BELFAST— When Melanie Tingdahl was young, like many kids growing up, she always turned to the comic pages of the newspaper first. “I was always a huge fan of comics like Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes and when when I was a kid, I wanted to draw comics like that,” she said. “When I got into my teens, I got more into the superhero comics like X-Men and Captain America.”

The 31-year-old Portland artist plans to do a talk and workshop at the Belfast Public Library, Monday, December 4 at 3:30 p.m. "I don’t actually have a formal background in comic illustration," she said, "but I’ve been working at Casablanca’s Comics in Portland for the last eight years and being there has really inspired me, especially when surrounded by the level of good comic books and art that comes in the shop.”

Tingdahl said that in the past dozen years comic books for kids have really broadened in scope with graphic novels and more diverse and sophisticated subjects. “Even as an adult, I still love to read the kids’ comics, because the lessons they teach kids are amazing," she said. "Some comics are scary, some are scientific, some are educational and there are some great social and emotional-type stories.”

Tingdahl created and sold illustrations for two mainstream comics, Lumberjanes, and My Little Pony.  She has also taught classes across the state. Her workshop is geared toward tweens and teens. “This is geared primarily to kids 11 to 17 and what I’ll do is give a little talk about the comic industry, which is fairly small. Then, after that I plan on doing a small illustration workshop for any kids interested in trying out some drawing skills. I’ll give them some tools to work with.”

For more information about her work visit: www.meltingdoll.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com