Comics can be a great start, says leading author

One of the country’s leading crime authors believes reintroducing boys to action comics could lure reluctant young readers away from phones and tablets.

Fifer James Oswald, who created Inspector Tony McLean, thinks the visual appeal of game and film makes it harder to engage modern youngsters, particularly boys, in reading.

The Newburgh farmer admits youthful hours spent reading Batman and Judge Dredd built the foundations for his writing career.

“If people are not reading, but absorbing from television and video games all the time, then comics could help with this,” he said.

“We need to get over the sneering about them.”

Oswald, who owns about 10 000 comics, added: “Personally, I wouldn’t be where I am without comics.

“Inspector Tony McLean started out as a character in a comic book I wrote for 2000 AD back in 1991, which was rejected.

“I am terribly badly read when it comes to the classics but I was reading all of the time.

“Parents shouldn’t worry if their kids read comic books. The important thing is they’re reading at all.”

James Oswald: developed his reading skills through comics