Comic Boom - Comics in Education

This week Lucy chats to the brilliant Dave Shelton - author and illustrator - to discuss how his life-long love of comics has influenced his workHis slapstick comedy noir comic strip Good Dog, Bad Dog has appeared in The DFC comic, The Phoenix, and the Guardian, and is collected in two books by David Fickling Books. His debut prose novel for children, A Boy and a Bear in a Boat, which he also illustrated, was short listed for the Costa prize and the Carnegie medal, and won the Branford Boase award.Follow Dave on Twitter as @DaveSheltonLinks to everything  discussed, including Dave's books and all of the comics he mentioned in this episode,  can be found on the podcast padlet. Producer and Host: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

In this episode Lucy is joined by American educator Shveta Miller.Shveta Miller is a national literacy leader and serves on the Governor’s Council forEducator Advancement in Oregon as a professional learning facilitator. A former high school Language Arts teacher and author of Hacking Graphic Novels: 8Ways to Teach Higher-Level Thinking with Comics and Visual Storytelling, she is apassionate advocate for using multimodal texts of all kinds to create engaged,insightful, curious readers and thinkers who are comfortable with the complex.Contact her at Shveta.Miller@gmail.comFollow her on Twitter as @ShvetaMillerConnect with her on LinkedInKeep up with her latest articles and resources for teachers by visiting her website www.ShvetaMiller.com.Links to everything  discussed, including Shveta's recommendations  can be found on the podcast padlet. Producer and Host: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

A double Lucy episode! This week Lucy chats to specialist Manga librarian from Peters the bookseller, Lucy Forrester.Lucy Forrester has been a children's librarian since 2006, and a comics fan since she can remember. Working for Peters Booksellers, she has made comics and manga her specialist field, and has taken part in conferences, conventions, and book awards to promote and increase understanding and appreciation of the graphic format.Lucy shares just a fraction of her expansive knowledge of comics and manga in this episode - there are a whole lot of recommendations and some facinating insight into the history of manga and the industry that surrounds it.Links to everything  discussed, including Lucy's recommendations  can be found on the podcast padlet. Producer and Host: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

This week Lucy talks to Natalie Scarlett about Afro Manga Club - a joint project run by The National Literacy Trust and Black Heritage Support Service for young people in Birmingham AND we hear from the young people themselves as the podcast hits the road and visits the club in session (huge thanks to roving reporter and National Literacy Trust Hub Manager Kyle!).You can find out more about the work of the National Literacy Trust by following the links below:Website: www.literacytrust.org.ukTwitter: @literacy_trustLinks to everything  discussed, including the Amber and Natalie's recommendations  can be found on the podcast padlet. Producer and Host: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

Lucy chats with Sara Alfageeh, co-creator of the fantastic YA graphic novel Squire. They discuss her creative process, her collaborative process with co-creator Nadia Shammas and the impact and importance of representation.Sara Alfageeh is a Jordanian-American illustrator and creative director in San Francisco. She is passionate about history, teaching, girls with swords, and the spaces where art and identity intersect. Her award-winning debut graphic novel SQUIRE is on shelves everywhere, and upcoming picture book NOT YET: THE STORY OF AN UNLIKELY SKATER is in the works. Sara is currently co-founder of One More Multiverse. Links to everything  discussed, including Sara's recommendations and the comic to accompany this episode can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Sara on Twitter at  @SaraAlfageeh and on Instagram  Producer and Host: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

Lucy chats to primary school teacher and graphic novel enthusiast,  Richard Ruddick. We discuss  his approach to including comics and graphic novels in the curriculum and encouraging access to them for reading for pleasure.Richard Ruddick is a year six teacher from Norfolk who is passionate about using graphic novels to develop passionate readers. He runs a blog about how he utilises them to support learning and as a tool to improve engagement across the curriculum and he also has a padlet on which he shares titles that he recommendsLinks to everything  discussed, including Richard's recommendations from this episode can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Richard on Twitter at  @RuddickRichardProducer and Host: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

In this special BONUS EPISODE Lucy chats to Paul Register, founder of the Excelsior Award, the biggest book  award for graphic novels and manga in the UK!What makes the awards so special is that from the expertly curated shotlists, children and young people vote for the winning book in each category themselves - a great tool for reading engagement.In this episode Paul talks about the origin of the awrds, how they work and how schools can get involved, and then takes us though the KS3 and KS4 shortlists for this year.You can access all the shortlists (including the KS2 and sixth form lists) and further information on how to get involved in future years on their website http://www.excelsioraward.co.uk/For links to everythign else Paul discusses in this episode head over to the Comic Boom PadletFollow the Excelsior Award on Twitter at @ExcelsiorAward Producer and Host: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

Lucy chats to Commisioning Editor at David Fickling Books, Anthony Hinton.We discuss the recent boom in popularity of british graphic novels - including  the success of Jamie Smart and Neill Cameron.Anthony is part of the team at The Phoenix Comic, where he edits the comic books produced through the DFB/Phoenix partnership, including Jamie Smart's number 1 bestselling Bunny vs Monkey, Neill Cameron's Mega Robo Bros, Laura Ellen Anderson's Evil Emperor Penguin, Adam and Lisa Murphy's Corpse Talk and many more. He has edited many books of children's and YA prose fiction - and non-fiction - working with writers including the Carnegie-shortlisted Candy Gourlay, the YA-prize shortlisted Melinda Salisbury, and the legendary Anne Fine, and was himself shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award for editing the late Tony Mitton's Potter's Boy. He is also an occasional writer for The Phoenix comic, including on their choose-your-own-adventure series Fates and Fortunes.Links to everything  discussed, including Anthony's recommendations and the comic to accompany this episode can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow David Fickling Books and The Phoenix on Twitter at  @dfb_storyhouse  @phoenixcomicukProducer and Host: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

Lucy chats to comic artist and creator of the Bumble and Snug series of graphic novels, Mark Bradley.Mark Bradley is a comic artist and writer, and creator of the Bumble & Snug graphic novel series. He grew up reading stories about ghosts and monsters, and promptly decided that he preferred them to humans The first of book in the Bumble & Snug graphic novel series was shortlisted for the 2022 Waterstones Children’s Prize. He is passionate about the role comics can play in education and children’s literacy. He loves pop music and cherry bakewells, and is currently building an army of Lego crabs, for reasons that remain secret.Links to everything  discussed, including Mark's recommendations and the comic to accompany this episode can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Mark on Twitter at  @MarkBradleyartHost: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

In this episode I am joined by Neil Cohn, Neil Cohn is an American cognitive scientist best known for his pioneering research on the overlap in cognition between graphic communication and language. He is the author of 2 graphic novels, over 80 academic papers, and 3 academic books, including The Visual Language of Comics (2013) and the 2021 Eisner-nominated Who Understands Comics? (2020). He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Cognition and Communication at Tilburg University in The Netherlands. Neil's website:www.visuallanguagelab.comLinks to everything  discussed and the comic for the episode can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Neil on Twitter at  @visual_linguistHost: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

In this week's episode Lucy speaks to primary school teacher and writer of Slug Boy Saves the World, Mark A Smith. We discuss Mark's love of all things Marvel and how that passion for comics has influenced his teaching, his writing...and his life in general!Mark A. Smith was born in Dundee, where he works as a primary school teacher. He lives in Fife and spends most of his spare time reading comics and writing stories. . Slugboy Saves the World is his first novel.Links to everything  discussed, including Mark's recommendations and the comic to accompany this episode can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Mark on Twitter at  @MarkASmith85 Host: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

In this week's episode Lucy speaks to the hugely talented comic artist, Rebecca Burgess - mostly focusing on her latest middle grade graphic novel, Speak Up.Rebecca Burgess is a comic artist and illustrator working in the UK, creating award winning published and small press work. Along with drawing comics for their day job, Rebecca also loves drawing webcomics in their free time. Being autistic, they are particularly passionate about bringing more autistic characters into comics and stories! Outside of drawing comics and cuddling their cat, Rebecca also loves playing RPGs with friends, going on deep dives into history and growing vegetables in their humble Bristol garden.Links to everything  discussed, including Bex's recommendations and the comic to accompany this episode can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Bex on Twitter at  @theorahHost: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

In this episode I chat with PhD student Meher Shiblee.Meher is a second year, full time, PhD student at LCC, UAL. Her research topic is titled; Considering 21st Century Muslim Superheroines and Issues of Representation: Comics, Creators and Readers in Context. In addition to her studies, she has worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and an Associate Lecturer at her university, curating and conducting ‘Research Methods’ modules for MA students at LCC and CCW.>Meher did her MA in Shakespeare Studies from King’s College London and her BA (Hons) in English Literature from Aberystwyth University, with a semester abroad in Washington State University.Links to everything  discussed, including all of Meher's reading recommendations can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Meher on Twitter at  @mehershibleeHost: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

In this episode I chat with writer and school librarian Lucas Maxwell.Lucas Maxwell has been reading comics since he was very young and living in Nova Scotia, Canada. Now, he gets to promote comics and other great books to kids in the high school library that he's  managed in South London, UK for the past nine years.  He's also a writer for Book Riot, a D&D Dungeon Master and the author of a book about table top roleplaying games in school and public libraries. Lucas' Blog can be accessed hereLinks to everything  discussed, including all of Lucas' many many reading recommendations can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Lucas on Twitter at  @lucasjmaxwellHost: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

Dr Harriet Earle (Hattie) is a senior lecturer in English at Sheffield Hallam University and research fellow at the Centre for War, Atrocity, and Genocide at the University of Nipissing. She is the author of Comics, Trauma, and the New Art of War (2017) and Comics: An Introduction (2020) – and she writes mostly on war and violence.In this episode we explore some of the historical reasons that comics sit on the outskirts of the educational mainstream and discuss their otential, their universality and the possibilites of comics for promoting social justice. Hattie's book, Comics: An Introduction is available here - and by pdf if you email her!!Links to everything  discussed, including Hattie's reading recommendations can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Hattie on Twitter at  @HarriyotHost: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

In this episode I chat with Gemma Sosnowsky about all things comics in the school library.Gemma is an experienced school librarian and member of the Lakes International Comic Arts Festival board, as well as judge on the Excelsior Award and, in this episode, shares lots of practical advice on how to maximise the use of comics in your school library.Links to everything  discussed, including Gemma's reading recommendations can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Gemma on Twitter at  @gemmafrogHost: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay

In this episode I chat with award winning comics creator, Neill Cameron.Neill Cameron is a cartoonist and writer, creator of the comic books Mega Robo Bros,   Since 2011 his work has appeared in the weekly children’s comic The Phoenix. In 2016 Mega Robo Bros and Tamsin and the Deep were both shortlisted for the British Comics Awards. In 2017, Mega Robo Bros won the Excelsior Award Jr, a national comic award voted for by school and library reading groups across the UK. In 2018 Mega Robo Bros was chosen as one of the best children's comics of the year by both the New York Public Library and the Schools Library Journal.Links to everything  discussed, including Neill's reading recommendations can be found on the podcast padlet.Follow Neill on Twitter at  @neillcameronHost: @Lucy_BraidleyContact: comicboompodcast@gmail.comMusic by John_Sib from Pixabay