27th Oct2015

Thought Bubble Festival reveals full 2015 line up

by Phil Wheat

Thought Bubble is the UK’s largest annual comic art festival which is now in its ninth year, takes place in Leeds from 9 – 15 November 2015. Supported by Leeds Dock, Leeds Inspired and Travelling Man Stores, Thought Bubble attracts fans and comic arts professionals from around the world. Big name guests at this year’s festival include Noelle Stevenson, Kate Beaton, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, Joan Cornellá, Scott Snyder, Rick Remender and Kate Leth.

The festival includes a week-long programme of events, including a LGBTQ mixer event at Leeds Central Library sponsored by Travelling Man, a talk about mental health in comics by Darryl Cunningham and Elaine M Will, and a book crossing where thousands of comics donated by Diamond Distributors are handed out for free in Leeds and Bradford libraries, as well as many special events featuring the biggest names in comics. Other highlights include free art and writing-based workshops for young people, talks by industry professionals, competitions from the likes of 2000AD, an exclusive appearance from Texan poster artists Mondo, and screenings of sequential art films.

Darryl McDaniels, founding member of legendary hip-hoppers Run-D.M.C.and creator of Darryl Makes Comics, will be running educational comic workshops for school groups in Leeds and Bradford. These workshops mark the launch of Travelling Man Academy, a new venture to provide year-round educational talks, workshops and masterclasses for young people, to create a new generation of artists and creators.

The hugely popular Joan Cornellá, renowned for his unsettling and blackly humorous artwork, will have his first full exhibition in the UK at The Gallery at Munro House. The exhibition will run from 9th November to 12th December, and Joan will also be appearing at the Thought Bubble convention weekend.

Thought Bubble’s annual project, funded by Leeds Inspired and in partnership with Leeds College of Art, is Get Into Comics; oversized comic book frames that people can climb into and create their own stories using props and speech bubbles, then share their photos to win amazing prizes. This has already been very successfully shown at Trinity Leeds and in other locations throughout the city.

The festival culminates in the two-day Thought Bubble Comic Con on 15 and 16 November, with events over the weekend including the popular cosplay masquerade and the British Comic Awards, an annual celebration of the best stories told by writers and illustrators over the last twelve months, as well as a fantastic programme of signings and talks by the stars of the comics scene.

The full programme of events can be viewed at http://thoughtbubblefestival.com/festival-programme-2015/

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