Love The Beano? Can’t get enough of superheroes? Read The Phoenix? Always wanted to have a go at making your own comic? You must visit the brand new Comics: Explore and Create Comic Art exhibition at Seven Stories in Newcastle upon Tyne, opening 21st July 2017.
Seven Stories – the National home of Children’s Books – has gathered together an eclectic mix of original comic art to impress and inspire all comics’ fans. See Desperate Dan and Dennis the Menace as they were drawn in the 1940s and 50s; find old friends like Oor Wullie, Minnie the Minx and Roy of the Rovers; or imagine yourself on an adventure with Dan Dare from The Eagle.
The exhibition will feature Captain America, Wonder Woman, Superman and Hulk as drawn by British artist Ian Churchill. Ian works for Marvel and DC Comics, America’s largest comic companies.
Current British comics creators like Kate Brown, Jamie Smart and Laura Ellen Anderson have prepared storyboards, sketches and 3D models to lend to the exhibition as well as giving Seven Stories’ visitors unique insight into their creative processes.
There is no other place like Seven Stories in the UK. Everything they do celebrates children’s books, their creators and their readers and of course, Britain has a wonderful heritage of writing and illustration for children. From The Famous Five to We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, British children’s books are among the best known and most widely read in the world.
Seven Stories collect archives dating from around 1930, right up to the present day (including material for books that haven’t been published yet) – and works hard to preserve this heritage for this and future generations, custodians of a unique and ever-growing national archive of modern and contemporary children’s literature. The Collection includes things like rough artwork, draft manuscripts, dummy books, correspondence, editors notes, proofs, and anything else that helps us explore how books are created.
Over 250 authors and illustrators form part of the collection to date, featuring the work of people such as Enid Blyton, Philip Pullman, Robert Westall, Judith Kerr, Edward Ardizzone and Kaye Webb.
• Comics: Explore and Create Comic Art Exhibition Seven Stories – The National Centre for Children’s Books, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ | For more information visit www.sevenstories.org.uk
• For more information about what Seven Stories collect download their Collection Development Policy here
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.
Categories: British Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Exhibitions
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