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Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2014: The View from the Twittersphere

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Just some of the fantastic team of volunteers who worked around the clock to make the 2014 Lakes International Comic Art Festival a success. Image: Lakes International Comic Art Festival

Just some of the fantastic team of volunteers who worked around the clock to make the 2014 Lakes International Comic Art Festival a success. Image: Lakes International Comic Art Festival

 

I think everyone who attended is still reeling from the fantastic weekend the 2014 Lakes International Comic Art Festival proved to be, which began with the amazing 24 Hour Comics Marathon organised by Dan Berry and the announcement of Dave Gibbons as the first Comics Laureate. Suffice to say for now, that Festival Director Julie Tait, the entire Festival team, the citizens of Kendal, local businesses, local press, comic fans and comic creators all gathered to deliver a fantastic event, really offering a continental-styled Festival that involved the entire town in the comic celebration.

Shaun Blezard has posted this fast-paced trip starting at the Comic Clock Tower, which will give you a taster of just some of the proceedings…

 

Jeremy Briggs will be posting a round up of creator images later in the week, and I posted  an number of images snapped during the weekend on Twitter and Tumblr over the three days I was in Kendal. Here are just some of the ‘Tweets’ posted about the Festival from creators (and some images courtesy of LICAF) that capture a small sample of what was going on.

Thanks to everyone involved in the event. You created magic, truly! The next Lakes International Comic Art Festival  will run from 16th – 18th October 2015!

 


 

• More about Dungeon Fun Review here on downthetubes

 


Warwick Johnson Cadwell sums up the 24 Hour Comic Marathon experience:

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Here are the team about halfway through the marathon itself.

News of Dave Gibbons appointment as Comics Laureate (a bi-ennial position, meaning he’ bee “in office” for two years) was tweeted far and wide

 

— and Dave Gibbons himself responded thus:

 


Some of the Soaring Penguin Press team including Nora Goldberg (who also works for Titan Comics and Knockabout and clearly needs no sleep) and Gary Spencer Millidege, creator of Strangehaven. Read our review of Soaring Penguins’ new anthology, Meanwhile…, here

A model of the Poblin mascot created by Jonathan Edwrds on sale over the weekend. Image: Lakes International Comic Art Festival

A model of the Poblin mascot created by Jonathan Edwards on sale over the weekend. Image: Lakes International Comic Art Festival

French artist Boulet was just one of many continental creators on hand, and posted an image of this gorgeous art

 

Digital comics guru Scott McCloud seemed impressed by the dedicated work of the British independent comics press

• Read more about Asteroid Belter here

Some stunning imagery by Japanese creator Junko Mizuno, whose work was also on display (along with Dougie Braithwaite, Glynn Dillon and others) in the Brewery Arts Centre where many events were held…

 

Doctor Who and many comic workshops took place Kendal Library…

tardis-in-kendal-library

Image courtesy Lakes International Comic Art Festival

And other workshops such as the one by Felt Mistress sold out

Here’s some glorious art by Jim Medway

There were also many book launches, including this one by the Cartoonists Club of Great Britain…

 

— whose members delighted all with their wonderful cartoons on display

Terrific illustrator and comic artist Sarah McIntyre can be relied on to deliver a splash of colour to proceedings where ever she goes. Here she is with Darryl Cunningham, who launched his amazing book, Supercrash, at the Festival. Picture by the talented Lizz Lunney, who you should back on Patreon to help her work creating the Comic Fun Club.

 

Not everything took place indoors, of course. There were artists creating work on the street, a project to create a Living Comic took place on Saturday, and even seasoned media gurus like Alex Fitch could not escape this kind of fun. Here he is with Ricky Rouse, the creation of Jorg Tittel and John Aggs…

And let’s not forget, ever, the comic fans. Here are some of them waiting for the Great War in Comics event to start…

 

— and here’s a young fan getting a sketch from artist Mike Collins.

There was plenty to buy, too, from gorgeous hardback books and artwork to independent comics, like this one, one of my favourite comics of 2014, from Disconnected Press.

 

And, also, things to discover, like this amazing web comic, “Cura Regis” from Robin Pierce…

— and the opportunity to put names to Twitter icons, like Daniel Clifford, one of many comic creators running drawing workshops for kids over the weekend.

 

I think Scott McCloud sums up the feelings of all creators present…

 

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