The names of Dennis the Menace, Desperate Dan, the Broons and Oor Wullie are synonymous with Scottish comics and all were born in Dundee.
It is not all about heritage, however, as the city remains very much at the cutting edge of the art form and ever more involved in its development worldwide.
Celebrated artists such as Grant Morrison of Batman fame started out in the city on DC Thomson’s pocket-sized science fiction comic Starblazer.
Students are now flocking to Dundee to follow in his footsteps and Dundee University is the focus of their attention.
In 2011, it broke new ground when it offered the UK’s first Masters degree in comics, building on those “strong local traditions” in the comic book industry.
Led by Dr Chris Murray, one of the UK’s leading authorities on comics, it invites graduates to study the impact of comics on the worlds of art, literature and popular culture.
That course has proved popular and has prompted the university to play an increasingly vibrant role in raising the profile of comics and graphic novels.
Now, with students flooding into the city, it has decided that it needs to create the post of full-time lecturer in Comic Studies to meet demand.
In addition to shaping students’ appreciation of the medium, they will also be expected to play a key role in the future development of the Scottish Centre for Comics Studies and The Dundee Comics Creative Space, both of which are based at the university.
The university said: “We wish to appoint a full-time lecturer with a specialism in comics and graphic novels to our English and Film Studies Programme.
“Over the last five years the University of Dundee has taken a leading position in the development of Comics Studies, with several courses at undergraduate level and an innovative postgraduate Masters programme in Comic Studies.
“We also attract a large number of PhD students doing work on comics and graphic novels.”
Dundee’s involvement in the world of comics and graphic novels deepens every year and increasingly events are being shaped around it.
Each year the Dee Con event brings hundreds of comic book fans, artists and cosplay enthusiasts to the university.
It is organised by students and alumni of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and offers displays, writing clinics and talks on comic writing and artwork.