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An intersting booklet about the benefits of reading comics from the  Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

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How can we use comics in education, medicine, academia etc? This short comic explores how comics can be used and applied in everyday life.

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The Applied Cartooning Manifesto The Center for Cartoon Studies by Marek Bennett and James Sturm

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My newest panel is for San Diego Comic-Con@Home!

Content through Comics: Teaching STEM and Humanities with Graphic Novels
Combining the learning benefits of visualization with the power of storytelling, high-quality graphic novels make both STEM and humanities subjects more accessible and engaging for all students, particularly students who may not see themselves as scientists, engineers, or historians. We'll discuss how the comics medium is perfectly suited to breaking down complex information and making content learning engaging and fun. And with the new emphasis on reading nonfiction, academic vocabulary, and reading in the subject areas, comics are more relevant than ever.

Panelist contact information:

Matt & Shari Brady
Co-Founders: The Science of.org
Shari is the Executive Director of Education and Engagement; Kaleideum Science Museum
Matt is a high school science teacher
Contact info:

matt@thescienceof.org,

shari@thescienceof.org

Twitter: @Scienceof_org

Instagram: @thesciof_org

FB: @thesciof

website: thescienceof.org

Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand
Educator, teaching artist
https://linktr.ee/Kristina_Maldonado_Bad_Hand
Isabel Morales, Ed.D
Middle school history teacher
Twitter: @isabeljmorales

C.A. Preece
High school chemistry teacher
Tim Smyth
High School social studies teacher, MS Reading Specialist

www.TeachingWithComics.com

@historycomics

historycomicsguy@gmail.com

"Comic Book Teachers" Facebook group

Resources
Colorful History comics from Pop Culture Classroom

First Book

Madaya Mom free comic from ABC News

MOONSHOT: The Indigenous Comics Collection

​

Can you use comics to teach STEM/STEAM? Of course you can! Find out how and why with this panel from Library Pass. I was honored to join teacher and science communicator Dr. Shari Brady, creator Jim Ottaviani (king of science comics!), and educator and creator CA Preece in this discussion moderated by John Shableski.

​ Looking for graphic novels for your students? Help is on the way! I was honored to moderate the panel "How to Find and Choose Graphic Novels for Students" as part of San Diego Comic-Con's Education Series. Featuring amazing librarians and educators Christina Taylor, Shveta Miller, Jillian Ehlers, Karina Quilantán-Garza, and Janna Tropper.

Click here to access all the resources mentioned in this panel!

My newest resource book series, Story Engineering: Problem-Solving Short Stories Using STEM, is now available!

​Integrate engineering and literacy into your curriculum with this innovative approach to learning. Students will read fictional passages and solve problems using STEM and the engineering design process. Students can create devices and solutions using everyday materials. Each unit focuses on one problem and one challenge, and other problems are presented as options for future challenges. The activity pages invite individual and group work with room for brainstorming, problem-solving, building, testing, and reflecting. Each book includes 11 (Grades 1-2) or 12 units (Grades 3-4 and Grades 5-6); each unit contains:
* A teacher overview and lesson plan
* One original fiction passage with room in margins for annotations
* STEM activity sheets based on a single STEM problem/challenge.
Each book is 112 pages.

I loved creating these books because I got to write STORIES! I think my favorite stories are:

"Fur-Ever Friends" in which Freddie takes her lovable but unruly dog, Herman, for a rainy-day walk.

"Magic Pockets," wherein Princess Petra's new ballgown helps her scale the cliff fortress of Acantilado and bring home the Treasure of Oa.

"Sundae Farmer," in which Farmer Gelato tends to his sprinkle bushes, marshmallow trees, and chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry cows with little help from his lazy dog, Caramello.

You can purchase the books through Teacher Created Resources, Amazon, or most educational resource supply outlets.

I'm so excited to say that my latest panel video is up! "Comics for the Littlest Readers" is part of the San Diego Comic-Con Education Series and features AMAZING creators Jenni Holm, Jeff Smith, Andy Runton, Dan Santat, and Debbie Huey.

Creators Jenni Holm (Babymouse, My First Comics), Andy Runton (Owly), Dan Santat (Harold and Hog Pretend for Real, The Cookie Fiasco), and Jeff Smith (Bone, Little Mouse Gets Ready) chat with Debbie Huey (Programming Specialist for San Mateo County Libraries and creator of Bumperboy) and moderator Tracy Edmunds (Graphic Novels are Elementary!) about comics for K-2 readers. Find out why comics are a great medium for boosting literacy and practicing comprehension skills, and enjoy fascinating stories about the creation of these fantastic books.

Here is a list of recommended titles for little ones.

As part of San Diego Comic-Con at Home 2020, I moderated a panel featuring some amazing educators talking about analyzing graphic texts with students.

Words and Pictures Working Together: Strategies for Analyzing Graphic Texts
In this crash course in text analysis for graphic novels, educators demonstrate techniques and tools for building students' critical literacy skills with graphic texts at all grade levels. This includes demonstrations on how to lead students in analyzing the elements of comics and the unique combination of art and text, share resources, and discuss challenges. Educators Trevor Bryan ( The Art of Comprehension), Derek Heid (high school English Language Arts, TVUSD), Shveta Miller ( Hacking Graphic Novels), Talia Hurwich ( Worth a Thousand Words), and moderator Tracy Edmunds ( Graphic Novels Are Elementary!) share strategies you can use with students tomorrow!

Each educator's presentation is excellent! If you watched my WonderCon panel video (available here), you will recognize experts Shveta Miller and Derek Heid, who share new approaches in this video. I'm also thrilled to welcome Talia Hurwich and Trevor Bryan who bring even more methods for analyzing graphic texts with students.

Resources:

Slides from Talia Hurwich featuring a step-by-step method for teaching visual literacy and graphic novels. Find more on Talia and Meryl Jaffe's book, Worth a Thousand Words, here.

Derek Heid's slides on using Reader-Response criticism to interpret graphic texts. Find Derek on Twitter here.

Shveta Miller's presentation on using a Constructivist approach to analyzing graphic texts. Shveta's website is here and you will find her on Twitter here.

Trevor Bryan's Access Lenses chart. Find more on Trevor's book The Art of Comprehension here. Trevor's arts education website is here and his Twitter is here.

But Wait, There's More!
Our video is part of an entire day's worth of panels for educators featuring noted experts Meryl Jaffe, Laurence Tan, Rachelle Cruz, Dr. Ebony Flowers, Michael Gianfrancesco, Ronell Whitaker, Eric Kallenborn, Nick Sousanis, Jill Gerber, Tony Weaver, Jr., Adan Alvarado, Adam Ebert, John Shableski, Kat Kan, and creators Yehudi Mercado, Gene Yang, Steenz, Jerry Craft, and many, many more.

Watch all the Comics-Con at Home Wednesday panel videos here!

WonderCon lives on! Due to the necessary cancellation of large gatherings, WonderCon is sharing recordings of panels online. An amazing group of educators got together to record a panel on analyzing graphic texts with students -- this is one of the best panels I've ever been a part of! Each teacher walks you through how they use and analyze comics with students, covering all levels from kindergarten through high school and beyond.
​
You Have to Read the Pictures, Too: Visual Literacy and Analyzing Graphic Texts with Students
In this crash course in text analysis for graphic novels, educators demonstrate techniques and tools for building students' critical literacy skills with graphic texts at all grade levels. Join us as we demonstrate how to lead students in analyzing the elements of comics and the unique combination of art and text, share resources, and discuss challenges. We share tips, activities, and vocabulary you can use with your students tomorrow!

Panelists: Laurence Tan (LAUSD and Teaching Tolerance Teacher of the Year), Derek Heid (high school English Language Arts, TVUSD), Jennifer Naumann (7th Grade ELA), ), and moderator Shveta Mille Tracy Edmunds r (Literacy Specialist and Author), ( Graphic Novels Are Elementary! Betsy Gomez ( Banned Books Week)

Resources:

Moderator Betsy Gomez's s lides from this panel, including many links to resources

Tracy Edmunds' slides on analyzing not-so-simple Hello Kitty comics

Laurence Tan's slides on an ethnic studies approach to critical media literacy using comics

Jennifer Naumann's resource on analyzing splash pages

Shveta Miller's slides on analyzing panels from Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

Derek Heid's slides on analyzing Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon

Now that all school is homeschool, parents are in need of help! You don't need to freak out -- there are so many amazing free things for kids and parents out there. Here are some of my favorite free online resources.
Free Resource Lists
Common Sense Media provides a ton of links to great resources, including schedules for live classes and activities, lesson plans, virtual tours and storytimes, and games.

We Are Teachers has put together a huge list of resources, including lists of the best educational TV shows, videos, and apps.

Excellent activities and videos, searchable by grade level, from PBS Learning Media. Their lessons and interactive activities are excellent for all grade levels.

YouTube Learn at Home (partnered with Khan Academy) lists channels for different ages, e.g. Families with kids 13 and older, families with kids 5 and up, families with preschoolers.

Look for your favorite authors and artists on Twitter and Facebook - many are doing read aloud or draw along videos and providing free activities.
For Younger Kids
Sesame Workshop offers free videos, activities, coloring pages, ebooks, and more.

Ranger Rick is offering free digital magazines.

Free super-fun videos and activities from Go Noodle for families. Highly recommended!

Here's a parent-friendly guide to the free Khan Academy Kids app, along with schedules, printable resources, and circle time videos.

For Older Kids
​
Khan Academy provides free learning resources and information for parents, including examples of daily schedules. It's the go-to site for students looking for help in any subject area.

This is cool: sign up to Skype a Scientist! You can also view their recorded events with scientists who study everything from bacteria to planets.

MIT Full STEAM Ahead provides activities, tools, and lessons for science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) for kids, in partnership with the New York Times, offers creative writing tools and challenges.
Dealing with Feelings
How to Talk to Little Learners About Coronavirus from PBS

Supporting Kids' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic from We Are Teachers.

I'm excited to announce that the newest Think Earth environmental education unit is online and available free! Stellar cartoonist Andy Hirsch ( Science Comics: Dogs, Science Comics: Trees, and Science Comics: Cats) created Rosa and Able, a pair of hilarious pigeons that help kids learn about pollution. These two 8-page comics, called Pollution is for the Birds, in combination with the Classroom Guide, help students learn the causes and effects of air, water, and soil pollution, and learn ways to reduce pollution. This unit is aimed at 5th grade students but really can be used in grades 4-6.

All of the Think Earth K-5 units are available free online. Just complete the simple registration (don't worry, we don't share email addresses with anyone) and you can download everything, including comics, videos, pre- and posttests, student pages, teacher guides, and more.

Interestingly, we found in our testing that kids didn't understand the title because they were unfamiliar with the idiom "for the birds." We were curious about the origins of this phrase, so we did a little digging and found out that in the days before cars and trucks birds were often drawn to the undigested oats in horse droppings in the street. Thus, if something is for the birds, it's poop! Pollution is definitely for the birds.

And don't forget that our 4th grade unit, Waste Invaders, featuring comics by the brilliant Joey Wiser, is also available on the Think Earth site. ​​

Comics and graphic novels are powerful educational tools. But what if you or your students have never read comics? Try my 3-page PDF on "How to Read Comics." It lays out the basics to get you started.

And here's a one-page version with a white background for easier printing. I know teachers have to horde color ink like dragons!

For older or more advanced audiences, I recommend Jessica Abel's excellent free resource, downloadable here. ​

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My newest panel is for San Diego Comic-Con@Home! Content through Comics: Teaching STEM and Humanities with Graphic Novels Combining the learning benefits of visualization with the power of storytelling, high-quality graphic novels make both STEM and humanities subjects more accessible and engaging for all students, particularly students who may not see themselves as scientists, engineers, or historians.

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Resources:  HISTORY COMICS AND COMICS IN EDUCATION

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Resources:  HISTORY COMICS AND COMICS IN EDUCATION

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Great ideas for using graphic novel and comics to teach history and current affairs.

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*Engage and excite educators in both virtual and in-person trainings and presentations - pre-school through university levels. I share about the importance of individual passion in the classroom, how to help shape the conversation around education, and how to create empathetic analytical readers and writers in all classrooms. I tailor these workshops to your needs and have presented on a wide variety of topics. Eductors will leave with ready to use lessons and ideas for the very next day! The conversation continues after the workshops as well as I share about online educator communities and am always available to those in attendance to hepl via email. *Work with schools and libraries to create literacy nights, school comic book conventions, and more. *Write curriculum and educator guides for prose and comics - I have a Masters Degree as a Reading Specialist and have been teaching for over 20 years. A sample of a guide I wrote for Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak - *Give professional advice to publishers and creators on how to create and market comics for education and to assist in the marketing as well. (I LOVE getting book mail!) *Assist publishers and creators at conferences. Experience - *I have presented at San Diego Comic Con, C2E2, WizardWorld, FanExpo, Denver Comic Con, AwesomeCon, and more. *I have presented at many education conferences, such as: PCSS, NCSS, MSCSS, PCTELA, NJASL, and more - even Keynoting at several social studies and library conferences. *I have run workshops and presentations at numerous libraries, universities, and K-12 schools. I LOVE being able to work with education students/majors! *I have taught graduate level coursework at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Literacy Network, using my book as the core text. *I have helped to develop and facilitate a global online comics course through the US State Department *I have written educator guides and lessons for MacMillan, PBS, Scholastic, FanBase Press, and more. https://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/teachers-guide-speak-the-graphic-novel/ My email is historycomicsguy@gmail.com - I look forward to getting our conversation started.
Currently serving on the PBS Newshour Classroom advisory board

@historycomics - I am on Instagram and Twitter where I sshare about my comics inspiration in the classroom.

Facebook - Teaching With Comics - this is my Facebook page where I share resources, interviews, and more!

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"Comics are a gateway drug to literacy" - Art Spiegelman

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A yearly project giving children to opportunity to make and swap comics, open to all comics clubs both in the UK and globally. A brilliant initiative, run by Hannah Sackett and Lynda Wysocki through Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children's Books.

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Lynda Barry's playful and creative approach to story telling and comics makes for inspirational teaching - this book is packed full of her thoughts on children's drawing and exercises to develop visual storytelling skills.

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The idiosyncratic curriculum from the Professor of Interdisciplinary Creativity will teach you how to draw and write your story

Hello students, meet Professor Skeletor. Be on time, don't miss class, and turn off your phones. No time for introductions, we start drawing right away. The goal is more rock, less talk, and we communicate only through images.

For more than five years the cartoonist Lynda Barry has been an associate professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison art department and at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, teaching students from all majors, both graduate and undergraduate, how to make comics, how to be creative, how to not think. There is no academic lecture in this classroom. Doodling is enthusiastically encouraged.

Making Comics is the follow-up to Barry's bestselling Syllabus, and this time she shares all her comics-making exercises. In a new hand-drawn syllabus detailing her creative curriculum, Barry has students drawing themselves as monsters and superheroes, convincing students who think they can't draw that they can, and, most important, encouraging them to understand that a daily journal can be anything so long as it is hand drawn.

Barry teaches all students and believes everyone and anyone can be creative. At the core of Making Comics is her certainty that creativity is vital to processing the world around us.

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The idiosyncratic curriculum from the Professor of Interdisciplinary Creativity will teach you how to draw and write your storyHello students, meet Professor Skeletor. Be on time, don't miss class, and turn off your phones. No time for introductions, we start drawing right away.

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A site dedicated to providing ideas and resources to comics clubs around the country, and to anyone who wants to join in with their ongoing project of Helping Awesome Kids Make Awesome Comics.

On this site are regular monthly Comics Challenges – activities and worksheets that can be used by anyone as a spur to getting kids writing, drawing, reading and making.

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The brilliant Robert Deas, who created Trailblazers for The Phoenix Comic has been posting drawing tips on Twitter @RDComics

Learn how to draw Troy Trailblazer:

And check out his great tips on difficult-to-draw hands and feet.

Many thanks to Robert Deas and The Phoenix Comic for allowing us to share these with you!

This drawing and writing game is a good way of finding out how different words and pictures can join together to form a comics panel. It's based on an exercise from "Cartooning, Philosophy and Practice".

Here are some examples of my word and image combinations:

Download the worksheets:
Words and pictures instructions Words and pictures Sheet One Words and pictures Sheet Two
You can find more worksheets here and more online resources here.

We've added more Online Resources to our list - including this Author Draw Along with Jamie Smart

You can find more Draw Along activities on the Oxford Owl website.

We've been updating the list of downloadable worksheets on our Resources pages.

We now have 28 sets of worksheets for you to download!

The latest set of worksheets has been sent to us by Matt Hickey, who runs a Comic Club at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore City.

Here are a selection of the activities and resources he's created for his Comics Club:
Sound effects
comic club thumbprint adventure bw and comic club thumbprint adventure blank (fold into mini-comics)

draw your pet in space and creepy comic

comic club nametags and comic club nametag secret origin

Many thanks to Matt for getting in touch!

We've noticed new comic-making resources and activities appearing online in recent days, so we're starting to keep a list of online resources here.

Make sure you don't miss out on The Phoenix Comic's #phoenixQclub or the great activities provided by Dundee Comic Creative Space's Digital Comic Club.

Head over to our Online Resources section to find out more. And don't forget, you can download comic templates here and find all our Comics Challenges here.

A concertina or accordion book is made from a long piece of paper that is folded backwards and forward like a spring.

Your challenge is to make a concertina comic.

You can use this template to make three short comics: Concertina comic

If you want to make a longer comic, just stick two or more strips of paper together.

Once you've finished drawing your comic, you can make a case for it: Concertina comic cases

Cut on the black lines, fold on the dotted lines, then glue or tape the tabs.

Please share pictures of your concertina comics with us @ComicsClubBLOG

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The brilliant Robert Deas, who created Trailblazers for The Phoenix Comic has been posting drawing tips on Twitter @RDComics Learn how to draw Troy Trailblazer: And check out his great tips on difficult-to-draw hands and feet. Many thanks to Robert Deas and The Phoenix Comic for allowing us to share these with you!

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Book:  When Commas Meet Kryptonite (2010)

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Book:  When Commas Meet Kryptonite (2010)

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This practical and informative book by Michael Bitz is an excellent guide into whys, hows and role of teaching comics in schools, running comics clubs and getting children into publishing.

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This definitive book presents the newest research linking graphic narratives and literacy learning, as well as the tools teachers will need to make comic book projects a success in their classrooms. The Comic Book Project (www.comicbookproject.org) is an internationally celebrated initiative where children plan, write, design, and publish original graphic narratives in diverse media and formats. In one accessible resource, Bitz presents a comprehensive program that is just as fun for teachers as it is for students. Teachers will learn how to incorporate socially relevant materials and instruction into daily activities, how to differentiate instruction across the K12 curriculum, and much more.

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This definitive book presents the newest research linking graphic narratives and literacy learning, as well as the tools teachers will need to make comic book projects a success in their classrooms. The Comic Book Project (www.comicbookproject.org) is an internationally celebrated initiative where children plan, write, design, and publish original graphic narratives in diverse media and formats.

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Events & Projects:  The Comic Book Project

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Events & Projects:  The Comic Book Project

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Founded by Michael Bitz, the Comic Book Project is an American based, world-renowned literacy initiative that engages young people in the process of planning, writing, designing, and publishing original comic books.

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Resources:  They don't count as reading - a blog by Richard Ruddick

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Resources:  They don't count as reading - a blog by Richard Ruddick

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This is a great resource for ideas and reflections on using and teaching about comics in schools, written by the Richard Ruddick.  The blog also contains reviews about comics written by children - the best judges!

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The Hilda series is back with a new entry that will make the perfect companion to all of her previous adventures. Instead of releasing a new adventure, this book is a guide to all of the different beasts and spirits that exist in the world of Hilda. For devoted fans it is a beautiful love letter to the various creatures that reside in Trolberg and the surrounding areas, but if you are new to the series it is an excellent introduction to the fascinating and magical world. Ever since the book touched my desk, I have had children repeatedly staring in wonder and begging to read it. Much like the others in the series, the book is full of stunning illustrations from Luke Pearson and each entry contains an excellent level of detail. The characters are explored in depth and even allowed those less familiar with the characters to quiz some of the self confessed Hilda know it alls.

When I was offered the opportunity to host the book tour, I knew that I needed to get my students involved. My current year six class adore everything about the books/show and I know that the year five children in my graphic novel group are truly obsessed too. As the book is a collection of beasts and spirits it seemed only right to create our own to add to these.

I started off by briefing the children and explaining that they had a month to come up with their own fan art or creations related to the series. Some of the group were unfamiliar with the series, so I leant them the graphic novels and gave them time to explore them. Initially a lot of the group were intimidated by the idea of coming up with their own beasts & spirits and they seemed to find the freedom of the task too much. After a session or two of trying to encourage them to loosen up and take some risks I changed the approach slightly. Together we studied the beasts & spirits book and really explored the text surrounding the creations. Reading about the habits and behaviours of them helped them to realise that these creations are more than just a drawing. Planning out the characteristics first helped the group to visualise what they wanted to create and helped to switch their focus. All of a sudden, the desire to only draw Hilda and Twig disappeared and I was constantly being told about their new characters and how they would fit into the world of Hilda. Over the next two weeks they worked hard during our lunch time sessions and also at home to create a weird and wonderful range of characters that could easily be a new addition to the wonderful book of beasts and spirits.

The final creations were wonderfully crafted and some were the result of painstaking redrafts and late redesigns but you can really tell how much each child cares for their creation. As you can see, they focused more on the mischievous or troublesome beasts and spirits but those are the ones they found the most fascinating to read about in the book. Most of the group was working up till the last moment to get their designs finished and finalised but some had spare time and chose to create some fan art of their favourite characters. Even with no time left I still had children coming to my classroom to check if they could fit in one more piece of work before I collected them all in. That was nothing to do with me, it was all to do with their love for Hilda and the truly engaging world it is based in.

If you aren't familiar with the Hilda books then I cannot recommend them enough. They are popular across the school and are excellent value for money because they are constantly being re read by fans. For those who are fans of the series, this is a wonderful companion to the pre existing books and it is a superb way to flesh out some of the characters that haven't had as much coverage. Hilda: Book of Beasts and Spirits is out now from Flying Eye Books and is well worth adding to any school library.

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A blog all about comic books in the classroom

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The Phoenix Comic is published weekly and jam packed with great comic strips. It also publishes full length comic stories as part of its Phoenix presents series.

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Resources:  Dundee Comics Creative Space

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Resources:  Dundee Comics Creative Space

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Dundee Comics Creative Space is a social enterprise project created by the University of Dundee in collaboration with the Rank Foundation and the Dundee Place Partnership Scheme. It is currently running a digital comics club with lots of great activities on its website.

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Strike a Pose

Got your characters worked out? Know what style you're drawing them in? Excellent!

In your comics, your characters are going to be doing all sorts of actions. Maybe they'll be eating a delicious sandwich, or diving into a pool, or relaxing on a beanbag playing some video games. But wait - how do we know how to draw them doing those things?!
We build up the drawing step-by-step! Step 1: Gesture
With any action, it helps to start with a stick figure (or gesture) of that pose. Not sure how a pose looks? Get someone around you to pose for you and take a photo of them! You can also look up reference videos on Youtube if you're not sure how to draw a certain movement (such as diving into a pool).

Remember: When you're drawing your gesture, make sure to draw lightly so that you can erase it easily later on (or if you're drawing digitally, draw on a different layer with lower opacity!).
Step 2: Structure
Once you have your gesture, it's time to add the structure. These are the proportions of your character around the stick figure! How this looks will depend on your character design.

Again, you will want to draw this lightly, so that if you need to change anything you can do so easily.
BONUS TIP!
When designing your character, try drawing them from different angles. You can then use that as a reference when you're adding structure to your gestures!
Step 3: It's Alive!
Once you're happy with your gesture and structure, you can finish off your drawing! Ink it, colour it, live your life, be free.

This may sound like a lot of work for just one drawing, and it is! Well done for going through all of these steps. As with most things, the more you practice, the easier it will get. We promise.

The above images (unless otherwise stated) are by Rebecca Horner.

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Got your characters worked out? Know what style you're drawing them in? Excellent! In your comics, your characters are going to be doing all sorts of actions. Maybe they'll be eating a delicious sandwich, or diving into a pool, or relaxing on a beanbag playing some video games.

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The Excelsior Award is the only nationwide book award for graphic novels and manga - where school children aged 9-18 decide the winner.

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The Excelsior Award is the only nationwide book award for graphic novels and manga - where kids aged 11-18 decide the winner by rating each book as they read it! In 2021, twelve graphic novels/manga will be selected for the four age-appropriate shortlists and it now attracts over two hundred schools from all over the UK and Ireland! The overall goal of this scheme is to encourage reading amongst teenagers. However, its secondary target is to raise the profile of graphic novels and manga amongst school librarians and teachers. This storytelling medium has been a largely underused resource within education for many years. The Excelsior Award attempts to highlight some of the amazing books that are out there - books that fully deserve to be in our school libraries alongside regular fiction!

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The Excelsior Award is the only nationwide book award for graphic novels and manga - where kids aged 11-18 decide the winner by rating each book as they read it! In 2021, twelve graphic novels/manga will be selected for the four age-appropriate shortlists and it now attracts over two hundred schools from all over the UK and Ireland!

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The longest running weekly comic, the Beano celebrated its 80th birthday in 2018, and is still going strong.

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Beanotown | Home of the Beano Comic on Beano.com

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Beano comic strips, games, quizzes, characters and more. Everything you're after from Dennis and pals!

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Resources:  The Beano's website for schools

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Resources:  The Beano's website for schools

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Lesson plans and teaching ideas.

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Savvy teachers have long known that comics are an excellent way to help children to enjoy reading - including the most reluctant readers.

At a time when children are facing such challenges to their learning, teachers often tell us how beneficial it is for children to spend some Beano down-time - just enjoying a bit of silliness and reading for the fun of it.
Laughing makes us feel good
Bring laughter wellbeing to your young learners with free downloadable lessons that support the literacy and PSHE curriculums.

SUBSCRIPTION

Beano has been inspiring children to read for over
85 years; it's the nation's favourite comic.
Every issue of Beano delivers fresh vocabulary and perfectly pitched funny stories.

Get Beano delivered to your school with our special schools offer.

Christine Chen & Lindsay Pickton, Teach Primary magazine

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Savvy teachers have long known that comics are an excellent way to help children to enjoy reading - including the most reluctant readers. At a time when children are facing such challenges to their learning, teachers often tell us how beneficial it is for children to spend some Beano down-time - just enjoying a bit [...]

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Founded in 2017 by Aaron Rackley, Little Heroes Comics produces and distributes comic making kits to children in healthcare organisations across the UK.

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PROVIDING COMIC MAKING KITS TO CHILDREN IN HEALTHCARE ORGANISATIONS ACROSS THE UK

We are currently fundraising to raise over £15,000 it will take to create the next geneartion of newly branded kits.

There is a multiple ways to support our charity and a direct donation is just one of them. We have set up a JustGiving page to make this as easy as possible.

We are always looking for individuals who are taking part in a run or would like to use us for their sponsored bakery.

We have a JustGiving page set up so you can select us for your chosen charity.

Little Heroes Comics is a UK based charity that provides comic making kits to children in hospitals and other healthcare organisations across the UK.

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PROVIDING COMIC MAKING KITS TO CHILDREN IN HEALTHCARE ORGANISATIONS ACROSS THE UK We are currently fundraising to raise over £15,000 it will take to create the next geneartion of newly branded kits. There is a multiple ways to support our charity and a direct donation is just one of them.

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The place to go for a fantastic range of children's comics and graphic novels in London and via mail order.

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The online store and blog for London UK comic shop Gosh! Comics

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Neil Cohn's website exploring the visual language and grammar of comics, and how they can be used in education.

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Visual Language Lab * The website of Neil Cohn

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Visual language Lab: Researching the structure and cognition of the visual language of comics

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Not aimed at education in schools, but very interesting research on the role that comics can play in the study and delivery of healthcare.

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Graphic Medicine | The interaction of comics & healthcare Graphic Medicine is a site that explores the interaction between the medium of comics and the discourse of healthcare. We are a community of academics, health carers, authors, artists, and fans of comics and medicine. The site is maintained by an editorial team under the direction of the Graphic Medicine International Collective.

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Graphic Medicine is a site that explores the interaction between the medium of comics and the discourse of healthcare. We are a community of academics, health carers, authors, artists, and fans of comics and medicine. The site is maintained by an editorial team under the direction of the Graphic Medicine International Collective.

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The Visual Language of Comics:  Introduction to the Structure and Cognition of Sequential Images (2013)

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The Visual Language of Comics:  Introduction to the Structure and Cognition of Sequential Images (2013)

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Written by Neil Cohn, this book presents his theories around the grammar of comics from a cognitive linguistic perspective. Complex, but very useful when considering how we construct all modes of communication.

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Drawings and sequential images are an integral part of human expression dating back at least as far as cave paintings, and in contemporary society appear most prominently in comics. Despite this fundamental part of human identity, little work has explored the comprehension and cognitive underpinnings of visual narratives-until now.

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In this podcast, Neil Cohn talks to Michael Rosen about the language and grammar of comics.

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Can a sequence of images be 'read' like a series of words? Michael Rosen explores the visual language of comics, with comics theorist and cognitive researcher Neil Cohn.

Can a series of images be 'read' like a series of words? What makes something a language? We have written, spoken and signed languages, but could the sequences of images we see in comics also qualify? Michael Rosen explores the visual language of comics and graphic novels, with comics theorist and cognitive researcher Neil Cohn, author of The Visual Language of Comics.

Producer: Mair Bosworth

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BBC Radio 4 - Word of Mouth, The Language of Comics

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Can a sequence of images be 'read' like a series of words? Michael Rosen explores the visual language of comics, with comics theorist and cognitive researcher Neil Cohn. Can a series of images be 'read' like a series of words? What makes something a language?

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This UK magazine is published both online and in a printed edition and covers classic and new comics, kid friendly comics, indie comics, TV and movies inspired by comics, comic Cons and comic culture.

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ComicScene the magazine is produced in the U.K. and is the only magazine about comics distributed on newsstands across the U.K., Ireland, Australia, Canada and the United States. Sign up to our weekly email newsletter for news and special offers here. We cover classic and new comics, kid friendly comics, indie comics, TV and movies...

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Nick Sousanis is an Eisner-winning comics author and an assistant professor of Humanities & Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University.  His work covers research into how comics work and how to use comics in education - with lots of links to great resources.

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This comic created in summer of 2007, was the first one I made entirely digitally. Mostly just a test of the tools, with the hopes of speeding up some elements of the process and making my lettering legible! - N

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Spin Weave and Cut - Homepage of Nick Sousanis

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This comic created in summer of 2007, was the first one I made entirely digitally. Mostly just a test of the tools, with the hopes of speeding up some elements of the process and making my lettering legible! - N

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Neill Cameron is a comics writer and illustrator. He is the author of How To Make (Awesome) Comics, Mo-Bot High, Mega Robo Bros, The Pirates of Pangaea (with Daniel Hartwell), amongst other things. His work can regularly be seen in weekly children's comic The Phoenix.

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(Fig. 1: some comics, which are awesome)

Booktrust and Save The Children recently launched their Read On, Get On campaign; spreading awareness of a crisis in literacy rates, aiming at a target of every child leaving primary school to be able to read well by 2025, and calling on politicians of all parties and indeed the general public to do all they can to support this crucial goal.

I - obviously - applaud this initiative, and support its aims entirely. It's prompted a lot of discussion amongst the kind of people I follow on twitter, and I wanted to try and organise here in some semi-coherent fashion my thoughts on the role comics have to play in all this. Because I think comics can be a huge part of the solution to falling literacy rates. And indeed, I think their disappearance in the last 20-30 years from their previously central space in children's lives in this country may well be a part of the reason for that crisis.

I'll kick things off in the traditional way when examining social problems: by sounding like an old man and moaning about how much better things were In My Day. (There'll only be a bit of this, I promise.) The role comics played in the childhood of many of my generation, and even more so the further you go back, was huge - and in hindsight, crucial. Comics were everywhere, and often free - stacks of them lying in 'rainy day' chests at school, at clubs, at mates' houses, in dentist's waiting rooms. There'd be a bunch to choose from and even if they didn't have any of your favourites, what the heck, they were still comics right? And there was always a fresh crop to be had every week anyway, from every newsagent and corner shop in the land, at prices realistically within the realm of pocket money while still maybe even leaving enough change for a bag of Skips.

I'm honestly not just going to wallow in nostalgia here, mourning for some lost Golden Age of Kids' Comics. I just wanted to outline a few of the key aspects of that situation, to highlight the differences between where we were and where we are now. Namely:

RANGE. This barely needs stating, right? We all know this? There used to be a huge range of children's comics widely available across the country, and now there is The Beano. I'm simplifying slightly, but not much. A wider range is out there, of course. There are many, many people making genuinely great comics at the moment, but I think it is fair to say they simply are not on the cultural map of the vast majority of the population. They're not in WH Smiths, or your corner shop, or really any place a kid is likely to be going on a weekly or more regular basis.

AFFORDABILITY. Most comics, these days, are not easily within the Pocket Money Affordability Range. And there are reasons for this, sure, in terms of printing methods and rising production values and distribution models and what have you. But the end result is: comics that you are not going to be able to buy a couple of and still afford a bag of Skips.

(Do they still make Skips?)

(Am I just not giving my kid enough pocket money?)

Anyway, these two factors in part explain and contribute to the main difference, which is:

ACCESSIBILITY. Comics used to be around - very easy to encounter and get in the habit of reading, without having to particularly set out to do so. And now, by and large, they're not. They were the water in which we swam, and now they are a remote legendary spring on a mountainside somewhere. They're still there, but only for the seekers and the kids whose parents can afford nice houses up on top of the mountain. The majority, sadly, probably aren't going to make the trip.

So, how did we get here? And does it matter? Do comics still have any relevancy to children, anyway? Haven't we ended up in this reduced state because kids simply stopped caring about comics, moving onto video games and minecrafts and blah blah whatever we're all supposed to be worried is ruining kids this week?

Firstly, let's just demolish any hint of a pretense that 'do kids still like comics?' is even a question. I could throw any amount of anecdotal evidence at you from myself and other comics creators who work with schools and libraries and children's literary festivals, anecdotal evidence that would border on "evangelical". Or alternatively, you could just look at the extraordinary sales figures of children's comics and graphic novels in other parts of the world. Children still like comics, to the best of my knowledge, in Japan and Europe and India and every other damn place. Raina Telgemeier sells 7 gajillion copies of every new comic she makes in the US. So let's just knock that on the head. Children still like comics. They love comics, when they get a chance to actually read some. So how did we reach this point where that's no longer happening in this country?

How We Got Here

There are essays and opinion pieces and twelve-volume histories to be written on that point, and I don't want this to descend into negativity and accusations and recriminations. But I do think it's worth taking a second to address it here, as part of demolishing the aforementioned 'do kids still like comics?' not-even-a-question. Personally, I think there's a couple of factors that help explain it:

1. a resource drain from both the UK and the field of children's comics, as both creators and publishers chased after new markets and artistic legitimacy by competing to show who could make the most 'mature' works. ('Mature' in this sense meaning, broadly speaking: stories about Batman dealing with erectile dysfunction)

2. the increased focus of the remaining newsstand UK titles on expending resources and budget on the bit of plastic stuck to the front of the comic, rather than what's inside the comic.

Again, don't want to get too negative here. Free gifts are awesome! Who doesn't like free gifts? And demonstrably, you will sell more issues of a particular comic if you stick a plastic laser gun and a bag of sweets to the front. But those free gifts aren't really free, are they? They cost money somewhere along the line. And ultimately, if they come at the expense of making actual jokes and stories and awesome comics that engage kids' imaginations - well, yeah, maybe you'll sell more issues of that particular comic. But I would argue that you are unlikely to make a generation of kids fall in love with reading.
I was giving a talk to teachers and librarians recently on this subject and I put together a few slides as a visual aid. They're abbreviated and simplistic, and no doubt horribly unfair, but hey. It made me laugh?

A (Somewhat Abbreviated) History of British Children's Comics

1:

(Cover images blurred to protect the innocent. And also, because, honestly, I'm not trying to be a COMPLETE ass here. I just needed a punchline?)

So there you go, that's (my biased, arbitrary, possibly communist opinion on) How We Got Here. To turn to the second question:

Does It Matter?

Yes, it matters.

There we go, that was easy. But seriously, it really does.

I've been thinking about this lately, about why we're all doing this - those of us that make comics, and love comics, and try to spread the word of comics. Is it just because we loved them as kids, and want to see the medium continue? Because if that's all it is, just a nostalgic self-absorbed desire to recreate our own childhoods, then frankly we should just call the whole thing off and all go home and eat a bag of Skips. It'd be cheaper and just much less hassle all round. But it's not that. Comics matter, for all the reasons that reading matters. Learning to read makes a tangible, measurable difference to children's lives and prospects, in terms of economic outcomes and quality of life. And comics are - have been, can be, will be again - a huge part of learning to read. Of reading for pleasure; of coming to love reading; making it not something that is enforced from above, a Discipline That Must Be Mastered, but something so exciting and cool and mind-blowingly awesome that it has to be torn out of kids' hands when it's time to go to bed.

And if any part of you is wondering if this is still true, if children still have that response to comics, then let me put your mind to rest right now: they do. They absolutely do. Comics perform a fantastic dual purpose:

providing kids with a visual narrative that they can follow and engage with while their verbal literacy skills are still developing, thus encouraging the development of those skills

offering unique opportunities for exciting subject matter that can hook kids imaginations, lending itself to strong visuals. Robots! Dinosaurs! Mutant rabbits with laser nunchuks! COMICS.

When kids actually get to see comics, when they are given exciting stories and phenomenal artwork and funny jokes about beavers doing a radioactive poo, they flip out. They dive in with both feet and get lost and fall for comics so hard that it alternately makes me inspired and delighted and, actually, angry.

Angry because I've seen, first hand and over and over again, just how much enjoyment and hilarity and genuine learning and TANGIBLE INCREASES IN READING DEVELOPMENT kids get from comics like Corpse Talk, or Dungeon Fun, or Moose Kid, or Star Cat. And because I know, all too well, that those comics are not a part of the lives of the vast majority of children, right now. They're not in the corner shop, they're not in big rainy day trunks at school, they're not in the dentist's waiting room. They are, to generalise wildly, the province of a privileged few: those with parents who can afford them and have even heard of them in the first place. All of which immediately limits your reach down dramatically to a pretty small circle of 'in the know' people. And whilst I love those people to bits and indeed am one of them, I think we can all agree it's not enough. We need to break past that circle, to explode the art form outwards and back to where it should be; an available, accessible, affordable part of the lives of all children.

I'll be posting more on this subject every day this week, including some actual ideas and concrete proposals on how we actually, y'know, DO that. But first, tomorrow: the BEST way comics can help develop children's literacy, which I haven't even mentioned yet.

TO BE CONTINUED!

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Comics and Literacy, part 1: Why Reading Comics Matters

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(Fig. 1: some comics, which are awesome) Booktrust and Save The Children recently launched their Read On, Get On campaign; spreading awareness of a crisis in literacy rates, aiming at a target of every child leaving primary school to be able to read well by 2025, and calling on politicians of all parties and indeed the general public to do all they can to support this crucial goal.

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A youth service providing creative opportunities for children and young people aged 8 – 25 across the Liverpool City Region.

On top of zine creation, reading, and publishing workshops focused on comic books, manga, and zines, they also run youth-led community publishing hubs, and offer volunteer and peer mentoring opportunities.

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Comics Youth was founded in 2015 and is a creative community organisation led by young people, for young people. Our aim is to empower youth across the Liverpool City Region to flourish from the margins of society: Harnessing their own narratives, finding confidence within an inclusive community, and developing the resilience to succeed on their own path.

We offer a range of creative services designed to support and amplify the often diminished voices of marginalised young people aged 8 - 25. From zine creation and comic book reading workshops to youth-led publishing hubs and AQA Unit Award Scheme programmes, we believe young people deserve to have their voices discovered, distributed, and elevated.

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Comics Youth was founded in 2015 and is a creative community organisation led by young people, for young people. Our aim is to empower youth across the Liverpool City Region to flourish from the margins of society: Harnessing their own narratives, finding confidence within an inclusive community, and developing the resilience to succeed on their own path.

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The Big Family Press is run through the South London Gallery. The community press is used for after school clubs and for family printing each weekend.

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Through the Big Family Press, the SLG's community risograph printing press, the South London Gallery have commissioned this series of illustrated resources with leading contemporary artists, illustrators and designers to support children to write, publish and share their own stories.

You can freely download the resources at the links below. They work best when used in combination with each other.

The resources, which have all been designed with Peckham and Camberwell in mind, can be downloaded, printed and used by children at home or in collage-based workshops, creative writing or art-based activities or in your classroom.

You will need:

A4 or A3 sheets of paper.

Our zine template (click here to download). This template works just as well when printed on A4 or A3 paper. Alternatively, you could make a poster using a big sheet of paper, or whatever you might have lying around the home, such as the inside of a cereal box.

A flat surface, scissors and some non-toxic glue (like a Pritt stick). Mind your fingers and ask an adult if you need help cutting anything out.

Some things to write or draw with, such as marker pens, pencils, wax crayons or chalk. You may like to challenge yourself to try and to make a zine just using the collage material, or without an eraser or ruler.

Someone special to send your finished zine to. If you'd like us to print your zine using our special risograph printer, you can send your zines to us: The Big Family Press at South London Gallery, 65-67 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH. Remember to include your return address so we can send your zines back to you in autumn 2020.

You can make your zine about anything you'd like. If you're in need of some inspiration, you can read some previously published zines on our ISSUU page (click here to view) or on the Big Family Press Instagram account @BigFamilyPress.
Click here to find out more about the Big Family Press.
Read More

ZINE IDEAS

We've thought of some suggestions that you might like to try:

Write a travel guide about where you live, for someone who has never been there.

Write a travel guide about life in 2020, for someone from 1920.

Think about a special skill you have and use a zine to explain how to do it in six steps.

Draw six objects that you can see from your window.

Describe six things that you would change about where you live and why.

Make a zine about life in the country that your grandparents are from.

Everything in a museum is now for sale. Design the catalogue.

Imagine your closest High Street at 5am on a Monday morning.

Write and draw six facts about your grandmother.

A zine documenting what you do when you want to have fun.

Design six new buildings and name them after important events in your life.

Draw six important things that have happened to you in the last twelve months.

Think back to 2019 and make a map of all the people you met.

Life on Earth in the year 2120.

Draw six objects that have a special significance to you.

You are the Prime Minister, what are the first six laws that you will pass?

Make a zine mapping your journey to school.

Make a zine mapping your journey to somewhere you've never been, but would like to go.

Using one page for each generation, try to draw your family tree.

Find six different textures in the room you are in and find a way to archive them in your publication.

Write six questions for somebody living in Jamaica.

Write another six questions for somebody living in Germany.

Make a film poster about your life.

Read More

BIG FAMILY PRESS & OOMK RESOURCES

To conclude their year-long commission with Oliver Goldsmith Primary School in Spring 2018, artist collective One of My Kind (OOMK) devised five resources to creatively and critically explore heritage and archives. These resources are designed to be downloaded and printed on either A4 or A3 paper, and can be used with a selection of cheap materials you might find around your home.

For more information about any of these resources or about printing with the Big Family Press, please contact Ben Messih, Heritage Education Manager ben@southlondongallery.org

Read More

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BIG FAMILY PRESS RESOURCES - South London Gallery

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Through the Big Family Press, the SLG's community risograph printing press, the South London Gallery have commissioned this series of illustrated resources with leading contemporary artists, illustrators and designers to support children to write, publish and share their own stories. You can freely download the resources at the links below.

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Book:  With Great Power Comes Great Pedagogy:  Teaching, Learning, and Comics (2020)

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Book:  With Great Power Comes Great Pedagogy:  Teaching, Learning, and Comics (2020)

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I've just started browsing this book, and can't wait to read it properly.  With a range of contributors, each chapter investigates a different aspect of comics pedagogy, in practice and future possibilities.

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Contributions by Bart Beaty, Jenny Blenk, Ben Bolling, Peter E. Carlson, Johnathan Flowers, Antero Garcia, Dale Jacobs, Ebony Flowers Kalir, James Kelley, Susan E. Kirtley, Frederik Byrn Køhlert, John A. Lent, Leah Misemer, Johnny Parker II, Nick Sousanis, Aimee Valentine, and Benjamin J. Villarreal More and more educators are using comics in the classroom.

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A comics club based in Salford, the website contains great ideas for comic making activities.

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Some fantastic resources here from Seven Stories, the national centre for children's books. Really good ideas on tips on making comics at home.

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Here are three FREE downloadable resources to help you help children make their own comics. These resources were created as part of the learning and participation programme of Comics! Make and explore comics with Seven Stories, by Applied Comics Etc for Seven Stories.

The DIY comic is designed to help you make your own comic. Page 1 starts with a 4-panel comic to set out key ingredients for making a comic: setting, story, characters, drawing tools, and inspiration. These ingredients come in many different flavours, it's up to you how to use them. Pages 2 and 3 include activities for children to continue a story, change the setting, design characters, and draw those characters in different poses. Page 4 shows four ways to tell the same story, showing how you can use different panel structures. But all these examples are only a starting point: it's up to you to make your own best comic.
Practical tips about your DIY comic
Written for adults working with children, these notes help you squeeze even more comics goodness from your DIY comic. They point out the details within the DIY comic, giving you access to top tips from experienced comics creators and scholars. These insights are designed to help you prompt children to think about how to use these techniques in making their own comic, without being limited by rules.

For more child-friendly comics making resources, try:

We are not responsible for the content of external websites.

Copyright: these three resources are shared with a Creative Commons CC BY-NC license. You can change these resources as long as you acknowledge Seven Stories/Applied Comics Etc as the original creators of the resources. These resources can only be used in non-commercial (not for profit) ways.

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Here are three FREE downloadable resources to help you help children make their own comics. These resources were created as part of the learning and participation programme of Comics! Make and explore comics with Seven Stories, by Applied Comics Etc for Seven Stories. The DIY comic is designed to help you make your own comic.

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Resources:  Hannah Berry's Blog for the Booktrust

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Resources:  Hannah Berry's Blog for the Booktrust

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Hannah Berry (UK comics laureate 2019-21) blagged about comics for the Booktrust. Really interesting posts, including how to read comics.

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The fantastic graphic novelist Hannah Berry, who's work includes Adamtine and Brighten & Brulightly, became our seventh Writer in Residence back in 2012. In this blog Hannah wrote about getting in to comics, the many ways a comic books pages can be laid out and why they're a fantastic medium for engaging story-telling.

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Resources:  Sarah McIntyre's comics workshops

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Resources:  Sarah McIntyre's comics workshops

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You can access some great videos of comics making workshops with illustrator, writer and comics maker Sarah McIntyre here.

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Sarah McIntyre's writing workshop: Making a Comics Jam

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Writer and illustrator Sarah McIntyre shows you how to draw a sea monkey and takes you through running a fun comics jam in the classroom, step by step.

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Rabbits Road Press in East London is open to the public fortnightly for open access riso printing and zine making. They also run workshops for schools.

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Book:  Children and Young Adult Comics (2020)

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Book:  Children and Young Adult Comics (2020)

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Written by Gwen Athene Tarbox, this is an excellent introduction to comics studies in relation to education and children's literature.  Particularly useful are the case studies, which explain and demonstrate different formal conventions and comics terminology.

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A complete critical guide to the history, form and contexts of the genre, Children's and Young Adult Comics helps readers explore how comics have engaged with one of their most crucial audiences.

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Book:  Understanding Comics:  The Invisible Art (1994)

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Book:  Understanding Comics:  The Invisible Art (1994)

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Scott McCloud's seminal work on how he believes comics work - and written as a comic. I've read it so many times, I'm now onto my second copy.

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Scott McCloud has been writing, drawing, and examining comics since 1984. Winner of the Eisner and Harvey awards, his works have been translated into more than sixteen languages. Frank Miller ( Sin City, 300) called him "just about the smartest guy in comics." He lives with his family in southern California. His online comics and inventions can be found at scottmccloud.com.

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Scott McCloud has been writing, drawing, and examining comics since 1984. Winner of the Eisner and Harvey awards, his works have been translated into more than sixteen languages. Frank Miller ( Sin City, 300) called him "just about the smartest guy in comics." He lives with his family in southern California.

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Resources:  Jamie Smart's YouTube Channel

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Resources:  Jamie Smart's YouTube Channel

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Jamie Smart - The Phoenix Comic contributor and creator of the extremely popular Bunny Vs. Monkey - has a YouTube channel with videoclips of how to draw characters.

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Hello! My name is Jamie Smart and I draw comics and cartoons. I thought it might be fun to start doing some drawing videos so here's the first one - my characters Bunny Vs Monkey, from The Phoenix ...

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Resources:  Adam Murphy's getting started on making comics

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Resources:  Adam Murphy's getting started on making comics

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Top tips of the Scottish Booktrust Website about comics making from Corpse Talk creator, Adam Murphy.

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Looking for more in Articles?

Glasgow-based comics artist, writer and illustrator Adam Murphy stops interviewing the dead for a moment to share his top five tips for getting started in creating comics.

Learn to draw!

This might seem obvious, or, to people who are hoping to write comics for others to draw, irrelevant. But even if another artist is going to do the final artwork, the understanding of visual language which comes from drawing is essential to telling stories in a visual medium. I recommend a serious daily practice of drawing from life, combined with careful study of somebody like Andrew Loomis, who teaches drawing fundamentals. This is how I learned to draw: drawing people and places every day during my lunch breaks and practicing from Loomis in the evenings. Don't worry about "finding your style" -- that comes later. Just make sure that your understanding of basic drawing -- anatomy, perspective, the body in motion, facial expressions etc. -- is strong.

Make lots of comics!

Similarly, this might seem obvious or irrelevant, but I think it's of profound importance. Whether you are planning a massive graphic novel or a short comic, it's your intuitive understanding of the medium that determines how well it will work. I kept a daily diary comic for about 4 years, and it was one of the best learning exercises I have tried. It doesn't have to be a diary, but the format provides several important exercises: Doing something every day. Breaking down the complex flow of time into individual moments. Awareness and attention to the world. Developing a robust, confident, quick drawing style. Practice drawing real things. Learn to do it quickly and move on; not everything needs to be perfect, or even very good, it just has to get done.

Define your parameters

Once you are confident with drawing and comics and feel ready to start on a larger project, think about your parameters. Page size, panel size, text size, and page extent are all absolute boundaries. For Corpse Talk I have particularly tight parameters: to tell the entire story of a person's life in two pages! This has required a number of adaptations, smaller panels, for example, and I can't do long, silent, mood-sequences! But the parameters also give life and purpose to the work.

Since it is primarily intended for kids, I have had to develop a funny, light tone, even when dealing with serious or grisly details. But also, I have to think constantly about the sorts of questions kids would ask, which prompts me to dig deeper and think more about the meaning of events of the past than otherwise. Even the whole concept of the strip came from fighting with the iron grip of parameters. Originally it was to be about modern famous people, which I realized was likely to get me sued, so the fact that they had to all be dead people became a parameter which, combined with the need to make it appealing to kids, gave the zombie-interview format I have used ever since. This is not an idea I would have ever come up with left to my own devices, and yet it's worked amazingly well, so parameters can be your friends!

Use the grammar of comics

Comics have their own unique grammar, which is different, although related, to that of film or other visual media. The sequencing of images is the most fundamental element of comics -- which images you choose to show and which to leave out, the speed of images, etc. But also of huge importance is the page turn. Unlike with prose, the reader will likely take in a full-page spread in one go, then read the details, so make sure any important reveals happen immediately after a page turn. Reading direction, cinematographic framing, interplay of text and image, sound effects all have their own grammar and historical development, and their careful and informed use makes a huge difference to the reading experience. Scott McCloud is very good for this sort of stuff, as is Will Eisner, but it takes practice to know how to use these techniques and wed them to your creative process (see item 2!)

It may sound frustrating or discouraging, but I think it's actually quite heartening to know that there is no shortcut to success. People don't really "break in" to comics -- it's a hard job to make a living at and should really only be approached with the goal of doing it for love. That said, it is possible to get better with dedication and hard work, and good work does have a market (albeit a small one, but things are hopefully growing...) Don't worry too much about "making it" -- that will take care of itself. Just do the work, put it out there, and hope.

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Looking for more in Articles? Glasgow-based comics artist, writer and illustrator Adam Murphy stops interviewing the dead for a moment to share his top five tips for getting started in creating comics. This might seem obvious, or, to people who are hoping to write comics for others to draw, irrelevant.

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Free Comic Book Day is held on the first Saturday of May every year.  It has great mini-comics for kids that you can pick up for free from local comics shops.

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Thank you for making Free Comic Book Day 2023 the best day of the year!

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An open access journal, this is a great resources for academic papers in comics studies.

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The Comics Grid: Journal of Comics Scholarship

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The Comics Grid: Journal of Comics Scholarship is an open access, open peer review academic journal dedicated to comics scholarship. The journal aims to make original contributions to the field of comics studies and to advance the appreciation of graphic narrative.We aim to promote comics scholarship within academia and the general public with contributions that present specialised knowledge in an accessible language.

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Comics Studies:  Sequential Arts Narrative in Education

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Comics Studies:  Sequential Arts Narrative in Education

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This journal is specifically about the pedagogy and study of comics art in education.

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SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education SANE journal publishes research and practitioner-based articles covering all intersections of comics and education, from pre-k to post-secondary studies, from a variety of disciplines.

See the Aims and Scope for a description of what the journal covers.

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SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education

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SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education SANE journal publishes research and practitioner-based articles covering all intersections of comics and education, from pre-k to post-secondary studies, from a variety of disciplines. See the Aims and Scope for a description of what the journal covers.

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Book:  Graphic Novels for Children and Young Adults:  A Collection of Critical Essays (2017)

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Book:  Graphic Novels for Children and Young Adults:  A Collection of Critical Essays (2017)

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Edited by Gwen Athene Tarbox & Michelle Ann Abate. This book contains very useful chapters and ideas about teaching and using comics in the classroom, particularly around reading choice, identity and culture.

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Graphic Novels for Children and Young Adults

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With contributions by Eti Berland, Rebecca A. Brown, Christiane Buuck, Joanna C. Davis-McElligatt, Rachel Dean-Ruzicka, Karly Marie Grice, Mary Beth Hines, Krystal Howard, Aaron Kashtan, Michael L. Kersulov, Catherine Kyle, David E. Low, Anuja Madan, Meghann Meeusen, Rachel L.

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Comics Studies:  Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics

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Comics Studies:  Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics

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With some open access articles, this covers all aspects of the graphic novel, comic strip and comic book.

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All journal articles featured in Journal of Graphic Novels &amp; Comics vol 11 issue 2

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This journal examines the nature of comics, to identify the medium as a distinct art form and to address the medium's formal properties. The upcoming issues - 11.1 - focuses on comics in education.

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Intellect Books Cookie Policy - you'll see this message only once.

Intellect Books uses cookies on this website. They are stored locally on your computer or mobile device. To accept cookies continue browsing as normal. Or go to the cookie policy for more information and preferences.

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Intellect Books | Studies in Comics, Editor Chris Murray and Julia Round

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Intellect Books uses cookies on this website. They are stored locally on your computer or mobile device. To accept cookies continue browsing as normal. Or go to the cookie policy for more information and preferences.

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Loads of great videos, live draw alongs and drawing tutorials by the cartoonist Marc Jackson.

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comics cartoonart cartoons art drawing activities demonstration families fun create cartoonist

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Hello! I'm Marc Jackson a cartoonist from the U.K. On my channel I'll be running regular live 'Let's draw!' cartoon sessions where I'll teach you the basics ...

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Comics Studies:  Women write about comics

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Comics Studies:  Women write about comics

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This website contains lots of interesting articles, reviews and critiques of comics by women.

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As time continues to march on, we edge closer to what's gonna be a gonzo award season with the Emmys. Find out about the snubs, the apologies, the new shows, and more!
READ MORE

When I first started working on this project in those wild, precious, before-the-Pandemic times, I visited several zine libraries in person and online, and talked to the librarians, barefoot and degree-d alike, who run them. During this process, I quickly began hearing familiar names come up in conversation. Zine communities can often be niche and
READ MORE

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As time continues to march on, we edge closer to what's gonna be a gonzo award season with the Emmys. Find out about the snubs, the apologies, the new shows, and more!

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This project from Newcastle University has a useful learning framework for teachers to use, exploring comics making with cross curricular links to the KS2 and KS3 curriculum.

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Learning Framework | Freedom City Comics | Newcastle University

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We've worked with teachers to make a learning framework to support Freedom City Comics. All the activities are designed as springboards for your own projects, lessons, and activities. It's completely up to you how to use this learning framework!

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Resources:  The British Library, Discovering Children's Books Resources

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Resources:  The British Library, Discovering Children's Books Resources

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This excellent resource bank from the British Librart contains great activities such as making minibooks, designing superheroes and comics characters, as well as this guide to making comic strips.

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Graphic novelists Metaphrog have lots of useful resources, including videos and 'how to draw' activities on their website.

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Metaphrog - Award-winning graphic novels and comics

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ACTIVITIES - Metaphrog - Award-winning graphic novels and comics

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ACTIVITIES Post your drawings on social media using the hashtag #CreateWithMetaphrog so that we can see them and share them! Tag us in on Twitter: @metaphrog | Facebook: @Metaphrog | Instagram: @metaphrog_art HOW TO DRAW A BUNNY Download HOW TO DRAW A BUNNY pdf here HOW TO DRAW A BODY Download HOW TO [...]

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A whole raft of comics activities are available on the author Jarrett  Lerner's website.

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The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless explicit permission is granted.
Below will find: Blank Comic Book Pages, Special Activities, "Finish This Story!" Story Starters, "How to Draw..." Instructions, "Finish This Comic!" Comics, and Drawing/Writing Prompts.
More activities are being added to this page regularly, so make sure to check back for more. And if you like the activities below, don't miss my activity books, GIVE THIS BOOK A TITLE and GIVE THIS BOOK A COVER, available wherever books are sold!
Click on the numbers below to find a variety of different blank comic book pages. Each number corresponds to a different arrangement of panels on the page. Print out a few of each, or a bunch of one kind, and make your own comic!

Special Activities

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the Introduction to Hand-Lettering sheets!

Click HERE to download the above Thank You activities!

Click HERE to download the above Haiku Diary activity!

Click HERE to download the above Thank You activities!

Click HERE to download the above Earth Day activities!

Click HERE to download the above Earth Day activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

"Finish This Story!" Story Starters

Click HERE to download the above "Finish This Story!" activities!

Click HERE to download the above "Finish This Story!" activities!

"How to Draw..." Instructions

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

"Finish This Comic!" Comics

Below you will find a collection of comics that are incomplete. Look closely at the pictures, then figure out what you need to add to complete the comic!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Drawing/Writing Prompts

Below you will find some drawing prompt activity sheets. Completed drawings can also be used as creative writing prompts.

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above Spanish version activity sheets!

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The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless explicit permission is granted. Below will find: Blank Comic Book Pages, Special Activities, "Finish This Story!"

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The cartoon museum has some excellent workshops and the website also has a bank of free resources - I particularly like the step by step instructions of caricatures of famous figures!

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A women led comics forum - while not about primary education, the forum has an interesting blog and is a great place to find out about women comic creators.

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LDComics - A women-led comics forum, open to all

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We would like to thank Arts Council England for supporting the activity that enabled the first LDC Festival to take place in 2018 and our expanded activity in the 2019 LDC Weekend Festival. We would also like to thank everyone who supported and backed the crowdfunding campaign for 2018 and 2019 that made the LDComics Prizes possible!

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Comics Studies:  Nicola Streeten's history of feminism, comics and humour

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Comics Studies:  Nicola Streeten's history of feminism, comics and humour

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These excellent illustrated talks give a fascinating history of feminism and comics in the UK, perfect if you you want to develop your own knowledge in this area.

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feminism comics humour cartoons "women's comics" "uk comics"

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Dr Nicola 2020 is my series of illustrated talks about Feminism, Comics and Humour in a UK context. The talks take place live on Zoom on the 20th of each mon...

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Mel Gibson is one of the lead academics in comics studies, particularly in relation to girls and children's comics and literature.

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Mel Gibson is a UK based comics scholar and consultant. She has run training and promotional events about comics and graphic novels for libraries, schools and other organizations since 1993 when she contributed to Graphic Account on developing graphic novels collections for 16-25 year olds, published by the Youth Libraries Group.

As a consultant, Mel runs training events on manga, working with young adults in libraries and working with picture books.

This site incorporates information about her training and promotional work, but also offers Links that will help you in developing graphic novel, comics and manga collections and events. It also contains a starter document for assessing comics strip materials for stock selection in libraries.

Further, via this site you can access the materials Mel has been involved in creating for various organisations, including Learning and Teaching Scotland on Graphic Novels in the Curriculum and Graphic Novels at Key Stage 3 from BookTrust.

Mel is a researcher and lecturer, as well as a trainer. She is an Associate Professor at Northumbria University specialising in teaching and research relating to children and young people, literature and media and has a huge interest in visual literacies. She is a National Teaching Fellow and writes about Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in the UK. This writing has also encompassed advising on successfully completing a Humanities PhD in Britain. Tome Reader offers support, guidance and humour about this particular academic challenge.

Her doctoral thesis was on British women's memories of their girlhood comics reading, which ties in to her training work, and her MA thesis also focused on comics. She haspublished a number of articles and chapters related to this research and about other aspects of comics, graphic novels and manga. She has presented papers at many conferences and has been involved in organising strands on comics, pedagogy and visual literacies.

Mel used the opportunities and resources that the National Teaching Fellowship offered to contribute to UK Comics Scholarship, in part through the academic areas of this website, as well as through supporting events, particularly Comics Forum. The resources section offers bibliographies and on-line resources for scholars in the field and for those wishing to begin studying the medium. It also includes details about academic periodicals interested in contributions on comics, manga, graphic novels and BD.

In addition, she created a discussion list for researchers and academics based in the UK whose work engages with comics, manga, BD and graphic novels. This list circulates information regarding scholarly activity around the medium across a number of sectors, disciplines and institutions in the UK. To join, please submit a request via this link. The list manager will contact you to confirm membership.

She has also taught modules in both Children's Literature in Context and Picture Books and Comics for the Developing Reader and has published in this area too.

Mel has worked extensively with television and radio, promoting and enthusing about comics, graphic novels and manga, including the BBC4 series Comics Britannia. The resources section of this site contains a selection of British Comics History Resources for those particularly interested in this area.

E-mail Mel on mel at dr-mel-comics dot co dot uk

Website designed and maintained by Cornwell Internet
Last update: 20th August 2020.

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Mel Gibson is a UK based comics scholar and consultant. She has run training and promotional events about comics and graphic novels for libraries, schools and other organizations since 1993 when she contributed to Graphic Account on developing graphic novels collections for 16-25 year olds, published by the Youth Libraries Group.

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Resources (and comics studies): Jarod Roselló

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Resources (and comics studies): Jarod Roselló

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Jarod Roselló's website contains useful resources for teachers and links to his academic writing on comics in the classroom.

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Teachers! Librarians! Literacy Specialists! Here are some comics to download, print out, and read with your students.

I would love to set up a free Skype visit with you and your students (or visit your classroom if you're in the Tampa Bay area). If you'd like to schedule that, just send me an email: jarod.rosello@gmail.com.

RED PANDA & MOON BEAR, Chapter One
A stand-alone story from my middle-grade graphic novel!

Full Color / Black & White

MORE SHORT COMICS:

Yeah Dancing!
This is What Adventure Looks Like
Worry the Rabbit
We Are Safe
The Well-Dressed Bear Learns to Fly
The Star

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Teachers! Librarians! Literacy Specialists! Here are some comics to download, print out, and read with your students. I would love to set up a free Skype visit with you and your students (or visit your classroom if you're in the Tampa Bay area)....

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News, events and British comics and more...

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Cutaway Comics new Doctor Who spin-off stories are proving a Kickstarter success

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Useful links for comics and cartoons

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The ambition of this site is to centralise all information available on the study of cartoon and comics art in the UK and Ireland, and facilitate access to tutors in these subjects for all recognised educational institutions.

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The aim of Cartoon Classroom is to actively promote the study of cartoon art in the UK by introducing educational organisations to professional cartoonists who exhibit, lecture or teach, and by centralising all information available for those interested in learning cartoon-related skills.

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Useful information from the Comics Research Hub based at the London College of Communication.

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Based at London College of Communication, UAL, and funded by LCC Design School and Research Office, the Comics Research Hub (CoRH) brings together world-leading academics from across the six colleges that make up UAL, and highlights the resources the university holds in its archives, as well as providing a context for the wealth of ongoing comics research at UAL.

CoRH consolidates UAL's leading position in UK comics research, with an impressive list of outputs from noted scholars including Prof. Roger Sabin ( Adult Comics: An Introduction), Richard Reynolds ( Superheroes: A Modern Mythology), Dr Ian Hague ( Comics and the Senses), Dr Nina Mickwitz ( Documentary Comics) and Dr Ian Horton (Applied Comics Network) among others. Many ongoing projects are also underway.

Click the links at the top of the page to read profiles of the hub's members, associate members and research projects, as well as the university's resources and the connections UAL has to other organisations. You can also find out more about studying comics at UAL, or get the latest news from the hub.

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Based at London College of Communication, UAL, and funded by LCC Design School and Research Office, the Comics Research Hub (CoRH) brings together world-leading academics from across the six colleges that make up UAL, and highlights the resources the university holds in its archives, as well as providing a context for the wealth of ongoing comics research at UAL.

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Online activities and videos from the creators of the Phoenix Comic!

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Here you'll find videos and instructions for how to draw everything from superheroes to monsters, buildings and more, all from professional Phoenix Creators! Click on one of the categories below to start exploring and get creative...

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Here you'll find videos and instructions for how to draw everything from superheroes to monsters, buildings and more, all from professional Phoenix Creators! Click on one of the categories below to start exploring and get creative...

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Little LICAF is the children and young peoples wing of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.  Due to the 2020 festival being online, you can access loads of great videos and resources on the website.

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LICAF Live: Little LICAF

LICAF Live has something for all ages... here we have some fab events to get involved with, learn something new and just have great fun with comics!

Little LICAF Book Readings with... Stephen Holland

Join us for three unmissable book readings with Stephen Holland, from Page 45, as he takes us on a journey through the eclectic medium of comics.

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Little LICAF | Lakes International Comic Art Festival

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LICAF Live has something for all ages... here we have some fab events to get involved with, learn something new and just have great fun with comics! Join us for three unmissable book readings with Stephen Holland, from Page 45, as he takes us on a journey through the eclectic medium of comics.

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Events and resources:  Thought Bubble Festival (online videos)

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Events and resources:  Thought Bubble Festival (online videos)

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Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival was online in 2020, and you can watch some great panel discussions, drawing session and more here:

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thought bubble leeds festival convention sequential art small press indie manga anime saviles comics

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Thought Bubble is the Yorkshire Comic Art Festival! A week long celebration of comics, illustration and more spread across the whole of Yorkshire, finishing ...

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A list of comic creators who can come and do workshops in schools.

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This Comic Creator Directory is added to on a regular basis but creators are available for school / library / community group workshops, individual commissions and comic convention appearances. Some may do online workshops during Covid. The Directory starts with workshops by location. The Directory by name is in alphabetical order with some examples of work.
Those creators marked with a ComicScene logo will offer selected discounts if you as an individual or organisation and have ComicScene Comic Club Membership Card. This Directory is free to use but supported by monthly membership of the ComicScene Comic Club - join here

if you are a creator and wish to be added to the ComicScene Creator Directory (for free) please send the following details to comicsceneuk@gmail.com with a hi res and lo res example of your work.
Name:
Preferred Contact Details:

Delete as appropriate Publisher/Writer/Artist/Letterer/Colourist:

Website:

Social Media:
Other (if any):
Publications and characters I have worked on:

Provide Prints: Yes/No

Sell original artwork: Yes/No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes/No

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes/No

Available for Commissions: Yes/No

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes/No

If yes delete as appropriate 1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: Please let us know if anywhere or a specific area

Details of content:

COMIC WORKSHOPS BY LOCATION A - Z These are the current areas covered by this ComicScene Comic Creators Directory. This Directory is FREE to use but please help to fund it by joining the ComicScene Comic Club here. You get a membership card, History of Comics partwork and options to include more comics for you or your organisation each month. Any Area
Barry Lunsden (expenses required)

Steve Tanner (expenses required)
Aberdeen
Stewart Kenneth Moore
Birmingham
John McCrea
Brighton
Simon Russell
Cumbria
Mal Earl
Dundee
Ian Kennedy
East Anglia
Laura Watton
East of England
Irina Richards
Edmonton, Canada
Jeff Martin
Essex
Warwick Fraser Coombe
Glasgow
Jonny Cannon

Stewart Kenneth Moore
Ireland
David Butler

Peter Duncan
Lancashire
Smuzz / SMS
London
Warwick Fraser Coombe

GM Jordan

Irina Richards

Joshua Spiller

Dr Catherine Watson

Alec Worley

Los Angeles - Wunderman Comics
North West England
Irina Richards
Online
Stewart Kenneth Moore
Oslo
Mark Egan
Prague
Stewart Kenneth Moore
Wales North & Mid Wales
Irina Richards
West Midlands
Stu Perrins
Wiltshire / West Country
Mike Powell
Scotland
Mark Abnett
Scotland Central Belt
Colin Maxwell
DIRECTORY BY NAME Mark Abnett, Aroha Comics
Contact Details: Info@arohacomics.com
Publisher/Writer
Website: Arohacomics.com

Social Media: Twitter @Abnettmark
@ArohaComics
-Facebook
Aroha Comics
-Instagram @arohacomics
@markabnett
Tumblr
www.Markabnett.tumblr.com

Publications and characters I have worked on:
Millarworld Annual 2016
This Land 2019
WorldBreaker 2019
Schism 2019

Provide Prints: No

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: No

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / workshops

Locations for workshops: Scotland

Name: Jorge Arnanz

Contact Details: j_arnanz@yahoo.es
I am a cartoonist/writer.
Website: http://adamthemartian.mex.tl
Social Media: http://www.twitter.com/adammartiancomi

Publications and characters I have worked on: Adam the Martian.

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: No

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: No

Available for Comic Workshops: No

Rachael Ball
Preferred Contact Details: ball.rachael@yahoo.co.uk
Writer/Artist
Website: rachaelball.tumblr.com

Social Media: twitter- @rachaelcartoonsinst @rachaelballcartoons

Other (if any): Publications and characters I have worked on: 'Wolf' (Selfmadehero 2018), 'The Inflatable Woman' (Bloomsbury 2015), Deadline Comics (1988-1992)Writer'Tammy & Jinty'(Rebellion 2019) and Illustrator 'The Whore Chronicles' (writer Tony Ezmond 2019.)

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops Locations for workshops: Please let us know if anywhere or a specific area.I do regular graphic novel workshops at the House of Illustration, at LDC Comic residencies and teach 'How to Design a Children's Picture Book' at The Art Academy, London.
Nicole Bates Contact Details: Writer/Artist Website: www.watercolourbynicole.com nikkidrawsart@gmail.com
Social Media: Twitter - @nikki_draws / instagram and Facebook- nikkidrawsart

Publications and characters I have worked on: Anxiety Me / Leaf / Moon

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes
BenKsy
Available for Comic Workshops: No

Preferred Contact Details: benksy@MAIL.com

Delete as appropriate Publisher
Other (if any): Ben k Sy (Facebook)
Website: https://www.facebook.com/The77Comic

Social Media: @77comic (Twitter)

Publications and characters I have worked on:

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: I commission artists, writers, colourists and letterers

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

If yes delete as appropriate 1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: UK based

Details of content:

The77 is a brand new, retro comic anthology. It will be published quarterly from June 2020.
Nick Bryan
It will showcase the UK's emerging talent, present day professionals and heroes from your childhood.
Writer

Contact details: nick@nickbryan.com

Social Media: TWITTER: NickMB

INSTAGRAM: nickbryandotcom

Publications and characters I have worked on Little Deaths of Watson Tower, Moonframe, The Catalyst

Provide prints: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for signings: Yes
Phil Buckenham
Available for commissions: No
Artist/writer Website: Social Media: https://philbuckenhamart.wixsite.com/philbuckenham
Available for Comic Workshops: No

Contact Details: philbuckenhamart@hotmail.com

@philbuckenham insta

@philbuckenham twitter

Www.facebook.com/philbuckenham

Publications and characters I have worked on: MetalMadeFlesh:Blood and Oil, MetalMadeFlesh:Vengeance, theTheory, the Gatecrashers, Henge, Valhalla Awaits, Bubbles o'7

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
David Butler
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes
Website: https://anithing.ie/https://www.facebook.com/anithingartist https://www.instagram.com/anithingartist/Publications and characters I have worked on:
Available for Comic Workshops: No

Contact Details: dave@anithing.ie

Artist/Colourist:

Social Media: https://twitter.com/anithingartist

Shackleton Voyage of the James Caird (graphic novel)

Do Fish Wear Pyjamas Book series

Specialising in Young adult content in Historical and Mythology

Michael Collins Irish Rebellion leader (graphic novel seeking publication)

Dr Aidan McCarthy Irish WW2 Doctor in RAF who survived Dunkirk and bombing in Nagasaki. (graphic novel in progress)

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: No
Jonny Cannon Contact Details: Publisher/Writer/Artist/Letterer cannonhillcomics@gmail.com
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes Ireland only

1hr / 2hr / half day

Locations for workshops: Ireland only

Website: www.cannonhillcomics.bigcartel.com

Social Media: @cannonhill_comic (Twitter), Johnny Cannon (Facebook), cannonball_comics (Instagram)

Publications and characters I have worked on: The United, Transylvanian Knights, Portal Comics Anthology

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes
John Charles
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
Publisher/Writer/Artist/Colourist:
1hr

Locations for workshops: In and around Glasgow.

Details of content: Creating comics, storytelling, writing and drawing comics.

Contact Details: johncharlesart@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.sundaylunchcomics.com

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/johncharlesart

Publications and characters I have worked on: 2000AD, Spider-Man, Marvel Heroes, TechnoFreak,

Comic Scene

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes
Ed Doyle
Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
Artist
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes
https://www.facebook.com/pg/thewholetwothandmore https://www.facebook.com/pg/Sentinel-Comic
Available for Comic Workshops: No

Contact Details: email: ed.dredd@hotmail.com or pm me on my Edzdoodles Facebook page.

Website: n/a

SocialMedia: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Edzdoodles

Publications and characters I have worked on: Zarjaz, Sector 13, Dogbreath, The Whole Twoth online strip series, Scene it Before strips in Comic Scene, The Big Comic Scene Annual 2019, Comic Zine, Sentinel, The '77.

Provide Prints: Yes.

Sell original artwork: Yes.
Peter Duncan
Available for Comic Conventions: very limited.
Publisher/Writer/Editor
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: no

Available for Commissions: Yes
Publications and characters I have worked on:
Available for Comic Workshops: No

Contact Details: Sector13@Boxofrainmag.co.uk

Website: www.boxofrainmag.co.uk

Social Media: https://sectorhouse13.blogspot.com/

Splank!(Editor/Writer), Sector 13 (Editor/Writer), Cthulhu Kids (Writer)

Provide Prints: No

Sell original artwork: No
Locations for workshops:
Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
Mark Egan
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes
Publisher/Writer/Artist:
Available for Commissions: No

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day / full day /

Details of content: Comic scripting, formatting and how to submit a proposal. Longer workshops on putting a comic together from ideas, to script to print-ready file can be organised with creators.

Contact Details: rawr@rawrtacular.com

Website: rawrtacular.com

Social Media: Twitter: @rawrtacular

Other (if any): Instagram: markegan_rawrtacular
Publications and characters I have worked on:
Mal Earl
Bata Neart
Publisher/Writer/Artist/Letterer/Colourist Website: Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008873741234 Publications and characters I have worked on: http://malearl.com
Back Office

Coffee Party International Manga project

Provide Prints: Yes
Sell original artwork: Yes
Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes
Available for Commissions: Yes
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
Half day / full day
Locations for workshops: Oslo area - Norway, or on demand

Contact Details: malcolmearl@aol.com

Aces Weekly, Lies and Other Fools, Various

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
Gary Erskine
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes
Publisher/Writer/Artist/Letterer/Colourist:
Available for Commissions: No

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
Other (if any): garyerskine.tumblr.com
Half day / full day

Locations for workshops: Cumbria

Preferred Contact Details: info@garyerskine.com

Website: www.garyerskine.com

Social Media: @garyerskine [Twitter, Instagram]

Publications and characters I have worked on: MARVEL, DC Comics, VERTIGO, IMAGE, 2000AD, Dark Horse Comics, IDW, Titan Comics, Dynamite, Archie Comics

Provide Prints: Yes, at GaryErskineDraws [etsy]

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
Warwick Fraser-Coombe
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes
Publisher/Writer/Artist Website: http://warwickfrasercoombe.blogspot.com/
Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: Scotland within a three hour train journey from Fife or UK [travel expenses to be covered by client]

Details of content: I offer creative workshops focusing mostly on comics but include games and storyboarding skills. The Character Design workshop is self contained and more comprehensive classes available. I have twenty years experience teaching at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education and also host public events in libraries or events.

Contact Details: warfras@hotmail.com 07970179188

Social Media: https://twitter.com/warfras

Publications and characters I have worked on: Revenger: The Shadow Constabulary. (self published). The SkullFucker (ongoing. Self published). Worked on Vigilant/Steel Commando for Rebellion and work appeared in the Scream and Misty Special. Regular work for TTA Press, I'll be illustrating all the covers for Interzone Magazine in 2020 and various projects for Independent Comics.

Provide Prints: Yes
John Freeman
Sell original artwork: Yes
Publisher/Writer
Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: London, Essex area.

Contact Details: https://downthetubes.net

Website: https://downthetubes.net

Social Media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/downthetubesnet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnfreeman_DTT
Charlie Gillespie
Publications and characters I have worked on: Doctor Who Magazine, The Real Ghostbusters, STRIP Magazine, Judge Dredd Megazine, Spaceship Away, Thundercats, Overkill, Warheads, Death's Head II, Motormouth & Killpower, 100% Biodegradable
Artist
Provide Prints: No

Sell original artwork: Yes - art by John Armstrong
Other (if any):
Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: No

Available for Comic Workshops: No

Contact Details: charliegillespieuk@outlook.com

Website: https://charlie_gillespie.artstation.com

Social Media: twitter @CGillespieUK
Arthur Goodman (Favourite Crayon)
Publications and characters I have worked on: Dredd, Anderson, Sinister Dexter, Missionary Man, The Many, Indie comics and digital covers
Artist/Letterer/Colourist /Cartoonist
Provide Prints: Yes/occasionally

Sell original artwork: Yes/occasionally

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: No

Contact Details: agoodman@favouritecrayon.co.uk

Website: www.FavouriteCrayon.co.uk
Grym Comics Contact Details: Publisher Website: www.grymcomics.co.uk studio@grymcomics.co.uk
Social Media:
Facebook: FavouriteCrayonComics
Instagram: @favouritecrayon
Tumblr: @favouritecrayon
Twitter: @FavouriteCrayon

Publications and characters I have worked on:
The self-published small press comics "Experience the Magic of the Legend!" and "Square Eyed Stories", various small press anthologies.

Provide Prints: No

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: No
Kevin Hopgood
Social Media: @grymcomics on Twitter and Instagram. We also have a Facebook page - search for Grym Comics
Artist
Other (if any): Our mailing list is available via http://eepurl.com/ds1acL
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/kev.hopgood
Publications and characters I have worked on: The Sci-Fi comic book series Peace of Mind (by Callum Fraser - Story, Emiliano Correa - Art, Rob Jones - Letters) and its offshoot media i.e. 'Mickey's Journal' and various Art Prints by guest illustrators, and the horror comic book "Maya" by Angus Medford.

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: No

Available for Comic Workshops: No
GM Jordan

Writer
Contact Details: E-mail: kevhopgood@ntlworld.com

Website: www.kevhopgood.com

Comics and Characters I have worked on: Iron Man, 2000AD, Zoids

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: No

Contact Details: jordanxstudios@yahoo.co.uk

Website: jordanx.co.uk

Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Ian Kennedy
Publications and characters I have worked on: 'Raggedy Man Tales' (Writer, Creator. Jordan-X Studios), 'Hunter, Hunted' (Writer/Creator. Markosia), 'Nazi Werewolf Zombie Inferno' (Editor. Markosia), 'Quarantined' (Editor. Markosia), 'Death in Therapy' (Writer)
Artist
Provide Prints: N/A

Sell original artwork: N/A

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day / full day workshops

Locations for workshops: Conventions. Throughout the North West & London

Contact Details: iankennedyart@gmail.com
Barry Lumsden. Publisher, writer and artist at Iron Dynasty Comics.
Website: www.iankennedyart.co.uk

Social Media: IanKennedyArt1 on Twitter, IanKennedyArt on Instagram

Publications and characters I have worked on: Commando, 2000AD, Eagle, Battle and numerous other British comics in a career stretching back to 1949.

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes (Dundee)

Phone Number-07580259811.

E-mail- barrylumsden79@gmx.co.uk

Website- www.irondynastycomics.com
Jeff Martin
Social media- Facebook, Instagram and You Tube.
Publisher/Writer/Artist/Letterer/Colourist Website: Social Media: rentathugcomics.com
Publication and characters- Iron Dynasty Comics publish sword and sorcery tales, set in an original world. Among early publications is the story about Lycan king Iron Wolf. He wants to unite the world under a just and fair senate, so his stories are set around the struggle of trying to get everyone to co-exist. The stories are aimed at the teen market.

Provide prints- No.

Sell original art work- Yes.

Available for comic conventions- Yes.

Available for comic shop events/signings - Yes.

Available for commissions - Yes.

Available for workshops - Yes.

Workshop hours are negotiable. My strong point is story telling and I use a good system on how to construct a story and develop characters, knowledge which I am more than happy to pass on to others. Also have a unique drawing style, using good old fashioned pencils.

Location for workshops- Anywhere in the UK.

Contact Details: jeff@rentathugcomics.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/HEATcomic

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heat_comic/

Facebook - /jeffmartincomics
Colin Maxwell
Publications and characters I have worked on:
Publisher/Writer/Artist/Letterer/Colourist Website: www.maximized.co.uk
GWAR: The Enormogantic Fail; Hell, Inc.; Hockeypocalypse; Redcoats-ish: Jeff Martin's War of 1812; Where Is Zog?; Wrestlemon

Provide Prints: Yes
Publications and characters I have worked on:
Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: Edmonton, Canada and surrounding area

Details of content: Comic storytelling, featuring modules such as panel layout, leading the eye, transitions, composition, scripting, and more.

Contact Details: comics@maximized.co.uk

Social Media: Twitter - @maximizedcomics

Instagram - mr_maximized

Facebook - www.facebook.com/maximizedcomics

Raid on the Forth - the true story of the first air raid over Britain of World War Two.

Tales of Bruce & Wallace - the story of the Scottish wars of the 13 th and 14 th centuries
Details of content:
Flight of the Eagle - the true story of the Polish submarine, Orzel, which escaped the Baltic Sea at the start of World War Two.

ElectroMagnetic - a steampunk adventure series.

Life Support - a charity comic in aid of C.H.A.S. featuring stories and artwork by a dozen artists and writers.
John McCrea Contact Details: Artist/ writer Website: www.johnmccrea.co.uk john.mccrea@gmail.com
Escape from Loch Leven - the true story of Mary Queen of Scots imprisonment and escape.

Commando Comics (DC Thomson) - stories to be published late 2020.

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
1hr / 2hr / half day
Conan McPhee Writer/artist
Locations for workshops: Scotland Central Belt

Historical talks (on the topics in my comics) - William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Raid on the Forth (first air raid of WW2), The Orzel (Polish submarine), Mary Queen of Scots.

Drawing workshops - Character design. Drawing characters. Proportions. Storyboarding. Styles and techniques.

Social Media: twitter: @mccreaman insta: mccreaman1 facebook: john mccrea

Publications and characters I have worked on: Hitman, Batman, Superboy, the Authority ( DC ) , Dead Eyes, Mythic ( Image ), Yondu, X men, Hulk, Spiderman ( Marvel ) Judge Dredd, Chopper, Middenface McNulty ( Rebellion ) Carla Allison ( Deadline )

Provide Prints: Yes https://johnmccreacomicart.bigcartel.com/

Sell original artwork: Yes https://johnmccreacomicart.bigcartel.com/

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes
Baden James Mellonie
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
Publisher/Writer/Editor
1hr / 2hr / half day

Locations for workshops: Birmingham and surrounding area

Website: http://catsmeat.com

Social Media: twitter: @catfood_mcphee

Publications: The Book of Joe, Ignition, The Clambake (ongoing), Something Wicked 2019

Characters: Bork the Dog (Dirty Rotten Comics)

Provide Prints: Yes

Set Original Artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: No

Social Media:
Contact Details: 07708794393 badenmellonie@hotmail.com

Website: www.edgeofextinction.co.uk

Edge of Extinction Horror Zombie Comic set in England 2012, written by Baden Mellonie with art by 2000AD Artist Paul Peart-Smith www.edgeofextinction.co.uk
Publications and characters I have worked on:
Social Media: Facebook Baden James Mellonie Twitter @ twitter.com/MelMellonie

Publications and characters I have worked on: I have worked for a variety of UK indie Publishers, including Reaper Comics, Borderline Press, Berserker Comics, The 77 comic and Eighth Continent Publishing. I am the co-creator and writer of Edge of Extinction,Rejected, Shunned, Mayne, St Andrews Point and Tusk (Eighth Continent Publishing), the writer of Church of Hell(Berserker comics) and Angel

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Possibly.

Stewart Kenneth Moore AKA Booda

Twitter: @opipop

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/booda_von_boodstein/
Mike Morgan
Facebook @MkUltraSexDrugsTheCia
Writer (comics & short stories)Website: https://perpetualstateofmildpanic.wordpress.com
Project MKUltra:Sex, Drugs & the CIA with Clover Press - 2020

Pat Mills Defoe: The Divisor for 2000AD - 2019

Thrawn Janet by R L Stevenson and The Boötes Void for David Lloyd's ACES WEEKLY - 2017/2018

The Tragedie of Macbeth by William Shakespeare from Amazon 2016

Judge Dredd the Dark Gamebook Tinman Games (Unpublished)

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes
Emmet O'Cuana
Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
Writer/podcaster
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day

Locations for workshops: Online, Prague, Glasgow, Aberdeen...and depending on suggestion.

Contact Details: Email morganmike@hotmail.com

Social Media: @CultTVMike (Twitter)

Publications and characters I have worked on: FutureQuake comic (3rd strip currently scheduled for next issue), over 20 short stories published

Provide Prints: N/A

Sell original artwork: N/A

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes (in Iowa, can contact publishers to bring stocks)
Stu Perrins Writer Social Media: www.twitter.com/stuperrins
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: N/A

Available for Comic Workshops: N/A

Preferred contact details: emmet.ocuana@gmail.com

Website: emmetocuana.com

Social Media: @hopscotchfriday, Twitter account for a pop culture podcast I co-host with Stevie O'Cuana

Other: Occasionally guest host on comics podcast deconstructingcomics.com

Publications and characters I have worked on:
Faraway (one-shot w/ Jeferson Sadzinski and Thomas Mauer), Kunghur (one-shot w/ Dan Gilmore)
Anthologies - 24 Panels (Abrek w/ Jeferson Sadzinski and Cardinal Rae), Meanwhile... (Eat My Flesh w/ Dave Dye), Something Wicked Vol 2019 (Matinee w/ David Parsons and Bolt-01), The Art of Hate (Kill Screen w/ Jeferson Sadzinski and Colin Bell), All The Kings Men (The Human Factor w/ Shane W. Smith
Writing on comics - Grant Morrison and the Superhero Renaissance, which features my essay "Morrison Inc." and Themes of Benevolent Capitalism.

Provide prints: No
Will Pickering
Sell original artwork: No
Artist/Letterer/Colourist
Available for comic conventions: Yes

Available for comic shop/event signings: Yes

Available for commissions: No

Available for comic workshops: Yes, 2hr.

Locations for workshops: Melbourne; wider Victoria

Publications and characters I have worked on: Megatomic Battle Rabbit, Whatever happened to The Archetype?, FutureQuake, ComicHaus and many more.

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
Mike Powell Writer
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: No

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: West Midlands

Irina Richards
Contact Details: theartistwillpickering@gmail.com

Website: willpickering.portfoliobox.net

Social Media: @wfpickering on Twitter, Will Pickering on Facebook

Publications and characters I have worked on: Burke & Hare, Something Fast, Wolf Country, Savant, The Spectacular Santa Claus, Agents of TIME, Bite Me: The Comic, Generation Gun, School of the Damned, Tales of the Damned, Futurequake, Something Wicked
Publications and characters I have worked on:
Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Not at present

Contact Purdeysix@ hotmail.com
Website: Why I Love Comics- https://m.facebook.com/groups/425437221249708/?ref=group_browse
Social Media: Why I Love Comics (Facebook and Instagram, Twitter @kirbyesque

Publications and characters I have worked on: Comic Scene, The '77, Aces Weekly, Dr Mondo's Shock-a-Rama, Bad Vibes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
1hr/ 2hr / half day

Locations for workshops: Based in Wiltshire/West Country

Preferred Contact Details: irinarichards@hotmail.com

Delete as appropriate Artist

Website: www.irinarichards.com
David Robertson
Social Media: Twitter: @IrinaRichards_ Instagram: @irinarichardsart
Publisher/Writer/Artist/Letterer/Colourist: All Website: www.fredeggcomics.com Oter (if any): https://www.facebook.com/david.robertson.18488169
Chemical Blue (original manga-style graphic novel): Published by Sweatdrop Studios

Telling Tales (an anthology): Published by Sweatdrop Studios

Creating Manga Characters: Published by The Crowood Press

Witchmarked: work in progress, shortlisted for LDC Prize 2019, extract published in NEO Magazine

Provide Prints: No (at the moment)

Sell original artwork: Yes
Simon Russell
Writer/Artist/Editor Preferred Contact Details: simon@boinggraphics.co.uk
Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops (yes to all of the above)

Locations for workshops: East of England, London, Greater London, potentially: Mid-Wales, North Wales and North West England

Rough cost of workshops (you do not need to provide this info)

Details of content: All aspects of comics and manga creation, character development, publishing/self-publishing, poetry comics, autobiography/graphic memoir, creating historical/heritage comics. Happy to develop bespoke sessions focusing on a particular theme. I also offer CPD sessions.

Fefe S
Contact Details: d1robertson@hotmail.com

Social Media: @fredeggcomics

Publications and characters I have worked on: Adventures in Comics, Artificial Womb, The Awesome Comic, BAM!, Bell Time, Belt Sander, Berserkotron, Big Brown Eyes, A Bit of Undigested Potato, Break the Cake, But a Dream!, Chronicle, Copy This!, Crap Your Pants, Dead Singers Society, Dirty Rotten Comics, Dump, Dundee Comics Comic, Eric, Frankenstein Returns, Funtime, Good Comics Fridays, Guardian #opencomics, Inkthology, Jack Sprat, Love Bites!, Reworking Walter Scott, Sarararara, Shiot Crock, Small Pets, Sneaky Business, Star Jaws, Swift at 350, Time & Space, Tin Roof Collective Selected Works, Treehouse, The UK Web and Mini Comix Anthology, Water Worlds, Wilma, Wow! Retracted, Zero Sum Bubblegum

Provide Prints: No

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: No

Available for Comic Workshops: No

Website: boinggraphics.co.uk

Social Media: Twitter @Simon_at_Boing and Instagram simon_boing
Writer/Artist
Publications and characters I have worked on: AcesWeekly; The Marriage of Njord & Skadi; Nearlymades; small press and art books; Cartoon Museum exhibition catalogues and monolgraphs for Ralph Steadman; Ronald Searle; Steve Bell; Pont etc
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/SmuzzArtistSMS/
Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

Locations for workshops: accessible by public transport from Brighton

Details of content: Live drawing to group stories; developing comics from themed ideas; How To sessions; bespoke events; storytelling walks

Website: www.fefes.co.uk
Joshua Spiller Contact Details: joshua.spiller@gmail.com
Social Media: @fefetea

Publications and characters I have worked on: Britland City Comics - Saturday Morning Teagirl, The Final Lullaby, The Mer"maid"s

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: No

Smuzz / SMS
Contact Details: Via Website.

Website: http://www.smuzz.org.uk/

Other (if any): https://tapas.io/episode/180260

Publications and characters I have worked on: 2000AD: ABC Warriors. Games Workshop: Warhammer 40K illos and graphic novel. Interzone: SF story ilos/covers. Hellraiser: Cenobites. Dr Who: Monsters. Merlin Comic: Characters from the BBCTV series. Crucible: A world of Cargo-cult aliens. Fear Comic: Spooks and monsters. Howski: Aliens. Misty Comic: Girls'n'Holograms. Luther Arkright: Buildings. Arcane: Eldrich aliens. Newspapers and magazines: Political cartoons.

Provide Prints: No
Steve Tanner
Sell original artwork: Yes
Writer/Editor/Publisher/Creative Consultant Website: Social Media: www.timebombcomics.com
Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
Half day / full day

Locations for workshops: Lancashire

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
Writer

Website: https://joshspillercomics.tumblr.com/
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
Social Media: n/a

Publications and characters I have worked on: FutureQuake (Issues 21, 27, and FutureQuake 2019), Alterna Comics IF Anthology 2016, Aces Weekly (Vol 28 'Symbolism Rewired'; Vol 35 'Time Fracture!'; Vol 40 'The Ogxcun Myth')
Details of content:
Provide Prints: No

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes
Robert Turner (aka Rob or Will Turner)
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
Writer/Producer
1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: Ideally London, but open to elsewhere
Other (if any): www.instagram.com/reynardcity
Details of content: I have written numerous short comics (some of which can be read in full on my tumblr - see link above). I have also written three, self-contained 21-page stores for 'Aces Weekly', the links for which are here:

https://www.acesweekly.co.uk/vol28-issue1 - 'Symbolism Rewired', a realistic, contemporary piece of sci-fi, following a female protagonist, with a compelling high concept at its core

Contact Details: Email to stevetanneruk@hotmail.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/TimeBombComics/

Twitter - @TimeBombComics or @stevetanneruk

Publications and characters I have worked on: For Time Bomb Comics as creator I have written for Flintlock, The Clockwork Cavalier, Brawler, Dick Turpin, Foxglove, Ragamuffins, Bomb Scares, Defiant. I have also worked on every title produced by Time Bomb since 2007 in an editorial and/or publisher capacity.
Dr Kathryn Watson Contact Details: Artist myillustratedmind@gmail.com
I have also produced work for numerous other creative outlets including Network Rail, Accent UK, Comic Scene, Markosia, Murky Depths, West End Games, Nine Dragons Publications, Fleetway & Haylestorm Comics.

Alongside my own creative work I offer bespoke creative consultancy services to other creators and companies who want advice and guidance in effectively using the comics medium to tell stories. This can include thorough portfolio reviews and critiques, assistance with crowd-funding campaigns or producing complete print-ready comics packages for third party clients.

Provide Prints: No

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

/ 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: Anywhere, subject to appropriate recompense

I offer three separate workshops:
Laura Watton (UK illustrator and manga collector) Contact Details: Self-publisher/Writer/Artist/Colourist laura@pinkapplejam.com
Writing for comics - how to write comics, and why it's different from other creative mediums.

From thought to print - a step by step guide to creating and publishing comics.

Successful crowd-funding - hints and tips to hit goals and achieve campaign targets.

The length and cost of each workshop is variable, subject to agreement.

Preferred Contact Details: Email ( reynardcity@gmail.com)

Website: www.reynardcitychronicles.com

Social Media: www.twitter.com/reynardcity

Publications and characters I have worked on: Reynard City

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes
Lyndon Webb Artist Email Social Media: lojowebb@yahoo.com
Available for Commissions: Yes
Publications and characters I have worked on:
Available for Comic Workshops: Not presently

Website: www.myillustratedmind.com

Social Media: Twitter @myilumind; Instagram @myillustratedmind

Other info: See illustration attached

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes
Gary Welsh
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
Artist
2hr workshops

Locations for workshops: London

Details of content: Discussed on an individual basis

Website: www.PinkAppleJam.com

Social Media: @Pinkapplejam (Instagram), @PinkAppleJamArt (Facebook, Twitter)

Publications and characters I have worked on: "You Will Be Able To Draw Manga By The End Of This Book". Co-founder of Sweatdrop Studios; published by NEO Magazine, Octopus Books, Ilex, Quarto, HarperCollins Flame Tree, New Holland, Letraset, DC Thomson, Tokyopop Rising Stars. Produced videos with Vimeo, Chameleon, iCould.

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes
Gary Whitlock Contact Details: garymonkeyhound@hotmail.com
Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: East Anglia

Details of content: Step by step, expression, understanding of panels, pacing, manga how-to's. Also has experience working on projects with English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students as well as special needs students.

Twitter lyndonwebb6

Facebook ComicArtUK
Jim Wilkins aka Mr Jimer
Sector 13, Zarjaz Judge Dredd, Sinister Dexter. Dogbreath Strontium Dog. End is Nigh magazine.
Artist/Letterer/Colourist/Occasional Writer
Provide Prints: No
http://facebook.com/mrjimer
Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: No

Contact Details: gwelsh2000@gmail.com

Website: gw2000.artstation.com/

Social Media: instagram.com/gwelsh2000/

Publications and characters I have worked on: Saltire: Invasion/Inception, Dekko Comics, Ragtime Soldier, They Came from Planet Earth, The Lost Legionnaire.

Provide Prints: No

Sell original artwork: Yes
Alec Worley
Available for Comic Conventions: No
Writer
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: No

Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: No

Publisher/Writer/Artist/Colourist.
Website: www.monkeyhoundproductions.com

Social Media: Linkedin, Facebook.

Publications and characters I have worked on: The Beano ( Dasher ), Aces Weekly ( Drell's Marauders ), Adroit ( Several Characters ), Gas ( Wonder Dog ), Gutter ( Wilbur F Pring ), Acne ( Elephant Kid ), Zit ( Several Characters ), The Weekly News ( Several Humour Cartoons ), Monkeyhound Publishing ( Damned Dirty Apes 1 and 2, Creatures Of The Weirdieverse, Dinotoons, Grot's Vault Of Vulgarity and Less Known Monsters Of Hollywood.

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: Yes

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes

Available for Commissions: Yes Available for Comic Workshops: No
Wunderman Comics, Inc.

Publisher
Contact Details: mrjimer@hotmail.co.uk

Social Media: http://twitter.com/mrjimer

Webcomic: http://InPrintComic.com

Publication and Characters worked on: Currently regular cartoonist for Comic Scene Magazine.

Self Published Neutron Boy comic in 2010, Drawn, coloured and lettered many Doctor Who fanzines

and draws mainly characters from the Doctor Who Universe/franchise but considers all types of

Cartoon/Comic work. Run own webcomic website since 2011. Have done many commissions including

advertising posters for Actors and clients in the industry.

Provide Prints: Yes

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes
COMIC WORKSHOPS BY LOCATION A - Z These are the current areas covered by this ComicScene Comic Creators Directory. This Directory is FREE to use but please help to fund it by joining the ComicScene Comic Club here. You get a membership card, History of Comics partwork and options to include more comics for you or your organisation each month. Any Area
Available for Commissions: Yes

Available for Comic Workshops: Not at moment.
Aberdeen
Contact Details: Website http://www.alecworley.com
Birmingham
Website: www.alecworley.com
Brighton
Social Media: LinkedIn, Instagram (mralecworley)
Cumbria
Publications and characters I have worked on: For 2000 AD/Rebellion: Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson (both movie-verse, regular versions and prose), Durham Red, Robo-Hunter, Strontium Dog (Re-Gened), Future Shocks, Terror Tales, Past Imperfect, Time Twisters, Tharg's 3rillers, Dandridge, Age of the Wolf, Black Beth, Kid Kong, Tales from the Black Museum, Zombie Army Trilogy. For Panini: Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance, adaptations of novels Weapon of a Jedi and Smuggler's Run; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Trollhunters. Also write prose and audio dramas for Games Workshop's Warhammer range, notably the Sisters of Battle and the Warhammer Horror range.
Dundee
Provide Prints: No
East Anglia
Sell original artwork: No
East of England
Available for Comic Conventions: Yes (travel and accommodation to be negotiated for events outside of London)
Edmonton, Canada
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes (see travel and accommodation proviso above)
Essex
Available for Commissions: Yes (open to paid custom projects requiring a writer, story editor/consultant)
Glasgow
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes

1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops - Open to workshops of any duration pending discussion regarding fee, location of event, etc.
Ireland
Locations for workshops: London area preferred. Travel fees to be covered for anything too far outside of London. Fee to be discussed with event organiser.

Details of content: Sequential storytelling; creating strong narrative, characters and drama; writing prose; genre studies; freelancing advice, etc.
Lancashire
Contact Details: wundermancomics@gmail.com
London
Website: www.wundermancomics.com

Social Media: fb: wundermancomics , twitter: wundermancomics

Other (if any): Ello: wundermancomics

Publications: E.I. - Earth Invasion, Time Corps, Scoundrel, Irrational Numbers

Provide Prints: No

Sell original artwork: No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes
North West England
Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes
Online
Available for Commissions: No
Oslo
Available for Comic Workshops: Yes
Prague
1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops
Wales North & Mid Wales
Locations for workshops: Los Angeles
West Midlands
Barry Lunsden (expenses required)
Wiltshire / West Country
Steve Tanner (expenses required)
Scotland
Stewart Kenneth Moore
Scotland Central Belt
John McCrea

Simon Russell
Name:
Mal Earl

Ian Kennedy

Laura Watton

Irina Richards
Other (if any):
Jeff Martin

Warwick Fraser Coombe

Jonny Cannon

Stewart Kenneth Moore

David Butler

Peter Duncan

Smuzz / SMS

Warwick Fraser Coombe

GM Jordan

Irina Richards

Joshua Spiller

Dr Catherine Watson

Alec Worley

Los Angeles - Wunderman Comics

Irina Richards

Stewart Kenneth Moore

Mark Egan

Stewart Kenneth Moore

Irina Richards

Stu Perrins

Mike Powell

Mark Abnett

Colin Maxwell

To contribute to the ComicScene Creator Directory please send the following details to comicsceneuk@gmail.com with a hi res and lo res pic

Preferred Contact Details:

Delete as appropriate Publisher/Writer/Artist/Letterer/Colourist:

Website:

Social Media:

Publications and characters I have worked on:

Provide Prints: Yes/No

Sell original artwork: Yes/No

Available for Comic Conventions: Yes/No

Available for Comic Shop/Event signings: Yes/No

Available for Commissions: Yes/No

Available for Comic Workshops: Yes/No

If yes delete as appropriate 1hr / 2hr / half day / full day / 2-3 days / week workshops

Locations for workshops: Please let us know if anywhere or a specific area

Details of content:

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This Comic Creator Directory is added to on a regular basis but creators are available for school / library / community group workshops, individual commissions and comic convention appearances. Some may do online workshops during Covid. The Directory starts with workshops by location. The Directory by name is in alphabetical order with some examples of...

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Resources:  Down the tubes map of comic book shops in the UK and Ireland

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Resources:  Down the tubes map of comic book shops in the UK and Ireland

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A useful map of comic shops in the UK and Ireland.

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downthetubes.net - British and Irish Comic Shops - Google My Maps

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A map of comic shops in the UK and Ireland compiled by the team and comic fans for downthetubes.net, plus venues that often have comics exhibitions or comics events; and 'comic attractions' that you might like to take a look at. The icons in red indicates where the mail order comic seller is based.

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Resources:  A map of UK and Irish independent children's book shops and sellers by Jon Biddle

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Resources:  A map of UK and Irish independent children's book shops and sellers by Jon Biddle

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Another great map, including many retailers who sell children's comics and graphic novels.

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Independent children's bookshops and booksellers - Google My Maps

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Independent children's bookshops and booksellers

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Comics Studies:  Charles Hatfield's blog KinderComics

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Comics Studies:  Charles Hatfield's blog KinderComics

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A critical blog about the intersection of comics and children's literature containing lots of reviews of recently published graphic novels for children, and academic writing about comics.

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KinderComics is a critical blog at the intersection of comics studies, childhood studies, and children's publishing. It features reviews and commentary centered on children's and young adult comics and picture books, children and young adults as readers, fans, and makers of comics, and depictions of childhood, adolescence, and coming of age in comics. Its content consists mostly of brief reviews of recent graphic books, comic magazines, picture books, and other visual texts aimed at or depicting young people-but may also include longer essays, commentary, interviews, links to online resources, et cetera.

KinderComics is primarily the work of Charles Hatfield (See Hatfield), the comics scholar. That's me. See below if you like for more info about my work.

At the heart of KinderComics is my enthusiasm for comics and picture books as art forms, and my critical interest in the ongoing reception, or cultural construction, of comics as a medium "for" children. You may notice here a certain skepticism about reading levels, developmental theory, and formal educational uses of comics. These are important topics that I don't mean to dis or reject outright, but let's just say that I'm strongly invested in the idea of comics as a form of art and of text with its own traditions and aesthetics, and that this idea tends to matter more to me than moral or pedagogical prescriptions. Of course I will sometimes be just plain wrong about these topics, or all sorts of topics, and will be glad to hear from readers who can set me right!

In short, I'm less concerned about work that is "good for" or improving for children, more concerned about work that I find artistically startling and enriching. I enjoy practicing the art of reviewing comics, and KinderComics is the place where I can share my thoughts about that part of my comics-reading life that most directly concerns children and concepts of childhood. I will sometimes this space to prepare for my teaching as well-that is, you may see some of my brainstorming made public.

Charles Hatfield is Professor of English at California State University, Northridge, the author or co-editor of four books in Comics Studies, curator of Comic Book Apocalypse: The Graphic World of Jack Kirby (CSUN Art Galleries, 2015), and founding President of the Comics Studies Society. He has published essays on children's comics in the Children's Literature Association Quarterly, The Lion and the Unicorn, and ImageTexT and chapters in Keywords for Children's Literature (ed. Nel and Paul, NYU, 2011) and The Oxford Handbook of Children's Literature (ed. Mickenberg and Vallone, Oxford, 2011). He currently serves on the Children's Literature Association Book Award committee.

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KinderComics is a critical blog at the intersection of comics studies, childhood studies, and children's publishing. It features reviews and commentary centered on children's and young adult comics and picture books, children and young adults as readers, fans, and makers of comics, and depictions of childhood, adolescence, and coming of age in comics.

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A useful blog, particularly if you want to know more about the history of British comics.

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A brief history:

I work as a professional humour comics artist and writer and have been freelancing full time since 1984, creating many characters such as TOM THUG, PETE AND HIS PIMPLE, COMBAT COLIN, BRICKMAN, ROBO-CAPERS, DEREK THE TROLL, SUBURBAN SATANISTS and others.

I've freelanced for IPC, Marvel Comics, Egmont, Panini,D.C. Thomson, and many others, covering the comics field from originated characters to licensed properties, pre-school to adult on comics such as BUSTER, OINK!, BEANO, DANDY, TRANSFORMERS, SONIC THE COMIC, TOXIC, VIZ, CiTV TELLYTOTS, LEGO ADVENTURES, HERMAN HEDNING, SWEET FA, ACTION FORCE, SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN, RAMPAGE, LUCKY BAG COMIC, SWIFTSURE, WARLOCK, WHITE DWARF, ACES WEEKLY, THE DAREDEVILS, THE MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL, and many more.

My recent comics work includes:

'Derek the Troll' for GOOF!

'Pup Parade', 'Big Eggo' and 'Ellis's Great Escapes' for THE BEANO.'The Daft Dimension' for DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE. 'Buster and Delbert' for the COR!! BUSTER EASTER SPECIAL.'Keyhole Kate' and 'Postman Prat' for THE DANDY ANNUAL and THE DANDY SUMMER SPECIAL.'The Liver Birds' for LIVERPOOL HEARTBEAT MAGAZINE. 'Sgt.Shouty' for The77.

USE OF IMAGES:

Please note that artwork and photographs on this blog are copyrighted to the relevant owners or to myself. Please do not take images to use on your websites, blogs, sales pages etc without permission.

All written articles here are ©Lew Stringer except for those press releases supplied by publishers. Again, please do not reproduce them without permission. Thank you.

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I work as a professional humour comics artist and writer and have been freelancing full time since 1984, creating many characters such as TOM THUG, PETE AND HIS PIMPLE, COMBAT COLIN, BRICKMAN, ROBO-CAPERS, DEREK THE TROLL, SUBURBAN SATANISTS and others. I've freelanced for IPC, Marvel Comics, Egmont, Panini,D.C.

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DownTheTubes was originally created to be a resource base for people seeking comics artists and writers but has mushroomed over the years to deliver British comics news, interviews and other features.

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Cutaway Comics new Doctor Who spin-off stories are proving a Kickstarter success

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Ghent university's project on children and comics. This has a particularly excellent bibliography for anyone interested in academic writing on children and comics.

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Owing to their visual essence and status as a popular, modern medium, comics - newspaper strips, comics magazines and graphic novels - provide valuable insight into the transformation of collective consciousness. This project advances the hypothesis that children in comics are distinctive embodiments of the complex experience of modernity, channeling and tempering modern anxieties and incarnating the freedom denied to adults. In testing this hypothesis, the project constructs the first intercultural history of children in European comics, tracing the changing conceptualizations of child protagonists in popular comics for both children and adults from the mid-19th century to the present. In doing so, it takes key points in European history (such as the world wars) as well as the history of comics (the rise, and fall, of comics magazines for children) into account.

Bringing together a team of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, the project uses an interdisciplinary methodology combining comics studies and childhood studies while also incorporating specific insights from cultural studies (history of family life, history of public life, history of the body, affect theory and scholarship on the carnivalesque).

This enables the project to analyze the transposition of modern anxieties, conceptualizations of childishness, child-adult power relations, notions of liberty, visualizations of the body, family life, school and public life as well as the presence of affects such as nostalgia and happiness in comics starring children. The project thus seeks to open up a new field of research lying at the intersection of comics studies and childhood studies.

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Owing to their visual essence and status as a popular, modern medium, comics - newspaper strips, comics magazines and graphic novels - provide valuable insight into the transformation of collective consciousness. This project advances the hypothesis that children in comics are distinctive embodiments of the complex experience of modernity, channeling and tempering modern anxieties and incarnating the freedom denied to adults.

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Loads of great interviews with Scholars of Comics About Comics from Around the World.

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Frederick Luis Aldama aka Professor Latinx Interviews Scholars and Creators on Comics & Latinx Pop Culture. He also interviews scholars working at the cutting edge of interdisciplinarity as well as on storytelling science. Professor Latinx teaches at the Ohio State University & is award-winning author, co-author, and editor of over 40 books.

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At home activities based on the Peanuts strip and the life of Charles M. Schulz.

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When People Die: Stories from Young People is a comic that tells numerous stories about death and resilience from a group of young people. The comic helps readers gain different and better perspectives on grief and what grieving means for young people. These stories and scenarios have been written by a group of young people selected from Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (Robin House), HMYOI Polmont, and Richmond’s Hope, and put together by the team at the Dundee Comics Creative Space.

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An amazing data base from Europe's oldest comics shop in Amsterdam, a huge list and information about a range of comics creators and a rich history of comics from around the world.

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Kutlul

Met dit keer er in: Dirk verschure(o.a.cover). maar ook: Ewan cameron Tessa Biemans Wommol Japio de la Hiti Marcel Ruijters Dr. H. Neipold Rogier Smal Christopher Sperandio Oleg Orsolya Karla Paloma & Al Burian Mariana Rodriguez Acebal Joost Halbertsma Andy Leuenberger Marc Kolle Mykle... Read more

American Gods

The moment of the storm

The new and old gods agree to meet in the center of America to exchange the body of the old gods' fallen leader-heading towards to the inevitable god war in this final arc to the bestselling comic series! The Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, and Nebula Award-winning novel and hit Starz television... Read more

Static

A new original graphic novel by Matt Lesniewski (The Freak), about a man at the end of his rope, pushed to the edge.As if being tracked by a violent gang of drug dealers wasn't enough, a mad scientist's muscle for hire, who hunts creatures for twisted Frankensteinesque experiments, finds himself fighting his... Read more

Chad in Amsterdam

After spending a decade in Washington, DC, native-Clevelander Chad Bilyeu emigrated to the Netherlands. He has been residing in Amsterdam since 2009, looking for something different but not certain precisely what. This is the tale of an obstinate autodidact in one of the world's most infamous places.... Read more

Lambiek is Europe's first comic shop and probably the oldest existing comic shop worldwide. It has been a hallmark in the world of comics since the opening in 1968.

Our site presents the Comiclopedia, an online encyclopedia of thousands of comic artists from all over the world. You can also browse through our webshop for old and new comics, prints and original artwork. We ship worldwide.

Come and visit our shop when you are in Amsterdam!

Read more

The Comiclopedia is an illustrated compendium of over 14,000 comic artists from all over the world.

Some (random) artists from the Comiclopedia:

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Comicbook Strip books and graphic novels online and physical store

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Met dit keer er in: Dirk verschure(o.a.cover). maar ook: Ewan cameron Tessa Biemans Wommol Japio de la Hiti Marcel Ruijters Dr. H. Neipold Rogier Smal Christopher Sperandio Oleg Orsolya Karla Paloma & Al Burian Mariana Rodriguez Acebal Joost Halbertsma Andy Leuenberger Marc Kolle Mykle...

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Lots of great drawing videos from comic book creator Jarrett J Krosoczka, author of Hey Kiddo and Lunch Lady.

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✒️Draw Every Day with JJK—all episodes🖋️

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Also from Jarrett J Krosoczka, these are some great interviews with comic book creators, inculding Raina Telgemeier and Gene Leun Yang.

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Jarrett J. Krosoczka—YA graphic novelist

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This study is constructing a data set that indexes the development of the American comic book over its eighty-year history. This project will select a random sample of comic books representing two per cent of all publications produced in the United States each year from 1934 to 2019.

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What Kind of Studies is Comics Studies?

Benjamin Woo's chapter from The Oxford Handbook of Comics Book Studies, edited by Frederick Luis Aldama (Oxford University Press, 2019).

This chapter, by Benjamin Woo, details the various uses that Comics Studies has found for comics theory. The chapter specifically outlines our thinking about extant theorizations of the comics page and shows how these theories influenced the design of our own study.

Click here to download PDF

Two Percent of What?

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A useful American history and discussion of recent issues in comics and education.

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History discusses discussions of comics and youth literacy during the mid-20th century around the 1940s-1950s. This includes information about American anti-comics sentiment during the 1940s and 1950s, as well as academic research into comics and literacy during that period.

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This is a fantastic free ebook contaning lots of top tips to help kids draw and create comics.

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How to THINK when you draw free ebook pdf download book kickstarter.pdf

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Because my mother is dying, I think a lot about grief. Indeed, because we've been in a pandemic for most of the past two years, you too might be drawn into grief with greater frequency than you typically are. In the past year, I've listened to countless podcasts and done a bit of grief-themed reading....

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Because my mother is dying, I think a lot about grief. Indeed, because we've been in a pandemic for most of the past two years, you too might be drawn into grief with greater frequency than you typically are. In the past year, I've listened to countless podcasts and done a bit of grief-themed reading....

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Resources: How to study comics and graphic novels

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Resources: How to study comics and graphic novels

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You want to study comics but are uncertain about where and how to start? This guide covers some of the main aspects to take into account when reading comics. From how comics are produced and read to the various approaches to studying them. From comics traditions and genres around the world to their distribution methods. This guide in comics form, written and drawn by members of the Oxford Comics Network and published by TORCH, The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities, covers the main aspects related to the study of comics and graphic novels.

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How to Study Comics & Graphic Novels: A Graphic Introduction to Comics Studies

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You want to study comics but are uncertain about where and how to start? In this guide we will cover some of the main aspects to take into account when reading comics. From how comics are produced and read to the various approaches to studying them.

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Resources:  Using Comics at KS3 (11-14 years) Resources from the House of Illustration

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Resources:  Using Comics at KS3 (11-14 years) Resources from the House of Illustration

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Comics aren't just about superheroes - they're a varied and complex art form and these free downloadable resources use them to teach core KS3 English skills like critical analysis and descriptive language techniques.

Introduction to Comics

A presentation giving an overview of the medium of comics and introducing different comic genres.

Panel to Page

A presentation demonstrating the mechanics of comics and how these relate to KS3 writing techniques, with an optional short critical writing activity.

Starter Activities

Three 5-10 minute exercises to build confidence in drawing for later in the lesson.

Collaborative Comics

A 20-30 minute activity focused on generating ideas, working in sequence and introducing the concept of visual storytelling.

Flutter Books

A lesson using reading comprehension and critical analysis skills to break a story down into key narrative moments. This activity can be applied to any text you may be studying or used with a creative writing task.

Creating Memory Comics

A lesson using vocabulary and descriptive writing techniques to make a comic about a specific memory, with a step-by-step worksheet and variations for less able students.

Reading List

A suggested reading list of graphic novels and comics for interested KS3 students to pursue in their spare time.
These resources were designed and created by our Illustrator in Residence Peony Gent, in collaboration with ELCAF (East London Comics & Arts Festival) with funding from Arts Council England. Download below now!

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Comics aren't just about superheroes - they're a varied and complex art form and these free downloadable resources use them to teach core KS3 English skills like critical analysis and descriptive language techniques. A presentation giving an overview of the medium of comics and introducing different comic genres.