Filed under: Thought Bubble 2012 | Tags: 1000 Words, Anne Hollowday, Comics, film, marvel method
Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be posting footage from many of the speakers at 1000 Words, the day of talks that ran at this year’s festival.
Today it’s the turn of Anne Hollowday, who delivers a few lessons from the world of documentary filmmaking and tells us how it links to comics writing with the Marvel Method…
Don’t Over Manage the Scene by Anne Hollowday from Matthew Sheret on Vimeo.
Filed under: Programme 2012, Thought Bubble 2012 | Tags: 1000 Words, Comics, Emma Vieceli, Talks
Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be posting footage from many of the speakers at 1000 Words, the day of talks that ran at this year’s festival.
First up, it’s Emma Vieceli, taking about the distinction between mainstream and niche, and about one very popular novel…
50 Shades of Niche by Emma Vieceli from Matthew Sheret on Vimeo.
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, News, Programme 2011, Thought Bubble 2011, What is Sequential Art? | Tags: Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Sequential Art, UK Conventions
Howdy hey! Bit of a quiet month on the blog (sorry), but that’s because we’ve been busy. Like, super-busy. So without much further ado lets plow on into the mammoth pile of Thought Bubble 2011 happenings that’ve crept up on us like… mammoths?
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First things first – Exhibitor table news!
Tables in Saviles Hall are now completely sold out. A new record for us, all the tables in that hall are now booked, however, we still have limited numbers left to book in Royal Armouries Hall for our 2 day convention. Early bird prices for these remaining tables expire on August 1st (after which time they will rise), so act fast if you don’t want to miss out and snag yourself a bargain! Full details can be found on the website.
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Second item of business – Leeds Graphic Novel Awards 2011!
Last year saw the inaugural Leeds Graphic Novel Awards ceremony take place (won by Dave Shelton for his book Good Dog, Bad Dog) as part of the Leeds Book Awards. Specifically aimed at books suitable for 11-14 year olds, this winner is chosen by pupils at selected schools around Leeds, who then get to attend the awards ceremony and meet the creators. We’ve just released the nominations shortlist for this year, and if you’d like your school to take part in this or future events please email deborah.moody@leeds.gov.uk.
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Tertiary phase – Northern Sequential Art Competition 2011!
Following on from the success of last year’s first ever Northern Sequential Art Competition, we’re pleased to present 2011′s offering in association with our good friends over at Travelling Man comic stores. Winning entries will be published in our next anthology (publication date TBC in 2012), and there are other fabulous prizes to be attained.
Full details and T&Cs can be found on the website, but there’s a brief run down below.
This year’s competition is open to artists and writers in the UK, and entries must be a single, self-contained comic book page, with no fewer than 6 panels, A3 in size, portrait format and must contain the title in the top left corner.
Judges will include Matt Smith (editor of 2000 AD) and Steve Wacker (Marvel’s Spider-Man Editor). Deadline for entries is Monday 31st October.
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Finally – Convention Tickets!
Tickets for 2011′s convention are selling like cakes tending towards maximum entropy, so act fast if you’d like to be one of the lucky ones (first 500 weekend pass sales) to get guaranteed entry to our funtastical after-party!
Tickets are available for purchase through our website, or can be collected in person from Travelling Man comic shops, or OK Comics in Leeds.
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And that’s it! All the news. ALL OF IT. We’ll be announcing this year’s festival programme soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that, shouldn’t be too hard to spot as it’s going to be huge. Seriously, when we said this year’s festival was going to be our biggest yet we really weren’t kidding. Cushty.
- Clark
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, Film and Sequential Art, Small Press and Independent Friends of Thought Bubble, Thought Bubble 2011, What is Sequential Art? | Tags: Comics, Kayla Hillier, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds comic workshops, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Sequential Art, UK Conventions, Webcomics
Hello! We’re back!
Back after an exhaustingly good time at the MCM Expo down in the big ol’ city known as Londinium. While there we announced some new guests for TBF11, and generally had a jolly old time with Team Comics, as well as handing out some lovely new Thought Bubble flyers along the way. But we are now ensconced in the lofty spires of Thought Bubble Towers once again, and we have work to do, so let’s get this party/blog post started!
First up – tickets for this year’s convention are now up on sale, first 500 weekend passes sold confer guaranteed entry to our party on the Saturday night, and full details as to pricing and purchase options can be found on the website! We’ve changed things up a bit with the festival and convention expansion, so be sure to read all the details – makes life a lot easier for everyone.
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Next up, news of a competition for all of you out there with their sights set on being the next big thing in comics. The publisher Myriad Editions has launched a competition for aspiring graphic novelists and are looking for a first-time GN in progress, with the winner working with the publisher to complete the title. The writer who comes first in the competition also stands a chance of being offered a contract and seeing their title published.
On the judging panel will be author Ian Rankin, Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell, author and cartoonist Ed Hillyer, graphic novelists Hannah Berry and Bryan Talbot, and Myriad Editions creative director Corinne Pearlman.
Full details on the Myriad Editions website.
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News has also reached us of a new arts event in Leeds taking place this month! The north’s first applied arts fair, LOOP Arts Fair, will take place June 17th-19th at Marshalls Mill, Leeds.
Keynote speaker on the Friday is James Jarvis “Born in London in 1970 and raised on a diet of Richard Scarry, Hergé, Judge Dredd and Albert Camus, Jarvis studied Illustration at the University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1995. Since then he has gone on to establish himself as a graphic artist of international repute.In 1998 Jarvis designed the iconic toy figure ‘Martin’, unwittingly helping start the ‘designer’ toy phenomenon.” And they’ve also got open studios, talks, live art, workshops, printshops from TOY, Analogue Books, Drew Millward, Lizzie Stewart, Best Joined Up, Kibbo Kift and more! Tickets are on sale through their website.
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Finally, we’re welcoming a new Friend of Thought Bubble into the fold! This week’s super friend is the awesome Kayla Hillier, a Canadian comic creator now living here in Blighty. There’s a selection of her work below (click the images to embiggen), and a description of the lady herself in her own words under that. Give them a gander, eh!
Kayla Marie Hillier has been livin’ large for a little more than a quarter of a century. She hails from a small town – nay, village – of 600 people called Stoney Point or Pointe-aux-Roches which is found in the most southern part of the Canadian province of Ontario.
She spent 18 years of her life there where she became BFFs with the internet although she was limited by her dial up connection. Shhhhh shhhhhh beep bop boo beep shhhhhhh-
She left the nest to pursue “higher education” in the Niagara region at Brock University where she achieved a degree in both Philosophy and Film and managed to write well over 100 articles for the Canadian University Press. She left Toronto about a year ago to return to Manchester, England – as the country managed to woo her with an impressive display of overcast skies.
She digs comics, so she makes some of her own. Her work includes the now completed webcomic GALAVANT which documents her travels throughout the UK over a period of 3 months – she’s also involved in Julia Scheele’s 69 Love Songs, Illustrated project.
Kayla’s one of my favourite people in comics, and I’d really recommend checking her stuff out, or come along to Thought Bubble 2011 and say hi to her in person!
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That’s all for now, back soon with more TBF11 news and other shenanigans.
- Clark
Filed under: Art by Guests, Film and Sequential Art, Thought Bubble 2011, What is Sequential Art? | Tags: Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Sequential Art
Hello! It’s only 181 days (or a year if you live on the planet Chimera) until the start of this year’s Thought Bubble, and we have some details of exciting new comic goodness for all of y’all in the meantime!
First up, we’re extremely happy to be able to bring you the first details of our first ever Thought Bubble Anthology! We’ve been working away on this for quite a while now, getting it all shiny and ready for the public’s discerning gaze, and we’re super pleased with how it’s turned out. We’re still finalising everything ahead of printing, but we can tell you that it will be distributed globally this summer by Diamond Publishing, is made possible by a generous grant from the Arts Council UK, and all proceeds from its sales will be going to Barnardos.
The anthology will showcase a wide variety of creators and styles, as well as giving you another chance to see the six winning entries from last year’s inaugural Northern Sequential Arts Competition! We’ve got a sneak peak at the cover below, featuring our wonderful festival image for this year from Becky Cloonan, and we’ll have full details on how to get hold of a copy very soon…
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Next up, it’s Friends of Thought Bubble alumnus Howard Hardiman’s The Lengths, issue 1 of which hits comic shops on Wednesday 18th May, with new issues released every two months.
Drawn from extensive interviews with real sex-workers in the city, The Lengths is a quirky, uncompromising but ultimately sympathetic take on the oldest profession in the world. You thought being a male escort is a dog’s life? Think again.
The Lengths is available from all good UK comics shops, including:
Travelling Man, Dale Street, Manchester
Gosh, Great Russel Street, London
Dave’s Comics, Sydney Street, Brighton
Orbital, Great Newport Street, London
…and online at: http://cutebutsad.bigcartel.com
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We’ve also got news of Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague, a new graphic novel from our friends over at Time Bomb Comics that will be launching at this year’s convention. The book is a follow up to their 2008 highwaymen vs zombies one-shot Dick Turpin and the Restless Dead, and is set one year on from the first book, with Dick Turpin up against a nest of vampire prostitutes in 18th century London. Written by Steve Tanner it features art from Graeme Howard and is lettered by Nikki Foxrobot. You can get a glimpse at the artwork below, but vampire prostitutes – what’s not to love?
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Finally, we’re very pleased to see that the Comics Forum website is now up and running. We’ve worked with them for the past few years, bringing fascinating academic talks on the theory and practices behind sequential arts to Leeds as part of the Thought Bubble festival, and 2011 is no exception. This year will see three days of talks, on a variety of themes, and the call for submissions is now open. Come along and see the serious side of funny books!
Exciting, I’m sure you’ll agree! Back on Friday with a new Friend of Thought Bubble.
- Clark
Filed under: Art by Guests, News, Programme 2011, Thought Bubble 2011, What is Sequential Art? | Tags: Comics, Graphic Novels, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Nelson, Sequential Art, Signings, Small Press
Hey gang! Hope you all had a very happy Star Wars day, and if you don’t celebrate that particular holiday, well, laugh it up fuzzball. Something a bit different on the blog today, as we’re bringing you the first bit of news about an exciting new British comics project!
Nelson, a new collaborative graphic novel from Blank Slate Books will be launching this November at Thought Bubble’s convention, and features an awesome line-up of British comics talent. We’ll be celebrating the arrival of this major new work with signings and a panel, and will be bringing you more information throughout the year as the launch approaches.
So, who is Nelson? Well, Nel Baker’s story starts in 1968 (the year of her birth) and takes us through to the present day, with each creator presenting a snapshot of one year of her life. In the words of Rob Davis (Dr Who, Don Quixote) the anthology’s editor – “I don’t know if anyone’s tried anything like this before, I just think it’s a great way to show what separates comic artists from other artists – we don’t just draw pictures, we tell stories! I wanted us to avoid the ‘pick-and-choose’ aspect of most anthologies and get everyone writing their own chapters, working together to tell one continuous story. So whether a creator is your favourite or someone whose work you’d never normally go near, they all become an essential read.”
We’ve got a sneak peak at some of the art below, as well as some more information, simply click the images to embiggen them.
The line-up of talent involved looks simply stunning, but don’t take my word for it, have a gander at the contributors…
Rob Davis, Woodrow Phoenix, Ellen Lindner, Jamie Smart, Gary Northfield, Sarah McIntyre, Suzy Varty, Sean Longcroft, Warwick Johnson-Cadwell, Luke Pearson, Paul Harrison-Davies, Katie Green, Paul Peart-Smith, Glyn Dillon, Ian Culbard, John Allison, Philip Bond, Matt (D’Israeli) Brooker, Simone Lia, Daryl Cunningham, Jonathan Edwards, Ade Salmon, Kate Charlesworth, Warren Pleece, Kristyna Baczynski, James Harvey, Rian Hughes, Sean Phillips + Pete Doree, Kate Brown, Simon Gane, Oliver East, Adam Cadwell, Faz Choudhury, Jake, Jeremy Day, Dan McDaid, Roger Langridge, Will Morris, Dave Shelton, Carol Swain, Hunt Emerson, Duncan Fegredo, Philippa Rice, Garen Ewing, Tom Humberstone, Dan Berry, Kate Evans, Laura Howell, Andi Watson and Dave Taylor.
Very much a project worth getting excited about, so come to Thought Bubble 2011 and meet Nel Baker for the first time!
That’s all for now, Friends of Thought Bubble returns next week!
- Clark
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, Art by Guests, News, Small Press and Independent Friends of Thought Bubble, Thought Bubble 2011 | Tags: Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Luke Pearson, Sequential Art, Small Press, UK Conventions
Hey you guys! Whole lotta TBF11 news and the return of our series of creator profiles here for you today!
The build-up to this year’s Thought Bubble is well and truly underway now, and we’re now able to start letting a few cats out of their respective bags. Their quantum wavefronts collapse, and we are able to categorically confirm that they exist, and are looking very healthy.
First and foremost – our shiny new website is now LIVE! To get a glimpse of all things Thought Bubble 2011, simply direct your browsers to www.thoughtbubblefestival.com, where you’ll be able to find guest announcements, information on all this year’s events, and a full listing of 2011′s many, many, exhibitors.
Speaking of guests, we’ve announced this year’s first batch of attendees, and we think they set the tone for 2011′s festival. Namely, uber-awesome, just feast your ocular cavities on this bunch…
Adam Hughes (Catwoman)
Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween)
Duncan Fegredo (Hellboy)
Becky Cloonan (Demo)
Richard Starkings (Elephantmen)
Emma Vieceli (Vampire Academy)
Allison Sohn (Marvel/DC Trading Cards)
Kieron Gillen (Uncanny X-Men)
Jamie McKelvie (Secret Avengers)
Boo Cook (Elephantmen)
Andy Diggle (Astonishing Captain America)
…with many more to be announced as the festival draws closer!
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As you may know, each year, we here in the lofty Thought Bubble towers like to throw the spotlight on a selection of independent creators in a series known, unambiguously, as The Small Press and Independent Friends of Thought Bubble. And this year is no exception.
Kicking off 2011′s entries is a creator who has rapidly become one of our very favourites. Almost too rapidly. But I’m sure you’ll see why once you have a look at some of his artwork. Glance southwards and you’ll be able to view a selection of pieces from the inimitable Luke Pearson, producer of the gorgeous cover for upcoming UK anthology Paper Science 4.
(Click images to embiggen)
Luke Pearson is an illustrator and comic book artist who graduated with an illustration degree in 2010. His comics can be found in anthologies such as Solipsistic Pop and A Graphic Cosmogony, music newspaper The Stool Pigeon, the self-published Dull Ache as well as scattered across the Internet. His first book Hildafolk was published by Nobrow Press in 2010. You can find all his work at www.lukepearson.com
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I really cannot recommend Hildafolk enough, pick it up at your local comic emporium and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Lovely stuff.
That’s about it for now, we’re expecting tickets for this year’s convention to go on sale in the next few weeks, and if you’d like to know the instant that happends then I’d suggest following us on Twitter, or joining our Facebook group. There’ll be another creator profile up same time next week, but until then – be excellent to each other!
- Clark
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, Film and Sequential Art, News, Thought Bubble 2011 | Tags: Animation, Anime, Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds International Film Festival, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Sequential Art, UK Conventions
Hello Thought Bubblers!
Apologies for the unintentional blog hiatus, we’ve been working away at prepping for this year’s festival and have a whole heap of exciting things to reveal to you, just not today. But soon. Prooooomise.
There are things that we can reveal now, however, so let’s start the ball rolling with the facelift that the blog’s had.
We were super psyched when the amazing Becky Cloonan agreed to produce this year’s official festival image, and when we received the finished piece it literally blew our minds. Took us hours to get the walls of Thought Bubble towers cleared of all the grey matter, that’s how awesome it is. Becky’s great take on Snow White, we’re sure you’ll agree, is a perfect fit for the festival, and just goes to show that comics can even bring together homicidal step-mothers and their intended victims. There is literally nothing they cannot do. There’s a great step-by-step process of how the image was created up on Becky’s website, and if you glance down you can see the individual elements presented here for your viewing pleasure!
(click to embiggen)
Next bit of housekeeping – Tables are available to book for this year’s expanded, two-day, two-hall convention! Early bird prices are in effect until August 1st, so take advantage and get in on the action. Full details on how to register are up on the website, if you have any queries please drop us a line via exhibitbubble[at]gmail[dot]com and we’ll get back to you sharpish!
Speaking of the website, we’re currently in the process of giving the old girl a complete overhaul, as a result of which there may be some slight downtime later in the week. This shouldn’t last for too long, and once the website’s back up it’ll be all new and shiny and ready to accommodate all your myriad browsing needs! While the website is down you will still be able to contact us via e-mail, twitter, and Facebook, and we’ll still be able to process table bookings, rest assured.
In other, non-Thought Bubble news, this week sees the start of the 12th annual Leeds Young Peoples Film Festival, and this year’s programme looks like their best yet!
Tickets are now on sale for Film Festival, an event organised by Leeds City Council and MediaFish, a group of award-winning young film enthusiasts. The annual event taking place from Monday 28th March to Friday 8th April boasts a special preview 3D screening of Rio, from the makers of ‘Ice Age’.
The We Love Anime roadshow takes place on Saturday 2nd April and comes to Leeds’ Hyde Park Picture House with a fantastic showcase of Anime films, old and new including Summer Wars, and fan-favourite Redline. The rest of the day is made up of the 1986 Miyazaki classic Laputa Castle in the Sky and the new Trigun Badlands Rumble based on the cult 90’s series. Tickets for the films start at £2.50 and passes for the whole day start at just £8.00, the first 60 people who buy full day passes will also receive a free goody bag worth over £30 that includes DVD’s, shirt’s, book’s and more.
As well as the films there will also be a manga wall where budding young artists can show off their talents, the best drawings will be awarded prizes throughout the day. There will also be a Cosplay competition for the best costume judged by Travelling Man and Thought Bubble.
It’ll be a great day, so come along and join in the fun!
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And that’s it for now, next month we’ll have the new website up and running, fresh festival guests to announce, the convention programme to reveal, and some new Small Press and Independent Friends of Thought Bubble to welcome into the fold! Almost too much to handle. Almost.
- Clark
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, News, Thought Bubble 2011 | Tags: Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds comic workshops, Leeds International Film Festival, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Sequential Art, Small Press, UK Conventions
Hello Thought Bubblers!
Long time no see, eh? You’re looking well, good New Year’s Eve? Excellent.
Ok, so the blog is back off hiatus, and we haven’t been slacking. No, sir/ma’am. We’ve been busy getting things into position for this year’s festival, which is going to be our biggest yet. It’s our fifth birthday this year so we’re doing something a bit special. Because of this there have been a few major changes/upheavals, so if you want to get the skinny then read on! If you prefer to be surprised then that’s fine, skip this spoilerific post, but you’re missing out on some very cool beans.
We’re delighted to announce that this year’s festival will be a week long affair, running from the 14th – 20th November in conjunction with the Leeds International Film Festival. We’ll be playing host to a whole bunch of workshops, screenings, parties, academic talks, book give-aways, competitions, and various other shindigs, all leading up to our first ever two day convention on the 19th & 20th of November!
One of the comments from last year’s convention was that things were getting a bit crowded (it’s hard being popular), and apparently my idea of using a shrink ray on all attendees to increase relative hall space was “stupid”, so we decided to double the length of the convention to ease congestion. Along with this we’re expanding to incorporate a second exhibiting hall at the Royal Armouries (directly opposite Saviles Hall) to accommodate an extra 100 tables, and we’ve adapted the floor plan for Saviles Hall in order to increase the width of the aisles.
We’re hoping an expansion in terms of both size and duration will mean even more people can enjoy some bubbly goodness, while maintaining the relaxed atmosphere that we’ve been blessed with year on year. Not that we’re complaining about increased attendance, we love seeing new faces each year, so the more the merrier!
The changes that this has for exhibitors are explained in a bit more detail on our website, but basically there are two options for exhibiting now, and two price tiers. It should also be noted that table registration for this year’s convention is now open, and early bird price rates are available until 1st August, again, full details on the website.
As always we’re expecting a stellar line-up of guests, and we can announce that we will be welcoming the legendary Tim Sale (Batman the Long Halloween) to his first Thought Bubble this year, and will be welcoming back the wonderful Richard Starkings (Comicraft, Elephantmen) who was one of our favouritest guests last year.
We’ll be announcing many, many, many, more guests as the build-up to this year’s festival continues, so check back here regularly for updates, as well as interviews and showcases with some of our favourite indie creators at the moment. We’re expecting tickets for the convention to go on sale in the spring, and an announcement will be made here, on our twitter feed, and on our Facebook page when they do go on sale, along with any other big news regarding our endeavours this year, so keep an eye on ‘em!
That’s all for now, we’ll be back shortly with an exclusive reveal of this year’s festival image by [super-secret guest artist's name obscured] soon!
- Clark
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, Art by Guests, Film and Sequential Art, Minterviews, News, Small Press and Independent Friends of Thought Bubble, Thought Bubble 2010 | Tags: Adi Granov, Comics, Joe List, Kristyna Baczynski, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds comic workshops, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Sequential Art, Small Press, UK Conventions
Borag thung bubblets! It’s now only 9 DAYS until the start of this year’s festival, and we’re so excited we can’t think of any analogies to properly convey that anticipation to you, dear reader. In lieu of an apology please find attached to this – our final blog post before the Thought Bubble 2010 begins – a brand new minterview, and a whole host of news about events later this month. But don’t just take my word for it, enlightenment is mere sentences away…
For our final minterview of 2010 we talked to esteemed fellow Mr Joe List – Guardian Weekender defacer extraordinaire, and creator of the magnificent Freak Leap – who is a true Friend of Thought Bubble. For a transcript of our conversation, simply read on, and I can personally confirm that everything he say in there is 100% true.
To start off, do you think you could give us an idea of how you first got into sequential art?
I’ve always enjoyed doodling; more recently I’ve tried to force them into various shapes, like boxes or hexagons, It’s a tricky procedure, but I’m getting there.
What led you to transfer the doodling onto the Guardian’s Weekend section?
Long train journeys and cheap pens!
Would you ever consider producing a long-form narrative comic, or do you prefer more condensed, self-contained story telling?
One day I’d love to write a three part novel. I’d call it “THE HOUNDS OF INFERNO” and would be full of maps and diagrams, as well as big words, like Octopuscloth and fungreatfulness
Are you a fan of comics in general? Any favourites you’d recommend reading?
I am a comics fan, but I don’t read as many as I should, I highly recommend the following comics creators;
Dan Clowes;
John Allison;
Tony Millionaire;
KC Green;
Luke Pearson;
Jonny Ryan;
Lizz Lunney;
Seth;
David Mazzuccelli;
There are many more that I adore; I would probably give you a different list in half an hour.
So, do you consider any comic creators to have a direct influence on your own work?
I do, although I’d say a lot of illustrators and animators had an equal influence. I recently did an inspiration map, which may better explain this. [see below – Clark]
You’re appearing at this year’s Thought Bubble, what will you be bringing to the convention?
I will be bringing Freak Leap again, and also my sketch book comic Guts, as well as a promotional book for my new web comic (also called Freak Leap). I will be bringing badges too, and some new stickers that you can have for free! I will also be framing some of my favourite drawings from the annotated weekender for the kind people of Leeds.
Do you enjoy attending events like Thought Bubble?
YES, they are a lot of fun, shaking hands, buying and selling comic, seeing people’s confused faces when they quickly study a strange drawing you can’t remember including in a book. IT’S ALL WORTH IT.
Do you find your comics get a good reception from the general public? Do you think the UK is a good environment for nurturing local indie talent?
Well, I have never expected to be a big name, like Sir Roger Sunderfields or Derek P Saunders, but people seem to like my comics, as long as they aren’t lying to me.
And yes, I do believe comic shops are wising up to the inexhaustible power of the small press. A few large operators will now stock interesting books by the comic book wonder children of the UK. I saw a copy of Steven Gravy’s Acorn Diary next to a copy of Disney’s Invisible Space Aladdin the other day!
Well the UK small press community does seem to be packed with good folk, have you noticed any changes to the scene since becoming a part of it?
Good question, I got my UK small press license and ceramic Biro holder about a year and a half ago, and in that time, so much has changed. We’ve come up with a new secret handshake, had a number 1 hit single (with the instant classic, ‘Ink and Vimto’) and built England’s widest tree-house.
Finally – as ever – Thought bubbles or caption boxes?
Thought Bubbles my friend! Forever and all ways, Joe List
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Many thanks to Joe for taking the time to talk to us, you can also see his illustrations in the Answer Me This book, available at all good bookshops, and quite a few disreputable ones too I’d wager!
…And now for some Thought Bubble news! As you may have noticed from the opening paragraph of this post 2010′s festival is pretty close, so here’s some last minute highlighting of awesome stuff(tm)!
To start we’re super pleased that Kristyna Baczynski (another Friend of Thought Bubble) is putting on her debut solo show as part of this year’s Thought Bubble! We here at TB towers love Kristyna’s work, and we think you will too, so pop on down to the Hyde Park Picture House from November 14th to get a glorious eyeful!
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Next up, our friends at Momiji are inviting you all to bring your designs for their dolls to our convention! They’ll be running a workshop at their tables all day, and for £5.50 you can paint your own dolls and submit designs to be taken back to Momiji HQ and the creative team, with the potential that it’ll be put into production. As well as this 50% of the money will be going to the humanitarian charity Medicins Sans Frontiers. Super fun times and a worthy cause! It literally doesn’t get any better than that, y’all. Just drop by the Momiji table at Saviles Hall on Saturday 20th to find out more.
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Finally, a quick mention of our programme of FREE workshops and masterclasses as part of this year’s Thought Bubble Festival! We still have places left on a few of them, but they’re filling up quickly so move fast to avoid disappointment! Details as follows…
ComixBox with Laydeez Do Comics! 13:30 – 15:00 Leeds Art Gallery Hepworth Room
16+ FREE
Laydeez do Comics is a comics forum, open to all, focusing on autobiography & domestic drama, set up by artist Sarah Lightman & illustrator Nicola Streeten. This is a fascinating opportunity to hear from an array of comics artists & academics, who each get just 10 minutes to share their work and research. The international line-up includes: comic artists Maureen Burdock, Francesca Casavetti, Monica Hee Eun Jensen, Rikke Hollaender, Karen Hansen, Ina Kjoelby Korneliussen, Edward Ross & academic Rikke Platz Cortsen. Please note places are limited, to sign-up email: thoughtbubbleinfo@googlemail.com
Create Fun Eco Mini-Comics! 13:30 – 16:00 Leeds Art Gallery Tiled Hall
Ages 12 to 18. FREE
HI-EX’s Vicky Stonebridge will show you how to make your own handmade small story books using a variety of waste products, old magazines, scrap paper & packaging! Quick, easy, & fun to do. Please note: this is a drop-in workshop but places are limited, to sign-up email: thoughtbubbleinfo@googlemail.com
Storyboarding & Portfolio Workshop 13:10 – 15:00 Leeds Library Exhibition Space
Ages 14-19 years FREE
Join concept & storyboard artist Steve Beaumont to find out how to create storyboards for film, video games or tv advertising. Plus bring your portfolio with you to recieve a portfolio critique. Please note: places are limited, book early to avoid disappointment, email: thoughtbubbleinfo@googlemail.com
Diarise Your Thoughts Workshop 14:50 – 15:50 Leeds Library Your Space
Ages 14-19 years FREE
Want to make a comic of your favourite gig, day out, or experience? Adam Cadwell can show you how! Well know for his Glastonbury postcard strips & his work with the Manchester Comics Collective, Adam will take you through the steps of making your own comic & recording experiences in comic form. Please note: places are limited, book early to avoid disappointment, email: thoughtbubbleinfo@googlemail.com
Tony Harris Art Workshop 15:00 – 16:00 Leeds Art Gallery Henry Moore Room
16+ FREE.
Eisner award winning artist Tony Harris (Ex Machina, Starman) is one of the most critically acclaimed & respected artists working in the business today. This special insider look at his creative process will give an insight into how those award-winning comic book panels came to be & is a must-see for any fan of sequential art. Please note: places are limited, book early to avoid disappointment, email: thoughtbubbleinfo@googlemail.com
Grandville Mon Amour talk 15:30 – 16:30 Leeds Art Gallery Hepworth Room
16+ FREE
Comics Legend Bryan Talbot discusses his graphic novels Grandville and Grandville Mon Amour, and the venerable & ongoing tradition of anthropomorphic characters in illustration & comics from which they have grown. Please note: places are limited, book early to avoid disappointment, email: thoughtbubbleinfo@googlemail.com
Andy Diggle’s Breaking & Entering For Comics Writers 15:45 – 16:45 Leeds Library Exhibition Space
16+ FREE
Following the sell-out success of last year’s writing workshop, the former 2000AD editor & writer of such comics as The Losers, Hellblazer, and Daredevil will be here to pass on some tips & tricks that help separate the wannabes from the gonnabes. Topics include the value of your own initiative & the “DIY aesthetic”, as well as concept, structure, theme, pacing, conflict, exposition, how to pitch to editors… and how ‘not’ to! This class will conclude with a Q&A, so come armed with questions. Please note: places are limited, book early to avoid disappointment, email: thoughtbubbleinfo@googlemail.com
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Finally, the amazing Adi Granov is raffling off his ridiculously awesome double spread cover from Incredible Hercules #138 in order to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care! Tickets, and further details, can be found on the website. You can also buy tickets from his table at this year’s thought bubble convention, and the winner will be announced at the end of the day (Saturday 20th November). Don’t miss out on a chance to own some superb comic book art, and help yet another exceptionally worthy cause in the process!
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That’s it for now, and probably until after this year’s festival. We’re super busy getting all the last little details squared away, and we’re thinking this could be our best Thought Bubble yet. Thanks for reading during the build-up and I hope we’ll see a lot of you at our various events from the 18th – 21st November!
- Clark
