Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This first “Festival Focus” for 2019 is with satirical artist, illustrator and writer Darren Cullen whose exhibition, ""Artist"" - exploring subjects as diverse as the Iraq war, the British police and the Daily Mail - will be on display in the Warehouse Gallery at the Brewery Arts through the weekend.

Silverbeard the Gorilla - star of the new The Seven Sagas Of Silverbeard comic currently seeking funding on Kickstarter - has reportedly taken over the latest episode of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast.

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is to publish a new edition of Mark's Stafford's comic Kangkangee Blues, a tragic love story produced at the behest of the British Council as one of their collaborative artistic endeavours.

One of several print projects form LICAF this year, the British edition of the comic will be launched at this year's Festival in Kendal, and on sale from the Page 45 stand at the weekend-long event, then available through mail order.

This year's Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, in Kendal, will see the launch of several new graphic novels, including Barking by Lucy Sullivan from Unbound, commissioned by the organisation.

This week, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival podcast welcomes back artist Emma Vieceli, who pops on the show to talk about her new book, Breaks 2 Special Edition, currently funding on Kickstarter, a young adult drama, LGBTQ and romance story.

A Call for Papers for Comics Up Close - New Perspectives in Comic Art, the opening event of Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2019 in October, has just been announced by the team from ReOPeN, Lancaster University's graphic novels and comics pedagogy, research and engagement network.

Comics Up Close, the opening event of Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2019 on Friday 11th October in Kendal, welcomes the submission of abstracts for short papers that explore any aspect of comic art or graphic novels.

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced the full line up of Danish comic creators heading to Kendal in October, along with guests from Estonia, Finland and Italy – and beyond.

This week's Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast leads with a report from the fourth Macc-Pow comic con, held in Macclesfield on Saturday 22nd June 2019, organised by regular Festival guest, writer, artist and publisher Marc Jackson.

The event attracted record crowds and podcast hosts Ian Loxam and Nikki Bates - making their second trip to the annual event - had a wonderful time behind their table.