Comic creators
This section highlights the life and work of renowned writer and illustrator Raymond Briggs and the prestigious picture book creator Colin McNaughton. Various classwork ideas using Briggs's graphic novels and McNaughton’s picture books are provided. These suggestions involve cross-curricular themes such as social studies and citizenship.
Raymond Briggs
Raymond Briggs was born in London in 1934, and studied at Wimbledon School of Art, London. He has written and illustrated many books that use comic-strip techniques and could be described as graphic novels, including Father Christmas (1973) and The Snowman (1978). These books have been translated into many languages and adapted into films, plays and TV cartoons. Briggs is also superb at creating books for adults. Key amongst these are Ethel and Ernest (1998) – a biography of his parents' lives – and When the Wind Blows (1982), a grim satire on nuclear war.
Class activities using Briggs's work
Raymond Briggs’s books have a huge emotional impact on readers. Whether working with adults or children, using Briggs to make points about and explore comics can be very effective.
Genre: Pupils could be encouraged to think about genre and locate his work within various genres (eg factual, biographical, fantasy, etc).
Theme: Pupils could identify themes that arise throughout Briggs's work, such as family, social justice, individual, etc. A comparison of Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age and Ethel and Ernest would be interesting as both deal with family, generation gap and class divides in very different ways.
Audience age: Discussions could be started on the issues surrounding comics and age. The Snowman (aimed at younger readers) and Ethel and Ernest (older audience) would provide a good contrast. Pupils could examine the themes of death of valued figures in both books and talk about the different approaches used.
Eliminating preconceptions about comics: Comics can take on difficult or complex themes. Getting pupils to state what they think a comic is, who it is for, and what it might contain enables the group to construct a stereotype about comics. Then, using Briggs, the group can explore the limitations of the stereotype.
Colin McNaughton
Colin McNaughton was born in 1951 in Wallsend upon Tyne. He studied Graphic Design at the Central School of Art and Design and went on to do an MA in Illustration at the Royal College of Art. He is seen as one of Britain's foremost picture book artists and is also a poet. His first books were published in 1976 when he was still a student. McNaughton’s picture books are influenced by the comics of his childhood (his formative literature).
Understanding picture books
A picture book is a medium that demands a different kind of literacy than that of a comic. However, it still involves the same understanding of the way that images and text interrelate. As a picture book creator influenced by comics, McNaughton's work illustrates that comic books do not exist in isolation, but have an impact upon, and relationship with, other media.
Class activities using McNaughton's work
Comic and picture book comparison: Pupils can compare one of McNaughton’s picture books, for example Hmm…(1998), with some of Raymond Briggs’s books, such as one of the Father Christmas titles. Discussions can focus on the similarities and contrasts between comics and picture books.
Bridging the generation gap: There is scope to open up discussion about reading across generations and the way this can create a common culture. Pupils could interview an older adult about their memories of reading comics.
Comic grammar: Using Hmm... allows exploration of the thought balloon. Pupils can be encouraged to compare the text on the left-hand side of the page, the spoken element, with what is contained within each thought balloon.
Image copyright © details: 'Ethel and Ernest': author/illustrator: Raymond Briggs, publisher: Pantheon Comics/Random House Group
'Hmm' and 'Oops': author/illustrator: Colin McNaughton, publisher: Andersen Press Ltd