Preview: Thought Bubble 2013
With less than a week to go till the week-long events kick off (taking place 17th – 24th November), we thought we’d run down even more highlights from this years Though Bubble, the largest celebration of comics and animation in the UK – a celebration of sequential art in all its forms, including everything from superhero comics to independent and small-press artists and writers.
The festival programme for this year’s Thought Bubble comprises 90 events, spread across more than a week of festival fun, and will feature free art and writing based workshops for young people and adults, a two-day academic conference, talks and masterclasses led by industry professionals, and a programme of sequential art related film screenings, all building up to the awesome two-day convention on 23rd and 24th November.
The Thought Bubble Convention includes an incredible line-up of industry leading artists and writers, as well as independent creators from around the world, all spread out over 400 tables housed in three halls, showcasing the best that comics has to offer. The weekend will also feature portfolio viewings and competitions, as well as a huge cosplay parade. This year’s convention will be the festival’s biggest ever following the opening of a new third hall – thanks to the generous involvement of Allied London – due to increased demand from exhibitors and our audience.
Special guests include Matt Fraction (Hawkeye, Fantastic Four), Geof Darrow (The Shaolin Cowboy), Kelly Sue Deconnick (Captain Marvel), Fabio Ba & Gabriel Moon (Daytripper), Fiona Staples (Saga), Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson (Nowhere Men), Brandon Graham (Prophet), Jordie Bellaire (The Rocketeer), Nick Spencer (Morning Glories), Jock (Batman), Ramon Perez (Wolverine and the X-Men), Becky Cloonan (The Fabulous Lives of the Killjoys), Meredith Gran (Marceline and the Scream Queens), Hope Larson (A Wrinkle In Time), Maris Wicks (Spongebob Comics), and Joe Quinones (FF), as well as Mondo – champions of innovative poster design, all the way from Texas (one of the biggest reasons to attend for film fans this year!). Check out the full line-up here.
Thought Bubble 2013 includes an exciting programme of film screenings, run in conjunction with the 27th annual Leeds International Film Festival. This year’s festival includes a showing of the new digital print of Akira celebrating the seminal anime’s 25th anniversary, a double bill of The Dark Knight Returns animated feature and a making-of documentary about the comic’s conception, and a retrospective of works by the renowned Polish animator Walerian Borowczyk.
The second British Comics Awards ceremony will take place on 23rd November as part of this year’s Thought Bubble Festival, celebrating the best of the year’s stories told by writers, artists and illustrators in the UK. The judging panel for this year’s event includes Gareth David (lyricist and singer in the band Los Campesinos!), Lenny Henry (actor, writer and comedian), Stephen L Holland (co-owner and manager of Page 45 comic shop), Jamillah Knowles (writer and broadcaster), Graham Linehan (comedy writer and director), Josie Long (comedian, writer and actress) and Sarah McIntyre (cartoonist and children’s book illustrator). The shortlists for the awards, announced earlier this year, can be viewed online.
Tickets for the convention can be bought online at this page, with special discounts for cosplayers, and under 12s entering the venue for free with an accompanying ticket holding parent/guardian. Tickets will also be available on the door for the same prices, and with the same discounts available. A number of events at this year’s festival have a limited capacity and spaces on the workshops, talks, and live performances are filling up fast, so book soon to avoid disappointment!