Comic Crusader: Student Sparks Creativity Revolution with Video Game and Camp

Are comics dying or evolving? Just ask comic book aficionado Trey Angell who not only developed a role-playing video game to inspire and encourage authors and illustrators but is also committed to teaching the next generation of creators during a one-of-a-kind Summerside specialty camp.

“Right now the comic industry is in a state of crisis with incoherent release dates for books, lack of availability, and a lack of imagination and fresh ideas,” says Angell. “My hope and dream is that I will spark a new revolution in the comics industry where anyone can make a comic, tell a story, and people around the world will enjoy it.”

The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) student has been building his business, Tales Ink, since the beginning of his sophomore year. It started as a project to create a video game that walks students through the steps of comic book making, from storyline to publishing. The venture, “How to Make a Comic,” was conceived alongside co-creator and classmate Eliot Villasis, and this past spring the duo won the CEL’s Awake Teamwork Prize for their work.

In presenting them with this honor, CEL teacher Adam Butz-Weidner praised them for their teamwork and commitment. “They diligently weaved together a unique, gamified curriculum, an odyssey of learning to craft a comic, complete with vibrant illustrations, engaging boss fights, and useful instruction at each stage,” he said. “Each part of their project was made with love and determination.”

Angell’s current Capstone project focuses on fine-tuning his own full-length comic and adapting lessons from the game for the weeklong in-person Summerside camp in July. With the support of CEL and Summerside staff, he will bring his passion for comics, their creation, and their art to students in 5 through 8th grade. 

“I am excited to teach this camp because this is a great opportunity to get young people excited about comics and show them that it is just as important that we have comics and not just big blockbuster movies,” he said. “This is the start of something great, and hopefully, these kids at the camp come away excited about the art of making comics, and maybe one day their CEL Ventures will be making a comic as well.”

Browse our SCH Summerside Camps and register beginning on January 17.