Ghost Cat by Craig Conlan One of a series of books featuring Ghost Cat, the book Ghost Cat’s Pedigree Chums features teenager Petra X, who lives in a Pet Cemetery and encounters Ghost Cat and friends. This


book was shortlisted for the


BCA Young People’s Comic Award 2014/15.


Oliver’s opinion? ‘[Conlan’s]


cartooning is simply gorgeous in presentation – both delightful and ghoulish in equal measure – but it’s his exquisite use of colour that adds an entire extra atmospheric layer to the proceedings.’


Cindy and Biscuit: We Love Trouble by Dan White This volume tells the story of Cindy and her dog Biscuit, and their troubles with alien zookeepers, robot graveyards and screaming skulls. Oliver is taken with the nuances of White’s cartooning: ‘A


look of sulkiness, or


delight,


on Cindy’s face speaking volumes about her childlike perception of her environment; a look of fear or anger on Biscuit’s propelling the story forward with comic ease.’


The Beginner’s Guide to Being Outside by Gill Hatcher (Avery Hill Publishing) Here’s another book published by small press publishers Avery


Hill, and another nominee for the BCA awards. The Beginner’s Guide to Being Outside tells the tale of Megan, a teenager from Manchester forced to spend her holidays in the Scottish Highlands. The carefully observed artwork in this volume makes me want to leave my computer and go and explore the world outside. Oliver describes how, as Megan’s realisation of the ‘splendour of the highlands grows… the reader too is pulled further into the majesty of the scenery and animal life that Hatcher so stunningly recreates.’


Another small press comic being championed by Andy Oliver is Njálla by Rozi Hathaway This Kickstarter-funded comic is based on Sámi myths and legends. It centres on Lieddi and her friend, a baby reindeer called Unni, and their encounter with the Arctic fox-spirit Njálla. The artwork in this comic is stunning - it’s definitely on my wish list!


Further recommendations were given to me by Stephen Holland of comic shop Page 45:


Small Tales and Fairy Fails by Paul Duffield. St Colin and the Dragon by Philippa Rice. Mulp by Matt Gibbs & Sara Dunkerton. Night Post by Ben Read & Laura Trinder. The Red Shoes by Metaphrog


So where can you get your hands on copies of these comics? Generally, they are available direct from the creator’s or small press publisher’s online store. However, buying from small online stores can be tricky for schools and libraries which have certain requirements for invoices and payment methods. Here’s where independent comic shops come to the rescue.


Shops such as Page 45, Gosh! Comics, Orbital Comics and Travelling Man stock small press comics. Some stores offer advice to schools and libraries and can help you choose the right comics for the age and interests of your audience.


Page 45 are involved in supplying and working with libraries and schools. They also have an excellent list of comics for children and teenagers http://www.page45.com/store/teen-and-younger-readers.html.


Long Lost Lempi by Adam Vian The Long Lost Lempi comics chart the adventures of Lempi and her friends Ermin and Melisse, as they explore fantasy worlds including a ghostly pirate ship and a submarine circus! The black and white artwork in these comics is gorgeous to look at. Oliver says: ‘There’s a sense of motion, a feeling of energy, to Long Lost Lempi that is highly engaging. It’s those distinctive yet expressive character designs that provide the book with its own eccentric identity, though, and ensure the readership’s affinity with these three childlike souls.’


The ever-widening range of children’s comics, both in small press and mainstream publishing, means that children now have the opportunity to explore different art styles, different genres and different forms of storytelling within the world of comics and find the artists and writers who speak to them.


Acknowledgements Many thanks to Jess Bradley, Neil Slorance, Andy Oliver and Stephen Holland for their views and recommendations.


Hannah Sackett works part-time as school librarian at Widcombe Junior School, Bath, where she runs an after-school comic club. She also works as a freelance educator.


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