About The Marginal Associates!
What are Marginal Associates?
The Marginal Associates Programme is designed to give young people aged 16-25 a chance to work as paid living-wage associates at Comics Youth’s Merseyside Branch to develop skills and grow different parts of the organisation. Each role is completely unique and was designed with feedback from Comics Youth’s own Youth Development Board, putting youth voice at the forefront.
Now, it’s time for an introduction!
Aslan: Outreach
Aslan’s role involves attending external events to promote Comics Youth, and coordinating with our partners to expand our offer.
Quote from Aslan (he/him/ze/zir):
“I first started attending Comics Youth in 2023 through projects like Safe Spaces, D&D, and the Youth Advisory Board. I've led workshops, done musical performances, and hosted Drag Queen Storytime, all of which have boosted my confidence and creative growth. Comics Youth has played a key role in my career development, so it's great to be able to give back as a Marginal Associate.
My background is in theatre, television, and arts funding, which gives me a very wide perspective of the creative industries. As somebody who has also experienced marginalisation, I wanted to use my knowledge to help young artists find their way in the world. The Outreach role is perfect for this.”
Cady: Website
Cady’s job is to update the website with new information, enhance existing pages and keep accessibility at the forefront.
Quote from Cady (she/they):
“I’ve volunteered on the marketing side of Comics Youth previously, and I really enjoyed the creativity I could input into writing blogs and looking at how to design pages and assets to be both engaging and accessible. I’ve got an interest in tech and digital programs from my work as a digital artist, and felt I could transfer my current skills to this role as a foundation to build up my learning for the future!”
Jake: Social Media
Jake will be working to support the growth of Comics Youth’s online presence, creating assets and engaging with comments and DM’s on Comics Youth’s social media accounts.
Quote from Jake (he/him):
“I want to learn about social media's importance in creating a safe space for people online and to be a part of creating that safe space/community. I also want to learn about how to use social media to best work for us and reach as many people as possible so anyone who may need our space has access to it.
“I have been a part of comics youth for about ten years, from attending different sessions that they have/had such as here for nerds, marginal changemakers and safe spaces, to becoming a volunteer, working on the youth board and now being a marginal associate.”
Matt W: Comics Artist
Matt will be creating short comics or illustrations capturing different Comics Youth projects each month, and supporting the creation of promotional material.
Quote from Matt W (he/him):
“I applied for the role because I thought it was a great opportunity to create art and comics, both with and for other people!
“I'd like to collaborate with people and discuss ideas while working on comics and illustrations, as well as receiving feedback from the people I'm working with!
“I first joined Comics Youth through their Youth Development Board; I then applied for the Comics Artist role once it was open. I've also attended some Comics Declassified sessions :)”
Matt H: Youth Participation
Capturing youth voice and feedback, Matt will be advocating for Comics Youth’s young people and developing strategies to keep the 18-25 Zine Collective accessible and engaging.
Quote from Matt H (he/him):
“I applied for the role after finishing university for a way into the creative field, and as a previous member of the zine collective, I really enjoyed my time there and knew that Comics Youth overlapped with my personal and creative values of acceptance, inclusion and community-led creative opportunities for young people to start gaining confidence and experience in the creative field. Through my lived experiences, I also knew I would like to work and support young people and this role overlapped and aligned perfectly for me.
“Through this role, I wanted to gain experience in supporting young people as well as be able to learn and feel inspired by others. I believe strongly in 'Knowledge isn't learned - its exchanged' and with working with young artists, other creatives at Comics Youth and being in a creative environment, it's really inspiring my illustrative practice alongside new avenues of interest that I typically wouldn't navigate down. I also would like to develop deeper bonds within the creative community through collaboration for instance with the Liverpool University sci-fi zine archive, which we are basing our latest projects on!
“I actually first interacted with Comics Youth through Mersey Margins Comics Fair back in 2025, where I took part in a few mental health and creative workshops. From then I followed Comics Youth’s work and later joined the Zine Collective, where I had a really good time and looked forward to being involved in the creative space. I think my experience in the zine collective really helps to shape my perspective and adds to how I can help support the zine collective alongside understanding how the project runs.”
Overall, we’re having a great time learning and growing with Comics Youth!
To keep up to date on everything the Marginal Associates are up to, along with events, open-calls and vacancies for Comics Youth, check out our Linktree!