The Human Canvas and the Superhero Walk for Autism

The 2015 Superhero Walk for Autism.

The superhero part of it was really just a 

bit of a variation on the annual walk/run for autism, 

sponsored by The Autism Society - Inland Empire. 

Four years ago, 

I asked if I COULD come to 

draw puzzle pieces on people at 

the autism event. It got to be something 

that kids and adults alike were interested in, 

and I had a good time doing it. This year - it had 

this superhero theme. I didn't know WHAT I might 

do to make these things... superhero-ish. Tie a little cape around them? I don't think so. Even when I got to the 

event, I think I just planned on doing ordinary 

puzzle pieces, color coordinated with 

whatever people might 

be dressed as.

Then came this girl.

She was wearing 

a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt, 

so I was able to look at one of these 

things and draw it.

She was interested 

in how this thing might come together... 

...as was I, 

and we chatted about that very thing 

while I continued.

Came out fine, 

with a little puzzle piece 

emblazoned on his front... thing. 

I was good with it as a first attempt at 

a Mutant Turtle in Sharpie on a tiny arm. 

But MOST importantly - SHE liked it.

The next one WAS simply 

a quick color coordination piece. 

One - I wasn't sure if she was gonna be sitting still. 

Two - I had my mind on the next idea. 

A certain type of common puzzle 

piece looks like a person sitting, 

with his or her arms 

outstretched.

Soooo....

Give that puzzle piece six-pack abs, 

along with some little purple shorts...

And another happy, freshly-inked fan of The Hulk.

Next was Lillian Vasquez, 

a co-worker at KVCR, and one of the 

spearheads in getting these things going. 

Hers was simple. 

She likes blue - and fittingly, 

I chose the Wonder Woman w's for her.  

This guy had gotten 

a dragon from me two years ago in Yucaipa...  

...and this year got one of 

a couple cool (I think) Classic Batman pieces 

with a tiny puzzle piece blacked out of the middle.

The next was an absurdly quick one 

to color coordinate with the logo on her shirt...

And the next,

I thought the orange-blend would be nice with 

her shirt and skin-tone...

...and then the "cat-eye" kind of mask 

seemed to fit her as well.

This next one is another returning canvas. 

She got one last year with her brother's name on it...

...like this year. She likes green.

And here IS Joseph. He likes purple.

I don't remember WHY I chose blue 

for this next one, though pretty much any color 

would go with her shirt.

We then got a whole Mutant Turtle CLAN! 

Well, three people anyway. 

I used the idea from the Hulk drawing

 to simply make a green puzzle piece, and color 

it with whatever was appropriate to their 

particular mutant ninja.

We then got the other classic Batman-themed piece... 

...along with her multi-Marvel Universe 

character companion.

Two more for this day.  

The first is a variation on one I did last year.

Simply- a heart...

made up of several puzzle pieces.

It ended up on Karen, who like heart art...

and who had been 

too busy assisting WITH the festival 

to sit down for some ink. 

She HAS though been a canvas for me a FEW times before...

...and was happy to oblige (or placate, perhaps?).

Anyway, thank you Karen.

The last one landed on Grant - Lillian's son. 

Grant is pretty much the reason she ended up being 

the QUITE knowledgeable person she is, 

with regard to the world of autism.

His design was also simple. 

He, like his mother, likes blue. And that writing? 

Some 20 years ago, 

it was around 1 in about 10,000 people who 

might end up diagnosed somewhere on the spectrum. 

Today it's around 1 in 68. 

For boys, make that one in FIFTY-eight.

And I have nothing 

to say to follow that rather alarming number.