In the Frame is an online event for emerging comics creators based in Scotland who are keen to connect their work with industry professionals and grow readerships.
The event is produced by Creative Scotland and co-programmed by Alice Tarbuck (Literature Officer, Creative Scotland) with industry specialists Hannah Berry, Nyla Ahmad and Woodrow Phoenix. It is supported by the Society of Authors.
Comics and their creators have enjoyed global success for generations. In Scotland, there is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the comics industry – think of the now iconic DC Thomson strip The Beano which makes up just one part of a vibrant and rich landscape of the comics industry (and is still being celebrated today – Somerset House are currently running an exhibition titled Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules).
The wealth and creativity of creators in the Scottish sector is incalculable, but the nature of the work itself, largely contract-based and freelance, means that many creators are not able to access the information and connections they need to develop their work.
Enter IN THE FRAME: a brand-new event dedicated to supporting emergent comics creators, funding their creative process, and helping them to navigate the publishing landscape.
Designed to bring established industry specialists together with emergent comics creators, IN THE FRAME aims to bridge the gaps and dismantle the barriers surrounding this unique artform.
Led by Creative Scotland’s Literature Officer Alice Tarbuck, and supported by the Society of Authors, IN THE FRAME is the perfect opportunity for emergent comics creators, based in Scotland, who want to connect with industry professionals and grow readerships.
But don’t take our word for it.
Ahead of the event on 3 December, we asked some of the IN THE FRAME experts to tell us why this is such an important opportunity.
"The barriers to making and publishing high-quality comics of your own have never been lower - and figuring out where you fit in to such a broad spectrum of creativity has never been harder.”
Woodrow Phoenix is an artist of formidable talent and experience. Based in England, he is a comics artist/writer whose constant experiments with the form appear in newspapers, books and magazines in Japan, France, the US and South America. His strips have featured in The Guardian, the Independent on Sunday and the Observer.
He describes himself as ‘telling different kinds of stories or telling old stories in new ways.’
“IN THE FRAME may not have all the answers you need,” he said, “but it will definitely help you to ask the right questions."
Nyla Ahmad knows what it means to support emergent creators: she co-led a mentoring programme with BHP Projects for 14 – 26-year-old comics creators from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
She’s also incredibly well-versed when it comes to the history of comics (her MPhil thesis examined South Asian and Muslim representation in comics) and in 2020 she was announced as the inaugural awardee of the Literature Alliance Scotland Next Level award.
On IN THE FRAME, Nyla shared her excitement for the support on offer. “I'm ecstatic to see Creative Scotland aiming to further support comics creators and the vibrant, trailblazing Scottish comics scene with a day of discussions ranging from legality, funding, publishing and how to build a lifelong career in the sector.”
Heather Palmer, a Glasgow-based writer with a focus on folklore, nationalism, and death, is the first ever comics winner of the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award (2019). At IN THE FRAME, Heather will be part of a panel showcasing the many different routes into publishing.
“The comics community is a special, collaborative place that works best when we share our knowledge,” she said, “and IN THE FRAME is just the place to do it.”
IN THE FRAME takes place on 3 December. It’s free, and open to all, regardless of experience, and will give your everything you need to know, from agents and contracts, the legal aspects of publishing, funding and crowdfunding, and routes to publishing.
With all this on offer, IN THE FRAME really is the perfect first stop on your journey as an emergent comics creator.
Who knows where you’ll go next?
In the Frame takes place online on Friday 3 December 2021, 10am - 3.45pm.