Children’s comics created through different projects were shared across the UK thanks to an ambitious Comic Swap organised by Applied Comics
2018 was a busy year was a busy year for inventive Newcastle upon Tyne-based comics provocateurs Applied Comics Etc. – and its driving force, Lydia Wysocki, has been hinting of major things to come this year.
Established back in 2013, recent commissioned projects included two new comics, My MRI! with Great North Children’s Hospital team, Heather Wilson, and Janice McLaughlin, and Cholera Commotions – a comics anthology by Berwick Academy students with Northumberland Archives and Museums Northumberland.
The team also developed the Freedom City Comics learning framework (with teachers Mike Thompson and Gary Bainbridge), offering comics activities designed as springboards for your own projects, lessons, and activities.
Hannah Sackett and Lydia Wysocki also organised a postal swap for kids: Comic Swap, hosted by Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books, which aims to help children’s comic groups share their comics. The 2018 project shared comics from Dundee, Newcastle, Oxford, Bath, Essex, London and Sussex.
If you have made a comic as part of a group – at school, in a library, or any other setting – and would like to share your comic please ask one of the adults in charge of your group to read this website.
Applied Comics work also featured as part of the ‘Idea of North’ exhibition at BALTIC, and the team gave talks and ran events in Newcastle, Dundee, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Leeds, Bournemouth, Bath, London, Versailles and Alicante.
The year was of course marred by the loss of the team’s long time collaborator and friend Terry Wiley, but for those of you who miss him and his work, you can celebrate his many accomplishments by reading his Applied Comics online.
“We have plenty of top secret comics plans for 2019,” Lydia teases, “including a Comic Swap 2019 postal swap and more talks and events.
“As always, we’ll share news once our plans are a little more advanced.”
Applied Comics Etc was set up after Newcastle Science Comic in 2012-13, with a fantastic and relentless schedule of projects since then. They have every intention of continuing!
• Check out the work of Applied Comics Etc, which includes also links to academic articles about comics, on their official web site: http://appliedcomicsetc.com
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “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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