SelfMadeHero at the Lakes Comic Art Festival

The Lakes Comic Art Festival is now so firmly ingrained in the cultural calendar, its guest list so illustrious, its festival mascots so deeply rooted in our collective consciousness, that it’s difficult to believe this is only its third year. If you haven’t been already then now’s the time. Imagine Glastonbury in 1982; these are the glory days. There’s always a lot of rain, but you don’t have to sleep in a tent – and there are lots of creators, publishers and punters to brighten up your weekend. It takes place on Friday 16th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October across various venues in the beautiful Lake District town of Kendal.

We’ll again be exhibiting our wares in the Comics Clock Tower (Sat, 10-6; Sun, 10.30-5). Our two tables (30-31) are on the first floor, just as you walk in. Joining us in Kendal will be special guests Si Spencer and DIX, whose graphic novel Klaxon debuts at the festival.

Reinventing the Horror Comic: Si Spencer and DIX in conversation with John Freeman. Time: 1.30-2.30pm, Saturday 17th. Venue: Comics Clock Tower.

Si Spencer and DIX’s brand new graphic novel, Klaxon, is a mould-breaking, intensely weird and inscrutably beautiful graphic novel about three wasters who find themselves on the wrong side of their neighbours’ landlord. Milk binges, metamorphoses and indoor confectionary storms ensue. John Freeman joins the authors to discuss this bizarre and brilliant creation. For full details (and to book tickets) click here.

Also at the festival is One Year Wiser creator Mike Medaglia, whose work is currently on show in Kendal’s branch of White Stuff. Look out for his illustrated meditations among the slippers and the socks and the jumpers. You might even find some loose pages from One Year Wiser: The Colouring Book to sneak into your bag. Mike will be signing and sketching in store from 2-3pm on Saturday and 12-1pm on Sunday. Click here for directions.

Mike Medaglia will also be selling prints, comics, greetings cards and copies of both editions of One Year Wiser in the Comics Clock Tower. You can’t miss him – his table’s right next to ours.

And that’s not it: Mike will also be giving a workshop, Illustrate Your Mantra, in which he’ll walk attendees through the process of adapting a favourite quote, song lyric or aphorism into a full-colour illustration. This takes place in the Brewery Arts Centre (Room 2) on Sunday 18th, 1.30-3pm.

There is, of course, so much more going on throughout the weekend, including an appearance from SelfMadeHero favourite Steven Appleby.

The Lakes Comic Art Festival takes place from 16th-18th October in Kendal, Cumbria. View the full festival programme here.