Clean Energy Meets Murder Mystery

Racing against the clock and running from enemy forces, an unexpected pair team up to protect the latest technology in sustainable battery power.

Graduate student Cara Quintana - an environmental science genius - and local farmer Jack Wilson are the protagonists in "Supercharged!". The graphic novel series created by nonprofit Earthshot is supported partly by a $30,000 grant from Edison International.

The comic cleverly combines two unlikely elements: murder mystery and clean energy.

"You almost don't feel like you're learning about electric vehicles or technology, but you are," said Chanel Parson, Southern California Edison director of Clean Energy and Demand Response.

The story follows the two characters on their mission to safely deliver the battery to Los Angeles in hopes of winning a billion-dollar government grant competition. The only problem - thieves are trying to stop that from happening. After bandits bang up farmer Jack's car, the two use the battery to convert his busted gas motor into an EV and continue their quest.

Graphic novel artists, Jim and Ruth Keegan, work on the illustrations for "Supercharged!" They have also worked with other notable authors including Stephen King.

"This is such a unique way to pique people's interest in clean energy," Parson said. "It's really important to be able to get the clean energy message out to the next generation in ways they'll connect with, and this does that through a story that's fun and relatable."

Parson worked with Earthshot co-founders Mark Bernstein and Bob Wyman to help brainstorm parts of the comic's storyline and curate accurate information about electric vehicles. The narrative dives into the technology behind EVs and uses play and imagination to generate excitement about the future, redefining climate messaging for a new era of action and innovation.

"Particularly for the younger generation, by engaging them in entertaining stories and games, we hope to get them excited about climate change solutions," said Wyman. "The more interactive and immersed readers are in the dialogue, the more likely it is to have an impact."

Bernstein and Wyman started Earthshot in 2018 to produce not only comics, but also games - including an island in the popular video game Fortnite - that promotes climate action through interactivity.

"Our mantra here is, 'It's not game over, it's game on,'" said Wyman. "We get people excited about dealing with methane."

Action-packed comic series, "Supercharged!", follows a murder-mystery case that educates kids on clean energy technology.

Which is exactly what it did for Carlos Vazquez-Carranza, an Arcadia High School AP Environmental Science teacher, when he brought "Supercharged!" into the classroom, integrating the unconventional curriculum into his lesson plan.

"This organization opened my students' eyes to what a career in environmental science can look like and the different opportunities at a company where people are excited about climate change solutions," Vazquez-Carranza said.

More than 300 students read the comic and then had an opportunity to provide feedback to Wyman. In a student-led panel, they asked Wyman questions and offered opinions on the storyline.

"I'm really proud of how willing our students were to give feedback," Vazquez-Carranza said. "We're all excited to read the next issue and see if any of that feedback was included in the latest chapter."

Will Cara Quintana and Farmer Jack make it to LA? You'll have to pick up the next issue to find out.

For more information on SCE's clean energy efforts, visit edison.com/cleanenergy.