PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 17 Police and social agencies in several U.S. communities are using comic books to fight gang violence.
The "Gangbuster" gang prevention comic book debuts this month in Palm Beach County, Fla., Rockford, Ill., and Utica, N.Y., the comic book's publisher said Thursday in a release.
Former Cracked magazine publisher Dick Kulpa said he developed the eight-page superhero comic book as a way of spreading an anti-gang message to middle-school children before the gangs get the chance to recruit.
"They function as highly effective communications tools with or without counselors present," Kulpa said, "though Gangbuster's ultimate effectiveness occurs when counselors guide the kids through the story, and drive home its main points."
The educational comic, introduced last year, was developed with input from law enforcement and community counselors, he said. The books can be customized to include advice and crisis-line numbers for specific areas around the country.
"It's not my intent to 'make a killing,' " Kulpa said. "It's my intent to stop killings."
Copyright 2008 by UPI
