Tallaght Academy of Sequential Art, Ireland’s premiere sequential art institution, has announced the launch of the ‘Alan Grant Memorial Scholarship’ a fantastic tribute to the late 2000AD, Batman and Bogie Man writer.
In memory of Alan’s significant and numerous contributions to the field of comic books, an aspiring comic creator will have the cost of their annual tuition subsidised.
This year’s scholarship has already been awarded, and the Academy says it’s looking forward to supporting the next generation of creators, while honouring the past and legacy of the creators who helped to build the industry into what it has become today.
Alan Grant began freelance life in the 1970s as “the Puzzle King of Fleet Street”, creating numerous mindbenders for British puzzle magazines. His career soon blossomed into a staff role on UK cult comic 2000AD, where he swiftly developed a reputation as an excellent editor and encouraging mentor to many budding creators. He has over 300 2000AD stories to his name – not to mention over 250 Daily Star “Judge Dredd” strips.
On leaving 2000AD Alan teamed up with long-time friend and fellow writer John Wagner in a fruitful partnership that lasted several years, co-creating many memorable tales of characters such as Doomlord, for Eagle, and Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog for the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic.
Going solo again, Alan began a long association with DC Comics, ably handling US icons like Batman and Lobo. His long spell on Detective Comics with Norm Breyfogle is regarded as one of the shining highlights of the title. He also adapted Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novels Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde as graphic novels with artist Cam Kennedy.
Throughout his time with DC however, when the day’s work was done, Alan still found time to get together with John as the pair created well-loved stories like the Batman/Judge Dredd team up Judgement on Gotham, The Last American (for Epic), co-creating Rok of the Reds, drawn by Dan Cornwell, and The Bogie Man, republished last year, also with John, drawn by Robin Smith.
Alan sadly passed away in 2022 after a long illness.
Writing on Facebook, Eoin McCauley, Publisher at Lightning Strike Comics, lecturer at TASQ, Griffith College Dublin and and Pulse College commented he was “very happy to announce this new initiative by TASQ Art (hopefully the first of more to come).
“Many thanks Sue Grant for granting permission to name this scholarship in Alan’s memory.”
Located in The Edge, Annex off the Avonmore Road in Tallaght, Dublin, Tallaght Academy of Sequential Art is Ireland’s premiere sequential art institution devoted entirely to comic book art and production and relevant adjacent fields such as TV, Film and Game Production.
The Academy offers a regular series of the Tallaght Academy of masterclasses, some in person, some online, from leading industry experts who share valuable insight into what it takes to break into and succeed in their chosen field.
Topics explored include professional practice, industry standard tools, portfolio preparation and much more, and upcoming classes include appearances by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator and publisher Kevin Eastman, exploring his process and offering advice on how to build your portfolio on 26th October 2024 via Zoom. Full details on how to book for this can be found here.
• In Memoriam: Comics Writer, Alan Grant (1949 – 2022)
Author, publisher, lecturer and film maker John McShane pays tribute to his friend, comics writer and author Alan Grant
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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