SelfMadeHero at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival

It seems like yesterday that we were hopping on the train to Kendal for the inaugural Lakes International Comic Art Festival. With a long list of incredible guests and an impressive programme of events, it promised to be good. But the scale of its success and the smoothness of its organisation surprised and delighted everyone. The people of Kendal embraced the comics community’s three-day occupation of their town: comics filled shop window displays, galleries and theatres; the Town Hall was renamed the “Comics Clock Tower” and taken over by the UK’s finest comic book creators and publishers. It was brilliant.

Now, just twelve months on, the Festival has already established itself as a fledgling Angoulême for Great Britain – and this year promises to be even better! It’s happening next weekend, 17th-19th October, so get those train tickets booked, drop everything, and go.

SelfMadeHero will be setting up shop in the Clock Tower (ground floor, tables 35-36) on Saturday and Sunday. Coming with us are an army of amazing creators, including Rob Davis (The Motherless Oven), I. N. J. Culbard (Celeste), Jörg Tittel and John Aggs (Ricky Rouse Has A Gun), Barbara Stok (Vincent) and Nick Abadzis (The Cigar That Fell In Love With A Pipe). Aside from signing on SelfMadeHero’s Clock Tower tables throughout the weekend, they’ll be taking part in a number of events and workshops. Here’s a roundup of what’s happening:

Saturday 18th October

10am-6pm: Creator signings on SelfMadeHero’s stand in the Comics Clock Tower (ground floor, tables 35-36). Venue: Kendal Town Hall. Entry: FREE.

10.30am-12pm: Workshop: Writing For Comics, with Jörg Tittel. Venue: Brewery Arts Centre, Screen 1. Entry: £7.

12.30-2pm: I. N. J. Culbard signing at Waterstones, Kendal

2-3pm: Talk: Vincent Van Gogh: A Different Impression, with Barbara Stok. Hosted by Paul Gravett. Venue: Abbott Hall Gallery. Entry: FREE.

3.30-4.30pm: Talk: Teen Spirit, with Rob Davis. Hosted by Dr Mel Gibson. Venue: Comics Clock Tower, Kendal Town Hall. Entry: £7.

3.45-­4.45pm: Talk: Ricky Rouse Has A Gun, with Jörg Tittel and John Aggs. Hosted by Dr Andrew Miles. Venue: Brewery Arts Centre Screen 1. Entry: £7.

Sunday 19th October

10.30am-5pm: Creator signings on SelfMadeHero’s stand in the Comics Clock Tower (ground floor, tables 35-36). Venue: Kendal Town Hall. Entry: FREE.

12.30-1.30pm: Love And Comics, with Nick Abadzis. Hosted by Joelle Bernard. Venue: Brewery Arts Centre Screen 2. Entry: £7. 

3-4pm: Barbara Stok signs copies of Vincent at Waterstones, Kendal

In addition, original artwork from Glyn Dillon’s Angoulême-winning graphic novel, The Nao of Brown, will be on display as part of the Festival’s Drawing on Japan exhibition in the Brewery Arts Centre.

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival runs from 17th-19th October in Kendal Cumbria. For a full programme of events, click here.