AN ambitious anthology to mark the World War One centenary has been announced by the team behind The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF).

Featuring more than 20 internationally acclaimed comic artists and writers, Traces of the Great War is led by Pascal Meriaux, the director of French comic art resource centre On a Marche sur la Bulle, and LICAF director Julie Tait.

The publication will explore and trace the impact of the First World War on lives today and the project will include a dedicated website, education programme and exhibitions.

"Comics, graphic novels, bandes desinees (drawn strips) are an incredibly powerful art form, capable of bringing to life fragments of the past and to give form and presence to what cannot easily be said," said LICAF director Julie Tait. "This art form has the power to transmit emotion, to involve our feelings and intellect and to make readers think and reflect on the issues they deal with."

Held in Kendal, LICAF attracts some of the most well known comic artists, writers and their readers from all over the world every year.

And not only does the anthology have a local connection with Kendal, a key partner is also Albert in France.

The town, which hosts the annual Albert book festival, is twinned with Ulverston and both locations are set to be involved with the launch of the project.

Comic creators involved include award-winning artist and writer Dave McKean, who also co-created the critically-acclaimed 14-18 NOW comics work Black Dog – The Dreams of Paul Nash in 2016.

Other contributors to Traces of the Great War include The Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard, French artist Edmond Baudoin, Deadpool writer Joe Kelly and husband and wife Bryan and Mary Talbot.

The anthology has been jointly commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the UK’s official arts programme for the First World War centenary and La Mission du Centenaire, France's First World War Centenary Partnership Program.

Traces of the Great War will be published in October 2018.