Bright Ideas | May 2026
Comics Come to Life in Ohio Library
What do you get when you combine the imagination of pre-teens and teens, the enthusiasm of a lifelong film and comic book creator, and a shared love of graphic novels? The Comic Book Creation for Teens with Ted Sikora, a two-hour workshop where kids brainstormed characters, engaged in character development, rough-sketched scenes, and came away with a fantastic storyline they’ll always remember.
The event was made possible with funding from the American Library Association Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grant for Libraries. Medina County (Ohio) District Library (MCDL) was awarded the grant at the 2025 ALA Conference. In addition to funding for the Comic Book Creation events, MCDL received an expansive collection of graphic novels (one of the fastest growing parts of our collection), titles from the Will Eisner collection, and funding to offset costs associated with attending the ALA conference.
We chose the presenter, Ted Sikora, because he is a well-known Northeast Ohio film and comic creator and president of Hero Tomorrow Comics. You can view his body of work at www.herotomorrow.com. Cleveland is the home of Superman, and Sikora admits he is also a huge Stan Lee and Marvel fan. Comics and film have been his life’s work, with his first movie based on his comics released when he was 17 years old.
Each Creation event attracted 22 teens. The first event at Medina Library was held during a snowstorm, but that did not harm attendance. The second event was postponed, due to a water main break caused by extreme cold, yet registrants kept in touch with staff, and we had a full house on the rescheduled date.
An additional event was held at our county Juvenile Detention Facility. Thirteen incarcerated youth, ages 11–17, slowly warmed up to Ted, with one young man with a lively imagination becoming visibly excited during the process! This event was very special for all involved.
“I have never worked with a group of teens like this. I have to admit I was a bit nervous, not knowing how they would react, but how rewarding to bring my passion for graphic novel creation to them,” said Sikora.
Here’s an example of the character creation from the Brunswick event: Character is Abby. She’s 18, from California but lives in Ohio now. She smokes and drives an unreliable Jeep. She has a high-pitched voice and a lisp. Her first kiss was with a skater boy. She has an old cat, a mom who got removed from the police force for aggressive behavior, and her biggest fear is not being able to protect the ones she loves.
The cherry on top was MCDL's ability to provide each youth with art supplies to use during the event and take home to keep! As a tax-funded entity, MCDL would never be able to provide each participant with such a rich assortment of art supplies, valued at about $44. Each set included: 50 sheet sketch pad, art pencil set, watercolor brush pens, fine brush ink pen, and plastic preservation sleeve.
“You never know when a single event will shape the course of a young life. Meeting a professional comic creator, learning and taking part in his process, and going home with a bag of amazing art supplies has to be motivating to a kid who is already excited about comics and graphic novels,” says Tina Sabol, Community Engagement Director at MCDL and grant organizer.
Mel Vavra, the Teen Librarian at Brunswick Library, had this to say about their event. “You could tell the kids felt like they were in the right place. They were looking around the room, and you could feel the common excitement about the workshop and the art supplies they got. They were locked in and ready to learn from this cool comic book guy! Then, as the session progressed, they all were working together to create this character, and you could feel how passionate they were. It was nice to see the confidence in their own creativity without feeling judged, or ‘weird’ about it.”
— Contributed by Tina Sabol, Community Engagement Director, Medina County (Ohio) District Library
Bookmaking Competition Promotes Confidence, Pride, and Creativity
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation announced the results of its annual bookmaking competition earlier this spring. Photos of the creative and colorful stories by the winners and honorees are shared on the EJK Foundation website, and they are so inspiring!
The contest is a program of New York City Public Schools, and participation is open to public school students in grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 in all five boroughs. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the program.
An award ceremony and exhibition of winning books—this year at Brooklyn Public Library—add to the contest's appeal and celebrate the creators, creativity, and books. The young artists accept their award and share brief remarks about the experience of making a book.
Considering a bookmaking program at your library? The EJK Foundation website offers six tutorials on writing and illustration that present fundamentals on running successful bookmaking programs for youth.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of EJK Foundation
