Story Roger Bong

Photos Jarod Opperman

Illustrator and full-time college student BT Livermore is recreating all 250 days of Otto Zeplin's life in comic book form. The child, born on May 9, 1900, rests in a cemetery across the street from Livermore's in Portland, Oregon, apartment.

The artist prepares each volume by spending hours at the library, reading microfilm copies of Oregonian newspapers published at the turn of the 20th century.

“I’m giving him a chance to do everything he never got a chance to do,” says Livermore, who often uses actual events that occurred in Portland during Zeplin's lifetime. Fantastical elements also color the story — Zeplin's best friend is the ghost of Ulysses S. Grant.

"I can say without a hint of sarcasm that he really is a member of my family," Livermore says.

After finding Zeplin's census records, Livermore located the site of Zeplin's home, now a freeway overpass.

In May 2010, Livermore will finish the ten-volume comic book, The Life and Times of Baby Otto Zeplin, for his final thesis at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Coincidentally, the book's completion will mark Zeplin's 110th birthday.

Each comic strip can be read for free at radrobot.org. Handmade hard copies are also available.

To check out other art blogs, try these sites:

• FFFFOUND:  User-generated feed of art found online; an "inspirational image-bookmarking experience."
• NOTCOT: A daily feed of design ideas and trends to inspire a victory over any "creative block."
• WoosterCollective: Celebrates urban art from across the globe, including Cape Town, South Africa and São Paulo, Brazil.