Comics and Heritage

Tales retold for new audiences.

History Comics

Magic Torch Comics CIC developed from a volunteer led community heritage project, and our first comic projects were based on retelling stories from local history and folklore as a way to share those stories with new audiences and encourage a sense of civic pride. Our interest was not in nostalgia, but in helping communities reclaim those stories in the face of regeneration which sometimes seemed to gloss over and repackage history in particular ways.

Our First World War graphic novel Achi Baba won a national award for innovation in using community archives and our book The Stowaways was featured on BBC News website resulting in discussions about developing a film. We continue to develop our own range of historical comics, which can be found in our shop and we deliver talks on our approach to community heritage and the history of comics locally and nationally.

Your History

We work with local heritage groups, museums and historical sites to deliver comics workshops, outreach projects, interpretive materials, books and commercial products. This can be as straightforward as a one off community workshop at your historical site, helping participants reinterpret part of your story in comics form or a longer term project, working alongside a group to research, script and illustrate a historical comic - creating historical comics remains our most popular and regular request and we're always happy to help.

The heritage of Gaelic language has been the focus of several projects, reinterpreting Gaelic folk tales in dual language comics, and have also provided interpretive signage and materials for exhibitions in Paisley Museum and for the national touring exhibition of Monarch of the Glen as well as a full scale exhibition 22 Pages - reinterpreting important moments from Scottish history as classic comic covers. More recently, our Common Good Comics project (supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund) celebrated the heritage of social enterprise and community action in Scotland, while Occupy! Occupy Occupy! told the story of the occupation movement in Scotland, raising funds for Govanhill Baths.

You can download a free selection of our historical comics below and on our ISSUU page, others are available via our shop.

Devil's Mark

Devil's Mark shares the story of Marie Lamont, a young woman accused of witchcraft in the parish of Inverkip in Inverclyde.


The comic was developed as part of our NLHF Distant Noises project, in collaboration with pupils of Inverclyde Academy, many of whom live in Inverkip today. Lorraine Murray, archivist at The Watt Institution helped develop the script which was then illustrated by Julie Campbell.


Free copies of the book were distributed during Galoshans Festival 2024, but you can also read it online on our ISSUU page or download below.


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Cold Heart

Cold Heart was created during our NLHF funded project Distant Noises, and shares the story of Port Glasgow carpenter Henry McNish, who was part of the Shackleton expedition, but was denied the Polar Medal for alleged insubordination. Since publication, we are delighted to learn that Chippy has been posthumously awarded the Irish Polar Medal, which will go on display in Inverclyde.


You can read the book on our ISSUU page or download below. You can also listen to a soundscape created as part of the project.

Download Cold Heart

Legacies of Slavery

A graphic novel made by Magic Torch Comics CIC and Jideofor (J.I.M.) Muotune in collaboration with Proud2Care.


Follow the story of American Abolitionist Frederick Douglass (1818 - 1895) and explore Inverclyde's connections to the transatlantic slave trade.


The project was managed by Inverclyde Community Development Trust and supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund.



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Victorian Aberdeen

Tumble through time and into Aberdeen's Victorian past to meet magicians, opera singers, inventors, storytellers, scientists and some local heroes too.


The ideas captured in the comic were provided by pupils from Westpark Primary and Seaton School.


The comic was made possible with help from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with funding secured from Aberdeen City Libraries.

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Antonine! Rediscovering the Antonine Wall

A comic celebrating the history of the Antonine Wall, created by schools from every local authority the wall passes through. The comic was produced as part of the Rediscovering the Antonine Wall project, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland.



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Over The Wall

Created and written by pupils of Drumchapel High School in Spring 2022 as part of the Rediscovering the Antonine Wall project, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland.



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Common Good Comics - Community Action

Discover the stories of groups and individuals from across Scotland who decided to take action to help, preserve or protect their community. From national campaigns against historic injustice and direct action through building occupations, to support and kindness for vulnerable community members, everyone here has made a difference. The Common Good Comics project was delivered in partnership by Magic Torch Comics CIC, Glasgow Caledonian University Archive Centre and the Yunus Centre for Social Buisness and Health, and was supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland.



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Common Good Comics - Social Enterprise Stories

A collection of comics sharing stories of Scotland's social enterprises. Created as part of the Common Good Comics project, delivered by Magic Torch Comics CIC and Glasgow Caledonian University and supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund.


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Hermitage Park - A Walk Through Time

A comic celebration of Hermitage Park and Helensburgh, created with Jane's Bothy, Route 81 Youth Group, Drumfork Community Centre and Hermitage Primary School and supported by Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland.



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Papingo!

Explore some of the history and heritage of Blacklands, Kilwinning with a magical wooden parrot who goes on the run through time! Created by Blacklands Primary School in 2022, as part of Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland's People's Parish project, supported by the Culture Collective. 

A narrated version of the comic was shown at the Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival in 2023.



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1820 - Paisley Radicals

In 2020, Paisley recognised and celebrated the vital part it played in the Radical War of 1820. This comic, supported by Renfrewshire Council Community Heritage and Events Fund, explores the story of the Paisley Radicals. 

A digital only version was released in April 2020 with the physical edition distributed free to libraries, schools and community venues across Renfrewshire in 2022 

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Aye, It Wis Aabody

‘Aye, it wis aabody’ is a community heritage project that explores Scotland’s links with chattel slavery in the Caribbean, through the experience of one rural community and their school. It was developed and run by Birse Community Trust and funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund.        

"Until recently, most historians had not paid serious attention to Scotland’s connections to slavery. Many people in Scotland knew little to nothing about this subject. The research undertaken by people in Birse is part of a growing body of scholarship on Scotland’s slavery links. Scotland’s direct role in the slave trade, in terms of people being enslaved aboard ships that sailed from Scottish ports, was limited.

However, Scotland’s indirect role was much larger. As plantation owners, estate managers, clergymen, surveyors and more else besides, Scots were active participants in chattel slavery in the Caribbean."

(from introduction by Matthew Lee)

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The Stowaways

The Arran left Greenock in April 1868, bound for Quebec. Seven boys stowed away on board. Not all of them came home. This is their story. 

The project was published as part of the Heritage Inverclyde A Quest for Learning programme, an Inverclyde Council project delivered by Inverclyde Community Development Trust and funded by Heritage Lottery Fund. 

The comic version was adapted from John Donald’s The Stowaways and Other Sea Sketches (1928). It was written by Ardgowan Primary School. 

Stowaways remains one of our most popular comics all over the world, and we have been in contact with many of the descendants of the original Stowaways since the book was published.

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Achi Baba - Gallipoli 1915

In 1915, Allied forces attempted to end the stalemate on the Western Front by advancing into the Ottoman Empire. The campaign was a failure. Using contemporary documents such as letters home, poetry, propaganda and military records, this graphic novel explores the story of the catastrophic Gallipoli campaign and the involvement of Inverclyde's own 5th Argylls. 

Suggested for mature audiences due to scenes of warfare which some people may find disturbing. 

Achi Baba was funded by Heritage Lottery Fund - First World War Then and Now programme to be made available free online. 

Hard copies are available from Magic Torch Comics online shop. 

"An excellent production, a fascinating and well researched account of the conflict." Pat Mills (Charley's War, 2000 AD)

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Stonesongs

Comics inspired by the archaeology and heritage of Inverclyde, created by S2 pupils of Saint Stephen's High School, Port Glasgow. 

The project was funded by Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland as part of the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology and delivered in partnership with Scotland's Urban Past.

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Ghost Train

Created by Newark Primary School P4b, Ghost Train is inspired by the history and heritage of Port Glasgow and features the Port Glasgow cycle track, the Bogle Stone, the Port Glasgow mermaid and other characters and landmarks from the past. 

The project was funded by the Scotrail Cultural Fund, and supported by the Scotland's Urban Past project. 

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