Literacy's in literal CRISIS.
1984 is coming!
Well, it came already. Sorry about that.
But HELP is ON THE HORIZON. It just needs… help… to come that little bit closer.
Don’t believe me, or know what I’m talking about?
Here’s the evidence…
https://downthetubes.net/comics-the-answer-to-the-uks-literacy-crisis/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/comics-the-answer-to-the-uks-literacy-crisis/
https://www.comicartfestival.com/project/comic-art-europe-comics-and-literacy-project
https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-and-young-peoples-engagement-with-comics-in-2023/
And guess what - it’s way worse in America… (‘unverified data’ but, y’know… There’s a Big Election coming. Here too at some point God Help us soon please)
Too many words? Here, have a weedio -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VheAH1rpDI
See, told you 1984 came already. This schools project happened back in 2011. The video presents a convincingly hopeful scenario and my own part played in it, innit.
The actual Truthspeak was and is way more complex than that and one day soon I may go into details on that very flipside. But for now…
The cultural situation around literacy has only devolved at an alarming rate ever since.
The wider culture and society needs to recognise WHO its most valuable allies are in the ongoing struggle - more explicitly: It’s COMICS CREATIVES, OK - and also, to value them by starting to find ways to adequately fund them in their work.
(Same goes for everybody in the Arts basically. And the Humanities. We’ll all go mad fast without, trust me on this.)
And all of that needs to start happening NOW, NOW, NOW
NOW!
#graphicnovels #comics #manga #comicartist #comiccreator #sequentialnarrative #comicbooks #visualstoryteller #comicart #sequentialart #sequentialartist
Or, you know, "Rewrite with AI"… sigh
Oh and HEY! If you know of someone’s inbox where they might possibly have some influence or can help Make Something Happen or Exercise Influence over any of this, OR simply Benefit in some way from the Wealth of Data presented, PLEASE DO forward them this email message.
Somebody, Anybody, EVERYBODY that you know if you have a mind to… (just remember to BCC and not CC)…
It’s… kind of urgent