Freshman Abby Howard isn’t your average high school student.

Each month, she illustrates a comic that appears in the nationally-circulated Dramatics magazine. The magazine targets high school thespians, teachers and stage production crew members.

“Dramatics is an interesting and original magazine that can really benefit people who appreciate or take part in theatrical performances. Aside from having conceptual value, it contains references valuable to any student pursuing a career in the theatre,” said sophomore Caitlin Snead.

Written by Julie York Coppens of The Charlotte Observer, the comic is interactive and incorporates reader’s thoughts and opinions into the story.

“Personally, I think it’s a really cool and innovative idea, it gives the audience some level of control over the subject matter addressed by the strip. The involvement eliminates some of the difficulty of trying to make the comic relate to the reader and guarantees the reader’s attention,” said junior Chris Rohaly.

Coppens needed an illustrator for her comic, and Howard’s mom, another Observer employee, asked her daughter if she was interested.

Abby was intrigued by the idea, so Coppens reviewed her work, which was met with acclaim. Howard has been drawing the comic each month since September. She even receives a paycheck.

Howard’s strip, The Drama Club, follows the activities of a group of six diverse student thespians at the fictional Virgin Martyrs Academy. Forced to save the school play after a “Nebraska Triangle” disaster, where the majority of the theatre students mysteriously disappear, the students attempt a production of the Greek tragedy Antigone.

Although the magazine publication officially ends in May, friends, family and fans of Howard’s work hope to see her return to the pages of Dramatics for the next few years.

Students interested in more information relating to Abby Howard’s work or the Dramatics magazine can visit the Dramatics website or pick up a copy of the publication at a local library.