Edinburgh
Napier University are offering a taster session for Graphic Fiction on 27
June, as part of its open doors event for their MA in Creative Writing.
The MA is run by Sam Kelly
and David Bishop. Kelly has a formidable track record in publishing and is
running a taster session on experimental writing at the event. Bishop, running
the graphic fiction taster, is a former editor of 2000AD, and mentored quite a
few souls, notably the comic artist Frank Quitely. The combined skills of Kelly
and Bishop have produced an MA which is unique in its very usefulness, and the
graphic fiction specialism is the first of its kind in Scotland.
We spoke to Bishop about
this specialism, and about the future of comics in mainstream literature.
“Publishing and academia
are now giving graphic fiction the attention it deserves. Both fields have
woken up to something people around the world have known for decades – that
comics are not just for kids or superhero enthusiasts.
“The unholy trinity of
Maus, Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns got graphic fiction noticed back in
1986, but it’s taken more than twenty-five years for those breakthrough
successes to become embedded in the culture of publishing. Need proof? Look at
the rise of publishers like SelfMadeHero and Jonathan Cape’s graphic novel
imprint; Comica at the ICA and the Observer Graphic Short Story Prize; the
crossover success of Persepolis, The Walking Dead and Alice in Sunderland.
“There is now significant
academic research into graphic fiction narrative by the likes of Dr Mel Gibson
and Professor James Chapman, both of them publishing scholarly book and papers.
The Creative Writing MA at Edinburgh Napier University teaches writing for
graphic fiction as a vocational skill, but within the context of a course that
promotes innovation and academically rigorous learning. Graphic fiction is here
to stay – no spandex required.”
Graduates
from the course praise its practicality and its application to the real world.
Aly Mathers specialised in Graphic Fiction, and his comic script Necrophenia
has now been optioned as a screen play. Ariadne Cass-Maran, our own Creative
Director, is also a graduate of the programme and Graphic Scotland would not
exist without the support of Bishop and Kelly.
If
you’ve ever wanted to learn how to write for comics, this is the time, and
place, to do it.
[Reposted with permission from the Graphic Scotland site - many thanks!]
