
It’s a fresh new year and as the range of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival’s work continues to grow, so they thought it would be the perfect time to tell supporters more about their current work, future plans, funding and ongoing opportunities for creators. So don’t miss a free online LICAF Now & Next event on Thursday 13th February 2025, which will include a Q&A session with MC and Festival Patron, Lucy Sullivan.
LICAF will also be welcoming creator Mollie Ray, who can tell you more about how she’s benefited from their work, and how she has gone about making the most of what the Festival can offer.

Lucy Sullivan is a writer and artist from London whose acclaimed debut graphic novel, BARKING, based on her own experience of a mental health crisis, was first published during the pandemic and quickly sold out. The new edition launched February 2024 with Avery Hill Publishing and is available for the first time in Canada and the United States.
Alongside her own comics and zines, Lucy has created a variety of commissions for titles including Hey, Amateur!, The Department Of Truth: Wild Fictions and Black Hammer, including the short comic Betwixt, Between for Jeff Lemire. She is the artist on IND-XED with Fraser Campbell, as well as creating stories with John Reppion for Skrawl Magazine, Jordan Thomas for Metallic Dynamite, Peter Davison for YOSHIN10, and Dan Watters for Razorblades.
Her new Folk-Horror series, SHELTER, is currently in development, with support from Arts Council England. The first story, “Early Doors”, which was winner of Broken Frontier’s ‘Best New Periodical Series’ Award 2022, is out now.

Mollie Ray is an illustrator and comic artist based in Lancashire. Her debut graphic novel Giant was published in June 2024 by Faber and Faber. In 2019, she graduated from The University of Edinburgh with a First-Class Honours degree in Illustration. Her work has been featured by Creative Boom, The AOI and Broken Frontier’s ‘Six To Watch In 2021’.
She has also done work for the BBC in support of David Attenborough’s Wild Isles series, and self-published multiple short-form comics.
• LICAF Now & Next Thursday 13th February 2025 6.30 – 7.45pm, via Zoom | Email Carole@comicartfestival.com if you would like to attend and we’ll send a Zoom invite on 12th February 2025
PLEASE NOTE: For those taking part, and those who cannot attend, we will offer a recording of the event, which will be available later on our YouTube channel
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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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