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Upcoming comic artist Denzell Dankwah guest at Cheltenham’s Fine Lines Illustration and Animation Festival

By John Freeman on April 15, 2024

Cheltenham’s upcoming Fine Lines Illustration and Animation Festival, taking place Saturday 27th April, is a great opportunity to find out more about being an illustrator, designer or animator, its guest lineup including one of comic’s rising stars.

Offering an exciting glimpse into the creative industries, guest speakers include Denzell Dankwah, a recent University of Gloucestershire graduate now illustrating his own series of graphic novels; Steve Smith, founder of Beakus animation studio; and Domareen Fox, art director from Netflix’s Dead End: Paranormal Park series, the event

*Denzell Dankwah | Image: Bell Lomax Moreton*

Throughout the day there will be workshops and the chance to get involved and chat to artists and makers from all over the UK and beyond. There will also be a comics and illustration market with over 40 artists and publishers showcasing and selling their work, from stickers and badges to ceramics, comics and prints.

Students and recent graduates from University of Gloucestershire will also be sharing their work, so why not grab a coffee and pop along – you can stay for as long or as little as you like.

Upcoming British creator Denzell Dankwah is currently writing and drawing The Power Keepers, his debut solo graphic novel for Scholastic, a 272-page story aimed at readers of 9-13, centring on a modern-day Ghanaian family and their community in the UK.

Dankwah, who is 23 years old and based in Northampton, draws inspiration from comic books and anime. A University of Gloucester graduate, his art has previously featured in #MerkyBooks’ first picture book Superheroes: Inspiring Stories Of Secret Strength by Sophia Thakur, and in Joyful Joyful.

In The Power Keepers, due for release in September, Marcus, Tayo, Gina and TJ are good kids, but don’t always make the best decisions… Trouble begins when they find four magical totems belonging to Anansi, the legendary spider god from Ghanaian folklore. The good news: the friends get incredible ancient powers – like energy blasts, protective shields and super-strength. The bad news: the new Power Keepers spark attention from Anansi’s dangerous rival, Adze, who is determined to steal their powers… And soon Tayo’s life is hanging in the balance. Can Marcus find his strength and save his friend before it’s too late?”

“I try my best to create art that I enjoy, and sometimes get to do that for others as well. What’s great about illustrating is that I use drawing as a way to visualise ideas – and I’m still learning, so I often come across new ways of doing that,” Denzell said of his work in an interview for in an interview for Creative Lives in Progress, revealing how he pitched his work by Instagram to publisher #MerkyBooks and that he is colour blind. “I like how [comic books] allows artists to play with movement and exaggerate how characters interact with the world around them.”

“When creating The Power Keepers, I was inspired by many shows, comics and stories of characters facing different challenges along their journey that I consumed when I was younger,” he said in after the book was announced, “Similar to how these stories stayed with me, I hope Marcus’ story resonates with readers too!”

• Fine Lines Illustration and Animation Festival, Cheltenham Park Campus GL50 2RH, Main Reception and Lecture Theatres | 10.00 am – 6.00pm, Saturday 27th April 2024| Book your tickets via EventBrite here

For more information, and for a behind-the-scenes look at the event, follow @finelinesfestival on Instagram

Please note, if the event has sold out of tickets you are still welcome to attend as the venue has a bigger capacity than the number of tickets can be displayed on Eventbrite

• Denzell Dankwah is online at denzelldankwah.com | Denzell is represented by Bell Lomax Moreton

• The Power Keepers is due for release in September 2024 (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)

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.