Old Greenock Charactersby John Donald

Adapted by Inverclyde Academy

Created and published with the support of the Scottish Library & Information Council School Library Improvement Fund.

Printed by Comic Printing UK

First published in June 2018

Adapted from “Old Greenock Characters” by John Donald (1920)

Script and artwork by Inverclyde Academy and Magic Torch Comics - for full credits see contents page

Additional artwork / lettering by Mhairi M Robertson

Magic Torch Comics CIC is a community interest company, based in Scotland, Company number SC568827

Contents Introduction & Acknowledgements Susan Morton

Original 1920 Introduction Magic Torch Comics

The Greenock Fair Kennedy Bolton, Beth Hulme and Hollie Wilson

Dugal The Moose Allan White

Preachin’ Mary Scott Orr and Katrina Cockburn

John Barr Josh Gairns, Dylan Grimley, Dylan Mitchell and Matthew Boyle

Cockin’ Kirsty Rachel O’Connor

Scutcher Dan Jonson Bowes, Callum Bradley, Devon McDowall Lewis McKeown and Innes McLean

Contents Puddin’ Jean Erin McLean Archie Pluck and His Monkey Kayleigh Cockburn

Johnny The Boxer Keelan Stewart

Red Rab The Polis Ruaridh McBain and Aidan Montgomery

Rainy Greenock by Keelan and Make Beliefs Comix

Afterword by Paul Bristow

Process and Sketchbook

IntroductionI hope you enjoy reading this graphic novel created by S2 pupils from Inverclyde Academy. This comic book is the result of a project funded by the Scottish Library and Information Council which began in January 2018 after a successful application to The School Library Improvement Fund. This enabled me to take forward an idea I had to work closely with Magic Torch Comics on a heritage-themed project.

With guidance from the Magic Torch Comics team, I chose to focus on telling the stories of people who lived in Greenock a long time ago, using John Donald’s descriptions in his publication, “Old Greenock Characters” as the basis for our creative work. I have very much enjoyed the collaboration with Paul and Mhairi over the past few months and I am so pleased with the results of our pupils’ hard work.

I am delighted our pupils got the chance to participate in this project. They have gained knowledge, skill and technique in scripting and illustrating. You can see this for yourselves in this fantastic collection of illustrated stories. Each pupil has contributed to this book and together they have created a wonderful graphic novel.

AcknowledgementsMy thanks go to The Scottish Library and Information Council for providing the funding which has made this project possible. We are very grateful for this opportunity. Our pupils have gained so much from taking part in the workshops. It has been a real pleasure to see them develop their writing and illustrating skills.

Thank you to Mrs McCusker, Principal Teacher of English at Inverclyde Academy and the rest of the English Department for all the encouragement. I am very fortunate to have such supportive colleagues.

Thank you to our S6 pupil mentor, Kayleigh Cockburn. Kayleigh has inspired, guided and supported our pupils with their artwork and drawings. She has been an invaluable member of our team.

I would also like to thank Magic Torch Comics, Paul Bristow and Mhairi Robertson for their hard work throughout the project. It has been a privilege to have such talented graphic novelists in our school library on a regular basis to pass on their expertise.

Finally, I’d like to express my thanks to all the pupils who participated. This has been a fantastic learning experience for them and this book is the result of their achievements. I am very proud of them all. Well done!

AfterwordInverclyde Academy was one of the very first schools we worked with when we started creating comics in the classroom. An Inverclyde Academy class wrote a four-page story for our comic Tales of the Oak in 2013, and I remember having fun with that group working out how the sinister Slenderman was going to cope with a wander around the Oak Mall. Since then, we’ve worked with the school as often as we can – undertaking a comics workshop for elective groups in second year. The scope of this project though, was something entirely different.

This book, like all comics, and all good creative enterprises, represents a team effort. For a project like this, the process is every bit as important as the end product - maybe even more important. So it’s useful to maybe know a little bit about that process and how we worked. What was so amazing about this opportunity, was the chance to work with a class over an extended period of time – ten whole weeks. Over those ten weeks, we explored how comics tell stories, we took time to share and illustrate our own personal histories and we discussed classic and historical comics as storytelling devices. We then selected the appropriate stories to adapt from Old Greenock Characters, and split the class group into artists and writers. The writers set about creating comic scripts adapting the stories, and the artists got busy on designs for the characters they were going to be illustrating. By the final week, we were a well-oiled comic making machine.

More than anything, I think this project has reminded me what an amazing, safe, inclusive, life changing place libraries can be. At Inverclyde Academy, the library really is the cultural heart of the school – connecting everything. We were absolutely delighted when one of the team – Beth – actually used a graphic novel about Ada Lovelace to create an award winning presentation in maths. Cross curricular comics – that’s the future! Or how about a whole

school Comic-Con, with various departments contributing to the design, promotion, delivery and staging of an absolutely brilliant community event? Yep, they did that too.

Projects like this don’t just take commitment from pupils, they only happen because of a supportive staff team. Magic Torch would like to thank head teacher Denise Crawford, head of english Jane McCusker and of course, school librarian Susan Morton, who initiated, developed and secured funding for the entire project. Just before we started this project, Miss Morton was presented with the Scottish Book Trust Learning Professional of the Year Award for the ways in which she has developed the library into the vibrant, creative space it has become. How lucky we have been to get the opportunity to work with Susan and the amazing, committed and creative pupils of Inverclyde Academy.

We are sure that the comic making and comic reading will continue for years to come.

Paul BristowJune 2018

Process & Sketchbook

As a group, we selected the stories we were going to focus on and started breaking them down, thinking about how they could be adapted into comic panels.

There are many different ways to lay out a comic script - this is the template we used.

Sample Comic Script Layout 1

PAGE NUMBER – at the top of each page

Some writers will use this space before the script to describe the layout of the page.

For example, 3 rows of 3 panels (nine panel grid)ORSplash panel (one full page panel)ORThree rows of 2 panels (six panel grid)

Panel 1The script is laid out in panels - that’s what the boxes on comics pages are called.Each panel is numbered on every page – and the numbers start again from 1 on each new page

Panel 2For each panel, the script will - Describe the action to be presented in the artwork. - Provide the text for any text boxes - Provide the dialogue for characters

Panel 3 The artwork / action is described firstDescriptive text boxes are next, usually labelled CAPTION Character dialogue is laid out like drama scripts

CHARACTER 1 I would go out tonight, but I haven’t got a stitch to wear CHARACTER 2 It’s gruesome that someone so handsome should care.

(Tip – the text is read from left to right, so generally, the character who is speaking first, will be on the left of the panel)

We created drafts of the scripts, compressing the story into three or four panels per page. This is a first draft of the John Barr script.

Character design thoughts and script ideas for Dugal The Moose.

PREACHIN’ MARY - PAGE ONE

Three rows of panels, 1 top, 2 middle, 3 bottom

Panel 1MARY stands outside Theatre Royal. She is described as “a slim woman of middle age, with jet black hair sparsely sprinkled with silver / grey. She was clad in a dress of dark material, a shoulder shawl and a straw bonnet”

CAPTION Mary O’Neill was a fruit hawker in Greenock and other coastal towns on the Clyde.

MARY Apples and oranges!

Panel 2Close up of some coins being handed to MARY and she hands fruit over.

Panel 3MARY walking towards pub, there are a few barrels and boxes outside, which she will use later.

CAPTION On a good day for sales, she would celebrate...

Panel 4 / 5 / 6Straight view of MARY, as she sits at a table drinking. Each panel shows more glasses on the table and a progressively more dishevelled looking MARY.

Preachin’ Mary was the first script the writers team completed. Meanwhile, artists were working on the character design.

PREACHIN’ MARY - PAGE TWO

Two rows of two panels

Panel 1MARY now stands on a barrel outside the pub, a crowd gathered in front of her. Her speech bubbles have little bubbles around them to reflect her intoxica-tion.

CAPTION After Mary had a few drinks, she would hold court to the delight of a quickly gathered audience.

MARY It’s the drink. The awfu’ drink. Look whit it’s done tae me. It’s a curse. A curse!

Panel 2MARY is in full flow now, warming to her topic, punching one hand into the other to make her point.

MARY If ye never drink a first glass, ye’ll never drink a second. The first glass is the damned yin!

Panel 3A LADY addresses MARY

LADY Would ye not take the pledge Mary? Stop drinking.

MARY I could easily tak it, but sad to say, I couldna keep it...

Panel 4Closer in on MARY, looking slightly sad.

MARY If I could get haud of a pailful o’ whusky, I wad drink it if ma body wad haud it.

CAPTION In her sober intervals, Mary O’Neill was a quiet, industrious woman.

Our 6th year assistant, Kayleigh Cockburn created a character design resource, and various different designs of Preachin’ Mary were developed..

Various character designs for Dugal The Moose.

The team also considered clothing and historical setting for each story.

Some of the illustration, design and panel layout process for the John Barr story. Artwork by Matthew Boyle.

Masterclass Comic TeamDevon McDowall

Aidan Montgomery

Matthew Boyle

Scott Orr

Allan White

Erin McLean

Callum Bradley

Beth Hulme

Kennedy Bolton

Innes McLean

Josh Gairns

Lewis McKeown

Dylan Grimley

Rachel O’Connor

Jonson Bowes

Hollie Wilson

Ruaridh McBain

Dylan Mitchell

Katrina Cockburn

Keelan Stewart

Quotes from Pupils“They have helped me with my comic creations by encouraging me and showing me comics in a different light. I have been inspired to create my own comics in the future.”

“I would recommend this project to anyone who gets the chance as it is a great experience.”

“I enjoyed working with others.”

“Magic Torch Comics have helped me in this project to make up more characters.”

“I loved writing the script and reading about these interesting people. They were very helpful. They expanded my ideas and let us lead. I am very glad they were here.”

“I increased my confidence and skills.”

“I loved being able to work with an artist.”

“They helped me improve my ability to come up with ideas.”

“It was amazing!”

“They helped me understand the format of comic books.”

“It is great to have a tangible reward for our hard work. It’s great to see it come together in a final product. “

“I’m really proud that I took part in this and I can’t wait to see my art in this book.”

“It was easier than I thought. I want to do it again!”

Inverclyde in ComicsOver the last few years, Magic Torch Comics have been sharing Inverclyde stories in all sorts of publications– including several supported by Heritage Lottery Fund and Inverclyde Council. You can find most of them online to read for free.

Identity – The Archivists TreasureTwo local schoolchildren are guided through some of the important stories and events of Old Inverclyde by the mysterious Archivist.

Tales of the OakA collection of folktales and ghost stories inspired by the myths and legends of Inverclyde and presented in the style of a vintage horror comic.

Achi Baba – Gallipoli 1915An award winning exploration of the experiences of a local battalion in Gallipoli during the First World War.

Camanachd GhrianaigAn adaptation of a Gaelic song by Mairi Mhor nan Oran, about a Shinty Match between the Glasgow and Greenock Highlanders. Created with Whinhill Primary for Inverclyde 1+2 Language Initiative.

The Doom That Came to GourockGranny Kempock, Gourock’s ancient witch, is back, looking for revenge. Created with Gourock Primary School for Inverclyde 1+2 Language Initiative.

Ghost TrainA mysterious train rattles through Port Glasgow, taking its passengers on a strange journey through time. Created by Newark Primary School with support of Scotrail Cultural Fund.

The Skeleton KeyWitches at War! Magical characters from the Clyde’s past unite to help the war effort.

The StowawaysThe Arran left Greenock in April 1868, bound for Quebec. Seven boys stowed away on board. Not all of them came home.

www.magictorchcomics.co.uk