Filed under: About Thought Bubble, Programme 2018, Thought Bubble 2018 | Tags: art, comic con, comic festival, Comics, exhibitions, Graphic Novels, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Manga, Thought Bubble, Webcomics
Hey gang!
We’ve just sent some big updates live over on our website, so we wanted to go into a little more detail here on the blog as to what you can find!
Ahead of this year’s Thought Bubble, which takes place from 17th – 23rd September, with our centre-piece convention running in Leeds city centre on 22nd and 23rd September, we’ve added a new wave of guests to the website, including:
Paul Cornell;
Marc Ellerby;
Galaad;
Sebastian Girner;
Sarah Graley;
Ariela Kristantina;
John Lees;
Metaphrog;
Mike Norton;
Carey Pietsch;
Declan Shalvey;
Andrew Wildman;
and Steve Yeowell!
We’ll be updating the site throughout the year, so be sure to bookmark https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/guests and check back regularly!
We’ve also added our first wave of exhibitors to the site at https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/exhibitors-2018 so you can get an idea of who’ll be joining us for this year’s convention! We’ll be updating this page regularly, and then, once floor plans are finalised, we’ll be listing exhibitors by which of our convention spaces they’ll be appearing in, along with floor plans for the various venues.
We’re welcoming new creators and retailers to Thought Bubble with each festival, so be sure to have a click around and find some new favourites to track down when September rolls around.
Our charity art auction, in support of Barnardo’s, closes this Thursday 8th February, so if you want to try and get your hands on some amazing comic art, created at 2017’s Thought Bubble, don’t miss out!
You can see a preview of the artwork up for auction in the gallery above, and full listing details can be found on our eBay profile at http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/thoughtbubblefestival – all proceeds from the auctions will go to Barnardo’s, with the exception of postage and packaging costs.
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That’s it for now, we’ll be back soon with more updates on this year’s Bubbly events!
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, Programme 2018, Thought Bubble 2018 | Tags: comic con, comic festival, Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Thought Bubble, Webcomics
Table registration for this year’s Thought Bubble convention is now open, and we wanted to put up some more information on the curation process, and how that will work for next year’s show, which takes place 22nd and 23rd September.
2018’s convention will be taking place in Leeds City Centre, and a map of the area of the city we’ll be taking over to share the world of comics with the UK can be seen below, with convention exhibition spaces marked on it. We’ve also got a google map of this area of the city, which can be found here.
![e4aacf_2ddf24880931426e90f73fb17372ed09~mv2_d_4961_3508_s_4_2[1]](https://thoughtbubblefestival.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/e4aacf_2ddf24880931426e90f73fb17372ed09mv2_d_4961_3508_s_4_21.png?w=420)
Thought Bubble’s convention will have four exhibition spaces, as seen above: Leeds Town Hall’s Victoria Hall, and three custom-built venues on Victoria Square (in front of Leeds Town Hall), Millenium Square, and Cookridge Street (in front of Radisson Blu Hotel / The Light), with surrounding venues hosting panels and live events taking place across the weekend.
We remain committed to being as inclusive a show as possible, and it’s one of the core values that makes the convention, and the festival as a whole, what it is. While we’d like to be able to include everyone who may wish to exhibit at the show, Thought Bubble has now reached the stage where the demand for exhibition space exceeds the venue space available to us, and the convention is curated.
As with previous years, this involves a simple online registration form which is now live on the website, and will remain open for four weeks until midnight (GMT) on Sunday 7th January 2018. In order that this process remains as fair as possible, after this time we won’t be able to accept any more exhibitor applications (including to the reserves list).
The registration form contains full terms and conditions of exhibiting, so please take the time to read these fully before submitting your application, and if you have any queries during the process, just drop us an email. Remember that all applications received during the window will be considered in full, so there’s no need to rush your entry. Terms and conditions can also be found on a dedicated web-page by clicking here.
Following the close of the registration window, we’ll contact all those who applied by late-January to confirm whether we’ll be able to accommodate them this year, and also to take payment for the table – and any changes to this schedule will be communicated ahead of time. If your email address, or primary contact reference, changes at any point during this time, please let us know as soon as possible.
Because of this curation, and the nature of the festival as a forum to promote comics and those who make them, we need to give priority to comic book publishers and retailers, and comic book artists and writers (either independent or publisher-affiliated). If you have exhibited with us in the past and do not fit into this category, please do still fill in the online form once it goes live, as we would love you to come if we do have room in one of our exhibition spaces.
Every year, we also have a small number of people who book tables and are then unable to attend, and so we’ll form a reserves list of unsuccessful applicants who will be offered tables should they become available. As these offers are based on previously confirmed exhibitors cancelling, we are unable to advise on the date at which they will become available, but as soon as we receive a cancellation we’ll contact the next person/group on the reserves list with first refusal.
The decision on who we can accept to the convention will be made by the organisational team as a whole, to ensure the process remains as fair as possible, but due to the number of applications we receive, we’re unfortunately not able to give feedback to unsuccessful exhibitors, as we’re only a small team. However, to give an idea of what we’re looking for, we’d like to see:
- Examples of your work, ideally online versions (including webcomics)/e-shop listings of comics/graphic novels/prints/illustrations you’ll have for sale at the show;
- If the above is unavailable, then a portfolio website such as DeviantArt or Tumblr will also be suitable;
- If your work is mostly print, as opposed to online, then we’d also be able to view scanned versions of documents via dropbox links (or similar);
- If you’re a creator with no online examples of your work, then please link to/provide a bibliography/list of credits if none of the options above are possible;
- If you’re a retailer with no formal online presence, then please give as full an idea as possible as to the range of merchandise/titles you’d be bringing to the convention;
- With regards to the above, please make sure your website link is correct, and that the website is currently live/active;
- If in doubt shout it out – tell us about what you think you can bring to Thought Bubble, even if it may seem obvious to you; if it’s not immediately apparent in the information you provide to us we may not know about it, and we don’t want anyone to miss out;
- Similarly, if you’d like to table next to/near other specific exhibitors please let us know in your application – after curation closes and table plans are drafted it becomes very difficult to move people around, so please make sure to be specific if you’d like to be close to someone at the show;
- Thought Bubble also loves sharing – we’re more than happy for exhibitors to share table space, so if you’d like to exhibit with friends or as a collective then please do send us a combined application, but remember to include relevant details (listed above) for all exhibitors who’d be utilising the table space;
- Finally, and perhaps most importantly, when filling out the application form, take your time – you’ve got a month to complete the form, and all applications received in that window are considered fully after the close of the registration period before a final decision is made, so make sure to fill it in correctly and with as much detail as possible to the answers.
Full details as to pricing, along with full tabling terms and conditions, are live on the website now along with the registration form, and the terms and conditions will remain in place for reference until after this year’s events. Please do make sure to read these carefully, as they contain very important information about attending the convention, should your application be successful.
We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who supports Thought Bubble, and we look forward to seeing many of you next September!
Filed under: Festival Spotlight 2017, Programme 2017, Thought Bubble 2017 | Tags: comic con, comic festival, Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival
We’re just 10 days away from the start of 2017’s Thought Bubble, and our convention’s return to Leeds City Centre, and we’re continuing with our selected highlights from this year’s programme here on the blog – helping you get the most out of the festival week, and beyond!
Taking place from 18th to 24th September at venues across Leeds (and beyond), 2017’s Thought Bubble will be a celebration of all comics has to offer – comprising a huge range of events for fans of all ages, and will include free art & writing based workshops for young people & adults, talks & masterclasses lead by industry professionals, free exhibitions, & our massive two-day comic convention on 23rd and 24th September in the heart of Leeds City Centre!
The full festival programme can be found on this page, with full information on events available by clicking their titles, and a map of venues for this year’s festival can be found here. We’ve also got a digital version of this year’s festival guide up online here, with provisional convention floor plans available here, and free print copies of all of these will be available at our events for attendees.
Don’t forget to check out all the guests and exhibitors who’ll be joining us for this year’s convention, and make sure to get your convention tickets (although more will be available on the door)!
We’ve also updated our visitor’s guide for the festival, including travel advice for getting to/around Leeds, which can be found here.
Today we’re looking at this year’s free mid-con party!
2017’s party will be taking place Saturday 23rd September, and will be held at the excellent Trinity Kitchen from 7pm until 1am! The perfect way to unwind after a hectic day on the con floor.
Thanks to our amazing pals at comiXology, and to celebrate their 10th anniversary, this year’s mid-con party will be free entry! There’ll be a wide range of gourmet and street food vendors to choose from, and we’ll have the drinks and music flowing until late, so help us celebrate another Thought Bubble in style, with special guest DJs spinning tunes until the early hours (and some surprises too!).
Space is strictly limited and you’ll need your weekend wristband, exhibitor wristband, or guest pass to gain entry. We expect it will be busy, so come early. Entry will be on a first-come-first-served basis and there may be queues.
It’s also important to note that this event is strictly over-18s only, so please remember to bring photo ID with you along with your wristband/guest/exhibitor pass.
Venue information for this year’s festival can be found by clicking here.
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Don’t forget that you can get live updates on all the current Thought Bubble action, please follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook, and we hope we’ll see you for this year’s festival in just over a week!
Filed under: Festival Spotlight 2017, Programme 2017, Thought Bubble 2017 | Tags: comic con, comic festival, Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival
We’re just over 10 days away from the start of 2017’s Thought Bubble, and our convention’s return to Leeds City Centre, and we’re continuing with our selected highlights from this year’s programme here on the blog – helping you get the most out of the festival week, and beyond!
Taking place from 18th to 24th September at venues across Leeds (and beyond), 2017’s Thought Bubble will be a celebration of all comics has to offer – comprising a huge range of events for fans of all ages, and will include free art & writing based workshops for young people & adults, talks & masterclasses lead by industry professionals, free exhibitions, & our massive two-day comic convention on 23rd and 24th September in the heart of Leeds City Centre!
The full festival programme can be found on this page, with full information on events available by clicking their titles, and a map of venues for this year’s festival can be found here. We’ve also got a digital version of this year’s festival guide up online here, with provisional convention floor plans available here, and free print copies of all of these will be available at our events for attendees.
Don’t forget to check out all the guests and exhibitors who’ll be joining us for this year’s convention, and make sure to get your convention tickets (although more will be available on the door)!
We’ve also updated our visitor’s guide for the festival, including travel advice for getting to/around Leeds, which can be found here.
Today we’re looking at 2017’s expanded cosplay programme, with some great events for those attending our convention in costume!
![cosplayheader2017[1]](https://thoughtbubblefestival.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/cosplayheader20171.jpg?w=420)
As our festival and convention grows, so too does our cosplay programme, making it bigger and better than ever! We’ve got reduced price convention entry for all attending in cosplay, with tickets available for pre-booking from our website, by clicking here.
There’s even a changing room and cloakroom in our panel venue on Millennium Square at the Carriageworks Theatre and Heroes Alliance return for another year to host a cosplay masquerade in Leeds City Museum with some excellent prizes up for grabs!
Details on this year’s cosplay masquerade and competition can be found in the below, and for more information on cosplaying at Thought Bubble, including rules on props and acceptable attire, please click here.
Cosplay Masquerade and Competition
Sun 24 Sept, Brodrick Hall, Leeds City Museum, Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 8BH, 14:45-16:45, All ages but please note: Thought Bubble does not control panel content, Free
Thought Bubble’s massive cosplay event is back! Whether you’re in costume or not, come along and experience a cavalcade of crazy characters as we decide who’s best dressed enough to impress our judges!
Prizes will be awarded for Best in Show (Adult), Best Under 16, Best Beginner/First Cosplay, Best Group, Best Tailoring/Sewn Costume (Adult), Best Armour/Non Sewing Based (Adult)
Costumes must be handmade, or altered by at least 50% to have a chance of winning the competition, but all cosplayers are welcome to attend the masquerade.
For full information on the competition and masquerade, including how to pre-register to take part, please click here.
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We’ll be back tomorrow with another festival spotlight, but in the meantime, don’t forget that you can get live updates on all the current Thought Bubble action, please follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook!
Filed under: Festival Spotlight 2017, Programme 2017, Thought Bubble 2017 | Tags: comic con, comic festival, Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival
We’re less than 2 weeks away from the start of 2017’s Thought Bubble, and our convention’s return to Leeds City Centre, and we’re continuing with our selected highlights from this year’s programme here on the blog – helping you get the most out of the festival week, and beyond!
Taking place from 18th to 24th September at venues across Leeds (and beyond), 2017’s Thought Bubble will be a celebration of all comics has to offer – comprising a huge range of events for fans of all ages, and will include free art & writing based workshops for young people & adults, talks & masterclasses lead by industry professionals, free exhibitions, & our massive two-day comic convention on 23rd and 24th September in the heart of Leeds City Centre!
The full festival programme can be found on this page, with full information on events available by clicking their titles, and a map of venues for this year’s festival can be found here. We’ve also got a digital version of this year’s festival guide up online here, with provisional convention floor plans available here, and free print copies of all of these will be available at our events for attendees.
Don’t forget to check out all the guests and exhibitors who’ll be joining us for this year’s convention, and make sure to get your convention tickets (although more will be available on the door)!
We’ve also updated our visitor’s guide for the festival, including travel advice for getting to/around Leeds, which can be found here.
Today we’re looking at 2017’s signing tour – bringing guests of the festival to a comic shop near you, both during the festival week and following this year’s Thought Bubble!
Travelling Man Signing Tour: Charlie Adlard in Manchester
Fri 22nd Sept, 4 Dale St, Manchester M1 1JW, 12:00-14:00, All Ages, Free
Now in its 26th year, Travelling Man has firmly established itself as the place to go in the North of England for all kinds of comics goodness with its awesome vibe and friendly staff.
As a proud sponsor of Thought Bubble from its inception, each year we host amazing events with some of the greatest names in comics. This year is no exception!
Charlie Adlard is one of the grooviest gentlemen in comics, and the magnificent artist on The Walking Dead which continues to absorb and astound legions of comic fans the world over.
Come along to this event to meet Charlie ahead of Thought Bubble’s convention!
Travelling Man Signing Tour: Brian K. Vaughan in York
Fri 22nd Sept, 74 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LF, 16:30-18:00, All Ages, Free
Brian K Vaughan has revolutionised comics with his work on such titles as Runaways, Y the Last Man, Saga, Paper Girls, and many more.
Come along to this event to say hi to a master of the medium ahead of Thought Bubble’s convention!
Travelling Man Signing Tour: Katie Skelly in Leeds
Fri 22nd Sept, 32 Central Road, Leeds LS1 6DE, 18:00-20:00, All Ages, Free
Katie Skelly’s My Pretty Vampire is a helter-skelter trip through the altered states/tastes of vampiric hunger and desire. Combining stark, unsettling colours and an elegant shojo style, it’s without doubt one of our books of the year.
Join us for the My Pretty Vampire signing at Travelling Man Leeds with Katie Skelly. Exclusive Bookplate available!
Thought Bubble + Gosh! Comics Present…James Stokoe and Marley Zarcone Signing
Fri 22 Sept, Gosh! Comics, Berwick Street, Soho, London, W1F 0DR, 18:00-19:00. All Ages, Free
Join your friends at Gosh! Comics in Soho, London, for a signing with the super talented creators James Stokoe (Aliens: Dead Orbit, Orc Stain) and Marley Zarcone (Shade the Changing Girl).
Please visit goshlondon.com for more information.
Travelling Man Signing Tour: The Redlands and Savage Town tour
Travelling Man Manchester 30th Sept 12:00 to 14:00, Travelling Man Leeds 30th Sept 16:00 to 18:00, Travelling Man Newcastle 1st Oct 12:00 to 14:00, Travelling Man York 1st Oct 16:00 to 18:00, All ages, Free
With Declan Shalvey, Jordie Bellaire, Vanesa R. Del Rey and Philip Barrett.
We are super-excited to host these magnificent creators who have delivered two epics for Image Comics. Redlands is a beautiful horror tale centred around three witches settling some scores in the Florida back-waters and Savage Town is a wee tale about a gangster set in a Limerick City with a blood stain on every page!
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We’ll be back tomorrow with another festival spotlight, but in the meantime, don’t forget that you can get live updates on all the current Thought Bubble action, please follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook!
Filed under: Festival Spotlight 2017, Programme 2017, Thought Bubble 2017 | Tags: comic con, comic festival, Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival
Hello Bubblers!
We’re less than 2 weeks away from the start of 2017’s Thought Bubble, and our return to Leeds City Centre, and as this year’s Bubble approaches, we’re looking at some selected highlights from this year’s programme here on the blog – helping you get the most out of the festival week!
Taking place from 18th to 24th September at venues across Leeds (and beyond), 2017’s Thought Bubble will be a celebration of all comics has to offer – comprising a huge range of events for fans of all ages, and will include free art & writing based workshops for young people & adults, talks & masterclasses lead by industry professionals, free exhibitions, & our massive two-day comic convention on 23rd and 24th September in the heart of Leeds City Centre!
The full festival programme can be found on this page, with full information on events available by clicking their titles, and a map of venues for this year’s festival can be found here. We’ve also got a digital version of this year’s festival guide up online here, with provisional convention floor plans available here, and free print copies of all of these will be available at our events for attendees.
Don’t forget to check out all the guests and exhibitors who’ll be joining us for this year’s convention, and make sure to get your convention tickets (although more will be available on the door)!
We’ve also updated our visitor’s guide for the festival, including travel advice for getting to/around Leeds, which can be found here.
Continuing our festival highlights, we’re looking at the live events taking place during the festival week, and in the festival fringe before and after this year’s Thought Bubble!
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Community Comics Power Workshop for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Weds 13 Sept, One Community Centre, Cromwell St, Leeds, LS9 7SG, 10:00-15:00, 18+, Free
Community Comics Power UK facilitate workshops to teach groups how to use comic strips to tell their stories, often for the first time. The process is very cathartic and enables the participant, who may have never shared their experience before, to become the star of their own story. The comics created at these workshops are then exhibited in public spaces to promote discussion, debate and social change. The original idea was developed by Sharad Sharma who set up World Comics India. Community Comics Power UK are the sister organisation. They use the medium of the comic strip as a powerful way of getting a message across which is recognised the world over.
This is a free two-day workshop for asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants to make a comic on the theme of immigration and religious tolerance. All materials, lunch and £5 travel costs will be provided for attendees each day. Attendees will be given free entry to all events during the Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival. The comics made will be displayed at Leeds City Museum on 23rd and 24th September during the festival.
To book a place please contact info@leedsrefugeeforum.org.uk. Places will be offered on a first come-first served basis.
Create a Superhero at the Merrion Centre
Sat 16 Sept, Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8NG, 11:00-16:00, All Ages, Free
Dress up and join in with Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival at the Merrion Centre! Come dressed as your favourite superhero and have a go at drawing your own comic! Create a new character, draw them in an awesome costume and tell us all about their super powers! We can’t wait to see how your superhero will save the world on this exciting day of comic-themed fun!
Doctor Simpo Presents…1 Day Luxury Spa Treatment Styled Around Creating Your Very Own Character, Story And World
Sat 16 Sept, City Library, 9 Aldermanbury, Centenary Square, Bradford BD1 1SD, 11:00-16:30, All Ages, Free
…combinations of words and pictures in a sequential visual format are otherwise known as a Comic Book. This one-day course combines different techniques, devices and tools used throughout the world of professional Comic Book artists and writers.
At the end of the session you will have been guided through a well-practiced sequence of events which will enable you, as a young creative, to produce your very own page of finished Comic Book styled artwork.
Plus a FREE comic!
Leeds Art University Presents…Best of British Poster Show Exhibition Launch Party
Mon 18th Sept, Travelling Man, 32 Central Road, Leeds, LS1 6DE, 18:00-19:00, All Ages, Free
Exhibition of fan art posters hung at Travelling Man comic shop, in the city centre. The posters have been made by the college’s third year Illustration students in response to their favourite British TV, comics and film. The posters will be on display for the duration of the festival and available to buy in store.
Presented in association with Travelling Man
The Rainbow Age: LGBTQIA* Comic-book Club
Tues 19 Sept, The Portal at Leeds Central Library, 17:00-19:00, 16+, Free
Join us for a celebration of LGBTQIA* comics & creators with an informal book club evening!
Bring along your favourite LGBTQIA* comics, or come and discover something new from our collection, kindly supplied by Travelling Man. Meet like-minded fans and make new friends over comics.
After our previous Rainbow Age events, Travelling Man donated all the books to Leeds Libraries to create a completely unique collection for the whole of Leeds to enjoy; the first of its kind in the country. This year, they’ll be adding to the collection with some incredible new LGBTQIA* comics from 2017. All are welcome, so come along for a relaxed atmosphere and to read some amazing, life-changing comics!
Presented in association with Travelling Man.
Community Comics Power Workshop for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Weds 20th Sept, One Community Centre, Cromwell St, Leeds, LS9 7SG, 10:00-15:00, 18+, Free
Community Comics Power UK facilitate workshops to teach groups how to use comic strips to tell their stories, often for the first time. The process is very cathartic and enables the participant, who may have never shared their experience before, to become the star of their own story. The comics created at these workshops are then exhibited in public spaces to promote discussion, debate and social change. The original idea was developed by Sharad Sharma who set up World Comics India. Community Comics Power UK are the sister organisation. They use the medium of the comic strip as a powerful way of getting a message across which is recognised the world over.
This is a free two-day workshop for asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants to make a comic on the theme of immigration and religious tolerance. All materials, lunch and £5 travel costs will be provided for attendees each day. Attendees will be given free entry to all events during the Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival. The comics made will be displayed at Leeds City Museum on 23rd and 24th September during the festival.
To book a place please contact info@leedsrefugeeforum.org.uk
Places will be offered on a first come-first served basis.
A Day In The Life – Comics as Life Writing
Weds 20 Sept, Room 2 at The Carriageworks Theatre, The Electric Press, 3 Millennium Square, Leeds, LS2 3AD, 18:00-20:30, Ages 14+, Free
A workshop with comics artist and writer Una, author of On Sanity: One Day In Two Lives and Becoming/Unbecoming.
Draw out a sequential story from your own life in this friendly workshop, suitable for all abilities. With a focus on mental well-being this session aims to help you invent a simple character and let it talk through one day in your life. What makes you feel good (or at least a little better)? Going for a walk? Taking a long bath? Playing your favourite music?
Basic drawing materials provided. In partnership with Arts and Minds Leeds. This event is aimed at adults and young adults aged 14+.
To book a place, please click here.
In partnership with Arts and Minds Leeds.
Comics Forum Academic Conference Day 1
Thur 21 Sept, 09:00-16:45, recommended for 16+ (some talks unsuitable for under 18s)
The ninth annual Comics Forum academic conference will feature a fantastic lineup of top academics and other great speakers, talking about the ways space works in comics, and how comics can make spaces in culture. Check out comicsforum.org/comics-forum-2017 for the details as they’re announced!
Tickets are priced as follows:
1 day (21st or 22nd September): £12
2 days (21st & 22nd September): £24
4 days (2 day Comics Forum pass + 2 day Thought Bubble pass): £48 (this is a saving of £5 on the cost of Thought Bubble tickets if bought separately)
Please visit comicsforum.org for full details and to book tickets.
Travelling Man and Leeds University Comic Book Society Present…Pints and Pencils
Thur 21 Sept, The Social, 21 Merrion Street, Leeds, LS2 8JG, 19:30-late, 18+ (please bring a valid form of photo ID), Free
Proudly presented by the team at Travelling Man and the Leeds University Comic Book Society, Pints and Pencils is the social drawing competition featuring plenty of prizes, laughs and beverages.
Artistic ability is not required to win top prizes and drawing equipment will be provided!
Comics Forum Academic Conference Day 2
Fri 22 Sept, 09:00-16:45, recommended for 16+ (some talks unsuitable for under 18s)
The ninth annual Comics Forum academic conference will feature a fantastic lineup of top academics and other great speakers, talking about the ways space works in comics, and how comics can make spaces in culture. Check out comicsforum.org/comics-forum-2017 for the details as they’re announced!
Tickets are priced as follows:
1 day (21st or 22nd September): £12
2 days (21st & 22nd September): £24
4 days (2 day Comics Forum pass + 2 day Thought Bubble pass): £48 (this is a saving of £5 on the cost of Thought Bubble tickets if bought separately)
Please visit comicsforum.org for full details and to book tickets.
Thought Bubble Book Crossing 2017
Fri 22 Sept, Various libraries across Yorkshire (please see below for details), from 10:00, All Ages, Free
Thought Bubble is once again teaming up with Diamond Comics, Travelling Man, and Viz Media to give away free all-ages graphic novels and comics to everyone! Just pop into one on the libraries listed below on Friday 4th November, and help us to achieve our aim to get everyone reading more!
Libraries taking part are: Armley, Baildon, Bingley, Burley, City Bradford, Clayton, Eccleshill, Ilkley, Keighley, Laisterdyke, Leeds Central, Manningham, Moor Allerton, Pudsey, Shipley, Wibsey and Wyke.
Just pop along to any of the libraries participating, and pick-up some great comics for free, to take home and read, or give to a friend!
Presented in association with Diamond Comics and Travelling Man.
Design Your Own… with Gary Erskine
Fri 22 Sept, Moor Allerton Library, 15:30-16:30, Drop-in after school workshop – everyone welcome, Free
Join Marvel and DC Comics artist Gary Erskine for a Design Your Own… workshop.
The single session will give you the tips and creative building blocks needed to design your own character during the class and beyond! Is it going to be a hero or villain? Monster or alien? Or the Next Big Comic Movie character? Discover what your imagination can create with just a few short lessons and only a pen and paper. Who knows where it will lead?
Work with friends to create your own stories and characters and be part of a larger world!
Thought Bubble Pre-Convention Reception at Fire Lake Grill House and Cocktail Bar, Radisson Blu Leeds
Fri 22 Sept, Radisson Blu, 1 The Light, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 8TL, 19:00 until late, Free, 18+, Fire Lake Grill House will be serving food from 18:00-22:00
A chance for guests, exhibitors and attendees to relax and chat in the lovely surroundings of the Radisson Blu before our huge comic convention starts on Saturday!
Gosh! Comics Presents… Process with Joëlle Jones
Tuesday 26th Sept, Gosh! Comics, Berwick Street, Soho, London, W1F 0DR, 19:30-21:00, All ages, Free
Hosted by Ramsey Hassan, learn about Joëlle Jones’ comics-making process in this panel discussion and audience Q+A
Light Night & Thought Bubble Present….The Lost Forest of Leeds
Thurs 5th Oct & Fri 6th Oct, Leeds Town Hall Crypts, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AD, 18:00-23:00, All ages, Free
A portal to a lost and forgotten world has opened up, right here in Leeds! As its strange secrets come to life around you, use a special flashlight and explorer’s map to help local artist Jack Fallows solve the cryptic messages of the mysterious forest before the portal closes up again!
Jack has worked with young people across Leeds to create characters and stories set against the backdrop of this hidden world.
For more information, please click here.
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We’ll be back tomorrow with another festival spotlight, but in the meantime, don’t forget that you can get live updates on all the current Thought Bubble action, please follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook!
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, Programme 2017, Thought Bubble 2017 | Tags: comic con, comic festival, Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Thought Bubble, Webcomics
Hey gang!
With 2017’s Thought Bubble just around the corner we thought it would be a good idea to update our visitor’s guide for this year. If you’ve never joined us for a Thought Bubble before, or you’re returning for more comics fun and want to get more out of your trip to Leeds, then we hope the information below will be of help.
We’ve been busy updating the guest pages for this year’s festival, with some brilliant creators for you to meet in Leeds this month (with over 100 guests now confirmed as attending), and we’ve also been updating the exhibitor icons on the site for 2017’s convention, which will be our biggest yet, in our new home in Leeds City Centre!
A map of the city with festival venues marked on it can be found here, and the full festival guide is now available online, with details on all this year’s events, which can be found here.
Convention exhibitor information, including links to provisional floor plans, can be found below for:
Free maps of all convention halls with exhibitors and guests listed on them will be available at the event, along with free print copies of this year’s festival guide.
Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Thought Bubble convention, taking place on the 23rd and 24th September, and can be pre-purchased via our website or picked up in person from Travelling Man stores! We’ve got free entry for under-12s and over-65s, and discounts for those attending in costume to celebrate our expanded cosplay programme, more on which can be found here.
This year’s mid-con party, celebrating comiXology’s tenth birthday, is free-to-attend, and full information can be found in the guide, or on the website here.
Registration is now open for 2017’s Comics Forum academic conference, which takes place at Leeds Library on 21st and 22nd September. Full details of this, including how to register, can be found in the festival guide.
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Travel
- Getting to Leeds itself is relatively easy, both from within the UK and internationally, as regular rail services bring you into the heart of the city. Leeds rail station is about a 5 minute walk from the convention site, and there’s a taxi rank that’s constantly manned just outside the main station entrance.
- If you’re flying into Manchester airport then there’s a direct train every half hour that will bring you into Leeds station in around 1.5 hours.
- If you’re flying into one of London’s airports then you can catch a direct train from London Kings Cross to Leeds that will bring you into Leeds station in around 2.5 hours;
- If you’re driving into Leeds then there’s information on how to get to the convention village area available here – please be aware that Leeds has a slightly tricky one-way system, so it’s best to allow for some extra time when setting off;
- Parking is available at a variety of venues in Leeds City Centre – take a look here for parking options, or click here for Leeds park and ride – there is no parking provided at the convention venues, and, due to this being a city centre location, we strongly advise planning your journey and parking spot ahead of the convention dates;
- If you’re getting the bus into the city, then the convention area is serviced by a number of routes, full details of which can be found here.
Accommodation
The official hotel partner for this year’s convention is the Radisson Blu which is located in Leeds city centre, and is directly adjacent to the convention site. The hotel is a 5 minute walk from the rail station, and close to central bus routes in the city.
Leeds itself is a fairly compact city to get around, and you can walk from the top part of town (the university areas on Woodhouse Lane) down to the convention area in Leeds City Centre in around 20 minutes. If you need any supplies while you’re in town, then the shopping district can be found clustered around The Headrow and Albion street, with a large shopping mall at Trinity Leeds on Boar Lane (the site of this year’s Mid-Con party), all of which are a short walk from the convention area, which also has a number of nearby bars and restaurants on the surrounding streets.
The convention – 10 important points:
- This year’s convention takes place on the weekend of September 23rd and 24th, with doors opening to the public at 10am and closing at 6pm on Saturday 23rd September and 10am until 5pm on Sunday 24th September;
- Tickets will be available for purchase on the day of the convention, but this may involve some queueing, and your convention wristband will get you into all events taking place at the convention on the day/s for which it is valid (including panels and live events) – your wristband can be picked up from the ticket desks at the convention village on the day (just bring along your physical ticket to exchange, or the booking email if a physical ticket was not provided);
- Venue information for 2017’s events can be found here, and all listings in the festival programme include the individual event’s locations (including postcodes, where appropriate) and timings;
- We’d recommend bringing some waterproof clothing, as Leeds’ weather can be changeable in September, and there are open spaces between the convention venues;
- All venues at the convention are wheelchair accessible, and baby changing facilities are available in Leeds Town Hall, Leeds City Museum and the Carriageworks Theatre;
- We’d recommend bringing a decent amount of cash (especially change) with you, as our supply is generally taken up with handling on-the-door ticket sales, but there are a number of free-to-use cashpoints in the area, which our volunteers will be happy to point you in the direction of – on a related note, exhibitors will love you if you can pay with exact change;
- While we don’t impose limits on the number of items people can bring to be signed, please be aware that, for the purposes of security, we may need to check your bags on entering convention venues, so kindly ask for your cooperation in this regard;
- If you have any issues during your visit, don’t be afraid to ask for help, as our red-shirted volunteers will be happy to assist you in anything you need during the weekend – if you find yourself needing a quiet space during the convention at any time, then Bub’s Lounge in Leeds City Museum is free to enter for all attendees, and designed in partnership with Leeds Specialist Autism Services;
- A simple point, but an important one – keep hydrated and remember to make time to eat as well, low blood sugar and dehydration can make even the simplest of tasks a lot more daunting, so be sure to look after yourself during the convention;
- The most important aspect of any convention is to have fun – Thought Bubble is an extremely friendly show, and we aim to cater to a wide spectrum of attendees, many of whom may be attending a show like this for the first time, so we ask that:
- attendees treat each other, including exhibitors, guests, and volunteers, with respect;
- anyone wishing to take photographs or film at any Thought Bubble events are requested to please ask permission from the subject/s before doing so – information on our Cosplay policies can be found here.
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, Bubscast, Thought Bubble 2017 | Tags: comic con, comic festival, Comics, Free Events, Graphic Novels, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds Events, Webcomics
Hey gang!
We’re currently busy at work finalising this year’s floor plans for our convention, and cracking on with prepping our jam-packed festival programme ready for launch in the summer, so in the meantime we wanted to put together a handy-dandy summary of everything Bubbly we’ve announced so far this year…
Convention Tickets!
This year’s convention will be taking place on the 23rd and 24th September in the heart of Leeds City Centre, and tickets for our festival’s flagship event are on sale now!
This year we have free entry for under-12s and over-65s, and complimentary tickets available for carers attending with disabled visitors to the convention.
We also have discounts available for costumed attendees wishing to pre-book tickets, and have updated our cosplay guidelines for 2017, more information on which can be found below.
For full information on convention tickets, including prices and how to book, please click here.
Cosplay at Thought Bubble 2017!
Our cosplay programme for 2017 is going to be bigger and better than ever, and we’re delighted to be welcoming special guests The 86th Floor to the show this year!
We’ve got some great discounts available for our cosplaying attendees for this year’s convention, and we’ll have full information on this year’s masquerade coming in the summer with the festival’s full programme.
We’ve updated our cosplay guidelines over on the website, so if you’ll be coming to our events in costume this year, please give them a read before September comes around, to make sure everyone’s visit with us runs as smoothly as possible.
Friends of Thought Bubble!
The heart of Thought Bubble, and one of the most fun and rewarding aspects of the festival’s growth over the last decade, has been our community outreach programme.
As part of our work supporting the medium of comics each year, we run free schools workshops, give away hundreds of free comics to those who might not otherwise have access to them, work with Leeds Libraries on the Young People’s Book Awards, design quiet spaces like Bub’s Lounge at our convention for people with anxiety issues and autism, run our Rainbow Age LGBTQ* reading events, and work with local groups like the Bradford Action for Refugees centre and Leeds Specialist Autism Services.
Our work within the community lets us connect with young people and adults across Yorkshire, and as we head into our second decade, we’d like to expand that programme as much as possible. In order to help with this, we’ve launched our Friends of Thought Bubble initiative, which will part-fund the work we do in the community, and let us continue and grow our educational and outreach programme.
We’ve full information on the initiative, and what it entails, on our website, and there’s a number of great perks available for becoming a Friend of Thought Bubble, and supporting comics education, as well as the option to simply donate a small amount if it’s a cause that’s close to your heart without subscribing to the full programme.
![friendsheader2017[1]](https://thoughtbubblefestival.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/friendsheader20171.png?w=420)
Thought Bubble Comic Art Competition 2017!
The 8th Thought Bubble Comic Art Competition, a prize open to artists and writers worldwide, taking place as part of the 11th Thought Bubble Sequential Arts Festival – and in association with Travelling Man and Diamond Comics – is now open to entries!
Split into two age groups with a category for young people aged 12 -17 and a second category for adults aged 18 and over, the competition seeks to discover new creative talent as well as new work from established writers and artists. Winners from each category will be showcased in 2018’s Thought Bubble anthology with Image Comics, as well as some excellent comics goodies.
This year’s competition closes 5pm on Friday 28th July 2017, and we’re looking for an A3, portrait aspect page, telling a single story using a minimum of 6 panels. Pages will need a 3mm bleed, with CMYK colours at 300dpi.
For full competition guidelines, and information on how to enter, including submission forms, please click here.
![TBCAC2017[1]](https://thoughtbubblefestival.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/tbcac20171.png?w=420)
Comics Forum 2017!
This year’s Comics Forum academic conference will be taking place on the 21st and 22nd September, at Leeds Central Library, as part of Thought Bubble.
2017’s Forum will be focused on the concept of space in comics, and the call for papers is now open, with proposals of 250 words invited for talks of up to 20 minutes in length.
The deadline for submissions is the 1st of July 2017, and you will receive notification of acceptance by the 14th of July. Please click here for the full call for papers, and information on how to submit your proposal for the conference.
![C_2x6VKXkAQ_uT4[1]](https://thoughtbubblefestival.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/c_2x6vkxkaq_ut41.jpg?w=420)
Thought Bubble 2017 hotel!
We are very pleased to once again have Leeds’ Radisson Blu as 2017’s official hotel partner for Thought Bubble.
The Radisson Blu is situated in The Light – a 6 minute walk from Leeds Railway Station, at 1 The Light, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 8TL, and is adjacent to this year’s convention site.
More information on the hotel can be found on our website.
Thought Bubble 2016 panel videos!
If you’re as excited as we are for this year’s festival and want to get into the Bubble mood, then we’ve got some great Bubscast panel videos from 2016’s convention for your viewing pleasure!
If you missed out on these talks at last year’s convention, or just want to experience them again, we’ve got a selection of panels and Q&As up on our YouTube channel now (along with lots of archives from past Bubbles) for you to enjoy.
A special thank you to all our hosts, and panel speakers, and to Green Light Video for producing and editing the footage.
Also from last year’s convention – our recent art auction of original pieces created as part of our sketching spotlight events raised a whopping £967.99p for Barnardo’s!
We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who bid and helped spread the word, and if you’d like to see some sketching spotlights from previous year’s festivals then we’ve got some video archives available on the links above.
Guests at Thought Bubble 2017!
We’ve been updating the guest list diligently on a regular basis and currently have over 70 guest creators confirmed as attending this year’s festival!
The current roster is up online to view, and we’ll be continuing to update it as folks confirm their attendance with us, so be sure to check back regularly.
We’ll have full exhibitor lists for our (biggest ever) convention coming soon over on our website, along with floor plans and signing times for those attendees who have them, and we’ll announce on our social media (and this blog) once they’re available to view!
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That’s it for now – we’ll be back soon with some more festival updates as we work towards September and our first festival in our new home in Leeds City Centre!
Don’t forget that we have a number of FAQs up on our website to help out those who haven’t visited us before, and you can find us online and posting regularly about what we’re working on at:
So be sure to say hi, and let us know if you’ll be joining us for 2017’s Thought Bubble!
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, Art by Guests, Previous Thought Bubble Festivals, Thought Bubble 2016 | Tags: art, artist, Charity, Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival
Hey gang!
Last year, as part of Thought Bubble 2016′s convention, we ran our regular Sketching Spotlight event, where 8 brilliant artists came up on stage and discussed their approach to illustrating comics with Peter Doherty, while also drawing live for our excellent audience.
Because comic artists are a lovely bunch of human beans, they all agreed to let us auction off the sketches they produced, and donate all the proceeds to The Barnardo’s Charity.
We’d like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to all those wonderful people who took part for their time and generosity, and (with your help) we hope to be able to raise a lot of money for a great cause.
You can see a preview of all the pieces below (click to embiggen), with full details of the sketches underneath, as well as a link to the individual items’ listing pages.
For archival videos of previous years’ Sketching Spotlights, please visit our YouTube channel.
The auction will take place on eBay and will run for 10 days from 11am Friday 28th April, with bidding/delivery open to fans worldwide. We’d really appreciate it if as many as you could spread the word as possible, so we can raise a whole bunch of money for a good cause, and find some new homes for some amazin artwork!
(100% of proceeds from each auction (excluding P&P) will be donated to the Barnardo’s charity all artwork is A4 in size, full information available on individual item listing pages below, live from 11am – Friday 28th April 2017, or can be viewed at http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/thoughtbubblefestival worldwide shipping is available)
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Artwork by Mahmud Asrar, pencils and ink on paper, November 2016.
Please click here to visit item auction listing page.
Artwork by Philip Bond, pencils and ink on paper, November 2016
Please click here to visit item auction listing page.
Click to enlarge.
Artwork by Warwick Johnson Cadwell, pencils and ink on paper, November 2016.
Auctioned as batch. Includes preliminary sketch for each piece – 4 pages A4 total.
Please click here to visit items’ auction listing page.
Artwork by Jonathan Edwards, pencils and ink on paper, November 2016.
Please click here to visit item auction listing page.
Click to enlarge.
Artwork by Stephanie Hans, pencil and inks on paper, November 2016.
Auctioned as a pair – 2 pages A4 total.
Please click here to visit items’ auction listing page.
Click to enlarge.
Artwork by Erica Henderson, pencils and inks on paper, November 2016.
Auctioned as a pair – 2 pages A4 total.
Please click here to visit items’ auction listing page.
Artwork by Faith Erin Hicks, pencil and ink on paper, November 2016.
Please click here to visit item auction listing page.
Artwork by Mike Mignola, pencils and ink on paper, November 2016.
Please click here to visit item auction listing page.
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Our special thanks to go out to Peter Doherty for all his help and for hosting the Sketching Spotlights, and to Jip and all our technical volunteers for making these sessions possible, as well as the wonderful audiences who attended on the day!
Filed under: About Thought Bubble, News, Thought Bubble 2017 | Tags: Comics, Leeds comic con, Leeds comic festival, Leeds Events, Leeds Thought Bubble comic festival, Thought Bubble, tickets, UK Conventions, Webcomics
Hey gang!
Following our launch post earlier this week for our Friends of Thought Bubble initiative, we’re very pleased to announce that tickets for our convention, which this year takes place on the 23rd and 24th September, in the heart of Leeds city centre, are now on sale!
We have full information on the costs and types of passes available on our website, and have also updated our cosplay information and guidelines for 2017, for those wishing to attend the event in costume, and join in with our expanded cosplay programme!
As with previous years, we have free entry to the event for under-12s and over-65s, and complimentary tickets available for carers attending with disabled visitors to the convention. For full information on these, including how to book, please visit our website.
Convention tickets will grant full access to the various convention halls, signing events, and our programme of panels and live-events taking place across the weekend. We’ll have full venue and scheduling information coming as part of the full festival programme later this summer.
Tickets for this year’s mid-con party will be going on sale later in the year, and we’ll provide full details for this as soon as possible, via this blog, and our Twitter and Facebook feeds.
Thought Bubble remains a not-for-profit organisation, and your support of the festival through convention tickets, exhibitor tables, and now also becoming a Friend of Thought Bubble is invaluable to us. We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who attends every year, and if you’re going to be joining us for the first time in 2017 we look forward to welcoming you to Leeds, and will have an updated visitor’s guide going up online soon!
Thought Bubble 2018 runs 17th - 23rd September! 