Crowdfunding Spotlight: Jason’s Birthday Adventure, aimed at improving reading skills

By John Freeman on October 10, 2018

Unity Empower, a Scottish charity working with adults with learning disabilities have launched a crowdfunder for a new comic project – Jason’s Adventures.

Unity Empower is looking to raise £3000 to be able to produce and publish Jason’s Adventures, a unique comic series developed and created by adults living with a learning disability, which will follow Jason, a young man with a disability

Due to a lack of age appropriate reading material for adults with learning disabilities, Unity Empower’s service users used this as an opportunity, to turn creators, by writing and producing relevant, new and exciting material.

The group wants to create a series of stories for people working on their reading skills which are relevant to adults, educational and also enjoyable.

The project also gives a mainstream audience the opportunity to engage and understand the challenges faced by those with a learning disability.

The Jason’s Adventures team. Image courtesy Unity Empower

Image courtesy Unity Empower

The group has brought their own ideas and meaning to what it is like, to be an adult living with a learning disability, through Jason, and the other characters in the series. The themes follow the Scottish Learning Disability Strategy ‘The Keys to Life’ incorporating what matters to them by breaking down stereotypes, stop separation and isolation, and encourage social integration.

The first issue, ‘Jason’s Birthday Adventure’ illustrated by Jack Potter, tells the story of a young man celebrating his 21st Birthday in Glasgow with his friends, and encompasses the ‘Keep Safe’ initiative as the tale tracks Jason’s journey to safety after finding himself lost in the city centre.

Scottish artist and illustrator Jack Potter generously donated his time and skills to the project. “The group had the opportunity to express their ideas, use their imagination and create the story” a spokesperson for the group explains.

“Jack joined the group listened to what they wanted, took direction from them and he brought colour and life to their characters and story. It was an amazing project to be involved in.”

“This is completely new territory for us,” Kirsteen Main told downthetubes, “and we hope that it may be of interest to the comic world as well as educational and informative.”

• There’s much more detail about the project on the crowd funder page – www.crowdfunder.co.uk/jasons-adventure – and more about the charity at www.unity-enterprise.com

John Freeman

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.