Nick the Sidekick

Nick has some very special powers – he has super hearing and he is super smart. Unfortunately, his super hearing comes at a price…super big ears. And, those ears make him the brunt of schoolyard jokes and mean kids. His best friend, Tess, is always there to encourage and help Nick in any way she can, though.

Nick’s talents do not go unnoticed and he is recruited to be a sidekick…er, assistant…to Super Fantastic Guy, a brawny and not-so-bright superhero. Nick trains for his job and doesn’t quite get the flying part down. But, he uses his super intellect and hearing to fight crime alongside…er, behind….Super Fantastic Guy, who loves to take credit for their fabulous crime fighting.

Fortunately, Nick’s contribution is not totally unnoticed. A reporter spots the truth and gets a few digs in to Super Fantastic Guy, who doesn’t really get it until Tess changes part of his acceptance speech at a city ceremony and he reads the truth out loud. He also reads that he has poopy pants. Geez, can’t this superhero read ahead a bit? He acknowledges at the end that he might have deserved it, though. So, we have hope that Nick will get the accolades he deserves in the future.

The bright colors and quick pace of the story through the panels makes this a quick read and it should appeal to the Captain Underpants crowd in a big way. And, that’s no cliche! Highly recommended.

Super Potato: the Epic Origin of Super Potato

Super Max is your typical pretty boy superhero – big muscles, blond hair and an inflated sense of importance. Occasionally, he has to go to battle against Dr. Malevolent and always wins.

But, not this time…Dr. Malevolent has the ultimate weapon of destruction to use against humanity, snarky waiters and one vain superhero…a weapon that turns people into potatoes! And, he does just that after luring Super Max to his lair by stealing a priceless statue. Super Max is demoralized. He is now a tiny, hairless, insignificant potato. After crying for quite some time, he begins to walk home and is nearly hit by a truck but flies into the air in the nick of time. Flies? yes! He is a Super Potato!

So, Super Potato outfits himself in a doll size Super Max costume and wig, he heads back to Dr. Malevolent’s lair. He finally finds him wreaking havoc around town and turning everyone into potatoes, captures him, and breaks his evil potato weapon. He then forces Dr. Malevolent to create a de-potato-izing beam, which Dr. Malevolent actually makes into a super potato peeler (gasp). They battle fiercely until Super Potato causes an explosion and then saves Dr. Malevolent and sends him to jail.

This graphic novel is reminiscent of some of older cartoon of old with slapstick humor and over the top (funny) action. Readers will enjoy the fast pace and silly potato references. This is not the end of Super Potato. It is just the beginning…

How to Draw Batman and His Friends and Foes

downloadA step-by-step drawing tutorial on how to draw Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Two-Face, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, The Riddler and The Joker. Also included are step-by-step visual guides to drawing the Batmobile, bat cave and the bat suit. Each two page spread shows five panels of steps to drawing the character.  Character bios on each page makes this an interesting book for reading as well.  The drawing tutorials are not for beginning artists, but may be appropriate for upper elementary and beyond. A sample of the Superman page is shown here as a visual example of what the Batman style and layout looks like as well.

Inside look at How to Draw