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Caption, the long-running British small press event, returns in 2025

By John Freeman on June 20, 2024

After a bit of a hiatus, Caption – the Oxford Comics Festival returns next year, at a venue To Be Announced, Saturday 16th – Sunday 17th August 2025.

Comic creator Andy Luke says there have been plenty of enthusiastic chats about the event, between the new committee chaired by Amy Letts, with Emily ‘Hurt Nouveau’ Brady, Norm Chung, Vickie Bernard, Charles R R Cutting and Barry Renshaw.

CAPTION is Britain’s longest running annual convention, held in the centre of Oxford. Its focus is British small-press and self-published comics.

“If you’ve never been to Caption before know it is a unique event,” Andy enthused in a Facebook post. “If you have been to Caption before I’m guessing you’re probably up for this.

“For the first time we’ll be fundraising with advance memberships on Indiegogo. It’ll launch in a few months.”

The CAPTION team is also investigating other funding options, and has already put out an appeal for volunteers, speakers and other support.

“We are currently putting together a team and you could be on that team!” say the team. “If organising isn’t your thing, we will need practical help on the day setting things up and general dogsbody duties. We also need people able and willing to run workshops e.g. drawing comics, and other creative, artsy craftsy stuff.” Let them know you can help here

Experts within the small press comics community to take part in talks and round-table discussions. Would you be interested in being on a panel? Do you know someone who would be great? Have a little black book full of comic creater contacts? Let them know you can help here

“CAPTION, in a very real way, is the small press comics community. We can’t do this without you (and it would be very dull affair if we did)! There are so many ways to support whether it be spreading the word, donating, volunteering or just being there.”

• Sign up for advance membership email updates on Indiegogo

• CAPTION is online at captionfestival.wordpress.com | Live Journal | Follow Caption along on Facebook | Flickr Photo Pool

(Indiegogo links updated 9th December 2024)

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as 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.