![A Telly Savalas guest appearance at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, courtesy of VIZ - wait, who!?](https://downthetubes.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/telly.jpg)
A Telly Savalas guest appearance at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, courtesy of VIZ – wait, who!?
With just one week to go to this year’s annual Lakes International Comic Art Festival (16th – 18th October 2015), the organisation has unveiled a host of free events to entice Festival goers to Kendal with the return of the Magnificent Knockabout White Elephant Emporium!
It’s back, it’s big and even sillier than last year, the Knockabout Pop-Up Shop will again be in operation in Elephant Yard, featuring: Viz Comics, Knockabout, Soaring Penguin Press, Telly Savalas (wait, who!?), Bartkira, the Lakes International Comic Darts Festival, Tai Chi, Magic Photo Booth, Bear, Comics, Beer, Wine, Comedy and more beer.
Knockabout publisher Tony Bennett has lined up some great events through the weekend for fans, including signings by top comic creators Hunt Emerson (signing Hot Jazz – the dense and Be-Bopular world of Max Zillion & Alto Ego) and Marcel Ruijters signing Hieronymous – the beautiful and hilarious biography of Hieronymus Bosch.
Soaring Penguin Press and their authors will also be hosting signings through the weekend, including Boulet, Bach and more.
Also on sale (without the author’s presence) is Alpha, the huge hardcover stunning history of the universe from the Big Bang until the coming of Humankind.
In partnerships with Kendal College, those wacky folk at VIZ comic are back at the Festival, and have outdone themselves with this year’s bonkers behind the scenes look at the world of Britain’s best-selling humour comic with their Fulchester Model Railway! In their own inimitable fashion, the VIZ crew have re-created the town of Fulchester for their fans and you will be able to see the results!
But that’s not all, because this year also sees the first ever Lakes International Comics Darts Festival, where cartoonists trying their “Arrows” skill against members of the public for worthless prizes; and Saturday night will see a comedy performance from Jonny Fluffypunk.
![Hot Jazz by Hunt Emerson](https://downthetubes.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/hunt-emerson-hot-jazz.jpg)
Copies of Hunt Emerson’s latest book, Hot Jazz, will be on sale in the Emporium, along with many other goodies – and Festival beer and wine!
The Magic Photo Booth is back, making mystical and ghostly cartoon characters appear in people’s photographs, who then get a set of personalised Calling Cards (Just £3.00 a session).
The Emproium Bar will be selling Festival booze, and artists, some perhaps aided by the availability of said Festival booze, will be drawing jam on giant board throughout the weekend. Don’t spill their pints.
All this and more is happening over the entire weekend in Elephant Yard off Kendal’s High Street. Look out for the signs! (Laughing people, people with comics under their arms, bemused sheep…)
• The Magnificent Knockabout Emporium is open as follows: Friday 16th October- 1.00pm – 6.00pm | Saturday 17th October – 10am-6pm and live comedy from 8pm-late | Sunday 18th October – 10.30am – 5.00pm More information here on the Festival web site
• A huge line up of both British and globe-spanning international comics talent is being lined up for this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival, taking place 16th – 18th October 2015. Visit the web site at www.comicartfestival.com
![John Freeman](https://downthetubes.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/John-Freeman-150x150.jpg)
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.
Categories: Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events