The team behind the much-loved Thought Bubble Festival have announced their event will, like many other comic events across the globe, be going digital in November.

“We’ve been holding out hope that things would be ok by November and Thought Bubble could go ahead as planned,” the team say in a statement, “but right now it seems impossible that we’ll be able to guarantee everyone’s safety, which means we have had to take the extremely hard decision to postpone this year’s show until 2021.

“Everyone’s safety is of the utmost importance to us. Alongside this we have also had to consider that international travel may still be restricted and any form of social distancing will mean we simply can’t present the convention and festival activity in the same way. Interaction between audiences, guests and exhibitors is a cornerstone of the festival and it doesn’t feel right to try and present a diluted version of this.

“We’re so sad we won’t see you all in November, but the team will be working hard throughout this year and next to make sure we can host an even bigger and better Thought Bubble next year, which will be held 13-14 November 2021 at Harrogate Convention Centre.”

The decision has hit the organisation hard, as like other similar events it faces an incredibly challenging time, especially as a not-for-profit company, but their now priority is to do everything they can to keep going until next year. 

“There are ways you can help us,” they ask. “If you are an exhibitor, you can choose to move your table money over to the 2021 show without any price increase. If you’ve purchased a ticket, you can keep hold of it for next year’s event, or you can donate the value of your ticket to us. You can also become a Friend of Thought Bubble or make a donation via our website.

“We know this may not be possible for everyone and we are offering refunds on tickets and table fees to those who would like them. Exhibitors and tickets holders, you will have an email with all the details on this.”

On a positive note, the Festival is planning to present a a Digital Comic Con on 14-15th November 2020 – something very special which the team hope will help them to connect with the community they dearly love.

“There will be a huge focus on our amazing exhibitors, we’ll have guest interviews, panels, masterclasses and loads of cool stuff. We are excited about what good can come from this new challenge, and we hope you will be too!

“Stay safe, look after each other, support local business and keep reading comics!”

• You can read the full statement here – and find out how to support them | Check the main site for details of the Digital Comic Con plans at thoughtbubblefestival.com

• The Thought Festival team have put together a FAQ about the postponement

All our love, from Team Thought Bubble

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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.

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