Introduction
Devon County Council is running a comic competition starting from November 2026. Entries will be accepted from any residents living in the administrative boundaries of Devon County (i.e. not Torbay or Plymouth). Comics should be created about the subject of buying too much stuff (i.e. consumerism) or waste. Comics could be about reducing waste, fast fashion, culture of having enough, 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), circular economy etc.
The competition will be open for entries from November to the closing date of 30th April, 2027. There will be four categories (KS1, KS2, KS3/4 and aged 16-19). Comics can be submitted either by post to the Waste Education Officer at Devon County Council, emailed to recycle@devon.gov.uk or dropped into your local Devon Library. Please include the name of the school the young person attends (or mark as home schooled).
The winners will be decided by a panel of judges in May 2027. The top prize will be a £50 book token, promotion on social media (such as a photo of the winning comic), a goody bag of Recycle Devon supplies and the possibility of having the story displayed at their local library. Runners up prizes will be a £10 book token and a goody bag of Recycle Devon supplies.
Download this Teaching Pack page as a PDF
All about comics
Comics come from across the world in different art styles and genres.
Here are some examples you may have heard of:
The superhero, action MARVEL Superman or Spider-Man comics is written with capitalised text. While short comic strips were found in newspapers (back in the day!) like Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, Peanuts and more linked here.
In Japan, comics are called manga, reading from right to left. Some famous examples include: Haikyuu!!, Naruto, Demon Slayer, Dragon Ball, Doraemon etc..
(Images from Pixabay, Doraemon by illustrationfiles, Spiderman by yalanois)
Comics are a great way to share a powerful message through a few pictures and words. Below are some links to environmental comics:
environmental comic strips linked here too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmrdYtTqvNs/
Although comics started out being created on paper, many of them have been digitalised onto online reading platforms such as Webtoon, or even onto the big screen as animations!
Lesson plans. Click on the images to enlarge or access the full document on the link below
Create your own comic
Photo Prompts
Choose one of these the photos below to draw a comic based on them. Or pick your own photo as a reference point.
Consumerism or buying too much stuff
Waste
Top Tips
- Suggest students to create a draft before they start
- Think about expressions of the characters (see image on the right)
- Consider putting down speech bubbles first if they are using them, so they don’t run out of space to write.
Comic Example
We have comic templates available if you wish to use them.
Download Comic Competition Templates
Below is an example of a comic that your students could make.
Additional resources
Here is a Libraries Unlimited YouTube playlist featuring Joff Winterhart, an illustrator and writer, who shares his tips on finding inspiration, develop characters and storyboarding.
Steve Cutts’ animation is a jolting view of modern day ‘Happiness’ that will get you thinking about what consumerism really means for the characters living in the 21st century life. Watch here: Happiness – YouTube (not suitable for young children)
A cautionary rhyme about consumerism. Watch here: https://youtu.be/PSznbYe2H0k?si=C7FHqz55HA9ws2Oj
Inspiring stories of circular economy by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Link: Leading the Transition to a Circular Economy | Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Climate Comic. Link: Home | Climate Comic
Informative page about plastic pollution by the Plastic Soup Foundation. Link: One wave towards a plastic free future – Plastic Soup Foundation
The Challenges of Circular Economy – comic – Business Illustrator (nice free digital comic, but rather long)
A good video from the Ellen McArthur Foundation that explains the Circular Economy and How Society Can Re-think Progress | Animated Video Essay.
Keep Britain Tidy’s waste hierarchy can inspire your students. Image source: Recycling | Keep Britain Tidy
