This year’s tenth anniversary Graphic Brighton festival is back next weekend (running Friday 13th and Saturday 14th December) and, as ever, mixes talks by comics studies academics with panel discussions by comic book creators.
This year’s theme is Graphic Architecture – the depiction of Architecture in Comics – with comic book and graphic novel creators who have engaged with this theme in attendance including Karrrie Fransman, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Woodrow Phoenix, Clarrie Pope, Zara Slattery and Myfanwy Tristram.
As there is a cross-over between comics and architectural practice, several architects and interior designers who have turned their hand to comics, and are attending Graphic Brighton, include Henry Chebaane, Andrea Hoff, Sabba Khan, and Alison Sampson.
The festival is also proud to have Enrique Bordes, associate professor in the Department of Graphic Design at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and author of the seminal Graphic Architecture book Cómic, arquitectura narrativa as a keynote speaker, as well as Clari Searle (of Coventry University) who is an expert in Comic Funnies, who will be running a workshop on “Humour and messing with architecture in comics”…
• Graphic Brighton – online here – runs from 10.00am – 6.00pm, Friday 13th – Saturday 14th December 2025 in the Sallis Benney Theatre, University of Brighton City Campus, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex BN2 0JY | Book your free ticket via Eventbrite
Graphic Brighton 2024 Itinerary
What: Graphic Brighton: Comics and Architecture
When: 13th-14th December 2024
Where: Sallis Benney Lecture Theatre, University of Brighton City Campus, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton BN2 0JY
Schedule
Friday 13th December
10-10.30am Registration
10.30-10.45 Introduction: 10* Years of Graphic Brighton (Barbara Chamberlin & Alex Fitch)
10.45-11.00 Why Graphic Architecture? (Alex Fitch)
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-13.15 Academic Panel 1 – (Architectural comics, pedagogy and embodiment) – Nina Mickwitz / Lee Christian / Phevos Kallitsis / Abishek Wagle
13.15-14.15 Lunch
14.15-15.45 Academic Panel 2 – (Society & Graphic Architecture) – Sofia Fernandez (online) / Yvette Putra / Namitha Soman
15.45-16.00 Coffee Break
16.00-17.30 Academic Panel 3 – (Comics and Flânerie) – Trisha Dasgupta (online) / Marion Eisenmann (online) / Reed Puc
17.30-17.45 Break
17.45-18.45 Enrique Bordes keynote speech: Comics are Architecture
Saturday 14th December
10-10.30am Registration
10.30-11.30 Canterbury Cathedral Comics – Karrie Fransman, Sabba Khan, & Zara Slattery
11.30-11.45 Coffee Break
11.45-13.15 Academic Panel 4 – (Engaging with Graphic Architecture) – Andrea Hoff / Sreemoyee Ray (online) / Daniel Merlin Goodbrey
11.45-13.15 Parallel workshop (Humour: Messing with Architecture in comics – Clari Searle)
13.15-14.15 Lunch Break
14.15-15.15 The Location of Architectural Comics – Woodrow Phoenix, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, and Clarrie Pope
15.15-15.30 Coffee Break
15.30-16.30 Den City: Stories of Crowds and Cities – Colin McFarlane (online), Jordan Colliver (online), Myfanwy Tristram, Karrie Fransman
16.30-16.45 Break
16.45-17.45 Comics and Architectural Practice – Henry Chebaane, Sabba Khan and Alison Sampson
17.45-18.00 Plenary / wrap-up
• Graphic Brighton – online here – runs from 10.00am – 6.00pm, Friday 13th – Saturday 14th December 2025 in the Sallis Benney Theatre, University of Brighton City Campus, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex BN2 0JY | Book your free ticket via Eventbrite
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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.
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