The Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard has been appointed as the UK’s new comics laureate – taking the opportunity to call time on use of the expression “graphic novel”.

Adlard, who has worked on comics including 2000AD, Mars Attacks, The X-Files, Judge Dredd and X-Men, as well as being the artist behind the popular zombie series The Walking Dead, was appointed to the role at the Lakes international comic art festival in Kendal, Cumbria at the weekend. He is the UK’s second comics laureate, following Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons, who was appointed in 2014. The role is intended to “raise awareness of the impact comics can have in terms of increasing literacy and creativity”, and can go to a comics creator, writer or artist.

For all ages ... comics laureate Charlie Adlard

One of the new laureate’s key focuses will be to increase the acceptance of comics as a tool for learning. “I would like to approach it from an angle of how comics are very inclusive. From a personal point of view, my eldest is dyslexic, and the only thing he’s ever read willingly has been comics. It’s indicative of what comics can do, as opposed to trying to force him to read some teenage fiction,” said Adlard, who takes up his new role in February.

The artist described himself as “delighted and deeply honoured” to be appointed as the comics laureate. “The power of comics to encourage learning and develop literacy shouldn’t be underestimated. Comics can connect with people who may never pick up a normal book and really help encourage a love of reading. I see this as a great opportunity to bring the wonder of comics to a wider audience,” he said.

Julie Tait, director of the Lakes festival, said the laureateship was “a really vital role for the comics art form … The comics laureate isn’t just a title; we already have a programme of events taking shape that will … reach out to new audiences and raise the profile and the understanding of the importance of comics for education, inspiration and literacy,” she said.

Adlard stressed: “I’d like to see comics for all ages. I don’t just want the industry to be regarded as just for kids,” he said. “If there’s one phrase I loathe, it’s the graphic novel. It is somebody sticking a label on something and saying they can’t call it comics as that’s for children … it is a label saying ‘this is for mature people’ – giving it another title to make it for grownups. [But] comics are literally for everyone, and there should be no labelling.”

Despite being best known for his images of zombies, Adlard said he described himself as a cartoonist. “I’m as much a cartoonist as [Peanuts creator Charles M] Schulz is a cartoonist. It’s the same medium – that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s for children,” he said.

Dave Gibbons said he would be supporting Adlard “from behind the scenes” in his new position. “It’s been a great honour to fill the post of comics laureate for the past two years. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to talk about my love of the medium, and its role in education and literacy. Most importantly, there has been an increasingly positive response from teachers and school librarians to the use of comics in schools. However, there is still work to be done,” he said.