Top French comic creator Boulet has created this poster for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2015 featuring their mascot characters, Poblin and Gang, created by Jonathan Edwards.
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced two new patrons – top French artist Boulet and Stephen L. Holland, co-creator, co-owner and co-manager of the award-winning independent comic shop Page 45, based in Nottingham.
The duo further complement the Festival’s patrons line-up of comic creators Sean Phillips, Bryan Talbot, Mary Talbot and Emma Vieceli.
Boulet
Boulet has over 25 graphic novels in print in his native country including the Raghnarok and Chez La boîte à bulles series for Glenat.
Two books in the Donjon (Dungeon) series, created with Lewis Trondheim and Joann Sfar, are available in English. The 39-year-old creator is a fan of TV, science books, whisky (Single Malt Islay) and French fries, but can’t abide astrology, homeopathy or people who say “In my humble opinion”.
Stephen L. Holland
Stephen L. Holland is the co-creator, co-owner and co-manager of Page 45, Nottingham’s comic and graphic novel shop based on the European model which promotes quality and diversity regardless of publishing status with a warmth, honesty and informed eloquence. Every Wednesday without fail Page 45 publishes its weekly blog reviewing comics and graphic novels to help redress the stranglehold which corporate comics have over the US and UK comics industry.
Page 45 won Best Independent Business in Nottingham in 2012 and 2013, and the only ever Diamond Award for Best Retailer in the UK in 2004. Page 45 celebrated its 20th Anniversary in October 2014 at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2014 where Page 45 played host to 12 comic book creators in The Clock Tower’s Georgian Room including Scott McCloud and Glyn Dillon, while Stephen presented ‘The Art Of Selling Comics’ ticketed talk and performed free, extemporised ‘Secrets Of Graphic Novels’ and ‘Kids Comics Are Cool!’ show-and-tells for the general public. Page 45 broke its biggest weekend sales record with under five per cent its range of graphic novels and immediately announced its LICAF attendance every year, exclusively.
Stephen has a degree in English Literature and The History of Art about which he is suspiciously keen to remind people, and was the only judge on The British Comics Awards to have been invited to sit for two successive years.
The news of additional patrons for the Festival follows hot on the heels of its first major guest who will be attending its weekend-long event in Kendal, Cumbria in October – award-winning Canadian comic book writer, artist, cartoonist and animator Darwyn Cooke.
This year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival (16th – 18th October 2015) will feature a huge number of international comic creators – possibly more than any other comics event of its kind in the UK – and also include numerous programming strands. These include appearances by top shoujo manga creators from Japan, Canadian creators, British comic writers and artists, along with the return of many popular events including the children-friendly Family Zone and eye-catching Windows Trail involving over 50 local businesses keen to support the Festival’s aim to be the “Angouleme of the North”.
In addition, the Festival is supporting a number of major commissioning initiatives, working in partnership with organisations across the UK and beyond, including the Instituut Francais.
• Tickets for this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival go on sale from the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, from 1st June 2015. Web: www.comicartfestival.com
More about Boulet
• For more information on Boulet’s work available in French visit his French site at http://www.bouletcorp.com/
• For details of his work in English and to read his latest web comic, The Gaeneviad, in English, visit http://english.bouletcorp.com
More about Stephen L. Holland and Page 45
• Page 45 is at 9 Market Street Nottingham NG1 6HY Tel: (0115) 9508045 Email: page45@page45.com
• Twitter: @pagefortyfive
• Web: www.page45.com
• Stephen on The Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2014.
• Stephen on Page 45’s 20th Anniversary 2014
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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