LOAf, which is aimed at 9-12 year olds, is the brainchild of Becky Palmer, an Illustration PhD student at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, and Rosie Faragher, a Bristol-based artist, illustrator and writer.
The new comic will include a mixture of stories and puzzles produced by professional artists – including many Anglia Ruskin graduates – as well as contributions from young readers.
Becky, who will launch the comic in Cambridge tomorrow (Tuesday, 27 November), said: “The magazine is a response to our feeling that there are very few good quality comics for 9-12 year olds currently available in the UK. Also the range of stories, and the visuals used to tell them, is at present quite limited.
“Some excellent magazines started appearing a few years ago, such as Anorak and Okido, but nothing for the age range that we were interested in publishing for.
“It is our intention to theme each issue of the comic. At this time in their lives, plenty of changes are happening for children as they get to the end of primary school and head into their teens, and the themes are intended to pick up on some of the issues and experiences.
“This doesn’t mean that the comic is intended to be in any way a heavy or advice-laden sort of a read – instead the brief we give our contributors invites them to ruminate and riff on the theme, and the submissions we received are a broad mix of thoughtful, funny, thrilling and intriguing tales. The theme for our first edition is ‘fears’.”
The LOAf launch event will take place at the Frontroom Gallery on Gwydir Street in Cambridge on Tuesday, 27 November (3.30pm-8pm) and will feature drawing activities and games for children.
Becky, who lives in Bourn outside Cambridge, graduated from Anglia Ruskin last month with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration. The 30-year-old added: “From the outset, we’ve wanted to involve our potential readership in the making of LOAf and during October we ran a number of drawing workshops for children that invited them to make submissions for the magazine. We intend that every issue should include work by potential readers.
“We also feel that the workshops will be an important way to keep in touch with the children we’re writing for and to allow them to help us shape future issues, especially the themes we choose.”
Heffers bookshop in Cambridge has confirmed it will be stocking the comic and the Frontroom Gallery will be hosting a pop-up shop, selling copies of LOAf, throughout December. For further information or to buy a copy of LOAf, which costs £3.50, visit www.loafzine.blogspot.com
*******
For more press information please contact:
Jon Green on t: 0845 196 4717, e: jon.green@anglia.ac.uk
Andrea Hilliard on t: 0845 196 4727, e: andrea.hilliard@anglia.ac.uk
____________________________________________