What’s better than making comics? Helping other people make comics!

We’ve been busy running comics workshops (like, structured comics making) and drop-in activities (like, have a go and stay as long as you like). Here are some photos of comics-in-progress and some finished comics too.

From our Spineless half-term workshops at the Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle:

From our Creepy Crawly Comics workshops at Cramlington Library and Morpeth Library, as part of the Spellbound events series (thanks Spellbound for letting us share photos from your Facebook page):

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/spellboundworkshops

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/spellboundworkshops

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/spellboundworkshops

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/spellboundworkshops

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/spellboundworkshops

From our comics making and an exhibition of pages from our comic Asteroid Belter as part of Discover Science Through Comics, organised by the BritishScience Association West Yorkshire Branch, in Leeds:

 

Most comics creators were mysteriously anonymous and didn't put their names on their comics. If you spot your comic here, let us know and we'll gladly add your name to it. 

Mega thanks to our workshop co-facilitators Michael Jeffries and Emily Rose Lambert (for Spineless at GNM: Hancock), and Jack Fallows (in Leeds).

Yeah SCIENCE! Yeah COMICS! As always, we love to see your science comics – keep in touch!

Comics on the radio?

We're very excited to be on Paul Hudson's Weather Show on BBC Local Radio this weekend. His show focuses on climate change, so our Editor in Chief was happy to have a quick chat about our science + comics collaborations... including comics on climate change.

This would be a good time to reread Asteroid Belter: The Newcastle Science Comic. Click on the cover image at the right of our blog homepage, then have a look at:

• Climate Change and Extreme Weather (comic by Adam Murphy, science by Hayley Fowler)
• Adventures in Carbon Capture (story/science by Carla-Leanne Washbourne, art by Glynnis Fawkes)
• ...and well, why not reread the whole comic?

Listen out for us on BBC Radio Leeds, to be broadcast in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire this weekend. Times may vary, but here's a link to the iPlayer page http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p016jv8d - the programme will be available to listen again for 30 days after it is broadcast this weekend.

If you're inspired to make your own science comics we'd love to see them! Keep in touch online, and/or come see us in Leeds on Sunday 13th March.

Thought Bubble You Rock

This weekend we attended the Thought Bubble Festival, we also did our talk at the Comics Forum. Editors Lydia Wysocki and Michael Thompson presented our talk to Comics Forum entitled Epic themes in awesome ways, or how we made Asteroid Belter: The Newcastle Science Comic. It seemed to go rather well, if anybody happened to record any of it we'd love to see/hear it.

Excellent science comics from @NCLScienceComic #comicsforum13 pic.twitter.com/mes2HkJAew
— Damon Herd (@tickingboy) November 22, 2013

Jess Bradley's poo comic was a favourite among the Thought Bubble gang. I have a poo sticker and badge now, which is grand.

Sarah McIntyre took a great photo of the Science Comic team for her blog, thanks Sarah. We hope you enjoy the comic.

The @nclsciencecomic being judged. Guilty of all charges #awesome #science #comics pic.twitter.com/AdHDc8rUFm
— Paul Thompson (@Paulxthompson) November 24, 2013

We have been judged and found guilty of comics. Oh no.
Paul Thompson took the fall while another culprit fled the scene.

If you visited us on Sunday it's very possible that you witnessed Lydia's mad knitting skills. She was making gloves, I've never really got to grips with knitting but it is certainly very scientific and involves a lot of counting. It looks a lot like being a human printer. 

Massive thanks to Thought Bubble, we gave out over 600 comics and we hope you all enjoy them. Yes, even you. Leeds, you were grand. Now we shall rest a bit.

Belter Conferences

As well as the previously mentioned Comic Conventions we'll be at the following conferences:

Engage 2013 - 27th & 28th November

The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement's annual conference, Bristol.

We'll be doing a workshop entitled Asteroid Belter: The Newcastle Science Comic - public engagement, comics, and awesomeness.  

This conference will explore the many ways universities and their partners choose to engage together, and the agendas these partnerships serve. It will provide an opportunity for open dialogue between the HE community, policy makers and funders, and the organisations working with them.

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Comics Forum 2013 - 21st & 22nd November

Leeds Central Library, Leeds.

We'll be doing a presentation called Epic themes in awesome ways, or how we made Asteroid Belter: The Newcastle Science Comic.

Comics Forum was established in 2009 as part of Leeds’ annual sequential art festival Thought Bubble, which takes place at various venues across the city every November. Taking the festival’s emphasis upon the educational value of comics as its starting point, Comics Forum aims to increase the visibility and accessibility of comics scholarship through an academic conference that brings together scholars, artists and fans in a spirit of mutual cooperation and development.

It's Convention Time

Team Newcastle Science Comic is travelling the country. Missed us during the British Science Festival in Newcastle? Head to the following places to pick up your very own Asteriod Belter.

Comica Comiket - Saturday 2nd November

Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, London.

Thought Bubble - 23rd - 24th November

New Dock Hall, Clarence Dock, Armouries Drive, Leeds.