77-year-old comic book artist passes his skills to the next generation

A Slough care home resident who created comics for 35 years has been sharing his talents with the next generation.

77-year-old Martin Newman, who lives at Care UK’s Oak House on Forest Close, was joined by pupils from St Anthony's Catholic Primary School for a comic drawing class.

The care home resident started drawing in his younger years and has always enjoyed being creative. Martin got his first job in 1966 as a creative director/consultant, he then went on to become a consultant for Horizon art gallery located in Henley-on-Thames. 

Martin illustrated comics for 35 years including drawing for the advertising company and when the home heard of his ambition to share his skills with the younger generation, they were inspired to organise a comic drawing workshop with local school pupils. 

On the day, students from St Anthony's Catholic Primary School enjoyed a creative session with Martin and team members from Oak House. They each came up with their own story line and then were coached by Martin on how to create characters and bring the story to life. 

Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Buda, Home Manager at Oak House, said: “We thoroughly enjoyed welcoming pupils from St Anthony's Catholic Primary School into the home for a comic book drawing class.

“Here at Oak House, we are always looking at ways to help residents share their skills and knowledge with younger people. Martin is incredibly talented and wanted to inspire the next generation of comic book artists, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to support him to do so.

“Intergenerational activities have also shown to be incredibly fulfilling, as they give younger and older generations a chance to learn from one another. These connections can be especially helpful for older people as they can provide a sense of purpose and spark discussions about their childhood. 

“It was a brilliant day, both for Martin and the pupils, who all learnt a thing or two from each other. We certainly have some budding comic book artists in Slough, and we look forward to seeing them published in the future!” We’d like to thank Martin for sharing his talents with St Anthony's Catholic Primary School and we look forward to welcoming the students back in the autumn term.” 

Oak House provides residential, nursing and short-term respite care, as well as specialist dementia care. The home enables residents to live active and fulfilled lives while also promoting independence. 

To find out more about Oak House event, please contact Home Manager, Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Buda, on agnieszka.klimkowicz-buda@careuk.com