The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF) has announced another major new cultural partnership for its latest Festival in Kendal this October, launching a spectacular, multi-layered celebration of contemporary comics titled “Belgian Comics Now”.
Supported by Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI), the trade and cultural body promoting the French-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium, and curated in collaboration with the prestigious Comic Art Museum in Brussels, the initiative represents a significant scaling up of international collaboration for the Festival.
Belgium is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading producers of comic art, with globally-renowned historic artists such as Hergé – creator of The Adventures of Tintin – and Peyo – creator of The Smurfs. Belgium continues this rich tradition of comic art today, driven by a new generation of cutting-edge artists arriving at LICAF this autumn.
Building on its previous support for small-scale creator attendance at LICAF, and following its backing of the inaugural meeting of the International Comics Exchange (ICEX) network of comics-sector cultural operators at the 2023 Festival, WBI’s involvement in 2026 marks an ambitious, comprehensive partnership designed to champion Belgian comic art across three major cultural and commercial strands.
Five Major Creators Join the Main Festival Line-up
WBI is funding the attendance of five of Belgium’s most exciting and diverse contemporary comic creators. Festival-goers will have the chance to see, meet, and learn from: Leonie Bischoff, the award-winning creator of Anaïs Nin: Sea of Lies; Nina Six, celebrated for her evocative graphic novels such as Mousse, Pissenlit and La Sorcière de Londres; Nicolas Pitz, acclaimed for Jusqu’Ici tout va bien, Les Vous, La Dent); Joanna Lorho, renowned for her striking, poetic visual storytelling in A Travers La Nuit; and Mobidic, known for lush, atmospheric fantasy and nature-driven narratives such as Roi Ours.
A Landmark Exhibition at Abbot Hall Gallery
In a major festival highlight, WBI and the CBBD are bringing a world-class exhibition of contemporary Belgian comic art to Kendal’s premier art venue, the Abbot Hall Gallery.
Curated by the Belgian Comic Strip Museum, the exhibition, ‘Landscapes of Contemporary Belgian Comics’ will run across the Festival weekend and showcase an exceptional range of modern Belgian artists, including the five attending creators. Curators are creator Mobidic and publisher Nathalie Van Campenhoudt.
Driving Industry Growth
Underscoring LICAF’s commitment to fostering international industry connections, WBI is also funding a dedicated delegation of five leading Belgian comic book publishers: Casterman (Nathalie Van Campenhoudt), Dargaud (Valérie Beniest), En 3000 (Romane Armand), Fremok (Thierry Van Hasselt), and L’Employé du moi (Sacha Goerg).
Across the festival weekend, these publishers will participate in a structured International Rights Market, engaging in one-to-one B2B meetings with ten prominent UK publishers to buy and sell translation and publication rights.
“Wallonie-Bruxelles International is proud to enhance our involvement with the Lakes International Comic Art Festival through this unprecedented partnership,” commented Motonobu Kasajima, CEO of Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI).
“Belgium has a legendary comic heritage, but ‘Belgian Comics Now’ is firmly focused on the present and the future. By supporting this vibrant delegation of creators and publishers, we are not only showcasing the incredible diversity of our contemporary comic talent to UK audiences, but also building tangible, long-term commercial and cultural bridges between our two publishing industries.”
“LICAF has become one of Europe’s most exciting meeting places for comics,” added Isabelle Debekker, Director of the Comic Art Museum in Brussels. “We are therefore thrilled to bring a strong Belgian delegation of authors and publishers to Kendal, together with an exhibition curated by Mobidic and Nathalie Van Campenhoudt that celebrates the richness and diversity of our contemporary scene. We look forward to sharing stories, creating new connections and building lasting collaborations between our comics communities.”
“Belgium is the historical beating heart of European comics, but its contemporary scene is incredibly innovative, diverse, and vibrant,” notes Julie Tait, Director of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. “We are absolutely thrilled that Wallonie-Bruxelles International approached us for this major partnership.
“By combining a stellar line-up of creators, a world-class exhibition curated by the Belgian Comic Strip Museum, and a dedicated industry rights market, ‘Belgian Comics Now’ is going to be an unforgettable, transformative highlight of this year’s festival.”
Guests at LICAF 2026 announced so far, in alphabetical order include Charlie Adlard, Leonie Bischoff, Serge Bloch, Gemma Correll, Dagsson, Mike Derderian, Colleen Doran, Louise Evans (aka Feltmistress), Emad Hajjaj, Luke Healy, David Leach, Joanna Lorho, Bill Morrison, Nina Six, Jacob Phillips, Sean Phillips, Frank Quitely, Khaled Jarada, Keli Lark, Marcos Martin, Joe McGarry, Luke McGarry, Steve McGarry, Mobidic, Francisco de la Mora, Nicolas Pitz, Gemma Plum, Pieter de Poortere, Bill Sienkiewicz, Zara Slattery, Muntsa Vicente, the team from VIZ comic, and Chrissy Williams. More to come! Full profiles on the Festval’s Guests page.
The Festival also hosted a Comics Marketplace – its Exhibitors lineup including many independent creators and publishers.
• The Lakes International Comic Arts Festival (LICAF) will take place in Kendal from Friday 2nd – Sunday 4th October 2026. Tickets are on sale now
Further details on specific panel times, exhibition hours, and festival ticketing will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, visit licaf.co.uk
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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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