Creating Comics: A Celebration of H.G. Wells – Tuesday 1st November 2016

H.G. Wells is one of the most influential science fiction writers of all time. Among his many works are The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The ImageInvisible Man, which brought futuristic, new ideas to life and showed us glimpses of today’s, and tomorrow’s, World.

Prof Chris Murray, University of Dundee, will explore the adaptations of H. G. Wells’ stories in comics, and will give an insight into the creative process behind comics. There will also be an opportunity to have a sneak peak of the new comic featuring adaptation of H.G.Wells’ stories being created at the University of Dundee. The talk and discussion will finish at 7pm. This event will be followed by a 30 minute special  session demonstrating how to create your very own comic strip (no drawing skills necessary).

This event is part of ‘H G Wells at 150: Hope and Fear’, a series of events that celebrate the great writer’s 150th birthday and is supported by the University of Dundee as the Scottish hub of the national Being Human festival (17th – 25th November).

Everyone is welcome. This event is free and non-bookable. Places are limited so please arrive early to avoid disappointment. Doors open at 5pm.

Celebrating the Toon: The Importance of Dundee’s Comics – 7th December 2010

Comics have long been one of Scotland’s most important cultural and artistic exports, with Dundee at the centre of that success. The comics produced by DC Thomson, notably The Dandy and The Beano, have commanded worldwide audiences for decades, and characters such as Dennis the Menace and Desperate Dan are known and loved by millions.

Join us in The McManus Café on Tuesday 7th December at 6pm for this talk by Chris Murray from the University of Dundee as he looks at the origins and significance of some of DC Thomson’s best-loved comic titles, as well as some of the characters who didn’t last the course, such as DC Thomson’s ill-fated early superheroes, Captain Q, The Amazing Mr X, and some missed opportunities (such as Superman and V for Vendatta).

The talk will also examine the influence of DCT’s comics, and will ask some questions about their future in a rapidly changing publishing environment. At a time when comics publishing is under threat from numerous quarters it is important to recognise and protect the legacy of DC Thomson’s comics, and to plan for the preservation of this aspect of Dundee’s cultural heritage.

Doors open at 5.30pm and beers, wine and food are all served in The McManus Cafe, see here for a full menu. This is a FREE event, but there is limited seating available for 60 people so please do arrive early to avoid disappointment.