The former editor of a world-famous comic book brand has launched his new Queen Elizabeth-themed publication at a South Cumbrian school thanks to the 'wonderful talent' of one of its young artists.
Ex-editor and writer of Marvel Comics Tim Quinn met nine-year-old Gabriel Illiyah Lazell of Arnside Primary School at the Liverpool Comic Con last November and Tim said was so impressed with the young boy's drawings that a relationship was immediately struck.
"I worked for Marvel Comics for over 20 years and earlier this year I was contacted by a charity who wanted me to put together a comic book all about the Queen, telling the story of the Queen but doing it in the Marvel style," he said.
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"We did that but as I was working on this project with my colleagues from Marvel Comics I met this wonderful boy at the convention who showed me all his drawings and his stories.
"I was completely taken with him as he really knew what he was doing.
"I'm sure you can imagine as an editor of Marvel comics I'm shown all sorts of stuff but this boy has a real talent and he is a wonder.
"I originally wanted to do something for him and he told me that he goes to a wonderful school called Arnside Primary and I thought well how cool would it be to do a pre-launch of our comic book, the story of Queen Elizabeth II at Arnside Primary, and so we've done that.
"We took the comic, literally hot off the press, into the school, and gave every pupil a copy"
The Queen comic was produced for the charity Liverpool Heartbeat who has been creating literacy and sporting projects for young people across the North West for over twenty years. Copies are available direct from the charity at the following link:
https://www.liverpoolheartbeat.co.uk/shop
Tim and Gabriel are currently working on a new project, a new graphic novel that is created by and features Gabriel and Arnside, called 'The Day I Became a Superhero', and edited by Tim and Gabriel's mum Iman Kakai-Lazell, who is the resident artist for her husband Jason's record label, Moochin' Around.
Iman explained: "Our label does comics and music, which can be seen as quite bizarre!
"It's a graphic novel about an everyday kid (Gabriel) trying to understand the basics of life whilst becoming an overnight superhero.
"We will be launching the graphic novel book here first then taking it to San Diego and New Comic Cons."
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