The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Manchester, the organisations behind Comics Up Close, are delighted to reveal the schedule for this year’s event, “Origin Stories”,  taking place at Sheffield Hallam University on Wednesday 21st February 2024. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

Speakers at the event include Dave Gibbons, one of the UK’s most respected comic artists, the creator of Martha Washington Goes to War and co-creator of the influential Watchmen series with Alan Moore; Karrie Fransman, Creative Director of positivenegative, an organisation dedicated to amplifying academic research through engaging in visual story telling; and Steven Appleby, absurdist cartoonist and illustrator. She is the author of the graphic novel, Dragman, and has worked for The Times, Sunday Telegraph and The Guardian.

"Origin Stories” is a one day conference celebrating the influence and impact comics have on wider culture, which seeks to explore the political and social situations that are the basis for creativity within comics, the creative spark that leads to the creation of comics and the influence comics have on the wider creative industries and culture.

Comics are a diverse creative playground for ideas and narratives that are frequently developed into other creative disciplines, film, television and games, giving them impact far beyond their origins.

“We’re delighted to be partners in this annual academic event,” says LICAF Festival Director Julie Tait. “It’s just part of our growing number of projects we’re involved with beyond the Festival weekend in September, to promote comics and the creation of comics, throughout the year.”

• The Comics Up Close conference takes place on Wednesday 21st February 2024 at Sheffield Hallam University | Tickets available via Eventbrite | General Admission £10 | Student Admission £5 | Web: gallery.shu.ac.uk/event/origin-stories/