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)
------------------------------------------------------------
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...
------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------
** 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
------------------------------------------------------------
** Festival Sponsors and Benefactors
------------------------------------------------------------
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)