Send us a text Following on from the last episode , in which Lucy chatted to writer Hannah Tunnicliffe and illustrator Erica Harrison , creators of Detective Stanley and the Mystery at the Museum . This episode - part two of the double bill - follows the journey of creation of a graphic novel from commission right through to sales and marketing. Lucy is joined by: Fay Evans – Editorial Director Kate Manning – Head of Sales Hannah Kettle – Head of Marketing & Publicity Helena Maratheftis – Di...
Jun 14, 2025•59 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to writer Hannah Tunnicliffe and illustrator Erica Harrison , creators of Detective Stanley and the Mystery at the Museum . This episode is the first in a two part special focusing on the Flying Eye title Detective Stanley Mystery at the Museum. In this, the first episode we’ll meet the creators of the book themselves and in the second the marketing, sales and editorial team at Flying Eye to talk about the other side of bringing a book into the world. Th...
May 23, 2025•57 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to comic book artist, writer and illustrator Jamie Smart It feels he needs no introduction! I celebrate 50* episodes of comic boom, with the one, the only, Jamie Smart. Jamie’s characters and the colourful worlds they inhabit have graced the pages of many a national institutions; The Dandy, The Beano, The DFC and The Phoenix. His long running weekly strip 'Bunny Vs Monkey' is still going strong in The Phoenix and is collated into the hugely popular, best...
May 15, 2025•55 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to illustrator Yiting Lee and writer Swapna Haddow about their latest titles with publishers Magic Cat , Little Dinosaurs, Big Questions . Little Dinosaurs, Big Questions, features ten fictional comic strip stories with supportive tools to help understand the difficult things about life. Designed for grown-ups to read with children. Yiting is a children’s book author and illustrator from Taiwan, based in England. Yiting graduated from MA Children's Book ...
May 08, 2025•49 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to Edinburgh based comic book artist, writer and illustrator Edward Ross. With an early and obsessive interest in cinema and comics, it wasn’t until after studying Film at university that he managed to combine these two interests in the form of his self-published Filmish comics. Well received by both movie fans and academics, Edward released four issues of the series between 2009 and 2013, before beginning work on Filmish – A Graphic Journey Through Film...
May 01, 2025•57 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to UK Comics Laureate Bobby Joseph. Bobby Joseph is an acclaimed South London comic creator whose work has often challenged and inspired its readers. His early work includes the creation of cult comic classic Skank magazine, where his best-known strip, “Scotland Yardie”, first featured, and was later published by Knockabout Press. He has written for The Guardian newspaper, Dazed and Confused, and Vice.com. His comic work was a prominent feature at the An...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 10Ep. 5
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to illustrator and graphic novelist Isabel Greenberg . Isabel is a London based illustrator and writer and the author of three acclaimed graphic novels; The Encylopedia Of Early Earth (2015, Jonathan Cape, Little Brown), The One Hundred Nights Of Hero (2017, Jonathan Cape, Little Brown.) and her latest Glass Town (2020, Jonathan Cape, Abrams Books.) She is the illustrator of a number of children’s books including One Hundred Billion Trillion Stars, Power...
Sep 08, 2024•46 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to illustrator and graphic novelist Mollie Ray. Mollie is a Lancaster-based comic artist and illustrator, her debut graphic novel Giant was published in 2024 with Faber and Faber. In 2019, Mollie graduated from The University of Edinburgh with a First-Class Honours degree in Illustration. Her work has been featured by Creative Boom, The AOI and Broken Frontier's 'Six To Watch In 2021'.She has also done work for the BBC in support of David Attenborough's ...
Aug 21, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Send us a text In this week's episode Lucy chats to comics creating duo The Rickard Sisters . Scarlett & Sophie Rickard, sisters who work together to make graphic novels. Sophie does the words and Scarlett draws the pictures. Scarlett has been drawing since before Sophie was born, and Sophie has been telling her what to draw since she learned to talk. Their first graphic novel was Mann’s Best Friend ( 2017). The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists was published in Autumn 2020 by SelfMadeHero , ...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Send us a text In this week's episode Lucy chats to passionate comics advocate Lida Tsene . Lida is Head of PR, Art and Educational Programs of Comicdom Con Athens, founder of the Athens Comics Library , managing co-director of the Digital Comics Museum, organiser and curator of several events, exhibitions, conferences and workshops. Currently, she is a researcher and teaching associate at the MA Program Communication and New Journalism of Open University of Cyprus, at the MA Cultural Management...
Jul 24, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Send us a text In this episode Lucy talks to writer Swapna Reddy (who you may know as Swapna Haddow!). Swapna Haddow is the multi award-winning children’s author of the Dave Pigeon series, published by Faber & Faber. The Dave Pigeon series has received rave reviews since first publishing in 2016 and went on to win three regional awards in the UK and was shortlisted for the prestigious Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award. Swapna loves to write about boisterous animals that cause mayhem and is w...
Jul 10, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Send us a text In today’s episode Lucy is joined by a wonderful creative duo - Chie Kutsuwada and Julian Sedgwick . Chie is UK based Japanese manga creator and illustrator. Chie graduated from Royal College of Art, London, and since then has carved out a successful career in illustration. She creates her own illustrated stories and comics strips, as well as working on titles like the manga version of Shakespeare’s As You Like It (SelfMadeHero, London). Chie also regularly runs manga workshops fo...
Jun 26, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Send us a text I n this episode Lucy chats with educator Clare McGreevy and illustrator Chris Mould about an innovative comic project involving schools across Rochdale, developing reading for pleasure through comics and also supporting the creation of comics - through re-imagining the untold stories of the historic Rochdale Town Hall. Clare McGreevy is an Advisory Teacher for Reading in Rochdale Council’s Virtual School. Prior to this, Clare had been a teacher, English Lead and Phase Leader with...
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Send us a text I n this episode Lucy chats with writer and comics creator, James Turner. James is a cartoonist and writer, creator, with illustrator Yasmin Sheikh . As well as Star Cat, his comic strip Clatters and Bump regularly appears in weekly comic The Phoenix . James joins me to talk about his new graphic novel Toby and the Pixies: Worst King Ever! illustrated by Andreas Schuster is out on 6 June 2024. James's recommendation for this episode: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin L...
May 29, 2024•46 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to professor and author Nick Sousanis . Nick Sousanis is an Eisner-winning comics author and an associate professor of Humanities & Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University, where he started and runs a Comics Studies program. He received his doctorate in education at Teachers College, Columbia University in 2014, where he wrote and drew his dissertation entirely in comic book form. Titled Unflattening , it argues for the importance of visual...
May 16, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to author and illustrator Eliza Fricker . Eliza Fricker is an author & illustrator, and an advocate & consultant for PDA, autism and learning. She has published several books, including the Sunday Times Bestselling title “Can’t Not Won’t”, and the acclaimed autobiographical “Thumbsucker” released in November 2023. Connect with Eliza: Missing the Mark X: @_missingthemark Insta: @elizafricker_missingthemark Facebook: MissingTheMark1 Details of the ...
Mar 27, 2024•50 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Send us a text Lucy chats to The Cartoon Musuem 's Steve Marchant Steve Marchant is a cartoonist and comic artist who has worked for British Airways, the BBC, ITV, the British Council and other clients big and small. He has also been running cartoon and comic strip workshops in schools and libraries across the UK since 1992, now primarily for The Cartoon Museum where he is also the learning coordinator and comic art consultant to the curator. Steve also runs adult evening courses in drawing for ...
Mar 08, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Send us a text In this Episode Lucy chats to official World Book Day illustrator 2024 and comics artist Vivian Truong. We discuss her journey into comics, life as a World Book Day illustrator and her graphic novels City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm and Cooking with Monsters . Vivian: X: @SuperRisu Instagram: @superrisu BBC Teach: www.bbc.co.uk/teach and https://bit.ly/3SlFag6 X: @BBC_Teach Facebook: @BBCTeach World Book Day: Info: https://www.worldbookday.com/books-and-tokens/ #WorldBookDay #...
Feb 27, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Send us a text In this special Excelsior Award Special Episode Lucy chats to Paul Register , founder of the Excelsior Award , the biggest book award for graphic novels and manga in the UK! What makes the awards so special is that from the expertly curated shortlists, children and young people vote for the winning book in each category themselves - a great tool for reading engagement. In this episode Paul talks us through the 9 and over category (White) and 11 and over category shortlists for 202...
Feb 22, 2024•47 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Send us a text Lucy chats to academic Kevin Hoffin . Kevin is a senior lecturer in Criminology, working at Birmingham City University. His main research interests are cultural theory and critical media literacy (particularly around crime and justice). He also looks at innovating pedagogy with comics, and is working on an Ed.D to argue for a distinct comics pedagogy, suitable for Higher Education. Follow Kevin on Social Media: Twitter/X: @KHriminology Insta: @Kevin_Loves_Comics Links to everythin...
Feb 15, 2024•43 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Send us a text Lucy chats to founder of Graphic Novel Reading Room , Gabi Putnoki. GNRR is a regular event where people can read graphic novels in other people’s company in a relaxed space such as a cafe, a community centre or a library. A wide selection of graphic novels are provided to chose from, mainly long-form fiction and non-fiction. The sessions can be anything from a couple of hours to a whole day and people can come and go freely. Follow GNRR on social media: Insta: @graphicnovelreadin...
Feb 08, 2024•43 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Send us a text Lucy chats to comics creator Hannah Berry . Hannah Berry is an award-winning comics creator, scriptwriter and campaigner. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was appointed UK Comics Laureate 2019-21. Editions of her books have been published in the USA, France, Holland, Serbia and Italy, and she has been a guest of and speaker at over 150 comics, literature and arts festivals and events around the world. Find out more about Comics Cultural Impact Collective. Fol...
Nov 18, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Send us a text Lucy chats to comic writer and artist Pedro Martin . Pedro Martín is a former Hallmark artist and the creator of Asteroid Andy. He chronicles his life growing up Mexican American online in a comic series called Mexikid Stories , and in his debut graphic memoir Mexikid . You can find Pedro on Instagram: @mexikidstories Links to everything discussed in this episode can be found on the podcast padlet. You can SUPPORT the podcast by buying a comic or buying me a comic at: https://ko-f...
Nov 09, 2023•53 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Send us a text Lucy chats to comic writer and artist Ryan Estrada . Ryan Estrada is an artist, author, and adventurer. His books include Banned Book Club, Occulted, and the Student Ambassador series. He has worked for Star Trek, Popeye, Flash Gordon, and Garfield. You can find Ryan on Twitter/X: @ryanestrada And on Instagram: @ryanestradadotcom Links to everything discussed in this episode can be found on the podcast padlet. You can SUPPORT the podcast by buying a comic or buying me a comic at: ...
Nov 02, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Send us a text Lucy chats to graphic novel author and academic Mary Talbot . Dr Mary Talbot is the author of the graphic novel Dotter of her Father’s Eyes (Jonathan Cape 2012), illustrated by her husband, award winning comic artist Bryan Talbot. She is an internationally acclaimed scholar who has published widely on language, gender and power, particularly in relation to media and consumer culture. Dotter was the first work she undertook in the graphic novel format. It went on to win the 2012 Co...
Oct 26, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Send us a text Lucy chats to Alex Harris from BBC Teach and Mike Stirling from Beano Studios . Today - we have another duo - of a different kind. I’ll be joined by Alex Harris Executive Producer, BBC Teach, part of the BBC’s Children’s and Education department and home to thousands of free curriculum-mapped classroom videos. BBC Teach hostsLive Lessons, Class Clips as well as many big campaigns, including Moodboosters the 500 Words competition - very excitingly, just been relaunched. Mike Stirli...
Oct 12, 2023•50 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats with creators of The Inflatables, Beth Garrod and Jess Hitchman . Beth Garrod is the author of the Super Awkward series. After growing up in Worcester, UK, she has worked around the world, including the USA, India, South Africa, and Canada producing everything from mental health campaigns, to music TV shows for brands including MTV and the BBC. She now lives in East London and splits her time between writing and social impact campaigns that help to infor...
Oct 05, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats with creators of the Agent Moose series - Mo O'Hara and Jess Bradley. Jess is an illustrator, comic artist and writer living in Torquay, Devon with her husband and son. Jess draws and writes for The Phoenix Comic and has appeared in over 300 issues. She also writes weekly for The Beano … In 2021 she won a Blue Peter Book Award for her work on A Day In The Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You and displays her badge proudly on her pencil case. Mo O’Hara is the New...
Sep 28, 2023•46 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Send us a text In this episode Lucy chats to lecturer in primary education and PhD student Helen Jones . We discuss the power that can be found in giving children opportunity to write comics for pleasure - and what we can find out about their views on the world around them through exploring what they write. Helen draw on her action research with children in her comics club to share a compelling overview of why the freedom to create is so important. You can find more out about Helen's research in...
Sep 21, 2023•52 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Send us a text This episode is part of a collaboration with Lakes International Comics Arts Festival. Lucy chats to writer, illustrator and educator Sayra Begum Sayra Begum is an illustrator, writer and educator based in Nottingham. She teaches Illustration at Falmouth University and Comics at De Montfort University. Begum released her debut graphic novel, Mongrel in 2020 (supported by ACE, published by Knockabout). Begum has contributed to the 10 Years to Save the World comic anthology , the Wi...
Sep 14, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 2
