Matthew Edgar

Matthew Edgar serves as Principal Lecturer in Visual Communication within the Department of Art & Design at Sheffield Hallam University's School of Art, Architecture and Design. He develops and leads courses in graphic design, illustration, digital user experience, and creative digital design, emphasizing holistic integration of history, theory, and practice.

His research interests span comics studies (particularly Chris Ware's work), diagrammatic writing, concept mapping, and typography history. Edgar champions comics as a legitimate art form and explores their cultural significance through scholarly analysis and curation.

Edgar curates exhibitions addressing key design issues, including retrospectives on Ken Garland, Lance Wyman, Jan van Toorn, Universal Everything, and Why Not Associates. His 2022 article on Raymond Briggs demonstrates his focus on how graphic novels gained intellectual respectability through works like Fungus the Bogeyman, When the Wind Blows, and Ethel and Ernest.

He occasionally contributes to Sheffield's Mess journal (http://howfineamess.com/) and produces documentary works investigating typography and design history.

Edgar holds a BA in Graphic Design and an MA in Film and Television Documentary. Prior to academia (1998-2005), he worked as a producer at the BBC, including BBC Radio (1998-2000).