Led Bradshaw is using his talent as an artist to collaborate with his autistic son, Jacob, on bringing his comic book heroes to life. Together, they have created “Jetpulse Comics,” a collection of stories set in a neurodiverse world. Their companion workbooks help children practice and learn skills in reading, language and math.
They released their latest workbook to inspire creativity and teach others how to create their own superhero characters and stories.
Led, tell us about Jake Jetpulse Hidden Heroes workbook.
The Jake Jetpulse Hidden Heroes: Create Your Superhero Adventure takes readers through a fun and creative journey as they build their own superheroes. They’ll get the chance to make their own superpowers, design their superhero costumes, and build their own bad guys. There are blank comic book panels in the back of the book so that readers can bring their stories to life!
Why this kind of activity book?
A few months ago, I was talking to a good friend and colleague about diversity. A lightbulb went off in my head and I thought to myself, “instead of creating one character to represent an ethnicity or culture, why not give kids the power to create the heroes they want to see and read about?”
How does it fit into the Jake Jetpulse canon?
The main characters in The New Adventures of Jake Jetpulse are three individuals who were completely unaware of their potential. They were also complete strangers to each other. When they learned to work together, they realized that great things happen. Jake and I wanted to share that feeling of friendship, teamwork, and accomplishment.
Is it a standalone book or do you need to read Jake Jetpulse comics to be able to do the activities?
This is completely a standalone book. I made this book so that anyone can have fun creating their very own superhero universe. Jake’s superhero team is there to guide you along the creative process. The rest is completely up to the reader.
Who are the ideal readers and users of your activity books?
It’s fun for kids of all ages. It’s great watching parents use this book with their kids. Teachers can even use this book with their students. There were a few times when I visited Jake’s third grade class and used the material as a creative writing lesson. That’s how I came up with the idea. My best friends are creating their own heroes—and they’re adults!
In what ways can educators use Jake Jetpulse comics and activity books?
Teachers can use our comics and this particular workbook to introduce children to creative writing. They can also use it as an art lesson when the kids are drawing their heroes. The activities in the workbook invite collaboration and students learn to work together. The process helps them realize their own self-confidence. There’s so much to take away Hidden Heroes.
What “hidden” message are you sending to your readers?
There’s a superhero in each of us.
I believe that there’s a story inside all of us that’s just waiting to be told. The Hidden Heroes workbook encourages readers to discover their inner awesomeness and challenges them to imagine and create. In a diverse world, everyone has a chance to create characters that they can relate to and tell the stories they want to read.
Jake gets the last word! What does he want people to know about this “Hidden Heroes” workbook?
He wants people to have fun! We both wanted something that would distract kids from their mobile devices… if only for a few hours. It means a lot to him that other kids feel the same pride and accomplishment that he feels when he tells a story or creates a new character.
We both wanted to make a book that makes people come together to laugh, play and build. That’s what he’d love to see. And I’d love to see that too.
Read our first interview with Led about his son Jake and Jetpulse Comics!
Buy Jetpulse Comics on Amazon:*
- Jake Jetpulse Hidden Heroes: Create Your Superhero Adventure
- The New Adventures of Jake Jetpulse: Trolls Vs. Goblins
- The New Adventures of Jake Jetpulse: Reading & Math Skills Activity Book
- The New Adventures of Jake Jetpulse: Reading & Language Skills Comic Workbook
Join the Jetpulse Comics Fan Club by following them on:
- Jake Jetpulse Adventures Facebook page
- @jetpulse_comics on Instagram
- @Jetpulse_Comics on Twitter
- Read the article on Led and Jake on NBC New York
*The links to buy the comics are our affiliate links. By purchasing using this link, you will not only support Led and Jacob, you’ll be raising funds to support our autistic team of contributors for their work.
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- Books by Autistic Authors
- Autism Comics Overview by Geek Club Books
- Mighty League 1: Autistic Hero Comic
- Mighty League 2: Autistic Hero Comic Space Adventure
- Will a Children’s Book App Ignite Self-Acceptance?
- Find more books in our Amazon Influencer Autism Book Shop
The post Father and Son Help Others Dream Up “Hidden Heroes” Adventures appeared first on Geek Club Books.
