Summer Scholars Lunchtime TalksBritish Library · Talk · NW1
Join us for two lunchtime talks:Wags – The British Comic That Launched US Comic Book SuperstarsAlmost forgotten today and impossible to find, Wags was a ground-breaking British newsprint comic published from 1937–38 that became the training ground for many of the creators who would later define American comic books. As Michael Finn explains, within its pages were early works by future legends including Will Eisner – later hailed as the godfather of the graphic novel; Jack Kirby, the co-creator of Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Black Panther, the Silver Surfer, and many of the Avengers; and Bob Kane, who would go on to create Batman. Wags also introduced one of comics’ most important milestones: the debut of Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, the first female jungle hero in comic books, appearing months before Wonder Woman.How McDonald’s Took Off in the UKCollaborative Doctoral student at the Library, Tom Willett, uses the life story oral history interview of David Walker from our collection to examine the expansion of McDonald’s into the UK in the 1970s. Walker was managing director of McDonald’s first UK meat supplier and his life story speaks to the transatlantic exchange of food processing technologies that has shaped the UK’s food system. This talk also explores criticism of McDonald’s practices through examining Walker’s role in the infamous 90s ‘McLibel’ case, in which he gave evidence in defence of McDonald’s food standards.
