World‑renowned comic book artist Charlie Adlard delivered an exclusive creative masterclass to art and design students at Telford College.

The award-winning illustrator, best known for his work on comic series The Walking Dead, visited the Wellington campus to give a talk and take part in a question and answer session with around 70 students.

Charlie said: “It’s always worth my while to do talks and workshops when the audience is enthusiastic and engaged… and they certainly were at Telford College. I had a wonderful few hours with the students there; it’s a visit I shall certainly cherish.”

Art and design tutor Anna Bartlett, who organised the visit, described it as ‘one of the best guest speaker sessions we have ever had’.

“Charlie was so generous with his time, and spoke with real enthusiasm and dynamism. He also delivered some fantastic careers advice for our second-year students when it comes to deciding on their career choices.

“To hear from someone who has shaped one of the most iconic comic series of the modern era was incredibly inspiring, and it gave our learners a real sense of what’s possible in their own creative futures.”

Shropshire-born Charlie illustrated nearly 200 issues of The Walking Dead between 2004 and 2019, and spoke candidly about his career, which has seen him work on high-profile projects such as the X-Files, Batman, X-Men, and Superman.

He was also the UK’s Comics Laureate from 2017 to 2019, where he championed comics as a powerful tool for literacy and education.

Students heard how his early love of comics was sparked at the age of six, when his father bought him The Mighty World of Marvel, setting him on a path that would eventually define his life’s work.

He described the twists and turns of his creative beginnings: studying film and video at art college, briefly trying to break into the film industry, even spending time as a drummer in a rock band before realising that comics were his true calling.

After returning to Shrewsbury to build a portfolio, he secured his first professional work with the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1992 and says he never looked back.

During the session, Charlie discussed the discipline and storytelling craft behind his distinctive black‑and‑white style, his collaborations with major publishers, and the creative freedom he now enjoys after stepping away from The Walking Dead to pursue new projects.

Students were eager to ask questions about everything from character development and world‑building to the realities of working in the comics industry.

Charlie, who still lives and works in Shropshire, praised the students’ curiosity and ambition, encouraging them to keep experimenting, keep drawing, and keep pushing their creative boundaries.