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More Comic Book Creators added to Birmingham’s High Vis Comic Con in June

By John Freeman on March 1, 2025

High Vis Street Art Festival, well known for its spectacular annual street art festivals for nearly eight years running, has announced more comic creations for its upcoming High Vis Comic Con, including 2000AD writer Al Ewing and Doctor Who and Assassin’s Creed artist Sonia Leong.

Coordinated by High Vis Festival Co-Director, Olly MacNamee, the Festival is proud to be bringing comic cons back to Birmingham, offering a new, free, family-friendly, comic-focused convention on Saturday 21st June 2025 from 10.00am – 5.00pm, on York Road and the newly refurbished All-Saints Centre, Kings Heath.

The day will feature special comic book guests, retro gaming with Dead Pixels, free comic book workshops, live street art, and more. High Vis Comic Con gives fans, families, and the comic book curious the chance to catch some of comics’ biggest creators in person while enjoying the bars, eateries and independent shops in one of Birmingham’s most talked about and desirable suburbs. There will even be an appearance by the 501st UK Garrison, so why not grab a selfie with a Storm Trooper, or vogue with Vader?

Already announced are special guests Charlie Adlard, best known as the artist for The Walking Dead; 2000AD legend and co-creator of Judge Dredd, John Wagner; the co-creator of The Department of Truth, soon to be adapted for television, artist Martin Simmonds; and one of BEANO’s finest, Laura Howell.

Joining them will be writer Al Ewing (2000AD, Venom, Metamorpho: The Element Man); artist/writer Sonia Leong (Doctor Who, Assassin’s Creed, A Spell of Scarlett); artist Paul MacCaffrey (Judge Dredd: The Magazine, Anno Dracula: 1895: Seven Days in Mayhem); and artist and writer Kev Sutherland (Findlay Macbeth, The Prince Of Denmark Street, and creator of the legendary comedy show, Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre).

“While we are known for our successful street art festival, I am a huge comic book fan and there’s a lot of crossover between both. So, why not bring them together in one place?”, says Olly MacNamee.

“We have Charlie Adlard, in a rare UK convention appearance, as well as Martin Simmonds, artist of one of the hottest comic book properties of the moment, The Department of Truth, currently being developed for TV by the producers of the critically-acclaimed Chernobyl. Plus, we are pleased to be able to have the legendary 2000AD writer, John Wagner, the co-creator of Judge Dredd. And now we have four more announced guests, with more still to be announced in the coming months!

“The con, however, is all part of a much more ambitious plan. With brilliant events like Joe Lycett’s PRIDE Queens Heath, the monthly Farmers Market and more. We even ran last year’s annual High Vis Street Art Festival here, gifting to the community a much-loved new community mural.”

Supporting partners include Birmingham City Council, the Enterprise Action Zone, MIA Properties, Enjoy Kings Heath, The Station, Fletchers, The Juke Bar, The Hare and Hounds, the Heath Book Shop, graffiti artist.com, Worlds Apart, Kings Heath Food Bank, Revolution Sounds and our friends at Bishop Challoner Catholic College and Sixth Form.

“Working with local artists and businesses, we want to build on these successes and encourage more visual artists to visit the area, mingle and collaborate. We want Kings Heath to be a hot spot for the usual arts. Call this con is a statement of our intent!”

• High Vis Comic Con, Saturday 21st June 2025, the Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham | Free | For announcements and breaking news follow High Vis Comic Con on Instagram or Facebook at High Vis Festival

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.