A GROUP of young teenagers have launched their own comic strip series.

The West End Girls (WEGs) part of One Voice Blackburn have been supported by designers and animators after they initiated the concept and writing of the WEGs Comic Series.

The first episode 'WEGs always support each other' will be screened via social media next week. It is anticipated that the next episode will be released in early Spring. The project is also showcased on the new One Voice you tube channel, 1V TV.

Ideas and writing for the first episode started last summer.

Shahida Hafeji, part of the WEGs group and a student at Pleckgate High School, Blackburn, said: “We are really excited to see the final version of the cartoon, and it looks even better than we hoped. It’s really professional,”

“Our designer drew each of the characters, and then we started to think about script ideas. There are a number of girls who have had different roles in putting this together. It’s definitely a team effort."

The video features one of the WEGs group having an accident in a local park and shows how the girls rally around to support their friend.

Oswaldtwistle born Lindsey Sagar, designed the project for One Voice Blackburn, and thoroughly enjoyed the process.

“I am an illustrator for children’s books and greetings cards but this was something a little bit different. The WEGs are really passionate about their home town and are also a really fun loving group. They are all uniquely interesting characters in their own right, and we tried to capture that in the cartoon. They have got so many new ideas, and many of those concepts will feature their home town.”

The WEGS are part of One Voice's community groups. The girls encourage and inspire others in the community to undertake various creative projects around Blackburn.

Alongside a comic series the WEGs group also have a pop group, called BANNED, and a drama group. WEGs have also been recognized for their empowerment work, particularly among the South Asian and Arab heritage communities in Blackburn.

The second episode of the comic series will be launched in May 2021.

The video can viewed on the following link: https://youtu.be/YNtzzLrZ35o