Michel Mulipola Visits College

On 21 March, we were incredibly lucky to have a visit from Samoan Comic Book artist, author, pro wrestler and activist Michel Mulipola as part of the ReadNZ Authors in Schools programme. Michel spoke to our Year 7 & 8 students about his passion for drawing and reading from a very young age, and how these have led to his involvement in numerous projects such as working with Marvel, Disney Animation Studios and others on projects such as trading cards and the upcoming film Moana 2. Students were able to recognise many of Michel's artworks due to his involvement in working with School Journals and illustrating a number of stories and articles that are used in our classrooms every day. 

Michel also spoke to our students about the importance of doing things you love, and always finding joy in the things you are doing. Students were wowed when shown photos of Michel's home office - a true gamer and comic book artist's dream space! Michel shared many of his adventures with our students, including how he came to be involved in pro wrestling, and his love of the game Tekken and where it has taken him. Michel highlighted for our students the importance of their cultures and identities being represented in the books and movies they read and watch, and how representation matters, alongside standing up for what you believe in. 

Michel then ran an illustration workshop with a smaller group of Year 7 & 8 students. He demonstrated a range of techniques for drawing comics, wowing the students with how fast he could create characters, and giving them some constructive feedback on their own artwork that they were creating. Students were appreciative and voiced how much they enjoyed this visit, with many of them presenting Michel with their own art at the end of the session.