- It's just really fun to make comics and learn about comic-making from other great artists.

- Being an entrepreneur, I know that no one knows everything and I certainly know less than most.

I knew I could learn, and I knew I could connect with people who have the skills to help me develop.

(upbeat music) My name is Keith Harris and I'm president of FutureGen Comics, LLC.

FutureGen Comics is an independent comic book and character development company that focuses on helping you to be the hero you are meant to be.

So we'll take a photo of you, develop up it into a superhero character, build it into a superhero story, all with your approval and create a comic book or a poster, just for you.

I have a decent size collection of comic books.

It occurred to me that there may be an opportunity for me to try and develop my own comic book characters and my own comic book universe.

I just can't draw.

So I knew I needed help.

Just through word of mouth, I connected with a couple of local artists, as we figured out more and more of what we were gonna sell, we started to bring in more people, until we got to where we are today in which we've engaged with the Cleveland Institute of Art.

They were able to connect us with some fantastic young artists.

They've really been able to push us to the next stage of the business.

- Hi, my name is Maia Langlois, and I am a comic intern at FutureGen Comics, and I'm also a senior illustration student at CIA.

I'm very passionate about art and I know that's what I wanna die as, my job.

FutureGen comics has helped me a lot in that.

So I met Keith actually through the school.

They had a internship fair and we hit it off from there.

Now I'm his intern.

Keith gets a written script for me and I draw out quick sketches that I basically get proofed by Keith and the writer.

And then once that's proofed, I go to Phase Two, which is inking those sketches.

So I try to draw over the rough sketches as cleanly as I can, so it's readable.

And then I scan that, and then I put in the colors digitally, and then I add the shading and the highlights digitally so it really pops.

And then I send that over to Keith once it's formatted and he prints it out.

And then we have like a fully fleshed comic, yeah.

- Currently we have three artists from the Institute interning with us.

We're looking at bringing on two more.

Maia, is very eager to learn about developing comic books, and her talent was, is undeniable.

She did an amazing job with the comic that she was commissioned to do.

- I had sketched and then inked over and then scrapped and then sketched and inked over again.

And then finally I sent it to Keith and he said he loved it.

And it was the most gratifying thing ever.

I said like, yes my comic's good enough.

- You know, running a business, it's not always exciting.

It's kind of the technical day-to-day things can really wear you down.

But bringing on board these interns, their excitement and their energy is really contagious.

That energy just makes you want to do more.

I hope we can have a very long relationship with the students here at Cleveland Institute of Art - Ideastream public media receive support from PNC Bank, which has made a home in the heart of Cleveland by investing in businesses, communities, and people.

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