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Make Your Own Comic Zine: a “Comic Potential” Educational Resources from the Lakes International Comic Art Festival

By John Freeman on May 4, 2024

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival recently added two new “Comic Potential” Educational Resources to their YouTube channel, presented by Hester Harrington.

These videos form part of a series funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, which exemplifies the use of comics to enhance children’s learning across a range of subject / curriculum areas.

“Zines“, presented by Hester Harrington, available to watch here, outlines what a zine is, offers different techniques for making comic zines, and ways that they can be used in the classroom.

Head to the third page in this PDF Little LICAF comic resource to download printable instructions to make an eight-page folded zine.

Why not have a go at creating a collaborative zine? Take a look at Little LICAF’s comic challenge ‘Making-a-Mark’ as a great way to create a class zine. Each pupil can create a single panel and collectively the class can sequence the images to tell a unique silent story. Perfect for a small stapled zine!

“Splash Pages“, also presented by Hester Harrington, available to watch here, outlines what a splash page is and how they are used in comics, and ways that they can be used in the classroom.

• Comic Potential Educational Resources – Lakes International Comic Art Festival YouTube Playlist

• Check out all the Lakes International Comic Art Festival “Comic Potential – Comics in the Classroom” Resources here

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.