Thought Bubble Festival Programme 2016 Announced

By John Freeman on October 17, 2016

2016’s Thought Bubble runs from 1st – 6th November in Leeds and a quick guide appears below.

The full festival programme is on the event’s offial site here and you can buy tickets here.

2016’s convention runs on the 5th & 6th November, and venue details for this and other festival events are in the programme below, while a map of venue locations in Leeds can be found here.

Festival Duration Events
– Thought Bubble Anthology Collection – 10 Years of Comics // Live Event // In Stores Now!
Available in stores and digitally from Mon 5 Oct, Comic Shops Worldwide, opening times vary, £8.99/$9.99 (prices may vary)

In celebration of Thought Bubble’s tenth birthday, 2016 sees the publication of the first ever collected edition of the Thought Bubble Comics Anthology!

Available now, from all good comic shops and digitally through ComiXology, this collection brings together the previous five issues of the Thought Bubble Comic Anthology, presented in traditional American graphic novel format, and comprising over 130 pages of stories from the best creators in the comics community.

It also includes a selection of winning entries from 2010-2014’s Thought Bubble Comic Art competitions as part of this collection

For more information, click here.

Thought Bubble Comic Art Competition Entries 2016 // Exhibition // Times Vary
Unstable Molecules by Gramsch // Exhibition / Times Vary
Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom & TB Present Animate Europe // Exhibition // Times Vary
The Gallery at Munro House & Thought Bubble Present…THE WICKED + THE DIVINE // Exhibition // Times Vary
Leeds College of Art BA Illustration @ Travelling Man // Exhibition // Times Vary
Prints of Eternia @ Colours May Vary // Exhibition // Times Vary
2000 AD Art Challenge 2016 // Live Event // Deadline 5 Nov
2000 AD Writing Competition 2016 // Live Event // Deadline 5 Nov

Festival Fringe Event – Thursday 27th October

Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom & TB Present Animate Europe Launch // Live Event // 1700

Festival Fringe Event – Saturday 29th October

Travelling Man Signing Tour: Mike Mignola in Manchester // Live Event // 1400

Tuesday 1st November

4 Panel Strip Workshop with Doctor Simpo // Workshop // 1000
The Rainbow Age: LGBTQ* Comic-book Club // Live Event // 1700
Leeds College of Art BA Illustration – Travelling Man Exhibition Launch Party // Live Event // 1800

Wednesday 2nd November

The Iron Man Kavad – Performance Storytelling by Ben Haggarty // Live Event // 1030
Character Design Workshop with Doctor Simpo // Workshop // 1315
The Iron Man Kavad – Performance Storytelling by Ben Haggarty // Live Event // 1400
Political Cartoons Collection – Talk at Leeds Central Library // Live Event // 1400
Comics & Mental Health: zine-making workshop with Una Bauer // Live Event // 1800

Thursday 3rd November

Comics Forum Academic Conference Day 1 // Live Event // 0900
Travelling Man Signing Tour: Newcastle // Live Event // 1630
Creative Networks, Leeds College of Art & TB Present… Mike Mignola in Conversation // Live Event // 1745
Thought Bubble + Gosh! Comics Present: Jeff Lemire Signing // Live Event // 1800
Pints and Pencils // Live Event // 2000
Assembly House and 44FLOOD present HERETICS // Exhibition // Times Vary

Friday 4th November

Comics Forum Academic Conference Day 2 // Live Event // 0900
Thought Bubble Book Crossing 2016 // Live Event // 1000
Young People’s Comic Award 2016 // Live Event // 1330
Design Your Own… with Gary Erskine // Workshop // 1330
Travelling Man Signing Tour: York // Live Event // 1630
Travelling Man Signing Tour: Leeds // Live Event // 1630
The Gallery at Munro House & Thought Bubble Present…THE WICKED + THE DIVINE Launch // Live Event // 1800
Thought Bubble Pre-Convention Reception // Live Event // 1900

Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th November

Thought Bubble Convention 2016 // Live Event // 1000 – 1700

Convention Duration Events
Entry to all convention events (excluding the mid-con party) is included in the price of a convention pass, under 12s enter for free with an accompanying ticket holding parent/guardian, over-65s enter for free on presentation of a valid form of photo ID, and discounts are available for cosplayers and Breeze Card holders.

Royal Armouries Museum and Thought Bubble Present Bub’s Lounge // Live Event // 1000
Kim Jung Gi Live Drawing // Live Event // Times Vary
Portfolio Reviews with Shelly Bond // Live Event // Times Vary
Thought Bubble Book Launches 2016 // Live Event // 1000
Post-It Comics // Live Event // 1000
Team Ketchup Present… Drop In and Draw // Live Event 1000
Heroes and Villains with Team Ketchup // Live Event // 1000
Comic Jam with Team Ketchup // Live Event // 1000
Abnormal Animal Competition with Doctor Simpo // Live Event // 1000
Alien in the Outfield’s Major League Alien Baseball Tryouts! // Live Event // 1000

Saturday 5th November Only – Convention Events – Bury Theatre

Gosh! Comics presents The Best Thing I’ve Read All Year // Panel // 1100
2000AD Writing Competition 2016 // Live Event // 1200

+Sketching Spotlight // Live Event // 1300

Comics In Conversation: Mike Mignola // Live Event // 1440
I is for Innovation: The Creators of Image Comics // Panel // 1540

Saturday 5th November Only – Convention Events – News Room
+ From ZERO to SUPER HERO // Live Event // 1110

Tetris: The Games People Play, with Box Brown // Panel // 1210
Leeds College of Art presents Go Go Go! // Panel // 1310
BREAK IT DOWN: Breakdown Press 2016 // Panel // 1410
Comics For EVERYONE! // Panel // 1510
39 Years of 2000AD // Panel // 1610

Saturday 5th November Only – Convention Events – Bubs Lounge

Upside Comics presents Blam! Zap! Kapow! Comics for Beginners! // Workshop // 1500

Saturday 5th November Only – Convention Events – Cinema of War

Sound & Vision // Panel // 1050
SILENCE! To Astonish! // Live Event // 1150
The Secret Loves of Geek Girls // Panel // 1250
Laydeez do Comics presents… // Panel // 1350
From Stands to Screen // Panel // 1450
The Rainbow Age presents Queer Comics Today // Panel // 1550
Mid-Con Party at Trinity Kitchen // Live Event // 1900

Sunday 6th November Only – Convention Events – Bury Theatre

TB Comic Art Competition Prize-Giving Ceremony // Live Event // 1020

+Creating Worlds // Live Event // 1100

+Decompressed: The Wicked + The Divine // Panel // 1200

+Sketching Spotlight // Live Event // 1300

Cosplay Masquerade // Live Event // 1440

Sunday 6th November Only – Convention Events – News Room
+ How To Make It Make Money // Panel // 1110

2000AD Portfolio Competition Judging // Live Event // 1210
Unbeatable! Squirrel Girl x Thought Bubble // Panel // 1310
Comics in Conversation: John Wagner // Live Event // 1410
ArtCred // Panel // 1510

Sunday 6th November Only – Convention Events – Royal Armouries Hall

Portfolio Viewings with Doctor Simpo // Live Event // 1000

Sunday 6th November Only – Convention Events – Education Room 1

Film Weapon Handling Session // Live Event // 1430

Sunday 6th November Only – Convention Events – Bubs Lounge

Upside Comics presents Blam! Zap! Kapow! Comics for Beginners! // Workshop // 1500

Sunday 6th November Only – Convention Events – Cinema of War

Eschaton // Screening // 1100
Search & Destroy: A Strontium Dog Fan-Film // Screening // 1145
The Image Revolution // Screening // 1230
Eschaton // Screening // 1400
Search & Destroy: A Strontium Dog Fan-Film // Screening // 1445
Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously // Screening // 1530

Festival Fringe Event – Monday 7th November

Thought Bubble + Gosh! Comics Present: Faith Erin Hicks Signing // Live Event // 1800

This year’s festival runs with support from ComiXology, Travelling Man, Leeds College of Art, Leeds Central Library, Bradford Libraries, Leeds Dock, Leeds Trinity, Comicraft, 2000 AD, Diamond Comics, Radisson Blu, Hotels In Leeds, Awesome Merchandise, The Illustrated Mind, Gosh! Comics, and Image Comics

John Freeman

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.