NEWARK -- Decked out in a brightly colored tie, Russell Merritt welcomed kids into his cartooning class Wednesday at Newark Public Library.

Although the weekly session began at 6:15 p.m., children arrived early to snag a seat close to the Newark artist.

6:03 P.M.

Merritt has instructed free summer art lessons at the library for the last three years. The class meets once a week for six weeks.

"My teacher told me I would never be a success because I was always drawing and reading comics," Merritt said he tells his art students.

As it turned out, the 48-year-old opened his own Japanese art business and has taught at The Works and the Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County.

6:16 P.M.

Merritt traveled between tables, looking at each student's cartoon strip from the previous class.

Granville resident Steven Baase, 10, held up his page, filled with inventive characters.

"What are you going to call it?" Merritt asked Baase of his new comic.

"The Dragon Claw," Baase responded.

He and his sister, Paige Baase, 8, were introduced to Merritt's program this year. Their mother, Pam Frahn, said her kids look forward to the class each week.

"Steven found his passion," Frahn said.

6:25 P.M.

Holding up a pencil high above his head, Merritt told students the instrument is more powerful than Harry Potter's wand.

"This is your world," he said. "You can do whatever you want with it. You can make a new world each day."

He then explained the key components to creating a comic.

A "splash page" -- where the scene is set -- is considered the introduction. A comic should also contain characters, crisis, climax and resolution.

Instead of a new comic, Alex Shell, 10, of Heath, continued work on one from the last class.

His cartoon involved a "dragon stone," a magical item that allows his main character, Suzako, to fight more swiftly.

Drawing is a good way to let out emotions, Shell said.

"You just pour them out on your page," he said.

6:38 P.M.

Also attending Wednesday's class were several teenagers, including Hannah Rickard, 16, of Mount Vernon.

In her comic was George Wade, a former military man who helps people in crisis situations.

Sitting next to Rickard was Dylan Johnson, 18, of Newark.

Merritt flipped through Johnson's notebook and checked out his geometric drawings.

In an earlier lesson, Merritt explained how simple SpongeBob SquarePants was to create and challenged his students to generate their own geometric characters.

6:51 P.M.

Kaitlyn Preston, 12, of Utica, said she's an avid reader, and the books help her produce creative ideas for comics.

"It's the one thing I can do without getting mad at myself for doing it wrong," she added.

Reading is crucial to cartooning, Merritt said, noting that he tries to read a book each day.

"Everything you read influences what you draw," he said.

Originally published July 25, 2005