Bobby Joseph Announced As New British Comics Laureate

After a successful weekend at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF), comic artist Bobby Joseph was announced as the new British Comics Laureate.

“I am proud and truly humbled to be the new Comics Laureate. I’m looking forward to working with the Festival organisation, and seeing what can be achieved. Hopefully, it will be a positive, lasting change for the UK comics scene.” – Bobby Joseph

This weekend saw another successful weekend for the LICAF, heck we hear that even the weather was pretty good for some of the time (it’s the north of England in autumn, pretty good weather is way more than anyone has any right to expect.)

The weekend saw comic fans descend on the beautiful town of Bowness-on-Windermere for a weekend of comic events, exhibitions, and all sorts of comic goodness. Artists showed their wares, said wares were bought – and from what we’ve heard, bought in some number.

Anyway, part of what LICAF does is co-ordinate the Comics Laureate appointment. Created by librarian and, currently, one of the directors of the School Library Association, Paul Register, the role was then developed by the Arts Council England-funded LICAF arts organisation. Effectively, its the same as the Poet Laureate, albeit less well known, an ambassadorial and educational role, aiming to raise awareness of the impact comics can have in terms of increasing literacy and creativity.

This weekend saw the role pass from Page 45 owner and comics retailer Stephen L. Holland to comic creator Bobby Joseph.

Joseph follows in the footsteps of comic creators Dave Gibbons, Charlie Adlard, Hannah Berry, and Holland. He will work with LICAF and its national and international partners on various educational visits, workshops, guest appearances, and conferences through his two-year role.

“We’re delighted Bobby is taking on the role of Comics Laureate. The Comics Laureate has been and continues to be a vital role for the comics art form. It isn’t just a title. It’s part and parcel of our wider objectives as a Festival, to reach out to new audiences and raise the profile and the understanding of the importance of comics for education, inspiration and literacy.” – Julie Tait, Director, The Lakes International Comic Art Festival

Bobby Joseph’s comic work includes the creation of both Skank magazine and Scotland Yardie, his best known strip, first published in Skank and later by Knockabout Press. He’s written for The Guardian newspaper, Dazed and Confused and Vice.com. His comic work was a prominent feature at the Anarchy in the UK comic exhibition at the British Library in 2015 and was seen by over 60,000 visitors. Scotland Yardie, published by Knockabout Comics in 2017, was the first BAME graphic novel to be studied as a module on an English Literature MA course at King’s College, London.

As a vocal advocate for diversity and BAME representation in comic books, he’s just what Britain needs in its Comics Laureate, someone who can extend the reach of comics into all areas. It’s a great choice and one I hope is very successful over Bobby’s two year reign!

For more on Bobby Joseph, he’s on Twitter as @Malcolm_Vex and @skankmagazine, and Insta as @bobbyjosephcomics.