New NCF Comic Series

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) is producing a Comic Series as part of its Day of National Significance Public Awareness Campaign that will be published in tandem with the Radio Drama Series set to be aired today, Monday June 17th on the Starcom Network station VOB 92.9 at 6:15 p.m. and again on CBC Q100.7 at 8:45 p.m.

NCF Cultural Officer Literary Arts and Producer of this segment of the campaign, Mrs. Ayesha Gibson-Gill, expressed her excitement and satisfaction with the comic series remarking that, “It will demonstrate that we have interesting stories and amazing artists.”

Gibson-Gill explained that the comic is for people who enjoy the colour and action that a visual format provides as opposed to the radio dramas which you will be able to listen to on the go.
The comic series, drawn by Beyond Publishing Caribbean, is another adaptation of the play ‘How Hard the Times’ by Michelle Cox which is based on a collection of poetry written by her father, Anthony Hinkson.

The first five pages of the comic are expected to be released in an e-book format on Friday, June 21st at 8:00 p.m. available on the NCF website www.ncf.bb and issued every Friday following for a six-week period culminating with the full storyboard on July 26th, the actual Day of National Significance.
Like the radio drama series, Gibson-Gill noted that the comic does not just portray the events of the 1937 riots from a historical perspective, but it also views it from a micro level, revealing how the riots have affected Barbadians in a personal way. “It is a way to engage with history that is not necessarily being taught at all levels in the schools anymore in a very light, interactive and fun way,” she continued. The comic will take the story into a different realm, so that it can be enjoyed by readers of all ages and hopefully inspire people to further research the historical material after getting hooked by its fictional characters. “We absorbed it and gave it our own aesthetic. It is so beautifully rendered that comic book geeks of all ages will be interested.” she quipped.

The team at the Foundation is tasked each year with producing some form of cultural representation to engage the public in recognition of the Day of National Significance. In the past it has taken the form of a stage theatre or folk concert. However, in the postmortem of that event the discussions steered towards attracting an expanded audience of differing age demographics, so they had to rethink their approach and the concept of a radio drama and comic series along with other cultural expressions /promotions was born.

Identifying the rise in popularity in podcasts and graphic novels, the NCF Officer told that the radio drama series will be available for download on podcast which will also be posted today at 9:00 p.m. following the CBC broadcast.