Dundee Comics Creative Space has been hard at work on a new book! Drawn From Experience is a comic for young people who are transitioning from primary to secondary school, inspired by the experiences of S1s at Harris Academy.
The transition this year will be challenging in new and different ways, but we hope that this comic can help. Click here or on the image below to download!
The theme of the 2019 Dundee Comics Prize is ‘Water Worlds’. We encourage submissions that explore our relationship to the sea, rivers and waterways through the medium of comics. Suggested themes include, but are not limited to, climate change, pollution, underwater worlds, and our relationship to the aquatic environment more generally. Any genre or approach will be considered.
There will be a series of events in Dundee in November 2019 as part of the Being Human Festival, including talks, performances, and the launch of the comic. The theme of the Festival this year is Discoveries and Secrets.
Entries to the competition should take the form of 3 pages of completed comic art. The prize is £300, plus publication of the story. Runners-up may also be published if suitable.
The deadline for submissions is 15th November 2019.
The announcement will be made at the launch of the comic on Thursday 21st November 2019 in Dundee Comics Creative Space at 6pm.
The comic will be published by UniVerse. The aim of the competition is to nurture comics talent. Anyone can enter and the submission can be in any style, in black and white or colour, but the work must be finished to a high standard (lettered, inked, etc), and must be a complete story, suitable for publication at A4 size. The work must be original, and it must not have been already published already elsewhere. High resolution quality electronic files are requested (do not send us original artwork). The prize is awarded to the creator or team who produce the work. If the comic is collaborative the members of the team share the prize money equally. All winners (including runners-up) will be asked to provide a short account of how the comic was created, along with any relevant photos and sketches that can be used on a website or in the publication. The decision of the judging panel is final.
All queries and submissions should be sent to Professor Christopher Murray at: c.murray@dundee.ac.uk
As you may know, Comics Club is on holiday this week. However, there are several exciting public events taking place in DCCS this week!
Wednesday 16th October 1.15-2.45pm
DUNDEE REMIX COMIC WORKSHOP – a Festival of the Future event Age 8+ years [under 14 years to be accompanied by and adult]
Art by Norrie Millar
What does a future Dundee look like to you?
How different will the city and people look in 2050?
What would you like to see? This workshop will give you a chance to create your future Dundee vision in comic strip form using simple techniques including drawing and collage. Learn about the magic of creating comics while imagining Dundee years from now.
No experience necessary and materials will be provided.
For information and booking click here.
Art by Millie Strachan
Thursday 17th October 5-6pm
IDENTITY IN COMICS PANEL– a Festival of the Future event Age 14+ years recommended
This event is FREE but must be booked in advance.
Rebecca Horner, comics artist and colourist and lead workshop facilitator at Dundee Comics Creative Space will be joined by special guest Katie Whittle from Comics Youth for this discussion. Comics Youth is a Liverpool-based organisation that supports marginalised and disadvantaged children and young people across Merseyside through comics-focused workshops – themes very close to the heart of DCCS. Other special guest are Dundee based comics creator and researcher Olivia Hicks and up-and-coming comics maker Millie Strachan.
Thursday 17th October 7-8.30pm Speech Bubble – SPOOKY COMICS!
Speech Bubble is a Comics Book Club for 18 years and over held at the Dundee Comics Creative Space on Thursdays (fortnightly) from 7-8.30pm. All are welcome.
It’s time for a spook-athon! Spooky, spoopy, or just plain scary – we want some comics that deliver chills and spills. So settle in for an evening of seasonal, haunted, ghostly and ghastly comics… but don’t settle in too close to the chairs….
Friday 18th October 3-5pm HOW TO GET INTO THE VISUAL EFFECTS INDUSTRY
Age: 10 years+
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) VFX and animation studio staff Amy Backwell and Bimpe Alliu will talk about how to break into the VFX industry and showcase the work of ILM in blockbuster films and TV shows.
The talk will be followed by a concept design workshop where you can create your own characters and designs.
Free, booking essential. For information and booking click here.
Friday 18th October 6-9pm Laydeez Do Comics Dundee
Laydeez Do ZINES Dundee
The leaves may fall and nights become colder as autumn comes, but LDC Dundee is still here to brighten your nights!
Our 18th October meeting is all about ZINES! Join us for:
* A talk about this most DIY of mediums by Dr. Damon Herd
* A zine-making workshop led by Olivia Hicks, comic creator, doctoral student at the University of Dundee, and experienced zine-maker/zine-instructor/zine-queen.
Everyone over the age of 18 is welcome!
Light drinks and refreshments shall be served! Any questions/comments/concerns, message us! 🙂
Rebecca Horner, comics artist and colourist and lead workshop facilitator at Dundee Comics Creative Space, will be joined by a special guest from Comics Youth for this discussion.
Comics Youth is a Liverpool- based organisation that supports marginalised and disadvantaged children and young people across Merseyside through comics-focused workshops – themes very close to the heart of DCCS.
There will also be some local comic creators as special guests!
Join Professor Christopher Murray and his colleagues on Thursday 18th October 2018 5-7pm at DCCS to discuss the surprising history of comics in Dundee, and learn about the future of comics in Dundee, with a look at the new comics being produced by the University.
These include Chronicle, a comic conceived and edited by PhD student Hailey Austin in conjunction with the University of Dundee’s Archive and Museum Services which explores the University’s collection of comics related archival holdings and original artwork.
Chris Murray will be launching Superhuman Futures, a science fiction superhero comic that examines the superhuman as a metaphor for scientific advancement. Created for the Humanities module Human Futures, it demonstrates the innovative link between research, creative work and teaching that is being developed at the University of Dundee. Hailey and Chris will each give a brief presentation on the fascinating process of creating their comics.
Join us in the Dundee Creative Comics Space in the Vision Building, where we will have free comics, an exhibition, and a wine reception!
Under 18s to be accompanied by an adult.
This event is free but must be booked in advance. More details here.
We have updated the timings of the Fife Libraries workshops next week, see the poster below for the new information. Remaining workshops this summer are:
3rd August Central Library Dundee 2-4pm 6th August Kirkcaldy Galleries 10-11am 6th August Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries 12.30-1.30pm 6th August Dalgety Bay Library 3-4pm 7th August Rothes Hall Library 10-11am 7th August Cupar Library 12.30-1.30pm 7th August St Andrews Library 3-4pm 8th August AK Bell Library Perth 2-4pm 9th August Ardler Complex Dundee 1.30-3.30pm
Our weekly Comics Clubs start again on Tuesday 14th August 4.30pm at DCCS
2018 is the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. She lived in Dundee as a teenager, which partly inspired her in writing the novel. This was recounted in 2015’s Frankenstein Begins comic. The sequel, to be published in October 2018, is entitled Frankenstein Returns. University of Dundee’s Comics Creative Space and the Being Human Festival will team-up to celebrate Shelley’s novel, and its afterlife and legacy. There will be a series of events in Dundee, including talks, workshops, an exhibition, the publication of a Dundee edition of the book, and the launch of the new comic. Contributions to the comic, on the theme of “Frankenstein Returns” are now invited.
Entries to the Frankenstein Returns/Dundee Comics Prize competition should be in the form of at least 5 pages of completed comic art. The prize is £300, plus publication of the story. Runners-up may also be published. The deadline for submissions is 1st October 2018.
For more details please see the flyer below. All queries and submissions should be sent to Professor Christopher Murray at: c.murray@dundee.ac.uk
On Monday May 29th we are hosting a drop-in workshop at West Ward Works as part of Dundee Design Festival. Come along between 11am-1pm to meet our expert crew who will be on hand to help budding comics creators bring their imagination to the page. More details here.
There was a great profile in The Courier yesterday of our very own Operations Director Professor Chris Murray, highlighting the fact that he is now the World’s first Professor of Comics! For more details see the article on The Courier website here.
Dundee Comics Creative Space 