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Lakes International Comic Art Festival announces Frankie Boyle and Josie Long as its “Partners in Comedy” for this year’s opening night

By John Freeman on May 9, 2023

Comedienne Josie Long and comedian and comic creator Frankie Boyle

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has revealed comedian and comic creator Frankie Boyle and comic Josie Long as their partners in comedy for this year’s unique, never-to-be repeated “Frankie and Josie talk Comics” opening night of its annual weekend-long gathering in Bowness-on-Windermere (Friday 29th September – 1st October 2023).

Taking place at the Old Laundry Theatre, Frankie and Josie will discuss some of their favourite books and comics, through the medium of chat, readings, answering audience questions and general japery.

Opening Night tickets, sold separately to the Festival Weekend Pass, are on sale now and are expected to sell out quickly, as in past years.

Both Frankie and Josie will also perform solo shows over the same weekend at the Old Laundry Theatre, on Saturday night.

“Our opening nights have always been driven by comedy, and one-of a kind event this year is no exception,” says Festival Director Julie Tait.

“Book now, even though we haven’t quite worked out what the show is yet,” encourages Frankie Boyle.

“You probably won’t be disappointed!”

Announced comic creators at this year’s Festival include Charlie Adlard, Mehdi Annassi, aka Machima, Peter Hogan, Lucie Lomová, Dave McKean, Rachael Smith and “Awkward Yeti” creator Nick Sulek – with many more to be revealed in the next few weeks.

A wide range of internationally acclaimed creators is still to be announced over the next two months. Over 90 comic creators, publishers and artists will also be at the event, as part of the Lakeview Comics Marketplace.

The Festival is also aiming to boost its offering for younger comic readers, as well as established fans with a crowdfunding campaign to support the work of its “Little LICAF” team. The organisation is determined to help grow new audiences, echoing the work of many other comic events, representatives of several of them visiting the Festival this year for an event that will provide an opportunity for an exchange of ideas.

Early backers of the Little LICAF Crowdfundr can choose to buy a Festival 2023 Weekend Ticket for just £20, but only a limited number are available.

• Buy your “Frankie Boyle and Josie Long Talk Comics” Festival Opening Night tickets here

• Head to the Festival’s official web site now and book your weekend tickets at a special “Early Bird” price, an offer that ends 31st May 2023

Frankie Boyle is one of The UK’s premier comedians and writers, and a lifelong comics fan. He’s known for his shows New World Order (BBC2), Tramadol Nights (Channel 4) and his best-selling DVD’s and Netflix Special.

Frankie has also penned three best selling books, and wrote “Rex Royd”, a comic strip for Mark Millar’s CLINT comic anthology, published by Titan, and collected in 2018.

“I wanted to try to do something that came from the heart,” he’s previously said of the strip. “The state-of-the-art in comics always seemed a bit linear and it seems so unambitious. I wanted to do different sections from an overall story you didn’t see all of. I just f*****g love comics and I’m keen to develop the whole thing in the least comic book way possible! Rex is complex, but you don’t necessarily need to follow everything. I’m not asking the reader to work as much as have an open mind.”

In 2018, Frankie wrote and presented the highly acclaimed documentary Frankie Goes To Russia for the BBC previewing the Russian World Cup in 2018. He also regularly contributes articles for the broadsheet press, and has topped the podcast charts with the first three volumes of his eight volume Promethiad sequence.

Josie Long is a multi-award-winning comedian, writer, podcaster, and film-maker. She is a trailblazer of the UK comedy industry, as the first woman to be nominated three times for Edinburgh Comedy Award (2010 – 2012). Her nine critically acclaimed tours showcased her unique and powerfully original voice and have been performed globally to sell-out shows. Her various podcasts and original radio shows have garnered her a world-wide audience of dedicated listeners and multiple awards.

Josie is an avid film-maker, having written and performed in short films such as Let’s Go Swimming, available on YouTube, and the full-length feature, Super November, released in 2018.

She’s been on all the TV channels, and several of her comedy specials are officially available online: Cara Josephine, available from Soho Theatre as a download, and Josie Long’s Romance and Adventure, available on YouTube.

Her debut book, a collection of short stories called Because I Don’t Know What You Mean and What You Don’t, is published later this May, and she will be touring the UK to promote it on her “Long Book Tour”.

• Head to the Festival’s official web site now and book your weekend tickets at a special “Early Bird” price, an offer that ends 31st May 2023

• Buy your “Frankie Boyle and Josie Long Talk Comics” Festival Opening Night tickets here

The Solo Shows

Lisa Richards Presents Frankie Boyle: Lap of Shame
6.30pm Saturday 30th September 2023, The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere | Tickets £20

Frankie Boyle’s on tour. Buy a ticket, because by the time he arrives, the currency will be worthless and you and your neighbours part of a struggling militia that could probably use a few laughs

Age Restriction: 16+
Show policies: no phones/recording, no latecomers, no re-admittance

• Head to The Old Laundry Theatre, who are running this solo show, to book your tickets for this event

Josie Long – Re-enchantment
8.00pmSaturday 30th September 2023, The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere | Tickets £16.50 / Financial Difficulty Concession (limited tickets available) £10

“After defeat, re-enchantment is necessary”, said Lola Olufemi.

This thought inspires Josie Long’s brand-new show of stand-up infused with humanity, compassion and some brief political rants. The triple Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, underdog Fringe hero and delirious new mother (the first person to have two babies) returns with a show about the changes wrought by time, passion, moving to Scotland, and loving the world under – let’s face it – difficult circumstances.

Age guidance: 14+
Running time: 1hr 40 mins

• Head to The Old Laundry Theatre, who are running this solo show to book your tickets for this event

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival returns to Bowness-on-Windermere 29th September to 1st October 2023

Announced guests for 2023 in alphabetical order are: Charlie Adlard, Mehdi Annassi, aka Machima, Frankie Boyle, Gigi Cavenago, Gerhard, Lina Ghaibeh, Peter Hogan, Michael Lark, Lucie Lomová, Josie Long, Dave McKean, Bill Morrison and Steve and Annie Parkhouse, Marek Rubec, Mohamed Salah, Rachael Smith and “Awkward Yeti” creator Nick Sulek – with many more to be announced

The Festival has over 90 comic creators, publishers and illustrators in their Lakeview Comics Marketplace this year

Creators include: Chris Askham, Yomi Ayeni, Sayra Begum, Clark Bint, Tim Bird, Lewis Campbell, Jon Davis, Pete Doree, Phil Elliott, Emma Evans, Ed Firth, Simon Furman, Steven Fraser, Warwick Fraser-Coombe, Jessika Green, Lyndsey Green, Katie Handley, Isabel Hatherall, Jack Harvey, Luke Hyde, Jenika Ioffreda, Owen Michael Johnson, Roger Langridge, Joe Latham, Russell Mark Olson, Shaun Martland, Drew Marr, Chris Mole, Alex Moore, Beatrice Mossman, Nigel Parkinson, Markus Pattern, Mollie Ray, Reabault, Emma Reynolds, Schnumn, Paul Shinn, Martin Simpson, Matt Simmons, Zara Slattery, Cam Smith, Matt Smith, Rachael Smith, Lucy Sullivan, Kev F Sutherland, David Taylor, Tom Ward, Kevin Wells, Lyndon White, Kate-Mia White, Steve White, Dan Whitehead, Andrew Wildman, Manon Wright & Tal Brosh

Independent Publishers, and other Exhibitors include: 1826, 77 Publishing, After the Robot Apocalypse, Art-Bubble, B7 Comics, The Cartoon Museum, Catfood Comics, Centrala, CoCo Comics, Colossive Press, Comics Youth CIC, Conundrum Press, Doctor Geof, Drawn Strip, Fanfare UK, First Graphic Novel Competition, Foxhat, Galaxia Prince, I&M Illustration, Indie Novella, Iqbal A. Comics, Kaarinart, Kannter Art, Knockabout Comics, LDComics, Meraki Comics, MoonSquid INK, Nevercity Creations, Nona Gallery, Parable Games, Peak Hare Collective, The Pig Patch, Power Comics Studios, RAWHEAD, Scratch Comics, Sector 13 Comics, SelfMadeHero and Sloth Comics

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.