Charlie Higson, Lucy Porter and Adele Cliff are three of the UK’s funniest comedians, and they are on the line-up this year’s upcoming Lakes International Comic Art Festival Opening Night event, “Comics on Comics”, alongside artists Bill Morrison (The Simpsons, Futurama) and, beaming in from Los Angeles, Luke McGarry (“Sad Chewie” and much more).
“Comics on Comics” takes place on Friday 14th October 2022, at the Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere and tickets are available now – and, unsurprisingly, selling fast, given this amazing, award-winning line up.
“This opening gala event this year is a Have I Got Comics for You style panel quiz in which we’ll be finding out just how much our team of comics really know about comics,” explained a Festival team spokeshero. “Can they draw? What are their superpowers? And what religion does Superman follow? Does Lucy like comics*?
“These are just some of the questions we won’t be asking on the night.”
Illuminated throughout by Los Angeles-based Luke McGarry with his inimitable quick fire live draw, for this unmissable evening these top comics will also be joined by local legend and world-renowned street theatre guru Gary Gifford, from the Bread and Butter Theatre Company.
* Apparently, no!
THE GALA NIGHT LINE UP
Charlie Higson is one of those annoying people who are good at everything. Not content with being an actor and comedian, and formerly a singer, he is, of course, also an acclaimed author with a hugely impressive body of work, including the graphic novel, Silverfin.
A star of The Fast Show, Broadchurch and Grantchester, his writing career is at least equally striking. The five novels in his Young Bond series and the seven in The Enemy series have thrilled and enchanted readers of all ages. His latest novel, Whatever Gets You Through the Night, is an out and out crime thriller, a gripping and brilliant page turner with a dark heart.
• Charlie Higson is online at www.charliehigson.co.uk | Twitter
Adele Cliff is the reigning/pundisputed UK Pun Champion (2020), the first woman to win the title and she is the only person to be named amongst Dave’s Funniest Jokes of the Fringe four years running (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). An accomplished joke writer Adele has also featured in best jokes lists in The Telegraph, The Evening Standard, The Irish Times, The i Newspaper and The Metro as well as being nominated for Leicestershire’s Favourite Joke in 2019, and contributing to the Leicester Comedy Festival’s All Puns Blazing Joke book. If you’ve caught any of her terrific shows, at the Edinburgh Festival or elsewhere, you’ll already know you’re in for a treat. If not, you’re in for a treat!
• Follow Adele Cliff on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Lucy Porter is a well-known face on TV from such shows as Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie to You, QI, Mock The Week and Richard Osman’s House of Games. She’s also a regular on BBC Radio 4 staples such as The News Quiz and The Now Show, and co-host of the podcast, Finger Buzzers, alongside The Chase star, Jenny Ryan. She is a highly in demand stand-up comedian who, according to Time Out, “is one of the most talented comics on the circuit.” A veteran of the UK comedy circuit, she has performed 13 one-woman shows at the Edinburgh Festival and taken her comedy all over the world from Las Vegas to Cape Town. Lucy has recently been touring her new show ‘Be Prepared’ across the UK. Lucy has also written plays and sitcoms, including In the Family Way and The Fair Intellectual Club for BBC Radio 4.
• Lucy Porter is online at www.lucyporter.co.uk | Twitter |
Bill Morrison is best known for his work with The Simpsons and Futurama as Creative Director, writer, and artist at Matt Groening’s Bongo Comics. He began his career as an illustrator, painting dozens of movie posters including many for Walt Disney Pictures, such as The Little Mermaid, Bambi, Peter Pan, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book.
When Matt Groening founded Bongo Comics, Bill was on board as art director and drew the very first Simpsonscomic. He soon took on the role of Creative Director, editing Bongo’s entire output, and writing and drawing stories and covers.
In addition to his Bongo work, Bill has created thousands of Simpsons and Futurama drawings for T-shirts, video games, posters, toy packaging, books, calendars, limited edition prints, etc. Bill also worked with Groening on early character designs for the Futurama TV series and served as series Art Director, and he recently worked as character designer and artist on Groening’s Netflix series, Disenchantment.
In 2018, Bill created a graphic novel adaptation of The Beatles Yellow Submarine for Titan Comics, imagery from that featuring in an exhibition at the Jetty Museum in Bowness from 23rd September and through the Festival weekend, running until 2nd January, and was Executive Editor of MAD Magazine.
• Follow Bill Morrison on Twitter
Luke McGarry is a Manchester-born artist, illustrator and musician, currently based in Los Angeles and enjoying a well-earned reputation as one of his generation’s foremost cartoonists. The designer of the LICAF “Tizzie-Whizie” mascot, he has won many awards for his work, including the NCS’s Advertising Illustrator of the Year Award three times, in 2016, 2019, and 2020. His work has been featured at exhibitions across the UK and America and he has designed record sleeves and other artwork for bands including Underworld, Kim Fowley, and Hoodie Allen. He is also a regular contributor to MAD magazine and has animated content for the major likes of Vice, Google Play, Visa, and Universal Music Group.
• Luke McGarry is online at lukemcgarry.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Gary Gifford is an integral part of the The Bread and Butter Theatre Company was established in 1997 as a one man, one pair of underpants outfit, growing over the years into one of the UK’s leading street theatre companies, innovating and performing at events all over the world. They have had the pleasure of performing in diverse venues such as the Olympic Games, the village halls of Shetland and at the World EXPO in Shanghai.
