Schools

Comics In Schools

Exploring creativity and visual literacy

School Workshops

 We work with Primary and Secondary classes, delivering bespoke sessions linked to class projects or other creative learning outcomes. 

Our comic creation sessions are structured to ensure the whole class can contribute to telling a story, while also allowing each pupil to create their own individual story to share. 

We have a range of different workshops available, from a one off session on character creation, to longer projects in which the whole class write a script which is illustrated by a professional artist. Sessions are mapped to Curriculum for Excellence outcomes.

We are also able to deliver CPD sessions for teaching staff on using and creating comics in class or developing comic libraries in schools.

Read Some Free Comics!

Our schools work is wide ranging, from 1 page comics exploring mental health issues or bullying, through to 32 page comics exploring archaeology, Scotland's role in the slave trade and a range of Gaelic language comics - the creations are as diverse as the schools we have worked with.
 
The full range of our schools comics are hosted on our ISSUU page, but you can download a selection of the comics we have created with pupils below.

If you are wondering if comics are for you, why not download our 'Why Read Comics?' strip, created for Children in Scotland magazine and then drop us a line to discuss anything from a one off 90 minute workshop to your school's own Beano style publication.

You can also view two comics we created with St Brigid's Primary School in this video.

Outer Hebrides Heroes

Outer Hebrides Heroes was created as part of OH! Con, the Outer Hebrides Comicon.


Ten schools across the Western Isles took part in comic workshops and added a page to our superhero story, each page related to their own area.

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Clyde Crew - Inverclyde Heroes

Trouble is coming to Inverclyde! A whole series of natural disasters are causing chaos all across the town, from lava on Lyle Hill to tidal waves crashing into Cappielow. Only the Clyde Crew, a team of elemental super heroes, can save us from disaster. Discover how they do it in stories created by pupils from all twenty one schools in Inverclyde. The Clyde Crew project was developed and organised by Inverclyde Attainment Literacy Coaching and Modelling Officers Colette Kavanagh and Julie Docherty and delivered by Magic Torch Comics CIC.



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Climate Comics - Imagining A Better Future

What if it didn't go wrong? What if we fixed it? What if the world was rebuilt better for all of us? Enjoy two stories which imagine a better tomorrow instead of the end of the world, created in workshops supported by Glasgow Centre for Population Health Small Grants Fund. A version of one of the comics accompanied by specially composed music can also be viewed on youtube.


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Magic Torch Comics #3

An action packed selection of comics made with schools and young people from across Scotland, with stories of Library Witches, vampires, magical snowmen, time travel, environmental disaster and Anansi the trickster.

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Magic Torch Comics #2

From the true story of Scotland's first woman pilot and daredevil to a monster ice-cream hunt, discover tales of super villains, dragons, ghosts and ancient magic.

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Magic Torch Comics #1

Discover The Doom That Came to Gourock as an ancient witch attacks a local school. Find out about the life of hapless Scottish Pirate Captain William Kidd and see what happens when trouble kicks off at the Space Disco.

Also includes our short comic "Why Do Comics with Schools?"

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Old Greenock Characters

A comic adaptation of John Donald's 'Old Greenock Characters' an affectionate look at Greenock in the 19th Century. 

The scripts and artwork were created by S2 pupils from Inverclyde Academy during a 10 week residency, supported by the Scottish Library and Information Council. Working for an hour each week in class and some additional time in between, pupils worked in teams to adapt and illustrate the local stories. 

The book contains a sketchbook section detailing their process. 


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Calasraid - Àite nan Sgeulachdan

Take a trip to Callander, Place of the Stories, and discover tales of terrifying water horses, angry giants, clan battles and doomed love, all set in and around the wonderful environment of Callander’s landscape. 

This collection of Gaelic folktales was created with Callander Primary School and Riverside Primary School to celebrate the Gaelic heritage of the area. The stories are narrated in English by Katherine Ferguson, a well-known individual from Callander’s history. 

The dialogue spoken by the characters in the stories is presented in Gaelic, with English translation to support language learning.

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Na Gaisgich (The Heroes)

Primary schools from Islay & Jura, Mull and Tiree worked to adapt traditional gaelic folk tales and ballads into comic strips as part of a transition project to high school. 

Featuring heroes and villains of every shape and size, there's battles, dragons, sunken treasure and even an unlucky but very plucky dog. 

The comics are presented in both dual language and full Gaelic translation in order to promote reading and understanding of Gaelic. The project was supported by Argyll and Bute Council and Scottish Government.


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