Clean Elections Introduces First-Ever Civic-Focused Comic Book

Voter education expert and veteran creates new outreach tool for students

Phoenix, AZ - May 21, 2024

Clean Elections unveils a new educational initiative – the creation of the first-ever comic book dedicated to fostering civic engagement among youth. "Captain Activate! and The Future Voters," hopes to harness the illustrative power of comics to inspire an appreciation for civic engagement and deepen understanding of civic responsibilities. Written by Clean Elections Voter Education Manager Avery Xola, this new tool aims to capture the attention of young readers, and their parents, one page at a time. It is available for free to the public starting this month.

"The comic book medium lends itself to complex concepts like civics and democracy; comic book characters have virtues that are oftentimes metaphors of the real world and the symbolism in the storylines is entertaining while also being memorable," said Avery Xola, Citizens Clean Elections Commission Voter Education Manager and author of "Captain Activate! and The Future Voters." "Kids that read Captain Activate! will see that they can participate in democracy right now while getting a glimpse of what it looks like to forfeit the right to participate, in this case as a result of the actions of the story villain, Dr. Apathy."

The story's main character, Captain Activate!, is education in action. The narrative is rooted in the idea that community engagement is the bedrock upon which electoral participation is built. The story broadens civic engagement knowledge, particularly written with fourth to eighth-grade students in mind. It underscores the importance and impact of voters' contributions in shaping the communities where they live, play and go to school. The cast of characters is purposely a diverse group with unique qualities, intended to represent a variety of voices: Caleb is outgoing. Ava is strong-willed. Zoey is self-conscious. Skyler is anxious. Mateo is inquisitive. Captain Activate! is a protector. Dr. Apathy is tyrannical.

Drawing from a personal affinity for comics that began in early childhood, Xola recognizes the comic book medium as a powerful tool for visual information sharing, "My introduction to comic books was at age three, the illustrations even motivated me to learn to read long before entering kindergarten because I was determined to uncover the story!" said Xola. Xola wrote the story in about two weeks and worked with a Phoenix-based illustrator to realize his vision for the scenes.

"Civics scores among school-age students are at an all-time low, which makes this project all the more timely and potentially very useful to teachers looking for new ways to engage their students," said Clean Elections Voter Education Director Gina Roberts. "Captain Activate explains civic engagement in a very entertaining fashion and features characters that will resonate with our next generation of voters."

Copies of "Captain Activate! and The Future Voters" are available now. They are being distributed at Clean Elections outreach events. Copies can also be ordered in bulk by emailing Clean Elections at [email protected], they are first come first serve and while supplies last. A digital version can be downloaded on the Clean Elections website.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission was established by Arizona voters to restore citizen participation and confidence in Arizona’s political system, to improve the integrity of State government and to promote freedom of speech under the U.S. and Arizona Constitutions. Visit www.azcleanelections.gov to learn more.