Revision struggles behind Scottish comics business

Rossie Stone's idea for Dekko Comics is rooted in his struggles with revision at school

Comic strips offer children with dyslexia and autism an alternative way to learning subjects at school, a Scottish entrepreneur has suggested.

Rossie Stone has set up Dekko Comics to create educational comic strips after drawing his own while at secondary school to help him revise.

A comic book he drew as revision notes for a Higher Modern Studies exam earned him an "A".

Pupils at five Scottish schools have tried Dekko Comics' strips so far.

Rossie Stone, left, is due to join climber Kev Shields and personal trainer Shona Macpherson at TEDxInverness

The schools involved include Torrance Primary in East Dunbartonshire, The High School of Glasgow in Glasgow and Hawick High School in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders.

Mr Stone, from Torrance, near Kirkintilloch, will be one of the guest speakers at the second TEDxInverness later on Thursday. The other speakers include adventurer Laura Bingham, climber Kev Shields and personal trainer Shona Macpherson.

Ahead of the event, he said: "Dekko Comics all came about because I struggled at primary and secondary school with dyslexia.

"I found it very difficult to read and listen and to retain the information properly.

"My final exams, my Highers, came along. My results up until then had been very unrewarding.

"I was studying for a Modern Studies exam and I thought 'I can't go through this again'."

Thinking that he had nothing to lose, Mr Stone created a comic book as his revision.

He said: "I found that by doing that I started to enjoy revising.

"I expected to get a 'D' in Modern Studies but instead got an 'A'."

A Dekko Comics strip

Mr Rossie used a similar technique, though not to the extent of a full-length comic as he did for Modern Studies, for other subjects and found it improved his grades in those too.

The pictorial format of comics made information easier to absorb, said the artist, who after his Higher exams went on to study at art school.

He said: "Most importantly, comics are enjoyable.

"I grew up reading The Beano and The Dandy. I was also influenced by my dad's cartoons, also graphic novels and Disney films."

Mr Rossie added: "I was told one kid with autism spent an hour reading a Dekko Comic. He now wants to make his own."