Don’t Forget! Small Press Day is this Saturday!

By John Freeman on July 3, 2018

Small Press Day, a celebration of self-publishing, DIY culture, and grassroots comics across the UK and Ireland is back for a third outing this Saturday, 7th July 2018 – and there are a whole host of happenings taking place around it.

In 2016, an idea born on Twitter led to a series of nationwide events in a matter of weeks. The inaugural Small Press Day – a celebratory event designed to spotlight the possibilities of small press publishing and to introduce its practitioners to the far wider audience they deserve – proved to be a phenomenal success.

Comic creator David Ziggy Greene, web site and publisher Broken Frontier and Alternative Press have masterminded a day of small press events across Ireland and the UK, and it’s looking bigger than ever, building on its first two years.

Events will take place at comic stores and venues across the UK (some venues listed below), offering many opportunities to meet the next generation of superstar comic creators, zine makers, and DIY micro publishers.

Among the biggest events will be those at Gosh! Comics and Orbital Comics in London, who have joined forces to offer a host of signings through the day.

Among the creators in London will be Takayo Akiyama, Sophie Burrows, Laura Collinson, John Cei Douglas, Barry Flynn, Peony Gent, Becky Howard, Clio Isadora, Ryan Jenkyns, Will Powers, Katie Marland, Luke Matthews, Korinna Mei, Laurel Pettitt, Olivia Sullivan,Ed Stockham, Dan White, and Timothy Winchester.

As on previous Small Press Day events, Gosh and Orbital will be collaborating to create a zine featuring art from every guest at both shops.

In the evening, publisher Avery Hill will debut A Projection by Seekan Hui at Gosh, which will also host the release of this year’s Broken Frontier Small Press Yearbook. Last year’s was terrific – so don’t miss out on this one.

Editor Andy Oliver from Broken Frontier will be on hand with EdieOP, Peony Gent, Josh Hicks, Alex Potts, Jenny Robins, Olivia Sullivan. Anja Uhren, Alice Urbino, Robert D. Wells and Kate-mia White to celebrate the launch of the book, which gathers stories from contributors on the loose theme “Brief Encounters”, including last year’s “Six Small Press Creators to Watch” from Broken Frontier.

• Join the celebration of all things small press and make #SmallPressDay2018 bigger, better, and bolder | Web: smallpressday.co.uk | Follow Small Press Day on Twitter @SmallPressDay

Events taking place include happenings at the following venues – but check the official web site for more!

Ayslum Books and Games
29 Adelphi, Aberdeen
Web: https://www.facebook.com/asylumbooksandgames

Beer Rebellion
126 Gipsy Hill , London, SE19 1PL
Web: https://www.facebook.com/events/2081637308715839

BermondZINES #3
96-108 Ormside Street, London SE15 1TF
Web: https://www.facebook.com/events/233649757199450

Centrala
Unit 4 Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, Birmingham B5 5RT
Web: https://www.facebook.com/events/2011018162550098

Comic Book Guys
130 Great Victoria Street, Belfast, BT2 7BG

Dave’s Comics
5 Sydney Street, Brighton and Hove, BN1 4EN

Destination Venus
Westminster Arcade, Parliament Street, Harrogate HG1 2RN

Dundee Comics Creative Space
20 Greenmarket, Dundee, DD1 4QB

Forbidden Planet Aberdeen
12-14 Schoolhill, AB101JX Aberdeen
Web: http://www.facebook.com/FPIAberdeen

Forbidden Planet Dublin
The Fumbally Exchange, 5 Dame Lane, Dublin 2

Forbidden Planet Glasgow
Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AG

Forbidden Planet Nottingham
19-23 Friar Lane, Nottingham, NG1 6DA

Forbidden Planet Wolverhampton
23 Victoria Street, Wolverhampton WV1 3NP
Web: https://www.facebook.com/events/1864765506887635

Frog Bros Comics & Books
Unit 3, Sovereign Centre, Bournemouth, BH1 4SX

Gnash Comics
9 West St, Ashburton, Newton Abbot TQ13 7DT
Web: http://www.gnashcomics.co.uk

Gosh! Comics
1 Berwick Street, London W1F 0DR

Housmans Bookshop
5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX

Kenilworth Books
12 Talisman Close, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 1JB
Web: http://kenilworthbooks.co.uk/event/small-press-day

Legacy Comics
12 Union Street, Halifax HX1 1PR
Web: https://www.facebook.com/Legacycomicsuk

Little Shop Of Heroes
8 Maygate, Dunfermline KY12 7NH
Web: https://www.facebook.com/TheIncredibleComicShop

Make & Mend Market
Grainger Market, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 5QN
Web: https://www.facebook.com/events/196726790919165

Nostalgia & Comics
14-16 Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham B5 4EN

Orbital Comics
8 Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7JA

Pen Fight
First Floor, Partisan Collective, 19 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, M4 4FY
Web: https://www.facebook.com/events/190260358291114

Sub-City Comics
53 Mary Street, Dublin, D1

The Incredible Comic Book Shop
21, The Plaza, Brunel Centre, Swindon SN1 1LF
Web: https://www.facebook.com/TheIncredibleComicShop

• Join the celebration of all things small press and make #SmallPressDay2018 bigger, better, and bolder | Web: smallpressday.co.uk | Follow Small Press Day on Twitter @SmallPressDay

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.