Hunger Action Hero Art Contest
We Are Proud to Announce the Winners of the Hunger Action Hero Art Contest!
Before we do, Feeding San Diego and the Comic-Con Museum would like to extend a sincere thank you to all 295 students who submitted an entry and to the thousands of people who voted. We are so impressed by the creativity of all designs and origin stories.
We think you are all heroes for taking action!
In the Middle/High School category, the winners are…
First Place:
Hunger Halter
755 votes
Aiden – Age 14, Julian Charter School Mountain Oaks, Encinitas
Second Place: Demeter
618 votes
Sirenna – Age 17, Olympian High School, Chula Vista
Third Place:
Eartha
606 votes
Isabella – Age 14, High Tech High, Chula Vista
Feeding San Diego and the Comic-Con Museum believe that the world needs more heroes, so the judges have decided to bring to life our grand prize winner, Hunger Halter, and second-place winner, Demeter. Both of these characters will be featured at San Diego Comic-Con this July!
Meet the Artists
Aiden is a storyteller and writer living with autism. Growing up in San Diego County, he became a fan of superheroes at a young age because they reminded him of his inner strength.
He faced many challenges in his childhood, but he was able to persevere thanks to the messages of superheroes that paved the way for him to be strong and resilient in the face of hardship. At times, his family has received support from food banks. This experience gave him his own understanding of the importance of food assistance to the community.
Creating superheroes and their origin stories has long been a passion of his and today, comics and graphic novels remain an important outlet. Aiden was in 8th grade when he entered and won the Hunger Action Hero Art Contest. He was inspired to be a part of something that combined his creative interests with the power to raise awareness around an important social issue.
A San Diego native, Sirenna started drawing in elementary school. Over time, she further developed her skills, especially in high school. She has always been passionate about her art and the reactions it receives from others, whether it be inspiration, amusement, or pride. It’s important to her that people see the meaning behind her work and that it makes an impact.
Sirenna was in 12th grade at the time of the Hunger Action Hero Art Contest. She submitted her artwork because she wanted to use her drawings to create awareness about a critical issue like hunger. In creating Demeter, she chose to create a character that represents women of color to ensure that an underrepresented group can see themselves in the superhero genre.
She believes a person doesn’t have to have superpowers to be a superhero, they can help contribute even through the smallest of ways.
Each of the top three winners won a trip to Comic-Con Museum’s Makers Lab for their class or homeroom, in addition to other exciting prizes.