In 826 Valencia’s Comic Book Writing workshop, we believe in preparing kids not just for artistic success, but for life. To that end we devoted a portion of our recent winter workshop to instilling in them the bad eating habits that will serve them well in their future lives as cartoonists. One week we gorged on chocolate chip cookie bars; another week, on Bazooka and gummi worms. We wanted to impart an appreciation for the sugary snacks that fuel great comic book art. The treats quickly did their job, transforming the kids into hyper comic geniuses. “We could do a comic book about mutant alien gummi eels!” they shouted. These kids learned quickly.

They also learned a lot about the mechanics of cartooning. With professional cartoonist Todd Pound at the helm, our young writers learned about composition, character development, story structure and plot. One week we were visited by cartooning superstar Judd Winick, who endeared himself to the children of 826 forever by bringing in hundreds of free comic books, and by drawing a really great picture of a fat, bald, cigar-smoking man in a tutu.

The kids were no slouches themselves. Once again, we were blown away by the talents of our young cartoonists. Patrick kept us in stitches with the adventures of Harvey, an alien puffball with an arsenal of one-liners. Clifton impressed us all with his intricately detailed superheroes and villains. Johanna floored us with the adventures of a mischievous monkey.

In our last session we bound everyone’s work into 826 Valencia’s very first comic book. If you’re lucky enough to come across a copy, seal it in plastic and put it in the vault. It will be worth a mint. These kids are going places.