When he took up the task of illustrating a weekday online comic strip, ‘The Teen Age,’ for The Feather Online, junior Daniel Hopper did not foresee the upcoming challenges and results facing him.
“I knew that if I kept up with ‘The Teen Age’ it would be a success,” Hopper said. “I just didn’t know if I could do it every day.”
However, April 3 will mark the date of the young artist’s 100th installment in the comic series. His accomplishment gives him confidence in his persistence, he says.
“I’ve been anticipating 100 comics,” Hopper said. “It’s kind of an arrival point for me because I’ve done them every day without missing one. It proves to me that I can keep this going.”
His series launched in October 2008 with appreciation from classmates and Feather readers. But the success grew from a local recognition to a national honor.
The National Scholastic Press Association’s (NSPA) Web site featured Hopper’s comic strip, March 11. The Feb. 26 episode continues to appear on every page of the organization’s Web site.
“It was very cool to be featured,” Hopper said. “I found out that no one else is really doing the same thing that I am.”
His mother, Laura, says she appreciates the recognition her son received through the NSPA.
“I am very proud of Daniel’s recognition on the NSPA Web site,” Laura said. “He puts a lot of work into each comic, and it is an honor to be recognized in such a way.”
Along with this acknowledgment, Hopper won third place for the best cartoon or art award given by the San Joaquin Valley Scholastic Press Association at its annual conference at California State University, Fresno.
His father, Jeff, said he always had faith in his son’s determination and flair for his art.
“We expected [‘The Teen Age’] to turn out well,” Jeff said. “Daniel is really diligent and committed ? plus he loves his art time, so that?s a powerful combination. I kept warning him about the relentless nature of the task he was taking on, but that has not fazed him, and on he goes!”
According to Laura, Daniel showed signs of his artistic abilities in preschool, so she says his success comes as no surprise.
“I am extremely proud of Daniel’s work on ‘The Teen Age,’ and am amazed that he can think of so many comics to illustrate,” Laura said. “He has always had an interesting way of looking at things and a great ability to communicate through his drawings. He was drawing amazing pictures when he was in preschool, so in some ways it is not too surprising.”
Although the work put into the comics consumes much of Hopper’s time, he continues to push himself through this project.
“It takes me about two hours to draw a comic,” Hopper said. “I usually do the first hour the night before and the second half the morning it goes up online. When I try to do the math on how much time I spend working on ‘The Teen Age,’ it doesn’t seem possible to accomplish, but I guess the pressure drives me to do things I never thought I’d be able to do.”
According to Jeff, his son’s drawings featured stories even before his daily funnies.
“[Daniel] started drawing when he was pretty little,” Jeff said. “He always had these unusual perspectives to his drawings and a measure of storytelling in his art.”
Over time, Hopper’s artistic techniques improved and he still practices by illustrating for The Feather.
“I definitely have a more consistent and solid style,” Hopper said. “I learned to draw the same character in different situations, and that took time to develop.”
In the process of The Feather’s competitions, Hopper’s comic strip played a significant role in the publication’s success.
“It feels good to contribute,” Hopper said. “Even though I don’t really write or attend the competitions, I know that my comics provide a vital part to the appeal of The Feather.”
When putting together a concept for his works, the junior said he examines daily life for muses.
“I get inspiration from everyone around me,” Hopper said. “People often do stupid things without realizing it and are later directly mocked in my comics.”
Junior Alexandrah Aleman said she enjoys seeing Hopper’s personality through ‘The Teen Age.’
“A lot of his comics reflect his humor and how he acts every day,” Aleman said. “I can really see him in his work, which is fun.”
Although freshman Trevor York does not stay up-to-date with the lives of Hopper’s characters, he said he relates to the stories.
“I don’t really read ‘The Teen Age,'” York said. “There are so many that it’s hard to keep up. But the few I’ve read are so much like teenage life, so I hope to catch up on the weekends.”
Hopper said he will draw ‘The Teen Age’ until the end of his junior year, but he is uncertain if he will continue the series the next year.
“I will for sure do the comics until the end of this year, but the following year will hold challenges of its own,” Hopper said. “It’s all up in the air.”
To read ‘The Teen Age,’ click on the eponymous button on the right menu bar, between the featured photo and the pulse. For more information on the comic series, read the Oct. 29, 2008, article, Illustrator debuts daily online comic strip.
