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Comic Boom
Paul Bristow • Apr 27, 2020
The Joy of Comics in Schools
This article was originally published in Children in Scotland Magazine September 2019.
Every Wednesday after primary school, I would run to the newsagents just down the street to buy a comic. Sometimes it would be superheroes, sometimes robots and spaceships, sometimes something with more jokes, like The Beano. Back then, in the 1980s, there would have been no chance of me being allowed to read a comic in school, never mind get involved in making one, but happily, schools and school libraries are now much more aware of the benefits of reading comics.
I work for Magic Torch Comics CIC, and we work with schools and community groups to tell stories using comics. That can mean anything, from a short workshop which helps young people generate comics characters and get started with stories, through to longer term projects, when we involve classes in scripting full length comics which are then illustrated by our team of professional artists. We’ve had schools adapt historical stories and folk tales, use archaeological objects as inspiration for comics, even produce comics in Gaelic, French, Arabic and Scots. Along the way, we have seen first hand the value that comics have as texts in school, but also the positive ways they can encourage reading and writing for pleasure.
Comics will often be suggested as an entry point for reluctant readers, and while the immediate visual appeal of comics can be a great way to engage people, that doesn’t always mean they are an “easier” read. One of the first things we do, is spread dozens of comics over all the desks in the class and get everyone looking at how a page works – it’s important to understand that you are not just reading the words, you are reading the pictures too. Everything on the comic page, from the shape and size of the panels and speech bubbles to the art style and the colours is a creative choice. Comics are a medium, like poetry, or drama or film – with techniques and styles that can be learned and appreciated. And when we get young people discussing and understanding that, they are better equipped to make their own creative storytelling choices.
There is most certainly the potential to develop literacy and visual literacy using comics, and that underpins everything that we do – but the most popular element of the process, with young people, parents and teachers is definitely the opportunity for creativity. There’s something quite punky about how quickly you can get people making comics. And it’s good to know that you only need a pencil and paper to keep doing it, telling a story on your own terms. Comics are often a collaborative medium, with teams of writers, artists, letterers and colourists working together on pages – and we often see writer / artist teams developing in class, generating new friendships and cooperation. When we are able to get a class creating a story together, we draw upon the ideas of the entire room to make the story happen. Finally, when we have a finished product to display in class or online, there is a sense of achievement in seeing the process through from start to finish, from idea to publication. Even better, the more popular comic making becomes, the better the networks to share it – schools and community groups can sign up with partners in other parts of the world to do comic swaps, sending off bundles of home made comics and getting stacks back in return.
There is another benefit too, which certainly does not go amiss in these challenging times. Comics have perhaps existed “on the fringe” for a long time, and as a result, they have long been a place to find diverse voices and characters, especially in books and comics from independent publishers. The explosive popularity of the Marvel superhero films may have created new interest and new audiences for comics, but there is much more to see and read than superhero stories. Some of the most amazing middle grade and young adult fiction of recent years has been happening in comics. So it’s great that so many more schools, libraries and community spaces are finding room for these stories on their shelves. Some of our favourite projects of the last few years, have been about helping schools develop their own comic libraries or comic clubs, providing a whole new range of options to explore and when it works well, to encourage a culture of creativity, of making and sharing stories.
MTC Project Blog
Earlier this month, we were asked to produce some artwork for the Afrowegian Project , imagining an Afro-Futurist version of the story of real world cycling superhero, Marshall 'Major' Taylor. The comic display panels form part of an exhibition by the riverside in Glasgow throughout October. You can read more about the work of the project and how to get involved. We're looking forward to doing some more collaborative work with Afrowegian's Jim Muotone, down in Inverclyde over the next few months.
Earlier this year, our director Paul Bristow spoke to Tall Tale films as part of CVS Inverclyde's Digital Open Studios project. Check out the short video below to hear Paul chat about storytelling, communities and his creative process for his own writing and his work with Magic Torch Comics CIC. You can also see his fairly messy home office under the stairs...
Back in 2019, artist Mhairi Robertson and myself, spent some time with a group of women in Glasgow, who told us about their experience of the asylum process, and the welcome they had found in Scotland. The project was pit together by the Poverty Truth Community, and the women all wanted to focus on the positive things that had happened to them since arriving, and the actions that other could take while in the process. A booklet of their stories, which also shares information on the support which is available for people, was launched during Refugee Week 2021 at an online event. The book can be downloaded for free on our website or read on our ISSUU page . A narrated version of the book, recorded by one of the women is also available to view and there is a short preview below.
Magic Torch Comics CIC are asking local young people to get involved in creating a science fiction adventure comic online. The comic, Starbound, is part of our ‘Outside The Box’ project, supported by National Lottery Community Fund. Over the last year, the project has delivered online workshops and involved young people in creating comics about life in lockdown and a collection of spooky stories for Galoshans. For this project, we wanted to do something a little different. It’s a choose your own adventure comic, where local people help create and shape the story on instagram. Every Monday evening, a short video will introduce the story so far and offer people choices for what happens next. People have 24 hours to vote, the artist creates the page and the next week we choose again, spinning the story off in unexpected directions each time. Right now, it’s still impossible to deliver face to face workshops, but if you’ve been online learning all day, you maybe don’t want to come to another online workshop in the evening. So we wanted to provide an opportunity that was easy for everyone to engage in, whatever way they want. Some people might just vote or comment on the story, or email in ideas, other people might want to get more involved and share their creations which we’ll then put out on the blog or in the weekly workshop videos. Although the focus of the project is comic storytelling, we want people to get involved in other creative ways. We’ll have story prompts and tips in the weekly workshop videos, there’s a whole world to explore, so we hope people will get inspired to create and share all sorts of work – Minecraft builds, music, moments of drama – whatever you like. Part of the reason we decided on science fiction was to open up possibilities to imagine. The last few months have been really confined, and it’s easy for your imagination to become confined too, so we wanted to help people break out of that a bit. Starbound launched on Monday 8th March on instagram , there's a new story vote every week. People can get involved on Magic Torch Comics Instagram page or by submitting ideas and suggestions directly on the project page .
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Magic Torch Comics CIC
Company Number SC568827
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07757 112 332info@magictorchcomics.co.uk27 East StreetGreenockPA15 2RL
info@magictorchcomics.co.uk
27 East Street
Greenock
PA15 2RL