
I learned from my previous mistake when heading into the next class. No stampedes this time around. There were more solo writers during the second class; about five of the students chose to outline, illustrate, and write their comics without a partner. Some of those pieces turned out to be my favorites. One in particular was a mystery about a little boy that wakes one morning to find his dad has died in an accident, but his dog (who can track anything and anyone by their sense of smell) leads the boy on a treasure hunt of sorts, all revolving around a golden key, to find out the truth about his dad. I won’t reveal the rest here, but I will say the ending is satisfying. Other stories had their own creative flare, some silly and some action-packed – armies of skeletons battling highly intelligent dogs to a hamster pop-star being pushed off the stage during her ‘big finale’. We were able to wrap things up smoothly in both classes, some students even got around to coloring their comics.
The year is coming to a close for both the Travis kids and me. I wish there were time to teach a second, even a third lesson, but there are only four weeks before the kids can throw their backpacks over their heads and welcome summer’s embrace.
Until next time,
Eriel