Responding to the uncertain times we are in as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival has confirmed it is still working on its plans to bring comic fans of all ages a weekend of comic fun to Kendal this October.
Should the Festival be cancelled for any reason, ticket monies will be refunded, as will any booking fees by creators for tables in the Comics Clock Tower.
The Festival is also progressing its partnership plans with comics organisations across the globe, with Comic Creator Exchanges in the works to expand our aim of creating international comics content and cooperation. Darryl Cunningham, Dan Berry and PJ Holden are among the British creators involved in these Comic Creator Exchange Programs this year.
The Festival recently launched its Race Into Space Comic Strip Challenge, with a £500 top prize, to be judged by Blade Runner, Doctor Who and Star Wars Concept Artist Dan Walker, who will be a guest at this year's Festival, comics and magazine editor John Freeman, publisher of downthetubes.net, Andrew Mark Sewell, producer at B7 Media, the company behind the Dan Dare Audio Adventures.
There will be some changes to the Festival line-up in October. Sadly, because many US events that he was already committed to have been re-scheduled because of the Pandemic, Terry Moore will no longer be attending - although he does hope to be part of the event's line-up in future.
The Festival has announced that 2000AD artist Steve Yeowell - perhaps best known for his work on "Zenith" with Grant Morrison - will be part of the weekend-long event in October, as will the wickedly funny Icelandic cartoonist Hugleikur Dagsson.
Steve Yeowell’s first professional work was with Grant Morrison on licensed toy series Zoids in the pages of the Marvel UK weekly Spider Man And Zoids, before moving on to draw 2000AD’s superhero character Zenith.
For DC Comics he has pencilled Sebastian O, The Invisibles, Starman, Legends Of The Dark Knight, and The Atom. For Marvel Comics, he pencilled Skrull KIll Krew and at 2000AD he has also drawn “Judge Dredd”, “DeMarco PI”, the long-running Harryhausan-esque pirate adventure “The Red Seas”, dark ages lycanthrope fantasy “Black Shuck” and, currently, “Sinister Dexter”.
Born in the winter of 1977 in the northern part of Iceland, since then Hugleikur Dagsson has been "breathing oxygen and eating sharks" to fuel his artistic tendencies. He graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2002 and is now an established comedian, cartoonist. screenwriter and director.
He has published around 30 books, mostly comics or cartoon collections with the focus on dark humour. He has written three plays, directed his own animated TV series and is also in a boyband.
Previously announced guests for this year's Festival, running Friday 9th - Sunday 11th October in Kendal include Steven Appleby, Comics Laureate Hannah Berry, The Simpsons and Futurama Creative Director Bill Morrison, Sean Phillips, The Guardian cartoonist Posy Simmonds, Bryan and Mary Talbot, and many, many more.
The Festival will open with a "Balloon Debate" on Friday night - which comic character will argue their way to survival? - and as usual, offer Live Draws, Talks, Signings, Exhibitions, our free Family Zone for kids, the free Comics Clock Tower, Film Screenings - and will also soon be announcing a special set of workshops for aspiring comic creators.
• The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is back in Kendal in the Lake District 9th – 11th October 2020: www.comicartfestival.com
• Applications for stands in the Lakes International Comic Art Festival's Comics Clock Tower close today, Friday 27th March, at 5.00pm - application information here | Any Comic Clock Tower fees will be reimbursed if, for any reason the Festival does not go ahead as planned
• PLEASE NOTE Should the Festival be cancelled for any reason, ticket monies will be refunded, as will any booking fees by creators for tables in the Comics Clock Tower.
• The Lakes International Comic Art Festival GoFundMe Page is here
• Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast: www.comicartpodcast.uk | Twitter: @comicartfestpod | Facebook: @ComicArtPodcast | Instagram: @ComicArtPodcast
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival recently launched the Race Into Space Comic Strip Challenge, a new competition for unpublished comic strip creations - with a top prize of £500.
The competition is an exciting opportunity for comic creators to submit completed short stories in the graphic medium, with a “Race into Space” theme.
One overall winner will win a cash prize of £500, sponsored by the Lancaster-based Videö Gaming Platform, with the winner one of ten finalists whose work will be published in a digital anthology to be produced by the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.
• Read the full details on the Race Into Space Comic Strip Challenge and how to enter here
