THE story of the Scottish Parliament is to be transformed into a comic book caper – if it wins public backing.
The Scottish Political Archive at Stirling University has today revealed plans to create a new graphic novel recounting the rebirth of the Edinburgh institution featuring original artwork by German illustrator Jules Scheele.
Glasgow-based Scheele will use original political campaign materials and photographs from the archive as a basis to reveal how the parliament was reconvened after an absence of 300 years.
The book, it is promised, will “merge art and information”.
But the project – the brainchild of Dr Emily St Denny – will only come about if the public commits cash to a crowdfunder which is now live.
If the £9000 target is met, free copies of the “graphic history” will be distributed to every high school and public library in the country.
St Denny, a UK politics lecturer who specialises on Scotland and Wales, said: “We are passionate about the Scottish Parliament – its history, its architecture, the way it functions, the people who work within it and how it’s changed over time.
“We came up with the idea for the book because were tired of only writing about the parliament in lengthy academic tomes and wanted to share our fascination with Holyrood with non-experts in an engaging and accessible manner.”
Sarah Bromage, archivist at the unit, said the illustrated tome would bring “ancient history” to life for younger readers.
She told The National: “For a lot of the children studying the Scottish Parliament for their Highers, it is ancient history – they weren’t alive in 1999 and they don’t remember a time before the Scottish Parliament.
“But it wasn’t always there and this explains how the drivers behind it emerged.”
While comics and graphic novels often deal with adventure stories and superhero tales, non-fiction versions are increasingly popular. Some, like Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Holocaust memoir Maus and Alison Bechdel’s autobiographical Fun Home – which was adapted into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical – have become classics.
Scheele’s previous work includes a graphic history of US politics and Bromage is hopeful fans of the format will be drawn to The Scottish Parliament: A Graphic History. She said: “We’re a little bit over-excited about it. It’s about the themes, and the development of the parliament.
“People like Canon Kenyon Wright will probably feature in it, but it will not be about the political figures.
“We know the themes we want to explore and the stories we want to tell. We hope that people studying politics will read it, but we think it’s got a broader, wider audience of graphic novel readers as well.”
The book will focus on “the road to Holyrood”, how the parliament works and how it has changed since 1999.
Launching the project, the Archive said: “Featuring the voices of those who worked to reintroduce a parliament in Scotland, as well as that of the people who have worked within it, it will invite readers to reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing the Scottish Parliament going forward.”
Dr Peter Lynch, senior lecturer in Scottish and European Politics at Stirling, said: “Because the story of the Scottish Parliament and how it works is as dynamic as it is fascinating, we believe it is best told using eye-catching graphic images.
“We are committed to giving it the best look and feel we can and are working with Jules Scheele, a freelance illustrator, comics artist and graphic facilitator based in Glasgow. Jules will create original artwork responding to the story of the parliament and the visual material held in the archive.”
The crowdfunder has been opened with a 55-day deadline, with a range of rewards available for backers.
To donate, visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/scottishparliamentgraphichistory.
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