Self published work and small presses have always been an integral part of what London-based comic shop Gosh! has done, selling customers the best comics in the world. As they approach their 40th year slinging funny books that has never been more true. So much so that they’ve decided to celebrate with a brand new annual event – Gosh!Fest: A Small Presstival.
The inaugural festival takes place on Saturday 30th August 2025, kicking off right from 11.00am, hosting over 40 of the country’s most talented cartoonists: local artists and comic makers from across the country from up and comers who have barely published their first zine, to grizzled vets who remember the days of Fast Fiction and you’ll regularly find at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival and Thought Bubble.
Throughout the day, there will be several group signings back-to-back, where you can meet the artists, check out their work and treat yourself to some damn good comics! Plus, on sale you’ll find zines, books, prints, badges, stickers, window painting and more!
“This’ll be a day to discover new talent and support your favourites, many of whom will be launching brand new publications,” says the Gosh! team.
Oh, and there’s going to be Comics Jam, too!
Throughout the day, the guests will even be working on a comic together, right in front of your very eyes. To get your hands on the comic our guests make, Gosh! will have a stamp card system, one stamp per signing attended, and if you get four or more, you get a copy free!
“The DIY comics scene and small press community are things we truly cherish at Gosh! and so we’re proud to be able to present this truly staggering line-up of creators… We can’t wait!”
• Gosh!Fest 2025 starts at 11.00am on Saturday 30th August at Gosh! Comics, 1 Berwick Street, London W1F 0DR
• Keep up to date with all news over on the Gosh!Fest 2025 Facebook event page
GoshFest! 2025 Full Festival line-up
11-12: Will Hedgeland, Ky Lawrence, Jesse Kay, Amelie Ryder-Potter, Kiera Won, Francis Todd, Yetunde Ekuntuyi
12-1: Rin Edwards, Sar Cousins, Beatrijs Brouwer, Chris King, Rein Lee, Joe Stone
1-2: Shuning Ji, Beck Kubrick, Jim Hemmingfield, John Powell Jones, Molly Stocks, R.E. Burke, Emilia McKenzie
2-3: Josh Hicks, Clio Isadora, Ferry Gouw, Shane Melisse, Fred Lanka, Leo Fox, Ed Firth
3-4: Peony Gent, Ed Stockham, Claude TC, Timothy Winchester, Will Humberstone, Jade King, Lando
4-5: Adam Falp, Henry Widdicombe, Henry McCausland, Kai Reynolds, Rebecca K Jones, Peter Morey
5-6: Sean Azzopardi, Gareth Hopkins, Douglas Noble, Mark Stafford, Dan White, Fraser Geesin, Patrick Wray, John Riordan
• Keep up to date with all news over on the Gosh!Fest 2025 Facebook event page
Gosh!Fest 2025 Drink & Draw
So, what is a Drink and Draw? Well, it’s in the name! Gosh! will host an evening of drawing with our guest comic artists, all while having a few drinks together, alcoholic and non alcoholic. Mark Stafford, the Gosh! resident cartoonist, a regular face at the monthly event, is being joined by two guest artists every time. Meet at Gosh! for 6.30pm, where there will be a chance to mingle with the artists and check out their comics, before heading over to The Royal George for 7.00pm. Once everyone has grabbed a seat and a drink, three short rounds of drawing, with each guest artist setting their own drawing theme will kick off.
Gosh! will have the artists work on sale and may even have some prizes for their favourite drawings! The event will likely wrap up by 9.30pm, but staying afterwards to continue the fun is more than welcome.
Broken Frontier and Gosh! have been running the Drink & Draws since 2015 and have been lucky enough to have had over 200 guest artists attend! This event will be hosted by Broken Frontier’s wonderful Andy Oliver and Gosh! staffer Will Humberstone.
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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.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events
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