Comics return to Kendal in October

Two years ago I had the pleasure of being a guest at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Kendal, Cumbria. A completely comics-focused event that took place in various parts of the small town and was thoroughly enjoyable and superbly organized. I won't be there this year but a fine selection of top comics folk will be. Here's the info...

The fourth Lakes International Comic Art Festival will run from 14-16 October 2016 in Kendal, Cumbria, celebrating great comic art from across the world. It is the only one of its kind in the UK taking over the whole town of Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District, for a weekend. 

Guests revealed so far are Joe Kelly, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Luke and Steve McGarry, Mick McMahon,Ken Niimura and Benoit Peeters - with the recent additions of artists Charlie Adlard, Rufus Dayglo and Duncan Fegredo; writer, artist and editor Ilya; and writers Leah Moore and John Reppion.

Joining a growing list of already-announced top international and British comics guests in Kendal in October will be Hanneriina Moisseinen, Virpi Oinonen, Ville Ranta, Johanna "Roju" Rojola and Petteri Tikkanen, along with musicians Niko Kumpuvaara and Aleksi Ranta.

Their visit is part of an extension to the Lakes Festival's rapidly-expanding Comic Creator Exchange Program with other major comics events around the globe.

The festival features comic artists from around the world, as well as performance, film, exhibitions, comic trails, workshops, master classes, live drawing and independent retailers and publishers. The events programme is bursting with opportunities to get up close and personal with some of the leading comic artists and writers from across the world – see them draw, talk about their work and bring comics to life.

A free Family Zone provides drop-in activities for all ages, alongside a series of fantastic workshops for kids and teenagers. The Lakes International Comic Art Festival brings the town together for a weekend to celebrate the amazing world of comic art.

Exhibitors in the Comics Clock Tower "marketplace" for 2016 include - to name but a few! - the Cartoonists' Club of Great Britain, Italian illustrator and cartoonist Silvia Carrus, Buzzfeed illustrator James Chapman, Disconnected Press, Forbidden Planet, the writer and artist on Rick and Morty Sarah Graley, Page 45, graphic designer and illustrator Simon Russell, Soaring Penguin and independent publisher and writer Tom Ward.

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival run 14th - 16th October 2016. Sign up for the Festival's newsletter here

Web: www.comicartfestival.com

Comics in Kendal

Last year I was privileged to be one of the guests at the Lakes International Comics Art Festival in Kendal and thoroughly enjoyed it. As so many people work in the comics industry, this year has a different guest list. I won't be there but I'd advise anyone who has this weekend free to check it out. The event takes up several locations throughout the town and has a varied choice for everyone interested in comics. You can find out the full details at their official website, which provides a handy PDF of the event programme you can download.
http://www.comicartfestival.com/

As you can see, there's an impressive array of guests from home and abroad, and that's only some of the comic industry greats attending. Although not on that list, Beano artists Laura Howell, Nigel Parkinson, and colourist Nika Nartova will also be in attendance. Brickman will be there too, as Nigel will be selling copies of Brickman Returns on my behalf, so if you haven't bought one yet, see Nigel! (You can read Nigel's glowing review of the comic here:
http://nigelparkinsoncartoons.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/dropped-brick-man.html )

John Freeman will also be there, and he recently interviewed some of the guests for his Down the Tubes blog. Go to the site here and scroll down for Comic Creator Interviews.
http://downthetubes.net/ 

My best wishes to everyone attending the festival and to the organizers. Have a great weekend!

Volunteers wanted

I notice that the Lakes International Comic Art Festival is looking for volunteers to help with their event this year (October 16th to 18th). I have to say again that last year's event was one of the best conventions I've attended, and a lot of that was due to the friendliness and efficiency of the organizers and volunteers. 

There was a very nice atmosphere to the event too, and the location in Kendal, in Cumbria, made a refreshing change to the big city shows. If you're interested in becoming a volunteer you'll find more details at this website:
http://www.comicartfestival.com/

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2014

The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal.

Having been away from the convention circuit for a couple of years for various reasons I started doing a few shows this year to get back into the swing of things and I really enjoyed attending The Lakes International Comic Art Festival last weekend (17th to 19th October). I didn't make it to last year's event but I'd heard only positive things about it, and this year's festival certainly lived up to that. 

As one of the guests I'd been sent a lot of useful information from the organisers which helped a great deal. When I arrived in Kendal I made my way to the liaison point, where Guests Co-ordinator Sandra Wood greeted me and organised a lift to my guest house. I was pleased to see that my old pal Mike Collins (now storyboard artist on Doctor Who) was staying at the same digs and the guest house was very friendly and comfortable.

That evening Mike and I walked into town for the complimentary Festival meal at the Brewery Arts Centre, meeting up with other comics guests such as Panini UK editor/writer Scott Gray and John Freeman (also an editor and writer) who runs British comics news site Down the Tubes. After which we went to see John interview Dez Skinn at the library on his creation of Doctor Who Weekly (which was celebrating its 35th anniversary that week). 

Strangehaven's Gary Millidge being camera shy.

Unlike most other UK comics shows which are confined to one building, the town itself was involved with the festival and the events took place in several venues throughout Kendal. Also, the 'Windows on Comic Art Trail' had displays in windows of local businesses in the town centre, and banners for the festival draped across the street. 

As most comics folk work from home, often in isolation, we always enjoy a get-together at such events. Therefore it was no surprise to find most attendees ending up back at the Brewery Arts Centre bar in the evenings. Over the weekend it was great to catch up with David Leach, Gary Erskine, Davey Jones, Woodrow Phoenix, Debbie Tate, Robbie Morrison, Dave Gibbons, Jessica Martin, Kev F. Sutherland, John McShane, Gary Millidge, John Short, Doug and Sue Braithwaite, Gary Northfield and many others, including Eddie Campbell and Frank Plowright who I hadn't seen for many years. Good to put faces to names too, by meeting people such as Russell Willis and Jeremy Briggs. 

Next day, I was scheduled to do my presentation at 10.30 on the history of British humour comics so it was an early start to get ready. Although I'd been on many panels over the years this was the first time I'd done a solo presentation since one I did in Norway in 1997 (which wasn't great due to nerves I must admit). Therefore I was a bit anxious but the professionalism of the festival staff put my mind at rest and they'd set up the power point to run as smooth as silk with the 95 images I'd provided. (Thanks guys!)

The audience were let in, Hunt Emerson introduced me, and I was off. Off to a bit of a croaky start unfortunately as some dust irritated my throat but that was soon sorted and the presentation went ok I think. We'd called it 100 Years of Fun but in actuality I covered over 140 years in 60 minutes. A bit of a whirlwind journey through time, I started with the 19th Century titles The Glasgow Looking Glass and Funny Folks and ended on a positive note with today's comics including Joe Matthew's new one, Funny Monsters. I don't know how well I did compared to previous historians such as Denis Gifford and before him Barry Ono, but I hope people enjoyed it. 

Nigel Parkinson and his colourist Nika were in the audience so it was excellent to meet up with them afterwards and have a slap up feed at the local chip shop whilst talking comics.

Later in the afternoon my next gig was the Cowboy Henk vs Combat Colin 'live draw shoot-out'. Cowboy Henk being the creation of Flemish artist Herr Seele. As we were setting up it was good to finally meet Festival Director Julie Tait, as we'd previously only communicated by e-mail. Usually at these 'live draw shoot-outs' two artists have a friendly competition, drawing at desks as their work is projected on screen for the audience to see. Herr Seele, who is an extroverted but very interesting character, instead chose to start with a power point presentation of his work. I didn't mind this at all as it was fascinating to learn about his history and the development of his popular Cowboy Henk character. 

Herr Seele.

With the presentation over, Herr Seele (real name Peter van Heirseele) set to work painting a huge cubist image of Cowboy Henk while I drew characters projected onto the screen. Hunt Emerson was interviewing both of us as we worked. Probably the most surreal event I've done at a comics show but I enjoyed it and I think the audience did too. Afterwards I did a quick sketching/signing session. 

The weather on Sunday was quite wet and after my scheduled sketching session in the Comics Clock Tower I met up with Psycho Gran artist David Leach for lunch and a visit to the Magnificent White Elephant Emporium. Inside were the Viz lads Graham Dury and Simon Thorp and their bizarrely brilliant How a Viz Comic is Made lo-tech experience. Knockabout's Tony Bennett was also there so it was good to have a chat with him too. Woodrow Phoenix was on another table, displaying his giant book She Lives, a silent comic story. A book so big he had to bind it himself using the largest paper size available, and drew the story in the book itself, therefore exhibiting the original art. See it yourself in the photo below...

Woodrow Phoenix.

There were a lot of events going on over the weekend, giving visitors plenty of choice. There were talks and presentations by people such as Dave Gibbons, Joost Swarte, Rian Hughes, Sean Phillips, Gail Simone, Charlie Adlard, Audrey Niffenegger, Becky Cloonan, Mark Buckingham, Bryan Talbot, Jeff Smith, Metaphrog, Emma Vieceli and others, plus exhibitions, dealers rooms, workshops, and more. The great thing was the diversity of comics, and the fact that this was entirely a comics-focused event, not part of a multi-media show. (Hardly any cosplayers too.) I'm sure that many curious members of the public who drifted into the Comics Clock Tower must have learned at least a little more about comics during the weekend, and that can only be a good thing. 

The superbly designed 52 page programme.

I was hugely impressed with the professionalism of the festival and the warm, friendly enthusiasm of the very helpful festival team. If there were any hiccoughs in the running of the event it certainly didn't show as far as I was aware. My thanks to Julie Tait, Sandra Wood, Jenny Graham and the whole team for a very enjoyable weekend indeed. The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has a positive and invigorating vibe about it, proving that comics in the UK are far from dead, and that they now appeal to a wider cross-section of people than ever before. 

Official website:
http://www.comicartfestival.com/

VIZ UNMASKED at the Lakes Festival

Via John Freeman....


The ever-irreverent VIZ team are promoting their Lakes Festival exhibition plans with this satirical take on the British Library's recent Comics UnMasked poster by Jamie Hewlett. Image: Graham Dury/Simon Thorp

Kendal, UK, 18th August 2014:  Hot on the heels of the British Library's "Comics UnMasked" exhibition comes the Lakes International Comic Art Festival's very own homage to art and anarchy in the UK - "VIZ Unmasked".



VIZ Unmasked will, amongst other things, reveal the dark art of how a VIZ comic is made through a fully interactive, animatronic, state-of-the-art museum experience.

"It's been a long-held ambition by the VIZ team to create and present this unique installation," notes Festival Director Julie Tait, "and they are delighted that LICAF has enabled this dream to be realised.

"I suggested they could do a spoof poster of Comics Unmasked," Julie says of the tongue-in-cheek promotional image from Graham Dury and Simon Thorp. "They went for it – I just hope Comics UnMasked's co-curator Paul Gravett and artist Jamie Hewlett appreciate it!"



The exhibition will form a major part of a new, and still emerging,"Pop Up" Fringe over the Festival weekend (17th - 19th October 2014), aiming to reinforce its distinctiveness and respond the creative ideas of its supporters and collaborators.

VIZ have also lent their name to this year's special Comic Festival beer inspired by their long-running Biffa Bacon, the label art drawn by Graham Dury and Simon Thorp. The beer will be on sale during the Festival weekend at select outlets, including the Brewery Arts Centre, Castle Green, Wetherspoons, Ruskins and still-to-be-revealed venue for the "Pop Up Fringe".

Tickets for all the events at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (17th - 19th October) are on sale now. For the full guest list, details of events and exhibitions and bookings visit: www.comicartfestival.com

Over "100 Years of Fun" at the Lakes

At this year's Lakes International Comic Art Festival I'll be presenting a talk on over 100 years of British humour comics, from Ally Sloper to Toxic. Plans are for it to be illustrated on screen with images from my collection. 

It'll be good to see some of you there if you can make it. Here's the details:
http://www.comicartfestival.com/hundred-years-fun-lew-stringer/

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival - Tickets on sale now!

I'm pleased to say I'm one of the many guests at this year's festival. Here's the latest press release...

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is pleased to announce that tickets are now on sale for its massive weekend of comic events in Kendal, Cumbria in October (17th – 19th October 2014).

In just its second year the Festival features an increasingly stellar line up of comics creators and designers encompassing a wide range of genres, including international guests such as artist Becky Cloonan (who, along with her many independently-created works, was the first female artist to draw the main Batman title for DC Comics), digital comics guru Scott McCloud, top comics writer Gail Simone, Junko Mizuno,  the award-winning Wilfried Lupano and Jeremie Moreau (creators of the acclaimed graphic novel The Hartlepool Monkey), Bone creator Jeff Smith and Dutch cartoonist Joost Swarte – plus a host of home-grown British artists, writers and illustrators.

Just a few of the many creators in this year’s line-up are the legendary Watchmen co-creator, artist Dave Gibbons, Sunday Times-featured artist Nick Abadzis, Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard, Doctor Who artists Mark Buckingham and Mike Collins, 2014 Eisner award nominee creator Rob Davis, Marvel Comics artist Gary Erskine, top designer Rian Hughes, 2000AD and Batman artist Jock, leading independent artist Sean Phlllips, The Beano and VIZ artist Lew Stringer and many top independent comic creators, such as Luther Arkwright and Grandville creator Bryan Talbot and Vampire Academy artist Emma Vieceli.

(For further information on creator's works, visit the Festival's web site - www.comicartfestival.com).

The Festival features more than 50 carefully-produced events with often unusual combinations of guests, unusual presentations and new formats. It includes films and live draws alongside workshops and master classes including a whole programme dedicated to children and teenagers. Themes and strands include Konichewa Japan, Vive la France!, Lost in Space, The Great War in Comics and Just for Laughs?

Plus, the Festival offers a huge, free, Comic Marketplace in Kendal’s Clock Tower, crammed with publisher stands, creators offering art and sketches – and, of course, there will be plenty of comics for sale. (Full details of the family zone and Comics Clock Tower plus full exhibitions programme and more will be released in May and June, but look out for creators such as Isabel Greenberg, writer Ian Edginton, Great Beast publisher Adam Cadwell among many others). There’ll also be a pop-up Forbidden Planet for the weekend.

With a firm eye on developing new comic talent there are also plenty of workshops for aspiring comic creators to sign up for.

“The first festival ran like a well-oiled machine, with many people stating that it seemed like a long-established event,” enthuses Festival guest and founding patron Bryan Talbot. “If you only go to one comic event this year, this is the one that's unmissable.”

“The organisers are building on last year's resounding success to make this year's festival outstanding,” added fellow patron Mary Talbot. “There's another stunning array of guests and exhibitions, events and competitions - so there's sure to be something for everyone. Like last year, only even better!”

"One of the most popular questions after our first festival in 2013 was how would we be able to match its breadth, scale and quality,” says Festival Director Julie Tait. “We hope this year's programme (with a few surprises still to come) will answer that question.

“We are delighted to have an increased number of international creators and to have broadened the genres too. Meanwhile we have listened to feedback and have extended the range of the family zone and have made the Comics Clocktower free to the public. And we can assure you that Kendal will be even more of a comic art town for the weekend"

• Tickets for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival are on sale now. Sign up for the Festival's newsletter here (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=17d847cfd0&e=0571986aea)  for the latest news! Web: www.comicartfestival.com

For further information contact: Julie Tait - julie@comicartfestival.com (mailto:julie@comicartfestival.com?subject=Becky%20Cloonan%20-%20Press%20Query)

Images of most announced guests, Festival poster and mascot images can be found here:

Web Resolution: www.flickr.com/photos/116459003@N07 (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=5acbdd41ae&e=0571986aea)

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The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (17th – 19th October 2014) is a new kind of comic art event in the UK. Modelled on a European-style festival it aims to take over the market town of Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District, with comic art presenting the widest range of genres. Events include a 24 Hour Comic Marathon, children’s comic workshops, talks, signings, Great War in Comics art exhibition and a Comics Marketplace.

** Guests So Far...

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International Guests

Nick Abadzis

Becky Cloonan

Peter Van Heirseele

Wilfrid Lupano

Scott McCloud

Junko Mizuno

Jeremie Moreau

Ivan Petrus

Romuald Reutimann

Gail Simone

Jeff Smith

Joost Swarte

Jorg Tittel

Creators

John Aggs

Rob Bliss

Adam Brockbank

Charlie Adlard

Doug Braithwaite

Mark Buckingham

John Clark

Mike Collins

Stephen Collins

Darryl Cunningham

Rob Davis

Glyn Dillon

Oliver East

Jonathan Edwards

Gary Erskine

Felt Mistress (Louise Evans)

Martin Geraghty

Merlin Goodbrey

Dave Gibbons

Scott Gray

Nick Hayes

Kate Holden

Rian Hughes

Jock

Joe List

Lizz Lunney

Metaphrog

Robbie Morrison

Sean Phillips

Woodrow Phoenix

Tim Pilcher

Kimberley Pope

Dermot Power

Jade Sarson

Dez Skinn

Lew Stringer

Kev F. Sutherland

Bryan Talbot

Donya Todd

Emma Vieceli

Joff Winterhart

2014 Comics Marathon Team

Dan Berry

Kristyna Baczynski

Warwick Johnson-Cadwell

Joe Decie

Sarah McIntyre

Fumio Obata

Jack Teagle

Presenters

Joelle Bernard

Hannah Berry

Pete Doherty

Alex Fitch

John Freeman

David Gaffney

Mel Gibson

Paul Gravett

Stephen L Holland

** 24 Hour Comic Marathon

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** The 24 Hour Comic Marathon creative team is: Dan Berry (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=8077ba3076&e=0571986aea) , Marathon curator and producer; Kristyna Baczynski (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=4cfea31931&e=0571986aea) (NME), Warwick Johnson Cadwell (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=af42787662&e=0571986aea) (Tank Girl), Joe Decie (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=a59bbf1ff3&e=0571986aea) (The Accidental Salad) Sarah McIntyre (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=ae1ce2d23e&e=0571986aea) (Oliver and the Seawigs, shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2014), Fumio Obata (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=39220d1fa2&e=0571986aea) (author of the graphic novel Just So Happens) and Jack Teagle (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=2dd907334a&e=0571986aea) .

• For more information about the 24 Hour Comic Marathon visit: www.comicartfestival.com/competitions

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** Festival Sponsors and Benefactors

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The Patrons of the Festival are comic creators Sean Phillips, Bryan Talbot and Mary Talbot.

The Festival is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, with funding from South Lakeland District Council and Kendal Town Council working in partnership with the Brewery Arts Centre and Kendal College.

Commercial sponsors include the Westmorland Shopping Centre, Sequential and Knockabout.

Tickets for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival are on sale now. Sign up for the Festival's newsletter here (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=58988d49da&e=0571986aea)  for the latest news!

Web: www.comicartfestival.com

For further information contact: Julie Tait - julie@comicartfestival.com (mailto:julie@comicartfestival.com?subject=Lakes%20International%20Comic%20Art%20Festival%20Press%20Query)

Images of most announced guests, Festival poster and mascot images can be found here:

Web Resolution: www.flickr.com/photos/116459003@N07 (http://rokcomics.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12d51967f82555bd1b89b628e&id=363ae1ab21&e=0571986aea)

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival

I'm very pleased to say that I've been invited as a guest at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival on 17th to 19th October 2014 at Kendal in Cumbria. I heard very good things about this event last year from those who attended so I'm looking forward to being there this autumn. I hope to see some of you there! 

http://www.comicartfestival.com/

Here's the official press release with the latest news:

Kendal, UK, 19th March 2014: Britain has a long tradition of humour comics such as The Beano, Dandy and VIZ – so it should come as no surprise that the cheeky gang at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival have lined up a number of comic creators well known for delivering a chuckle or two thanks to their work (as well as, on occasion, a more sober tale).

 

The latest guests announced to join a stellar line up of comics talent in Kendal in October are Guardian cartoonist Stephen Collins, Nick Abadzis (creator of the critically-acclaimed Hugo Tate and the incredible Cora's Breakfast, pictured above), Beano and VIZ artist Lew Stringer, Cornwall’s Donya Todd (creator of Death & The Girls), Lizz Lunney (creator of many a surrealist animal!) and Flemish cartoonist Peter van Heirseele, the brains behind the absurdist comic Cowboy Henk.

 

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (17th – 19th October 2014) is a new kind of comic art event in the UK. Modelled on a European-style festival it aims to take over the market town of Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District, with comic art presenting the widest range of genres. Events include a 24 Hour Comic Marathon, children’s comic workshops, talks, signings, Great War in Comics art exhibition and a Comics Fair.

 

Previously announced guests for the Festival include The Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard; Fables artist Mark Buckingham; acclaimed independent comics creator Oliver East; Watchmen co-creator Dave Gibbons; top designer and comics creator Rian Hughes; 2000AD artist Jock; self-taught Japanese artist Junko; Dutch underground comics artist Joost Swarte; writer Robbie Morrison; artist Sean Phillips; digital comics frontiersman Scott McCloud; leading US comics writer Gail Simone; Jeff Smith; COSTA Award winner Bryan Talbot; Vampire Academy artist Emma Vieceli; and Jonathan Edwards, who has designed the event’s “Mascot Family”.

 

"I'm excited to be asked to attend The Lakes Comic Art Festival - it's an honour,” enthuses Nick Abadzis. “I've heard lovely things about the 'Angouleme of the North' and in anticipation of seeing old friends and meeting many new ones to celebrate the art and language of comics, I'm greatly looking forward to my visit to Kendal."

"'I'm really excited to be coming to the Festival," says Donya Todd, "joining in all the fun and drawing with a bunch of cool people.'

• Tickets for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival go on sale from 25th April 2014. http://www.comicartfestival.com/