“Strangers in Paradise” creator Terry Moore announced as Special Guest for Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2024, a rare UK appearance

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is delighted to announce Terry Moore, creator of Strangers in Paradise, Rachel Rising, Motor Girl, Echo and Five Years, as a special guest of its weekend-long Festival in September, making a rare UK appearance.

Comics: The Answer to The UK’s Literacy Crisis?

We’re used to Spider-Man saving the world from the Green Goblin and a multiverse of masked miscreants. But new research by Comic Art Europe, and a separate research project by the National Literacy Trust, suggests that he could have the super-powers to do something even more valuable – something our government has signally failed to do: turn us into a nation of readers again.

Kids! Dare You Enter Our Doctor Who Monster Comics Challenge?

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, in partnership with Doctor Who Magazine, published by Panini Comics UK, is delighted to announce a Doctor Who Monster Competition for children aged 8 - 12!

Design a Doctor Who monster of your very own, and see it featured in a special comic strip in Doctor Who Magazine, the official magazine about the long-running SF show.

Doctor Who Monster Challenge

Please note - this competion has ended. The winner will be announced during the "Doctor Who in Comics" event at the 2024 Lakes international Comic Art Festival - details here

KIDS! DARE YOU ENTER A DOCTOR WHO MONSTER CHALLENGE?

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, in partnership with Panini Comics UK, is delighted to announce a Doctor Who Monster Competition!

British Council, LICAF Open Call for Fellowship in Art Management for the MENA Region

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, in partnership with the British Council, is currently offering two places in Fellowship in Art Management for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region.

The deadline for applications for the two places offered is 14th April 2024 and is open to emerging arts managers from Jordan, Palestine, and Iraq who possess prior experience in event and festival organisation.

Making Its Mark: British Comics and Graphic Novels take to the World Stage

Six British/UK based comic creators will be flying the flag for British Comics Now at this year’s Toronto Comic Art Festival (TCAF), thanks to an initiative from the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF), funded by Arts Council England, The Adlard Family Charitable Foundation​ and The British Council.

Powerful comic art perspective on the war in Ukraine, "A Fallen Tale" by Asya Voitenko set for exhibition in Lancaster

Lancaster’s Atticus shop is to host “A Fallen Tale“, a powerful comic art perspective on the war in Ukraine by Asya Voitenko, from Monday 25th until Saturday 30th March 2024.

The Lancaster exhibition, which is sponsored by Atticus, is a part of an Arts Council England-funded project that aims to share awareness about Ukrainian culture and the mental health of war witnesses.

Comics Up Close 2024 offers plenty of food for thought

Earlier this month, Sheffield Hallam University hosted “Comics Up Close - Origin Stories” a full one day academic event, in conjunction with The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF) and The University of Manchester. Sim Leech and Chris Wright report…

Featuring several keynote speakers, including comic creators Dave Gibbons, Karrie Fransman and Steven Appleby, “Comics Up Close - Origin Stories” celebrated the impact of comics on the wider culture, and society.

Catching up with the Comics Laureate! An interview with Bobby Joseph

John Freeman catches up with Bobby Joseph, the UK Comics Laureate for 2023-25, an acclaimed comic writer, artist, tutor and editor whose work has often challenged and inspired its readers. His early work includes the creation of Skank magazine, where his best-known strip, “Scotland Yardie”, first featured, and later collected by Knockabout Press.

Comics and Literacy Project, Comic Potential Reports

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is continuing to develop its strategy to champion comics’ part in promoting literacy, buoyed by its own research and that of other groups. This work comes under the banner of our Comic Potential project, supported by numerous schools in the Northwest, with funding from, amongst others, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.