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Schools

FHS Artist Launches Online Comic Book with Help from Capstone

Stephen Manning, honored as scholar-artist, developed drawing skills in high school.

Aspiring artist and soon-to-be graduate Stephen Manning has launched an impressive start to his career with the online publication of his first full-length comic book.

The book, called “DJ” after its teenage superhero protagonist, is the result of three years of planning that this year became reality through the FHS Capstone Experience. The program allows students to independently pursue a topic of their choice with the help of an advisor. It is designed to showcase the skills and knowledge a student has gained throughout middle and high school and the Connecticut State Department of Education will require graduating seniors participate starting in 2014.

“It was a great opportunity to get a head start on my artist career,” said Manning, 18. “I have a difficult time with organization and planning, so this forced me to learn to plan myself.”

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Though he is a lifelong comic enthusiast, Manning never took drawing classes until high school. He has a natural talent, but admits that some images are challenging. He pointed out one panel that contained a close-up of DJ’s left hand and groaned.

“Ugh,” he said, shaking his head. “That one took over two hours.”

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But his efforts paid off in late May when he and 11 other students presented their Capstone projects on topics ranging from computer science to women in politics. Manning won an award from FHS Principal Timothy M. Breslin in recognition of his work. His advisor was FHS art teacher Andrew Minor, who couldn’t be reached for comment.

“DJ” begins when the mischievous protagonist delivers a prank broadcast over the school intercom that lands him in detention. Soon after, he finds a mysterious meteorite that, when touched, gives him superhuman speed and stretchy, elastic arms.

The story’s central conflict occurs within DJ himself, as he grapples with a moral dilemma: should he use his powers for good, or for goofing around?

Ultimately, said Manning, DJ rejects the life of delinquency and chooses to emulate other superheroes who lead responsible, service-oriented lives.

The comic is entirely hand-drawn in pencil and then finished in black ink. Manning scans his completed drawings into the computer and adds text. He then publishes them on ComicFury.com, a free comic-hosting site.

Unfortunately, a virus attack on Manning’s computer erased much of the completed pages, so the website currently has only the pictures with no text in the speech bubbles. But Manning said he is working on redoing the pages so readers can enjoy the full experience of his book online.

However, he also emphasized his preference for physical pages over digital books.

“I’m a purist,” he said. “I like a printed book you can hold and flip the pages.”

In the fall, Manning will attend for a year or two in order to beef up his portfolio, which he says is less competitive because he began drawing later than most of his peers. After that, he plans to transfer to the University of Connecticut to finish a degree in illustration and then move to New York to break into the art scene.

“My goal is to be a comic book artist,” he said. “I want to have my own comic book studio.”

He has plenty of ideas in case that doesn’t work out, though. Other options include designing advertisements and illustrating children’s books.

You can see portions of Manning’s work at http://mycomicbam.thecomicseries.com/comics/first/.

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