Young people in Craven have been gathering at Skipton Library to write and draw their own comic. They have already self-published five issues of the fantastically named 'Pink Fluffy Ketchup Covered Flower Ponies' and this summer will hold a workshop and a competition to get other young people creating, Lesley Tate reports.

THE young people of Skipton are crazy for comics. So much so, that they have formed the country’s first kids’ comic collective at the town’s library – and have a waiting list of people wanting to join.

The youngsters - known as Team Ketchup - meet once a month at the North Yorkshire County Council library in the town's High Street.

Each month, they write, draw, design and print their own comics, as well as holding events and workshops to encourage other like minded comic fans to join in.

And they have just been successful in being awarded £750 from a Reading Agency fund for coming up with innovative approaches to get people into reading.

The money will mean Team Ketchup will be able to run zine-making (alternative ways of making art and design) workshops in May.

They will be followed in May and in June by a competition inviting young people to come up with their own comic.

A showcase will be held at the end of the competition on July 8 as part of Small Press Day - a a celebration of self-publishing, DIY culture, and grassroots comics.

So far, Team Ketchup has published five issues of the intriguingly titled 'Pink Fluffy Ketchup Covered Flower Ponies' featuring work by more than 30 contributors. The strips cover an eclectic selection of subjects, from unlikely superheroes to golf in space, Donald Trump, autobiographical pieces and, naturally for Skipton, sheep.

Team Ketchup was born when, after a request by a parent, Alix Coughlin, the library formed a reading group to enable children to take part in judging of the British Comic Awards, which are presented each year in Leeds during Thought Bubble, one of the country’s foremost comic conventions.

Young people gathered at the library to read and discuss the shortlisted titles before voting for their choice. At the awards ceremony, the speaker was writer and illustrator Sarah MacIntyre, who inspired the children to publish their own comics. The rest is history.

Team Ketchup received funding from several sources, including Craven District Council, for which they had to make a Dragons’ Den-style presentation, Skipton Town Partnership, Skipton Town Council and Rural Action Yorkshire. The success of the group’s comics means that at the moment they can self-fund future issues.

With membership limited to just 30, the group has already built up a waiting list. People are welcome to join when they are ten years old, and can stay until they leave the sixth form.

There is also a junior spin-off called Splats, a five-week course taught by Team Ketchup members that introduces primary school children to creating comics.

Charlie, 13, a founder Ketchup member, says before he got into comics, he struggled to read normal books because he is dyslexic.

"Reading comics has helped me to enjoy other books. Just being thrown into a book was difficult, but I started building it up by reading more and more comics with more text and then I was able to read more books," he said.

17 year old Beth, another founder member, said: “I love picture books, then when I found comics it was like: picture books for big people with more interesting plotlines.”

Julia Arnold, a library staff member who works with the group, said no one actually really grows out of picture books and illustrations.

"It's just social convention that books gain more text and fewer pictures as the reader gets older," she said.

“In planning and drawing a comic, children have to think carefully about how the story is told. In six or eight boxes they have to develop a character and engage the reader. Without realising it, they are creating the basis of good storytelling. Comics can boost the confidence of children whose written skills don’t keep up with their brilliant imagination. It’s no surprise that Team Ketchup attracts quite a few kids with dyslexia.”

The benefits of being part of Team Ketchup go beyond improving reading and writing skills.

“The team has written and presented funding bids, sometimes needing to express their plans to an interview panel," added Julia. " They have developed presentation skills and persuasive writing.”

Two Ketchup members, Beth and Ben, were speakers at the 2015 British Comic Awards Young People's Choice and in the family area at Thought Bubble members have hosted drawing sessions and taught people about comics.

“All of the team initially found facing the public really challenging,” said Julia. “They are growing in confidence now, and really enjoy working on the stall at Thought Bubble and Sheep Day.”

Social isolation can be a risk for young people in the rural areas of Craven, but Ketchup gives members a chance to meet socially and to enjoy experiences like Thought Bubble.

Charlie said: “Nobody at Team Ketchup is judgemental, so you can have anything you want in the comics, as long as it is family friendly. Nobody judges you. It doesn’t matter if you are not good at art. You feel you are at the right place at the right time and everybody gets along. It helps you to learn to socialise. We have done Thought Bubble quite a few times, which has helped people talk to other people and take them outside their usual group of friends.”

The Ketchups’ are helped in editing their comic by graphic artist Jody Lawson, a volunteer and parent of a team Ketchup member. For each issue, each Ketchup member can take two comics they have created to a vote night, at which the team decides what to include.

In 2015, Team Ketchup was named Craven Community Arts Champions 2015.

Team Ketchup’s comics can be bought at Skipton library and events the team attends, include Skipton Sheep Day, for which the team produced a special issue, and Thought Bubble. The latest information about Team Ketchup is on its Facebook page and on Twitter at @theteamketchup.