2009 In Review - EYC Super-Team

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be posting some articles that were written over the past year about the events and accomplishments of the EYC in 2009. I hope to post them in chronological order just to show all the awesome things youth have done down here at the centre.

The following was originally printed in the Essex Voice and Essex Free Press back in March:



EYC Super-Team
By Marc Rocheleau

Faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive, some homemade comics are bringing youth together.

In August, Essex Youth Centre (EYC) staff-member Sylvia Caetano and 17-year-old member Kelly Howe came up with a unique idea. After a 12-hour day at the centre, Caetano and several members began creating alter-egos and super-powers for a comic book based on the EYC.

“Well honestly, it was Sylvia’s idea,” said artist, Howe. “They’re obsessed with Marvel and stuff like that, so we decided to make our own [comics] – we all sat down and started naming characters.”

Shortly after, the EYC Super-Team began taking on a life of its own. Caetano started adding people from the centre to the book and wrote scripts for Howe to illustrate.

“Basically when it starts off, it’s where [Executive-Director] Sandy [Larivee] and the staff of the youth centre has invited the members to come down to become part of the EYC Super-Team,” said Caetano. “Because the crime-rate of super-villains has gone up in Essex.”

The first super-villain was a team-member gone bad. Due to a series of events involving a Kit-Kat and bad luck, John turned on the EYC and tried to destroy them with the Orb Of Destruction. After disposing of him in three issues, a fictional-character named Smarty came into the picture and grade nines had to save the day.

“Smarty was a grade nine who wanted to take over the world by using a machine to take over people’s minds,” said Caetano. “Firstly he takes over the minds of the grade nines and he comes down here to attack the Super-Team… because of the grade nines that we have down here, they had certain powers that helped us get away.”

The detailed storylines also have many humourous situations. At least one person is teased in each issue, with jokes ranging from a member’s height to the running-gag of someone being kidnapped by each villain.

The comic was also promoted at the Teen Youth Participation Strategies (TYPS) conference last weekend in Ottawa. All EYC members attending wore homemade versions of their Super-Team costumes and a contest was held to create a new super-villain – the creation will make its first appearance in issue 10.

Eight issues have been penciled, three are being inked and Howe is making one digital for the EYC website. Caetano is also hoping to re-paint the centre with characters adorning the walls and says the comic itself has been a real self-esteem booster for members. Although it started small, the comic has quickly become much bigger.

“Originally it was just a cool idea,” said Howe. “Now we want it to be a huge part of the people here so we all remember our time and have something from it.”