Stefan Rogenmoser

Florencio and Isabella Scrio (red hat) discuss comics as James Williams, Jr. and sister Tenisha Williams work on original ideas for comics on the same side of the supply-filled table.

Seven young minds and imaginations gathered at Summerville's Dorchester County Library conference room to create their own comics on August 12 at the Comic Spot Do-It-Yourself Workshop.

It was the first DIY comics workshop ever held at the library, according to Teen Librarian Jason Reed.

At other comic book meetings held at the library, kids would just hang out and read comics, says Children's Services Coordinator Charlotte Johnston.

"Some kids are really into superhero comics and some are into Manga (very popular Japanese comics),” Johnson said.

Johnston said college art student Melanie Florencio approached the library staff and was interested in teaching comic book-style drawings, says Johnston.

Florencio is a Sequential Art major (comic book illustrator) at Savannah College of Art and Design and volunteered to run the workshop and help her pupils find inspiration. She answered their many questions and brought samples of her illustrations for everyone to see.

The library has a teen advisory group meets once a month to suggest activities and which books, movies and CDs the library should add to its shelf, Johnston explains. The comic book meetings were suggested a few years ago by someone on the advisory group.

"You don't have to be a bookworm to come to our programs," Johnston says. "It's giving (students) a sense of community outside of school at the library. Private and public school kids get together and form a society of their own."

The comic book meetings have been going on for two and a half years and the teen advisory group was formed four years ago, says Johnston.

One perk the young comic enthusiasts get from being in the workshop is having first dibs on the library’s new comic book arrivals, Reed says. There are plans to have another comic workshop later in the year, when Florencio gets time off from college.

Johnston says there are about four comics meetings in the summer and three to four during the school year, when they meet on Saturdays.

"I'm hoping to expand children's services. I think we've got a really good thing going in the area. We'd love to have more kids come. Being on the Teen Advisory Group counts as community service," says Johnston.

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