Awesome Comics Makers: UNITE!

A couple of happy bits of follow-up to last week's series of posts on Comics and Literacy...

You remember how I said it would be great to try and build a network of comics clubs around the country, allowing educators and parents to share ideas and resources, and young comics makers to share their work? Well Hannah Sackett thought so too! And what's even better, she's actually doing something about it: she's begun by setting up Comics Clubs Unite! To quote Hannah:

I have set up this site to see if children’s comic clubs around the British Isles are interested in joining together to create a website where they can share ideas and comics made by children.
My current idea is to keep the site All Ages (I work with 7-11 year olds) and for comic clubs to take turns each month to post their comics (and reviews). There would also be space for worksheets, ideas for club activities, etc.

Which sounds fantastic, and I think could grow into a hugely marvellous thing. If you run a school or library comics club already - or if you're interested in starting one - please give Hannah a shout using the contact form on Comics Clubs Unite. And if you're a creator, or publisher who'd be up for helping out - perhaps contributing worksheets or ideas for activities - again, please get in touch! Hannah is @DrHComics on twitter, or by all means give me a shout and I'll pass it on.

ALSO: remember how I was talking about great comics creators who do workshops in schools? And one of the names I mentioned was Laura Howell - brilliantly talented cartoonist, historic feminist icon (she should be, anyway - first female cartoonist to work on The Beano in its 70+ year history!) and creator of one of my favourite comics of 2013. Anyway, I was just notified about a very cool-sounding competition launched by Staedtler Teachers Club, whereby you can win the opportunity for Laura to come and teach some comics workshops at your school!

Laura Howell: so good at drawing comics she can do it WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING

Here are a few words from Laura:

 “If I could go back in time and tell my ten-year-old self that I would one day be a professional comic artist, I doubt she would have believed me. But I hope I can convince talented young artists that if they never let go of their dreams, one day they might achieve it – I'm proof!”

Find full details and learn how to enter the competition here!

ALSO, speaking of Laura Howell and comics workshops: I am going to be doing some comics workshops with Laura Howell? MAN that was a segue. We'll be teaming up with the fantastic Louie Stowell to run some Write And Draw Your Own Comics workshops at the Cartoon Museum in London on October 26th, to celebrate the release of Usborne's excellent new book by that name, which Louie wrote and Laura and I drew some bits and bobs for. Come along, we are planning some really quite ridiculously fun things.

More information and booking details here!