Fremont teen uses his talent for drawing to create comics

Chris Cogdill took coloring very seriously.

But by age 3, he lost interest in cute coloring books and crayons.

Instead, he created and drew his own comic book character.

Now at 14, the Fremont teen has plotted out about 500 Manga characters which fill eight portfolios. Manga is a Japanese-style comic book. It is read right to left and is done without color — just tone, explained Cogdill.

Equipped with a pencil and a series of pens (including micron pens), Cogdill works each day for at least an hour on his hobby.

“Before I do anything, I write out all the steps. I plot out my stories. I know the characters and the setting. Then I start writing the story,” Cogdill said.

Cogdill uses a special computer program to complete the drawings.

“I draw it, scan it and open it with a Manga studio,” Cogdill said.

A six- or eight-panel comic takes at least six hours from start to finish.

“He’s a perfectionist when it comes to art,” said Jana Perry, Cogdill’s mother.

“He’s picky. If it comes out with one wrong line, instead of erasing, he starts over,” she added.

Creative juices and ink flowing, Cogdill often works into the wee hours of the morning.

“He’s a night owl,” Perry said.

But breaks are necessary.

“If someone does this, they need exercise. You can get carpal tunnel easily,” Cogdill said. “If you get bored, you can get sloppy.”

One of Cogdill’s comic creations concentrates on a character who plays an arcade game and is transported into another universe.

“Camp Hero,” tells the story of animals that develop super powers.

A recent comic features a ninja hamster fighting a cat.

“They have a comic relief aspect to them. They are not serious or violent,” noted Cogdill.

Most of his characters are animals, because they are easier to draw.

People are a challenge, said Cogdill.

“I use a lot of personification,” he noted.

When drawing, he works mainly alone, but sometimes with a friend, Adam Smithhisler, who helps him perfect his work.

Smithhisler, a 2006 Fremont High School graduate, soon will attend Emporia State University with the goal of becoming an art teacher.

Smithhisler said he has also been drawing comics for the last 11 years.

“I showed him (Cogdill) how I did things and helped him with anatomy,” Smithhisler said.

“The hardest part is getting the shoulders right. I have big books on anatomy,” Cogdill said.

“He buys books that guide you. He spends 90 percent of his allowance on books,” Perry said.

“It takes a lot of practice, drawing not just comic characters, but everything around you. Every little bit helps,” Smithhisler added.

“I want to get better at shading,” said Cogdill.

But Cogdill drew praise from Smithhisler.

“He’s amazing. He’s progressed a lot in the last two years,” Smithhisler said.

When Cogdill’s not drawing comics, he’s reading and collecting them. Some favorites are Naruto, One Piece, Spider-Man and X-Men.

Last year Cogdill had the opportunity to share his talent and give a presentation during Tiger Time at Fremont Middle School.

“I did a comic for the middle school newspaper last year,” added Cogdill.

The freshman at Fremont High School plans to take basic art classes next semester.

“I’ll take graphic design as a sophomore,” Cogdill said.

He aspires to attend Savannah College of Art and Design and study animation.

Some of Cogdill’s drawings have already come to life on his computer.

“I do animations,” Cogdill added.

His future dream job?

“Working at Pixar. I really want to be an animator,” Cogdill said.

Some of his movie favorites are “Cars,” The Incredibles,” and “Lilo and Stitch.”

“I’ve never seen anybody get so involved,” Perry said.

“He’s a really great artist,” Smithhisler said. “I see him working on something really big if he continues to draw and work at it.”