The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has just announced that the award-winning comic creator Eddie Campbell has joined the event’s line-up of guests, as one of the “extra” names for the weekend-long event in October that will be revealed across the next few months.
Eddie Campbell has been working in comics for over thirty years. His works include the huge From Hell in collaboration with Alan Moore; Bacchus, concerning the further adventures of the 4,000-year-old God of Wine, and Alec, an autobiographical comic he has been drawing since 1981.
Recent books have included The Fate of the Artist, The Lovely Horrible Stuff, and The From Hell Companion, a book crammed full of theory, anecdote and outtakes. This summer he is undertaking a tour with Neil Gaiman to promote The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountain, a performance/reading now turned into a book.
Many of his recent works have been published in print by Britain’s Knockabout Comics in partnership with Top Shelf Productions, and digitally by Festival sponsor SEQUENTIAL.
“It’s exciting to see Britain getting a proper comics festival like they have in France and Italy,” says Eddie of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival’s programme.“ And it’s even more exciting to be a part of it.”
He also reveals his talk – which he re-works from event to event – has the intriguing title “Eddie Campbell talks about living in a comic.”

Truth is a Cave in The Black Mountain is a book Eddie Campbell has created with Neil Gaiman, due out in June 2014. Art © Eddie Campbell
Eddie is the latest addition to the guest list that includes a range of British and overseas creators including acclaimed comics creator and newspaper strip artist Nick Abadzis (author of Laika); Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard, artist Mark Buckingham; The Mire and Wolves creator Becky Cloonan; Watchmen co-creator Dave Gibbons; 2000AD artist Jock; Japanese artist Junko Mizuno; digital comics frontiersman Scott McCloud; Drowntown co-creator Robbie Morrison; leading US comics writer Gail Simone; the creator of the multi-award winning Bone Jeff Smith; Grandville and Luther Arkwright author Bryan Talbot, one of the Festival’s patrons alongside Sean Phillips and Mary Talbot; and Emma Vieceli will also join other comic creators for Kendal’s second comics extravaganza.
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (17th – 19th October 2014) is a new kind of comic art event in the UK. Modelled on a European-style festival it aims to take over the market town of Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District, with comic art presenting the widest range of genres. Events include a 24 Hour Comic Marathon, children’s comic workshops, talks, signings, Great War in Comics art exhibition and a Comics Markteplace.
• Eddie’s event event will take place on Sunday 19th October 2014 at 12.15pm at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal. Tickets for all the events at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival are on sale now. For the full guest list, details of events and bookings visit: www.comicartfestival.com
• Sign up for the Festival’s newsletter here for the latest news! Web: www.comicartfestival.com
• More information on Eddie Campbell’s career and current work can be found at http://eddiecampbell.blogspot.co.uk

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.
Categories: Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, Events