Using words, photos, drawings and cartoons, students presented bits of themselves to the public in two recently released Pinchpenny Press publications.

The book “Goshen Adventure Comics,” was released at Better World Books downtown on Friday. The comic book was edited by Jessica Baldanzi, assistant professor of English; Jacob Schlabach, a sophomore; and Emily Taylor, a junior.

“Red Cents,” Goshen’s creative arts journal, was released on Tuesday at Goshen College. The arts journal was edited by Whitney Philipps, a senior, and Chase Snyder, a junior, who also designed the cover.

“Goshen Adventure Comics” is an anthology of a handful of final projects from the “Literature and Popular Culture: The Graphic Novel” class, taught by Baldanzi last May term. Eight contributors from the class shared an autobiographical story in comic/graphic form.

After winning a friendly contest in class, Baldanzi asked Schlabach and Taylor to write the introduction to the book, and from there, all three began the process of editing.  Jordan Kauffman, a sophomore, was responsible for the cover design and layout of the book.

“It was really frustrating at times,” Schlabach said, “because I’m not very good with detail-oriented work, which was basically all we did.”

Schlabach also found frustration in working on a book with the majority of the material not his own.

But Baldanzi saw growth in her students. “The most exciting thing about this project,” Baldanzi said, “was watching students’ insecurities about their ability to do this project. There were a lot of English majors who weren’t used to representing their ideas visually turn into stunning final projects.”

“Goshen Adventure Comics” will be sold for $6 on April 9 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the Union. It may also be purchased at Better World Books.

The student journal “Red Cents” provides an opportunity for students to select, edit and design a publication of their own.

“‘Red Cents’ on one hand, isn’t a very flattering idiom,” Philipps said, “as in ‘that’s not worth a red cent,’ and on the other hand it’s incredibly fitting. Not everyone takes creative work seriously, but we clearly do. Twenty-four people were published in this year’s edition.”

Philipps was nervous as she began the processes of gathering submissions for publication. “In the end, I found that there are quite a number of people who I didn’t realize were writing or making art-and that was energizing,” Philipps said.

The journal covers a broad range of submissions, including reflections of Study-Service Term experiences, short stories and poetry and photography and drawings.

“Red Cents” will be on sale for $5 in the Union on April 9 from noon to 2 p.m. and on April 15 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Also, “Surving the Khmer Rouge: Stories on the Struggle to Stay Alive,” a collection of essays written by students from the spring 2007 Cambodia Study-Service Term, edited by Sheldon Good, a senior, will be on sale for $5 in the Union on April 9 from 1-2 p.m.