roboticist best known for his popular newspaper and web comic strip Piled Higher and Deeper . Cham lives in the United States, where he started drawing PhD Comics as a graduate student at Stanford University...
- Piled Higher and DeeperPiled Higher and DeeperPiled Higher and Deeper - Life in Academia , is a newspaper and web comic strip written and drawn by Jorge Cham that follows the lives of several grad students... - Brian ClevingerBrian ClevingerBrian Clevinger is an American writer best known as the author of the webcomic 8-Bit Theater and the Eisner-nominated print comic Atomic Robo...
- 8-Bit Theater8-Bit Theater8-Bit Theater is a completed sprite comic created by Brian Clevinger, and published in 1,225 episodes from March 2, 2001 to June 1, 2010. One of the most popular web comics, it won the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards for best fantasy comic in 2002... - D. J. CoffmanD. J. CoffmanD. J. Coffman is an American cartoonist. Coffman is best known as the creator of the Hero by Night comic series and the webcomic Yirmumah. He has illustrated several other published comic books listed at this online comicography...
- Hero By Night, Flo Bots - Chris Cracknell - Ghastly's Ghastly ComicGhastly's Ghastly ComicGhastly's Ghastly Comic is a webcomic by Chris Cracknell, A.K.A. "Ghastly" or "Uncle Ghastly", dealing with anime fetish and paraphilias. One of the most notable themes is tentacle rape, as the subtitle of the comic is "Tentacle Monsters and the Women Who Love Them".In July, 2006, the author...
- Karen Ellis - Planet KarenPlanet KarenPlanet Karen is an autobiographical slice-of-life webcomic written and drawn by Karen Ellis. It centers on Karen, the Author, who is a goth woman of unspecified age and resident of Bristol, England and her daily life...
- Phil FoglioPhil FoglioPhilip "Phil" Foglio is an American cartoonist and comic book artist best known for his humorous science fiction and fantasy work.-Early life and career:...
- Girl GeniusGirl GeniusGirl Genius is an ongoing comic book series turned webcomic, written and drawn by Phil and Kaja Foglio and published by their company, Studio Foglio LLC under the imprint Airship Entertainment... - Shaenon Garrity - NarbonicNarbonicNarbonic is a webcomic written and drawn by Shaenon K. Garrity. The storylines center on the misadventures of the staff of Narbonic Labs, which is the domain of mad scientist Helen Narbon. The strip started on July 31, 2000 and finished on December 31, 2006. On January 1, 2007, Garrity launched the...
, Skin Horse, Smithson, Lil' Mell and Sergio - Meredith Gran - Octopus PieOctopus PieOctopus Pie is a webcomic written and drawn by Meredith Gran. It focuses on the misadventures of two 20-something women living in Brooklyn, New York. It is currently scheduled to update every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Around 430 strips have been published so far...
- Shawn HandysideShawn HandysideShawn Handyside is the author of the webcomic Staccato and also the administrator of the webcomic community/portal Inksandwich. He lives in Manchester, New Hampshire.-Staccato:...
- Staccato - Mohammad Haque - ApplegeeksApplegeeksApplegeeks was a webcomic illustrated by Mohammad Haque, and written by Ananth Panagariya. The comic was usually updated every Monday and Thursday. A small, spin-off comic, dubbed Applegeeks Lite, was begun on April 18, 2006, and updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays...
- Akira Hasegawa - Tsunami Channel
- Chris Hastings - The Adventures of Dr. McNinjaThe Adventures of Dr. McNinjaThe Adventures of Dr. McNinja is a webcomic written and drawn by Christopher Hastings, and inked formerly by Kent Archer and since 2010 by Hastings himself . Published three times a week on its own website, it features the fictional adventures of a character named Dr. McNinja, a...
- Faith Erin HicksFaith Erin HicksFaith Erin Hicks is a Canadian webcomic and comic artist and writer and animator living in Halifax, Nova Scotia.She is best known for her webcomic Demonology 101.-Biography:...
- Demonology 101Demonology 101Demonology 101 is an online graphic novel written and drawn by Faith Erin Hicks from August 1999 to June 2004.It tells the story of Raven, a 16-year-old demon being raised by a human in ordinary human society...
, Ice - Bill HolbrookBill HolbrookBill Holbrook is an American comic strip & webcomic writer and artist. Born in Los Angeles in 1958, Holbrook grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, and began drawing at an early age....
- Kevin and KellKevin and KellKevin and Kell is a furry comedy webcomic strip by syndicated cartoonist Bill Holbrook. The strip began on September 3, 1995. It is one of the oldest continuously running webcomics.... - Jeph Jacques - Questionable ContentQuestionable ContentQuestionable Content is a slice-of-life webcomic written and drawn by Jeph Jacques. It was launched on August 1, 2003. Jacques currently makes his living exclusively from QC merchandising and advertising, making him one of the few professional webcomic artists...
- Kazu KibuishiKazu KibuishiKazu Kibuishi is an American graphic novel author and illustrator. He is best known for being the creator and editor of the comic anthology Flight and for creating the webcomic Copper. He is also the author and illustrator of the ongoing Amulet series...
- Copper, Flight - Kittyhawk - Sparkling Generation Valkyrie YuukiSparkling Generation Valkyrie YuukiSparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki is a webcomic by Kittyhawk. It won a Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards for "Best Superhero Comic" in 2004 and was nominated in again in 2005 and 2006. This category was eliminated in 2008...
- Jenn Manley Lee - DiceboxDiceboxDicebox, by American cartoonist Jenn Manley Lee, is a science fiction webcomic which has been hosted at the subscription-based comics anthology site Girlamatic...
- Erin Lindsey - Venus EnvyVenus Envy (webcomic)Venus Envy is a webcomic written and drawn by Erin Lindsey that deals with transgender issues. It originally updated five days a week, then later a very sporadic Tue-Thu-Sat schedule...
- Nina MatsumotoNina MatsumotoNina Matsumoto is a Japanese-Canadian comic book artist and writer, also known as "space coyote", and most known for creating the comic book series Yōkaiden for Del Rey Manga...
- Saturnalia - Ian McConville - Mac HallMac HallMac Hall is a webcomic which was created through a bet between the creator Ian McConville and a friend who claimed he "couldn't make a comic like Penny Arcade". After the fifteenth comic, McConville was joined by Matt Boyd who began to write the comic.Mac Hall follows the exploits of a group of...
, Three Panel Soul - Randall Munroe - xkcdXkcdxkcd is a webcomic created by Randall Munroe. The comic's tagline describes it as "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language." It has been recognized in such mainstream media as The Guardian and The New York Times....
- Vincent "Bleedman" Ngo - Sugar Bits, Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi, Grim Tales From Down Below
- Michael PoeMichael PoeMichael Poe is a webcomic artist best known for his four webcomics Babylon Jones, Exploitation Now, Errant Story and Does Not Play Well with Others.He majored in art at the Savannah College of Art and Design.-References:...
- Errant StoryErrant StoryErrant Story is the latest webcomic by writer and artist Michael Poe. Notable for the complexity of its characters, its complicated and often unexpected storylines and continually improving art style, Errant Story has been running for more than 6 years and 37 chapters through the end of . Errant...
, Exploitation NowExploitation NowExploitation Now was a webcomic drawn by Michael Poe on Keenspot from July 2000 to August 2002. Exploitation Now was notorious for its use of fanservice, sex, violence, and anime references, including anime-style artwork... - Erin Ptah - And Shine Heaven Now
- Scott Christian Sava - The Dreamland ChroniclesThe Dreamland ChroniclesThe Dreamland Chronicles is an all-ages fantasy webcomic and comic book series created by Scott Christian Sava with 3D computer graphics.-Plot summary:...
- Emily Snodgrass - Okashina Okashi - Strange Candy
- Kean SooKean SooKean Soo is the creator of the children's comic character Jellaby. Born in England, but raised in Hong Kong, Soo is currently residing in Canada and was formally trained as an engineer....
- JellabyJellabyJellaby is a fictional character created by Kean Soo. Jellaby has appeared in several volumes of the comics anthology Flight, as well as in its own self-titled web comic. A full-length graphic novel, Jellaby, was published in 2008... - David Stanworth - Snafu ComicsSnafu ComicsPowerPuff Girls Doujinshi is a manga series.The comic is a crossover of sorts based on the American animated television series The Powerpuff Girls, though finding Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup slightly older and now going to school in a fictional neighboring city of Townsville known as Megaville...
, Tin - Richard Stevens - Diesel SweetiesDiesel SweetiesDiesel Sweeties is a webcomic and former newspaper comic strip written by Richard Stevens III . The comic began in 2000, originally hosted at robotstories.com...
- Michael Terracciano - Dominic Deegan: Oracle for HireDominic Deegan: Oracle for HireDominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire is a daily fantasy webcomic by Michael "Mookie" Terracciano that began in May 2002. The comic follows the adventures of Dominic Deegan, a freelance seer who finds himself often at the center of conflicts that threaten his whole world. The story is organized in...
- Charlie "Spike" Trotman - Templar, ArizonaTemplar, ArizonaTemplar, Arizona is a webcomic written and drawn by Charlie "Spike" Trotman. It was named as by The Webcomics Examiner. Nominated for the 2006 Web Cartoonist's Choice Award in the categories Outstanding New Character Design, Outstanding Environment Design, Outstanding Character Writing,...
- Tycho and Gabe - Penny ArcadePenny Arcade (webcomic)Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
- Zach WeinerZach WeinerZachary 'Zach' Alexander Weinersmith , is the author and illustrator of the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal , currently residing in California...
- Saturday Morning Breakfast CerealSaturday Morning Breakfast CerealSaturday Morning Breakfast Cereal is a humorous webcomic by Zach Weiner. SMBC is "at heart a geek comic, but it nevertheless addresses a broad range of topics, such as love, relationships, economics, politics, religion, science, and philosophy." It has been featured on a variety of websites and... - David Willis - Shortpacked!, It's Walky!, Roomies!
Awards
- In 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 the project won grants from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to support its tournament activity at the New Haven Public Library.
- In 2008, the project won a "This is Public Health" campaign award from the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH).
- In 2009, the project won a "Star of Distinction" from the University of PittsburghUniversity of PittsburghThe University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
for its work in improving literacy among urban youths in Pittsburgh. It is the first and only youth literacy program in the city to have received this award.
Publications
- Baird, John. Create a Comic: Inspiration. New York, NY: Lulu.com, 2010.
- Baird, John. Create a Comic Project #1 (2nd Edition). New York, NY: Lulu.com, 2010.
- Baird, John & Erin Ptah. Create a Comic Project #2. Pittsburgh, PA: Lulu.com, 2008.
- Baird, John & Ryan Estrada. Create a Comic Project Presents: Climate Change. Pittsburgh, PA: Lulu.com, 2008.
- Baird, John. Create a Comic Project #1. Pittsburgh, PA: Lulu.com, 2008.
- Baird, John. "Create a Comic." In Language Learning Games and Activities Volume 3 pg 14-15, edited by Gary Bosomworth and Sheryn Williams. TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan ROCRepublic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
: Hess Educational OrganizationHess Educational OrganizationHess Educational Organization , or Hess for short, is the single largest private provider of English education in the Republic of China and has an estimated 60,000 students currently enrolled...
, 2005.
External links
- Create a Comic Project - Main page
- Create a Comic Project Store - Links to official store fronts
- Create a Comic Project Blog - Official blog
- CCP on Comixpedia
- CCP on DeviantArt
- CCP on YouTube