ELYRIA — The next Jack Kirby, Stan Lee or Frank Miller could be just down the street.

Thanks to a newly formed nonprofit group that wants to promote a love of reading through comics, some yet-to-be discovered writer or illustrator may be lurking in our midst.

The Elyria Comic Book Initiative took a big step this week when it was informed by the Internal Revenue Service that it had been approved for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, according to Ken Glanc, an Elyria banker and lifelong comic book fan.

The project is designed to promote literacy as well as creativity by hooking students into the joy of reading through the visual flair found in comic books, Glanc said, with the end result “of reinforcing literacy by making a comic book around a theme.”

The group will now devote itself to coming up with a site where it can begin its mission. Schools will be considered, along with locations housing community groups or similar organizations.

“It could be at our site or theirs,” Glanc said. “We’re poised to begin working this fall with three organizations that will help us create our first batch of comics.

“It’ll probably take the format of an after-school program.”

Glanc declined to identify those groups until final details are worked out. “Our goal is to have 50 participants by the end of the year. That would be an outstanding accomplishment.”

To be eligible, participants must be in the sixth grade. “We look at this as lifelong learning through comics,” Glanc said.

Teachers, attorneys and those working in marketing and technology will form the team of pro-literacy instructors.

“Once one or more comics are created, they will be celebrated in forms that could range from gallery shows to printed collected volumes to online editions,” Glanc said. “Celebrating the work is a key element. We hope to generate additional participation this way, and need to demonstrate how effective it’s been.”

While the nonprofit venture is a supporter of Keith’s Comics on Broad Street, it is not affiliated with it from a business standpoint, according to Glanc, whose passion for comics is obvious. He praised the selection of comics and graphic novels to be found at the West River branch of the Elyria Public Library.

“Many people don’t know it, but libraries have great selections of these,” he said.

Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.

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