GUMPTOWN SPOTLIGHT:
CALVIN SIMMONS BY MIKALA MCCURRY
Calvin Simmons, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and a lover of comics, graduated from Jefferson Davis High School and attended Savannah College of Art and Design where he majored in Comics and Sequential Art. Directly after graduating, he went into graphic design for a political party. Over the next 12 years, Simmons worked in graphic design in various places, including Disney and Herff Jones Yearbooks Company. Still, he desired to get back to his first passion: comics. He ended up working for Montgomery Public Schools, where he currently serves as a Visual Arts teacher. “I love it. It’s an opportunity to be a mentor to kids.” Simmons said. “They’re into it [comics], too. They like the Manga, a Japanese version of comics.” In his free time, Simmons also gets a chance to work on his personal comic books. Simmons believes that teachers are responsible for more than just teaching. “You’re somebody’s mentor, somebody’s uncle, somebody’s big brother, somebody’s coach,” Simmons said. Simmons prides himself on being able to relate to his art students. He knows what it is like to be treated differently for dressing or thinking a certain way, and he reinforces with his students that it’s okay to be different and to be themselves. He helps students prepare for jobs as graphic designers and artists. He also gives them hands-on experience with clients. His most recent published work is Shepherd, a 3-page web comic that is published online once a week. “Shepherd is a character that
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