Suzy Varty

Comics have fascinated me since I was a child. My first comic was published in 1976, and I edited the first British Women’s Comic in 1977. Since then I have been published and exhibited in the USA, Europe and Scandinavia and worked with the medium in a variety of ways.

I organized a Comic Art Festival in Newcastle for Visual Arts Year 1996, have produced a comic on a billboard, worked on many artists residencies and to commission and run accredited comics courses. I have produced several issue based comics for publishers, marveling at the way serious subjects marry so well with the medium, and I continue to write, draw and champion comics.

Some highlights :
2011 : Contributor to the unique graphic novel, Nelson, Blank Slate Books
2008 Comic for BBC publications RaW series
2002 Spot cartoons for Genetic Politics New Clarion Press
1996 Comic for AWAPeace Organisation book published Holland
1997 Women out of Line anthology for Fanny comics @ Knockabout
1992 Wimmins Comix San Francisco USA
1991 Partylines for Thames tv publication
1990 Comics for two Penguin books, The Comic Book of First Love, The Facts of Life
1981 Comic for Pork Roasts Canada
1978 Comic for Mamadramas Kitchen Sink Comics USA

Mel Gibson

Who are you?
Dr Mel Gibson, a UK based comics scholar and consultant.

What have you done / what are you doing?
I lecture at Northumbria University. I also work with libraries, schools and other organisations in Britain and further afield, helping them understand how to develop collections of manga, comics and graphic novels, how to teach with them and how to promote them.

I write for professional academic and general audiences about comics. You can find out more here at Dr Mel Comics.

Why comics?
Eighteen years ago I was a librarian who wanted to encourage libraries to include comics in collections, because I loved the medium so much. One way or another, I’ve been working with comics ever since.

Further info:
http://www.dr-mel-comics.co.uk/