Recipe for a Superhero

Yesterday I had the pleasure of drawing cartoons with lots of kids (and their tutors) at 826 Valencia in San Francisco.

Our theme was superheroes.

First we brainstormed a list of all of the things that you need in order to create a superhero. This list method can come in really handy when making up a character. It is a "skeleton" that you then fill in with your own details. 

Recipe for One Superhero:

Name

Species (what type of creature your hero is)

Cape (or not)

Mask

Secret Identity

Hidden Lair

Transport (flying, rocket, car, etc.)

Utility Belt or other Tools

Superpowers

Weakness

Story of how they got their Superpowers

Costume

Logo or Emblem

Transformation from Secret Identity to Hero

...there's more I'm sure.

We came up with Captain Poodle, who is by day a mild-mannered poodle but who has a special collar that lets him transform into a Mastiff with a cape and boots. He also has laser vision through his goggles and can fly and has super strength. His hidden lair is accessible through a secret door in the bottom of his dog house.

Next, you need a Nemesis or Enemy.

Recipe for one Nemesis:

Name

Species

Powers (usually directly opposed to Superhero's powers)

Costume

Weakness

Lair

Technology

Transport

Story of how they came to be the Nemesis

We came up with "The Dog Catcher," who is of course a cat. He wears a hat and trenchcoat and can shoot out a special super net.

Then the kids came up with their own. We had an ant with armor, and cats, and unidentified creatures, and folks with jet packs and rockets coming out of their feet, and lots more.

You can try this too -- what would your Superhero and Nemesis be like? Oh, and for extra points you can also add a Sidekick. For both of them, to keep things even.