Charlie Adlard: Britain's Newest Comics Laureate

The Walking Dead artist, Charlie Adlard was announced as the UK's newest Comics Laureate at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival over the weekend, replacing outgoing inaugural laureate, Watchmen's Dave Gibbons, who has been in the role since 2015. And, unlike the post of Poet Laureate, this one is not by royal appointment but rather by appointment of The Comics Literacy Awareness Trust (CLAW), an organisation which, since 2014, has promoted comics as a means of promoting and raising literacy levels across UK's schools. So, they should know, and in their appointment it would seem they certainly do. I doubt the Queen is an avid fan of The Walking Dead, so she wouldn't be the best to choose now would she?

The baton will be passed onto Charlie in February 2017, but already plans are in place to keep him rather busy in his promotion of comics as an important tool in the encouragement of reading for pleasure and for empowerment too. Hell, as a teenager I read nothing but comics and can testify to the power of the medium. I'm now a Head of English and can see first hand how comic books can support learning in many, many different ways. I've even spoken to other teachers about the power of comics, especially amongst boys, who still come second to girls when it comes to exam results. There are a whole generation of teachers who grew up with comics and are now able to make use of them in the classroom. With the development of this position over the last year or so, a figure like Adlard certainly adds weight to the conversation.

Already there is talk of an event targeting librarians of Birmingham, and tackling the decades old problem of labelling some comics as 'graphic novels' suggesting that some of a higher cultural  capital than others. You may have your doubters that comics aren't educational, Charlie, but the support out there for such initiatives will be deafeningly in your favour, methinks. There's a lot of us out there ready to help support you in shining a light on this much maligned educational resource.

And, with literacy levels in the UK at such a low, when compared with other developed countries, it would seem Adlard and CLAW have arrived in the nick of time. Just leave the tights at home. They won't be needed for this crusade. And, neither will obvious allusions like that one, once teachers, educators, parents and librarians understand there's far more to comics than just the obvious.