Aga Doo? A week of comics by kids in Dublin

Admit it, isn't this one of the last titles you'd have expected a class of 12 year olds in Dublin in the year 2018 to have chosen as the title for their group comic? But choose it they did, at New Cross College in Finglas, on the second day of my marathon week of classes in Dublin. My thanks go out to the JCSP Librarians of the fair city, especially Martina Flynn at St Aidans who led the co-ordination of the schools. It was quite an undertaking, what with the spectre of waiting for my Garda Vetting to be processed (about which, more here), but in the end it went swimmingly, and look at the great comics the kids produced.

Day one was at St Aidans themselves, and the Year 1 and 2s excelled themselves in being as archetypically teenaged as one comes to expect. Believe me, The Junkie Mushroom was among the more acceptable titles they came up with.

This picture, taken by Mairead at Killinarden, is a wide shot, showing how wide I currently am. What can I say, travel food!

Here are the comics produced by the pupils at Killinarden. They're in Transition Year, which is the mythical Year With No Name that exists in Irish schools. It's actually 4th year (that'd be Year 10 in England) but they don't call it that. They call it Transition Year, and no-one can ever explain why. Whatever, they came up with Finbar Ye Rat, which was my favourite cover drawing of the week. I do all these cover drawings, so it's a bit sad for me to have a favourite. But I do, so there.

And here was the delightful unexpected bonus day, at Beneavin De La Salle College in Finglas, arranged for me at last minute by one of the other librarians (Sarah at Margaret Sylward) whose school couldn't have me themselves, but who took pity on me after I was cancelled at short notice (by the school who shall remain nameless) and faced an unemployed Thursday in Dublin. As it was I had half a day in school, which was way better than none, and they went away with this cracking comic, and this nifty flipchart. Oh yes, the school isn't pronounced Beneavin as in "rhymes with believing", so the flipchart gag doesn't work. I didn't discover that till it was too late. It's pronounced Be-nevv-in. So now you know too.

The celebrities these 7 groups chose for my demonstration strip were Kim Kardashian (twice), Donald Trump, The Rock, Ronaldo, Hugh Jackman, and Beyonce.

Kev F Sutherland, as well as writing and drawing for The Beano, Marvel, Doctor Who et al, runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. View the promo video here. 

Comic Art Masterclasses open to the public:
Feb 12 - Zion Bristol
Feb 13 - Salisbury Arts
Feb 14 - Baldocks Arts & Heritage Centre, Herts
Feb 15 - Angles Theatre, Wisbech
Feb 16 - Bexleyheath & Erith Libraries
March 17 - Prema Arts, Uley, Gloucs