Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment

The Walking Dead's Charlie Adlard To Take The UK Comic Laureate Abroad

Olly MacNamee writes,

I was personally thrilled with the recent announcement of Charlie Adlard as the next Comics Laureate, taking the reins from outgoing Grand Poobah, Dave Gibbons, in February. I was even more thrilled to hear that there were already plans in place to push this role out of the capital and across the country and, as I found out, around the globe too. It was a real pleasure being able to catch up with Charlie for this exclusive interview on a raining, dark and dank afternoon this week. We talked about the role, his plans and the fuss over his comments on the use of the term 'graphic novel'.

Olly MacNamee: Charlie, an obvious question to get the ball rolling but how did this appointment come about?

Charlie Adlard: I'm not too sure how really. I really would not have thought of myself as doing this, to be honest, but it was a pleasant surprise. I was contacted a few weeks before The Lakes Festival, who I know are involved with the whole process, who informed me that i was on the shortlist and whether i would be interested if they chose me. I checked with my wife, slept on it and then realised it was a great opportunity. And, as busy as I am, I thought I might not get asked again, so I thought I should seize this opportunity now, and replied to Julie Tait (Director of The Lakes Festival) who by then informed that the shortlist was down to two. A couple of days later, I got the call announcing me as The Comics Laureate. I didn't really know who else was on the shortlist and honoured that people have faith in me.

OM: Listen, I think you'll do a great job. And, as a Midlander, I think it's a great idea to take this role on the road and beyond London too.

CA: I just hope I can do as good a job as Dave (Gibbons) did.

OM: I'm sure you will. But, how will you hope to make it your own, do you think?

CA: There's a couple of things we're planning to do that I don't think Dave necessarily touched on specifically. The major one is that we are going to take the Comic Laureate role abroad for the first time. We've got trips planned to Amiens in France and Toronto in Canada which are lined up already for next year. The Lakes have a strong partnerships with both these festivals there and it will be nice to set up some sort of exchange between these other two festivals as the Comics Laureate. And, I'm talking to another guy I know who runs a festival who seems to be up for it too. It's all very promising.

I'm also going to try and focus on people with reading obstacles; various reading difficulties, primarily because it's a subject very close to my heart because my eldest son is very dyslexic and I know, first hand, what problems that can cause. I strongly believe comics can be a real help to people, young and old, all age groups (which should be emphasised) because comics can be a great gateway into that fascinating world of reading

OM: I agree. I read comics throughout my teenage years, and now I'm a Head of an English Faculty. But, we now have a whole generation of teachers and librarians who grew up with comics and now champion comics in the classroom.

CA: Absolutely. I think over the past 20 years or so comics have taken a foothold with a few people but we've still got a long way to go. I've never been under the illusion that the comics industry, in which I work, is a very niche industry and perhaps we should be content with that. There's still a huge mountain to climb when compared with the status comics have in France or in Japan. And, there are a lot of detractors out there – and there's a lot of them – who still see comics as something for kids. The more people we can get on our side the better, to prove that they aren't just for kids.

OM: I agree. I've seen how it can support kids and how they can fall in love with literature through comics.

CA: It's a great starting block, but I'm not simply implying, as you may be, that they are more simple. No, you can read comics for the rest of your life and it shouldn't matter. You can get as much out of reading comics as you could out of reading the classics.  But yes, hopefully it can help in supporting the progression onto anything, whether its poetry, plays, whatever.

OM: Last question then. Have we, as a society, underestimated comics in the classroom and in culture?

CA: Yes in both those cases, especially in this country (UK). God, when I was a kid the idea of anyone reading a comic in school was unheard of; it was heresy! Everyone I talk to says, that as long as people are reading something its a good thing. Especially with the dominance of visually based media seems to be taking over from the written word to some extent. It's more important to get kids engaged in the written word more.

The problem is that the UK is one of the worst countries in the world for recognising comics as an art form. You go to France and comics are referred to as the '9th Art', as respected as fine art, sculpture and so on. It's the same in Japan. The United States has the same problem. Everyone states that the USA is in the top three comic reading countries but that's because their population is so huge! It's misleading. It's not really. So, even a small percent of them is still a large number.

It's a tricky one to try and get across to people that comics aren't just for kids. I would really like to reemphasis that comics are for everyone. I caused something of a small social media stir when I did something for The Guardian and I said that I disliked the term 'graphic novel'. It wasn't that I was dismissing certain comics, but what the term 'graphic novel' suggests. It implies that there are certain comics that are for children, while a graphic novel is for the more educated, mature reader; it's a divisive term.

OM: It's a popular argument isn't it: some things are considered more 'high art' and others are seem as 'low art'.

CA: And it shouldn't be.  And that's the thing. When you look at a painting, there are no different words for a painting. It's a painting whether it's somebody doing it as a hobby or someone doing it for a living. It's still painting! Why do we have to divide up comics into labels and categories and what these labels imply about their cultural worth? But, I digress…

OM: No, not at all! It certainly leaves me with food for thought and hopefully anyone reading this too. Many thanks for your time, as always.

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