Esta Sketch is a self described “part time artist / part time student” out of Sydney, Australia whose work is combination of drawing and collage. Her series entitled Superheroes Among Us combines fashion style sketches and collaged pages from vintage comic books. What I really loved is the way she described the thought process behind her creative process.

“The hundreds of people you pass during a day, commuting, at school, at work, wherever you go might never know the real you. If only you could wear what’s inside on the outside – your creativity, personality, individuality, passion, the things that make you special. I always wondered how Clark Kent could put up with being just another face in a sea of suits, did he ever want to shout “pay attention to me, I’m special!” or was knowing his true identity, super powers and all those he helped enough. These pieces are representations of the secret identity lying within all of us.”

It’s a great idea and could also translate into an interesting activity for you and your little hero. Gather plain paper, crayons and the Sunday funny pages or comic books headed for the recycle bin. Draw simple self portraits and then, like Esta, paste images cut from the comics to create clothing. Look for images that represent who you are or perhaps what you’re feeling. This could be a fun lesson in learning how to express feelings and you may surprised by what your learn about your child!

Learn more about Esta Sketch on her blog or see more of her work in her Etsy shop.

So you’ve got the brilliant Little Hero Cape, Mask and Power Cuffs
…the next detail in need of careful consideration is your superhero name!

A fun tool to help you brainstorm your alias is the Superhero Name Generator – simply click on the ‘Shazam!’ button and your suggested moniker will appear on the super fella’s banner!

My superhero name? Professor Taco Kicker. Hmmm… One can only imagine the ‘powers’ that accompany that title – “wit like a spicy jalaepno, possesses a ’salsa sense’ that tingles when corn chips are near, and the ability to drop kick a chalupa the length of a football field.”

You can generate as many names as you’d like…so if you end up with ‘The Mega Spatula’ (my second try) or ‘Lord Nagging Dynamo’ (my third try) just know you can keep on clicking. Be forewarned though – they’re all pretty silly.