Southport Superheroes initiative inspires children with creative challenge
Kids across Southport are encouraged to design their own superhero
A new initiative in Southport is encouraging children to become creative by designing their own superheroes as part of the Southport Superheroes project.
Former Marvel Comics artist Tim Quinn and John Savage, who manages the M.I.H. Bazaar social enterprise and the Cambridge Walks Art Gallery, are leading the initiative, along with artwork contributions from local artist Neil Prior.
As part of the project, a mural celebrating landmark buildings in Southport has been installed inside Cambridge Arcade in the town centre.
Tim Quinn, known for his work as former editor of the Spiderman comics, is delighted at the project's success.
Quinn explained that the initiative aims to highlight the qualities of real superheroes by emphasising non-violent attributes.
“The whole idea about being a real hero is carrying no knives, no guns, no weapons.
Real superheroes don’t need them,” Quinn said.
The initiative invites children from local schools to conceptualise and draw their own superheroes, encouraging them to focus on the qualities they believe make a true hero.
“It was really moving to hear kids saying ‘You’ve got to care’, ‘You’ve got to want to make the world a better place’, ‘You have to have compassion’,” Quinn said.
Tim Quinn himself moved to Southport from New York and expressed his fondness for the town.
“I grew up in Crosby and Southport was this joyous place I would come to on the train.
It’s a very, very special place for me,” he said.
The project is expanding rapidly, with international interest growing as children from other countries, including Thailand and Germany, share their superhero designs inspired by Southport Superheroes.
Looking forward, Quinn and Savage have plans to select one design from the initiative to become the official Southport Superhero, which will include producing a costume for the character and awarding a prize to the winning artist.
“We are going to choose one of these designs and we are going to say ‘This is Captain Southport’,” Quinn said.
Future aspirations for the initiative include creating badges for children who are part of ‘The Fab 4,000’ group and producing a book featuring the superhero designs to be distributed in schools and libraries.