Angoulême: city of comics

Discover the Plymouth illustration students who represented Devon comic creators on the UNESCO Cities of Literature tour of Angoulême

Photo by Jamie England. Taken when representing Devon on the UNESCO Cities of Literature tour of Angouleme.

University of Plymouth BA (Hons) Illustration and MA Illustration students James Taylor, Kitty McEwan, Jamie England and Jack Ratcliff were lucky enough to be selected by Exeter City of Literature to represent Devon comic creators on the UNESCO Cities of Literature tour of the Festival international de la Bande Dessinee Angoulême in January 2023.

As part of the 50th anniversary of the festival, the organisers set up an award for UNESCO Cities of Literature on the theme of ‘Comics for a new world culture’.

James won the coveted international award and their winning short story will be adapted into a comic strip by the 2023 Young Talent Cartoonist winner, Valériane Macabrey.

Ashley Potter , Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Illustration, said: “Students were so excited to be part of this amazing opportunity and James’ achievement in winning the award is absolutely delightful. Words and images are so inextricably entwined in the storytelling medium of comics, a genre which is continually growing in so many exciting forms.”

It was an honour to be chosen to go to Angoulême on behalf of Exeter City of Literature and a huge surprise to win the Literature Award! I was so inspired by all of the French comics I got to see, and everyone else at the Festival, too. I can’t wait to take everything I learned from this trip forward into my own work. Thank you to the UNESCO Creative Cities!

– James Taylor

? James Taylor's award-winning work

What inspires their work? How has Plymouth helped them with their practice?

Discover the passion behind James, Jamie, Jack and Kitty's illustration work – and enjoy part one of Kitty's webtoon on her experience of visiting Angoulême.

James Taylor

James is an illustrator with a passion for comic books based on personal experience. They enjoy creating and sharing zines and have launched their own comic series called Day to Day.

James was incredibly surprised to win the award in Angoulême and is super excited to see how the comic adaptation turns out – especially as it was a story that they were planning on making into a comic themselves – so are very interested to see how different it turns out.

I'm inspired mostly by my personal experience and the people around me. I'd say that all of my stories have some aspect of me in them, whether it be my interests or values or my experiences growing up queer and autistic.

– James Taylor

James feels so inspired by the illustration community in Plymouth and has greatly benefited from befriending some of the coolest people working in the field and getting advice and support from them.

They are currently working on a comic for their final year project about loneliness and control in relationships – all centering around a Tamagotchi.

After they graduate, James plans to continue making comics and illustrations and would love to sell them online and at fairs.

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James Taylor

Jamie England

Jamie is an illustrator with a passion for bold colours and creating work highlighting environmental issues.

Jamie has been drawing since they were a child and started considering a career as an illustrator when completing their A levels. They like to use paint markers and gouache for the bold and flat colours they can achieve from them, but also really like working digitally.

Jamie has created several zines including The Snazzy Times – a magazine about themselves as part of their undergraduate study and The Greenhouse – a comic created for a module about the rapid decline of coral reefs due to climate change.

A major inspiration for my work is environmental issues such as ocean conservation. I really enjoy creating work on topics like history and animals – especially when there is quite humorous information involved.

– Jamie England

Studying at Plymouth has helped Jamie become more confident as an illustrator and as a person. While being close to The Box, the National Marine Aquarium and the Hoe have really reaffirmed their love for the ocean, the creatures that live inside it and the history of the city.

Highlights from their trip to Angoulême include seeing how focused and dedicated the town is to celebrating comics and the Attack on Titan exhibit, which featured several Hajime Isayama’s original hand-drawn pages for the manga series.

Jamie is currently spending time building up their portfolio by creating a range of editorial illustrations and comics. They are planning to study illustration at masters level and holds an ambition to work as both an editorial illustrator and a comic artist – ideally working with The Box and the aquarium.

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Jamie England

Jack Ratcliff

Jack is an illustrator with a passion for comic books and using out of this world imagery to explore very real themes.

Studying illustration at Plymouth has benefited Jack immeasurably. He began the undergraduate course with an interest in the subject and soon discovered a love for comics and storytelling and he has not looked back since.

My love for weird, surreal art extends to an interest in how artists can use imagery and stories that seem completely unlike our world to comment on and explore very real themes, either about themselves or society. Working these ideas into comics is my number one goal.

– Jack Ratcliff

Being selected to take part in the trip to Angoulême was incredibly validating. Jack was amazed and in disbelief at first at the prospect of being able to go to a festival that celebrates something that he is so passionate about. Jack's most memorable moments were the opportunities to meet illustrators and writers from all over the world who share a passion for comics in a city celebrating comics.

Jack is currently busy working on an exciting comic that feels like a culmination of everything he has done and explored over the last four years. Other notably projects range from a deck of tarot cards to mini-zines documenting intrusive thoughts.

After they graduate, Jack hopes to make a living working as an illustrator and to make comics that people like and connect with.

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Jack Ratcliff

Kitty McEwan

Kitty is an illustrator, comic artist and zinester, specialising in comics, visual, and multimedia narratives.

Kitty creates the weekly comic strip Gurt Noodles, the limited webtoon series Lunchspiracy and a comic strip, The Stonehouse Detectives, which is printed in the Plymouth-based newspaper The Stonehouse Voice.

Kitty was over the moon to visit the Angoulême Festival. Comics as an art form are incredibly important to Kitty and seeing the obelisk dedicated to René Goscinny (French comic editor and writer) and the murals on nearby buildings made her feel quite emotional – it was validating seeing their area of work really mean something.

I find a lot of inspiration from British culture – mainly British humour, as well as stories rooted in everyday life. I come from a working-class background, so I also draw a lot from that.

– Kitty McEwan

Studying illustration at Plymouth helped Kitty to craft stories and solidified her goal to work in comics. The course encouraged and inspired her to play with the limits of what comics are and find that the lines between comics and other forms of visual narratives are blurred and ripe for experimentation. She graduated with a first class honours degree in 2022 with a specialist exit award in Comics and Visual Narratives.

Kitty is now working as a professional illustrator and webcomic creator, as well as pursuing MA Illustration at Plymouth. Her postgraduate work continues to push at the boundaries between comics and other visual arts, and explores the multimedia and interactive potential of the digital webtoon.

Kitty McEwan

Kitty McEwan interviewed by Plymouth Live

A Comic Artist's Odyssey

It was Kitty's first time abroad going to the festival and she kept a sketchbook journal to keep track of her journey to France with James, Jamie, Jack and co.

This journal was used as inspiration for the three-part webtoon on the experience – the first part of which can be enjoyed below.

A Comic Artist's Odyssey by Kitty McEwan

Continue 'A Comic Artist's Odyssey' and explore Kitty's work

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