The British Comic Awards committee this morning announced the shortlist for this year’s prizes, and it’s good news for Mark Stafford and David Hine, and also for Glyn Dillon. The Man Who Laughs and The Nao of Brown are both shortlisted in the ‘Best Book’ category. The shortlist was whittled down from hundreds of eligible titles by a committee of 9 industry professionals and academics. The winners will be decided by a judging panel that includes comedians Lenny Henry and Josie Long, and the ceremony will be held at the Thought Bubble convention in Leeds on Saturday 23rd November.
The full list of this year’s nominees is available on the British Comic Awards website. Congratulations to those who made shortlist, and good luck to Mark, David and Glyn. Our fingers are firmly crossed!
Following Saturday’s Guardian Masterclass, we thought we’d share some of the books the tutors recommended to up-and-coming graphic novel creators. These six quite different books form a useful reading list for anyone interested in writing or illustrating graphic novels.
In advance of Saturday’s ‘How to Write a Graphic Novel’ masterclass, curated by SelfMadeHero for The Guardian, we asked four of the event’s speakers to recommend a key text to budding graphic novelists. Here’s what they had to say:
Audrey Niffenegger, Writer and Artist
Life? or Theatre? by Charlotte Salomon
“I admire it because she was inventing a form to contain her life, the book is strange, honest, and extremely original. It was made long before the notion of a 'graphic novel' took hold, and so she followed no rules and the book is the result of her need to tell (and show) her story.”
Paul Gravett, Writer
Annie Sullivan and The Trials of Helen Keller by Joseph Lambert
“In what is much more than a historical graphic biography, Lambert uses the visual/textual alchemy unique to comics brilliantly to convey the interiority of a blind, mute little girl’s halting, gradual awakening to the outside world and to her place in it, and the depth of caring and resolve of her tutor Annie Sullivan who takes her there.”
Pat Mills, Writer and Creator of 2000AD
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
“It’s a great story with identifiable characters and superb art, and it demonstrates how “political” themes can make excellent drama. ”
Karrie Fransman, Writer and Artist
The Wrong Place by Brecht Evens
“The Wrong Place demonstrates just the right balance of good storytelling and dialogue mixed with stunning painted visuals. In addition, it manages to break out of the usual ‘panels and speech bubbles’ formula while remaining readable and coherent.
“I’d also recommend getting your hands on a copy of the Blab anthologies published by Fantagraphics. They have an amazing mix of media and really demonstrate the potential of the medium: collage comics, history comics, painted and printed comics and even graphic journalism. Lots of inspiring stuff!”
Tickets are still available for the masterclass, which runs from 9am to 5pm this Saturday (7th September). To find out more – and to book tickets – click here.
Masterclass_new blog.jpg232.37 KB Next Saturday, 7th September, SelfMadeHero and The Guardian will host a masterclass in writing for graphic novels. Featuring some the industry’s biggest names, this day-long event will feature an introduction to the form by comics expert Paul Gravett (1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die), a keynote speech by Audrey Niffenegger (Raven Girl, The Time Traveler’s Wife), and workshops led by creators Karrie Fransman, Pat Mills and Andrzej Klimowski.
As well as providing an insight into the working practices of some of the world’s top graphic novel creators, the event will inspire writers to get creative with this burgeoning art form. To end the day, podcaster Alex Fitch will talk to publisher Emma Hayley, founder of 2000AD Pat Mills and comics lecturer Roger Sabin about how creators can progress their art, and what practical advice can be given to those looking to get their work in front of an audience.
To find out more about the event – and to book tickets – click here.
Caption_new blog 1.jpg292.19 KB This year’s August bank holiday isn’t just about the Edinburgh Book Festival’s graphic novel-focussed programme; it also sees some brilliant artists and writers gather in Oxford for Caption, the UK’s longest running comics festival. Showcasing the work of amateur and professional creators alike, this annual small-press convention has an impressive programme of events, which take place on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August.
Saturday 24th sees SelfMadeHeroes Andrzej Klimowski and Danusia Schejbal (The Master and Margarita), Paul Collicutt (The Murder Mile) and Rob Deas (Pride and Prejudice) discuss their work with comics podcaster Alex Fitch. The four creators, known for tackling both science fiction and real-world subjects, will discuss their approaches to both. ‘This brilliantly named ‘Self Made Robots’ panel will take place at 1.30pm.
Rob Deas and Paul Collicutt will also be talking children’s science fiction comics with John Aggs and David O’Connell at noon on Saturday.
Caption takes place at the East Oxford Community Centre, Cowley, Oxford OX4 1DD. The full programme is available here.
