One of the greatest pleasures of working as a lecturer is when you see a former student blossom into an artist and make his or her dream into a reality.

Such is the case with filmmaker/ writer and SDSU alum Alex Dandino who took both my ENGL 577: Techniques in Screenwriting course and my ENGL 491: Comics and Graphic Narrative class at San Diego State University, a few years ago. When I first read Dandino’s short screenplay and his mini-comic script towards the end of his undergraduate studies, it was clear that his writing is driven by a fresh and original voice.

Now, Dandino is putting his quality writing chops into overdrive as the writer of the new indie comic Youth.

Here’s the comic’s synopsis in Dandino’s words:

“Teenagers with superpowers.  It’s something we’ve seen before, something we’ll see again.  But these kids are always finding themselves in amazing places, filled with criminal activity.  But…what about the other ones?  The kid with the power to leap tall buildings in a single bound…who lives in Davenport, Iowa?  When you don’t have supervillains looking to take you out, what’s left?  Kiss the girl, Ace the test, go to bed.  ”Youth”  is about the other super powered teens: The ones not trying to save the world, but just survive it.”

What’s not to like? Sounds like a winning premise that needs to be in your comics collection.

The collaborative brainchild of Dandino and his artist friend Evan, Youth is finally in print! Nothing was handed to these young men. These artists are putting their comic-book dreams into motion by rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. And their efforts are beginning to pay off.

That’s how it’s done, folks!

You might be asking yourself, “How do you get your hands on this awesome, new indie comic?” So, listen up. Here’s the 411 on getting your own copy of Youth from Dandino himself:

1)     Go to the comic’s Blog, http://youthcomicbook.blogspot.com/

2)     Click the Link to the right that says, “Buy an Issue!”

3)     Buy Away!

It’s that easy, folks! And you can read about the process of creating the comic on the blog, too!

Stay tuned for more on the dynamic duo behind Youth! Make no mistake: These artists are worthy of your attention and the future is looking bright as they prepare a new issue with new surprises and plot twists waiting to be discovered by readers smart enough to pick up their self-published book.

At this year’s WonderCon, Dandino and Evan will be among the skilled comic creators eager to share their work with you. Keep an eye for these talented guys who are bound for great things in the years ahead.

Why are you still here? Click the link to the blog for Youth above and check it out!

Bravo!

- Neil Kendricks