Some students are more independent than others with their schoolwork, but one student at Community High School is independent in a completely different way.

Stephanie Mannheim, a senior, is an independent artist. She has written two different series of silk screen magazines and made several promotional buttons. Silk-screen printing is a technique used for printing multiple copies. This technique is also known as serigraphy. Recently, Mannheim has attended the Shadow Art Fair, which is a twelve-hour fair where she sells her magazines and the custom buttons she has made.

Mannheim has written five different magazines and two different series; she does all the artwork and writing. She takes her inspiration from real life experiences and bases many of her characters on real people: “Well, not exactly real people, but the stereotypes of certain people,” she said.

Before Stephanie started drawing her own magazines, she did some work for Ann Arbor PeaceWorks. The mission of PeaceWorks is: “A grassroots organization dedicated to peace, democracy, civil rights, and civil liberties. To that end, we undertake education and action on local and state levels to influence U.S. foreign and domestic policy.” She drew several comics for the organization.

Prior to that she had “been drawing pretty much forever.” This being her fourth year working on the magazines, she sells them through some local stores in downtown Ann Arbor. These include Vault of Midnight and Wazoo Records. She also sells the magazines in certain stores throughout the country.