Buena Park School District students dressed as homemade superheroes while vividly describing tales of action, horror and comedy at the inaugural Comic Creator Fair, held on Feb. 18 at Buena Park Middle School.

Held in Buena Park Middle School’s band room, the Comic Creator Fair welcomed scores of parents and family members onto campus to hear and see the creative writing and artistic skills of some 50 third- through fifth-graders from the District’s elementary schools.

Ramona L., mother of Corey School third-grader Issaiah C., said she was proud of her son’s participation and hard work at the Comic Creator Fair. Issaiah C. created a comic book about Creepers, a fictitious villain from the video game “Minecraft.”

During the fair, each school site presented first-, second- and third-place awards to students who went above and beyond in their work with their comic books.

“I like writing stories that change from scary to sad to funny – I think that makes a good ending,” Gilbert School first-place winner and third-grader Josh M. said. “My book is based off a video game I love called ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ and I want to keep writing and make a sequel to this book.”

The Comic Creator Fair was created through a partnership between the District and After School Enrichment Program (ASEP), an organization that provides homework help, extracurricular programs and expanded learning opportunities to students.

“This event gave our students a fantastic opportunity to exercise their creativity and putting it on paper with drawing and writing,” Director of Educational Programs Seri Hwang said. “It gave students a chance to tap into their imaginations. The program also taught students to improve their drawing and writing skills while also teaching them how to outline a story and organize.”

More than 400 District elementary school students worked on their comic book ideas and drawings over the last six weeks, with the help of ASEP team members on Thursday afternoons. Students with standout stories were selected to participate in the Comic Creator Fair.

“Congratulations to all of our students for making such wonderful stories for our Comic Creator Fair,” Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes said. “Buena Park School District is always looking for ways to ignite the passion for learning in our students and this is a perfect way to get them interested in creative writing to develop their critical thinking skills.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

COMIC1: Gilbert School first-place winner and third-grader Josh M. shows off his first-place award ribbon and his comic book “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” a horror-comedy adaptation of the video game of the same name. Josh M. and others had their work showcased at Buena Park School District’s inaugural Comic Creator Fair on Feb. 18.

COMIC2: Corey School fourth-grader Brock L. presents his comic “The Awesome Guy Adventures” as he himself dresses in an Awesome Guy costume. Brock L. was one of many students to participate in Buena Park School District’s Comic Creator Fair on Feb. 18 at Buena Park Middle School.