Author George RR Martin. Photo: Karolina Webb

The programme for this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival was announced last week, featuring some 900 participants over two weeks, making it, probably, “the biggest book bash on Planet Earth” according to Forbidden Planet International’s Joe Gordon.

There isn’t as big a focus on comics as last year, but the Festival has retained the “Stripped” banner and used it for the comics related gigs, making them more visible in the enormous programme which includes events featuring several SF and fantasy authors including Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin (who has also adapted many of his works into comics) on 11th August. That event is is sure to sell out very quickly when tickets go on sale on 24th June.

Our correspondent Jeremy Briggs plans to cover the programme in detail, but guests that should command attention from downthetubes readers include Bryan and Mary Talbot along with Kate Charlesworth, Bryan Lee O’Malley and 2000AD founder Pat Mills (Pat joining Hannah Berry and others to launch the IDP2043 graphic novel over two panels.

Lighter than my Shadow author Katie Green is another Festival guest. Photo: Chris Bertram. Read our interview

Also in the line up is a celebration of Tove Jansson’s work on her 100th birthday, Phoenix Comic workshops, plus appearances by Katie Green and Matilda Tristram, Charlie Adlard and Robbie Morrison and others.

• View the “Stripped” tagged events on the Edinburgh Book Festival 2014 website

• Festival tickets go on sale on 24th June 2014. Web: www.edbookfest.co.uk

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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.

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Categories: British Comics

Tags: Bryan O'Malley, Bryan Talbot, Charlie Adlard, Edinburgh International Book Festival, George RR Martin, Kate Charlesworth, Katie Green, Mary Talbot, Pat Mills, Phoenix Comic, Robbie Morrison