Nanny's In A Bin - the first kids comics of 2016

I know what you're thinking. Okay, you could be thinking one of two things. Alright, to be fair, you could be thinking an infinite number of things, but I'm going to narrow it down to two possibilities, based on the front cover of comics by kids at this week's first Comic Art Masterclasses of the year. And the answers are:

1) John Romita, from the closing splash page of Spider-Man number 50, the classic Spider-Man No More story.*

2) It's pronounced Col-astha Doo-lig

The pupils at Plunket College (above) and Colaiste Dhulaigh (abover) were First and Second years (as we'd say in Ireland or Scotland, that's year 7 and 8 in English money) and as entertainingly challenging as one gets used to with the kids at the JSCP Libraries in Dublin. I spent two days there and they did some great work, getting me into the swing of teaching and travelling. Although before them, I was broken into the year teaching this lot...

Can you begin to guess what age the pupils were who came up with the title Snot Face Strikes Back? That's right, their average age was 24, they were Newly Qualified Teachers. I started the year by teaching them how valuable comic strip can be in schools, and hopefully showing them how easy it is to teach.

Attack Of The Robot Killer Grannies was produced at a class at a 9th birthday party (Happy Birthday Dylan). I always wonder whether kids are going to mind having a two hour art class foisted upon them as their party entertainment, but once again it went brilliantly. And the caricatures you can see are of some of the newly qualified teachers. We're only halfway through January and already I've drawn the best part of 150 caricatures.

The celebs they chose for the famous Treads On A Worm demonstration (which is very much part of the if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it tradition, having first emerged in my classes about 10 years ago) were David Beckham (three times, for some reason), Katy Perry, Alan Carr,  Justin Bieber, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

* Here's the story you were thinking of.

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.