[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-thought-bubble-comics-festival-2013":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"The UK grows more and more great comics festivals every year, but I'd have to say that \u003Ca href=\"http://thoughtbubblefestival.com/\">Thought Bubble\u003C/a> in Leeds beats them all so far. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_rollergrrrls_banners_zpscc648b16-6eaf55a721.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nFirst of all, congratulations to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garenewing.co.uk/rainboworchid/\">Garen Ewing\u003C/a>, this year's winner of the \u003Ca href=\"http://britishcomicawards.com/awards/young-peoples-comic-awards/\">Young People's Comic Award\u003C/a> for \u003Ci>The Complete Rainbow Orchid\u003C/i>! As a previous winner (for \u003Ci>Vern and Lettuce\u003C/i>), I got to help \u003Cb>British Comics Awards\u003C/b> Founder and Committee Chair \u003Ca href=\"http://www.adamcadwell.com/\">Adam Cadwell\u003C/a>. No one can doubt how much work Garen has put into his painstakingly researched three \u003Ci>Rainbow Orchid\u003C/i> books, combined now into one volume. Hurrah, Garen!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ypca_garen_zps7fdc6620-29c954dc54.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe cool thing about the Young People's Comic Award is that all the votes come from kids. And it was great having a big room full of them there for the ceremony at Leeds Central Library.\\r\n\u003C!--more Click for more under the cut!-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ypca_garen_adam_zps787b9727-7f8024d137.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe shortlist was a strong one, including (from left): \u003Cb>\u003Ci>Playing Out\u003C/i>\u003C/b> by \u003Ca href=\"http://jimmedway.com/playing-out/\">Jim Medway\u003C/a>, \u003Cb>\u003Ci>Cindy and Biscuit\u003C/i>\u003C/b> by \u003Ca href=\"http://milkthecat.wordpress.com/the-shop/cb3cover2-2/\">Dan White\u003C/a>, \u003Cb>\u003Ci>The Sleepwalkers\u003C/i>\u003C/b> by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.vivianeschwarz.co.uk/?page_id=73\">Viviane Schwarz\u003C/a>, \u003Cb>\u003Ci>The Complete Rainbow Orchid\u003C/i>\u003C/b> by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garenewing.co.uk/rainboworchid/\">Garen Ewing\u003C/a>, and \u003Cb>\u003Ci>Hilda and the Bird Machine\u003C/i>\u003C/b> by \u003Ca href=\"http://lukepearson.com/2012/10/hilda-and-the-bird-parade.html\">Luke Pearson\u003C/a> (last year's winner, who couldn't attend).\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ypca_shortlist_zps275300ea-077cda4227.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAll of us gave a little talk, and it was a nice mix, particularly in the way the kids got to hear both about the complicated, slick production of some kinds of book work (particularly Garen's talk), and the low-tech possibilities if you have access to a photocopier and a stapler (as Dan made his book). Jim talked about his cat characters and anthropomorphism in comics, and Viv talked about how she's tapped into her own recurring dreams and those of her friends to come up with a stage for her characters to battle nightmares. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ypca_viv_sleepwalkers_zpsfc49d7e1-08b7fd5a45.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nViv had also prepared a hand-sewn mini comic for Thought Bubble, which I showed to the kids. \u003Ci>Rabbit Stew\u003C/i> is a '24-hour Comic', which is a way of forcing yourself to make a whole book in 24 hours. (In fact, Viv split her 24 hours in half, 12 and 12, but some people stay awake the whole 24 hours.) It's about a family who accidentally run over a rabbit in the car, and trauamatise their daughter. But as he parents try to turn the experience into a healing, learning experience, the parents get more traumatised than the kid. It's twisted and very funny.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_viv_schwarz_rabbit_stew_zpsdffd615d-78459a5a5d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOne of the great things about the event was that I got to hear everyone talk and see their work, which I don't often get to do when I speak at festivals. Here's Jim Medway looking at \u003Ci>Rabbit Stew\u003C/i>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ypca_jim_medway_zps2c04b54b-e51817e55c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's the Leeds Library team who made it happen! Special thanks to Adam and \u003Cb>Deborah Moody\u003C/b> (on the left), who's been running this competition since it was called the Leeds Graphic Novel Award. \\r\n\u003Ci>Edit: You can read \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garenewing.co.uk/rainboworchid/blog/blog.php?request=permalink&entryid=605\">Garen's blog post about the event here.\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ypca_team_zps2984695d-ad012c14ca.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nViv and I did a bit of drawing before the event started, and this guy bagsied the picture:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ypca_drawing1_zps5e44511a-6d758a91a6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIn my talk, I encouraged the kids to make their own comics and gave them several ideas about how to format them, including doing a Comics Jam. But first, I said, it helps to come up with a character. So I led them in drawing a Sea Monkey, which is surprisingly easy to draw. This girl, Beth, was thrilled to take home the drawing and also had some good questions from reading \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ypca_beth_seamonkey_zps509fa1f1-768b6ba6bf.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd I was thrilled that some of the kids did go away and create comics! Here's a Sea Monkey Comics Jam, tweeted to me by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/AlixCoughlin\">@AlixCoughlin\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_seamonkey_comic_zpsa798c3f1-dd72277329.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThis girl had already prepared a comic and gave it to me! I've scanned it and you can read a \u003Ca href=\"http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l27/jabberworks/Festivals/leeds_tbf13_kid_comic_lg_zpsf5a23a06.jpg\">larger version of it here\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ypca_comic1_zpsc6e8f022-2827bccce7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIn fact, Viv and I were quite inspired by the kids, and we made our own Leeds Comic Jam that night in our hotel room. It made us laugh a lot.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leeds_tbf13_comic1_1_zpsbec2514a-1d75af1625.gif\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leeds_tbf13_comic1_2_zpse4cc463f-b4749db56e.gif\">\\r\n\\r\nThe next day, Saturday, was the big day for the rest of the British Comics Awards. Adam Cadwell said it was very British, the way everyone clapped the loudest about the logo-themed biscuits. Fellow judge \u003Ca href=\"http://jemimahknight.com/2013/07/08/british-comic-awards-very-exciting/\">Jamillah Knowles\u003C/a> and I decided they were very tasty. (Click on her name to read her blog post about being a BCA judge.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_bca_biscuits_zps4537c425-e98dc20fb2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are some of the judges for the comics long list and shortlist. From left: \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/comicsandcola\">Zainab Akhtar\u003C/a>, presenter \u003Ca href=\"http://geeksyndicate.co.uk/2013/03/21/british-comic-awards-announces-committee/\">David Monteith\u003C/a>, Jamillah, me, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/vickstonebridge\">Vicky Stonebridge\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/richardbruton\">Richard Bruton\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_bca_judges_zps849e6e62-f98172ea99.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here are our winners! Adam's holding Garen Ewing's award for \u003Ci>The Complete Rainbow Orchid\u003C/i>, published by Egmont. (Garen had to leave on Friday.) \u003Cb>Glyn Dillon\u003C/b> won \u003Cb>Best Book\u003C/b> for \u003Ca href=\"http://www.naobrown.com/news/\">\u003Ci>The Nao of Brown\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, published by Self Made Hero, Will Morris won \u003Cb>Best Emerging Talent\u003C/b> with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.blankslatebooks.co.uk/our-books/the-silver-darlings/\">\u003Ci>The Silver Darlings\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, pubished by Blank Slate Books, and Robert Ball won \u003Ci>Best Comic\u003C/i> with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.robertmball.com/Winter-s-Knight\">\u003Ci>Winter’s Knight: Day One\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, self-published through Great Beast. \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Baxendale\">Leo Baxendale\u003C/a>'s friend Jacky Fleming accepted his \u003Cb>Hall of Fame\u003C/b> award. (He's best known for his Beano strips \u003Ci>Minnie the Minx\u003C/i> and \u003Ci>The Bash Street Kids\u003C/i>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_british_comic_awards_zpsa18f069d-e424fc9646.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>(Click \u003Ca href=\"http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l27/jabberworks/Festivals/tbf13_british_comic_awards2_zps55db5715.jpg\">here\u003C/a> for a facing-front shot. Feel free to use these on your own blog, as long as you give me a little credit and link back to this post. Cheers!)\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nJamillah and I were the two short-list judges who came along, and we were super-chuffed to be there. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_jamilla_knowles_sarah_zpsb9ae2280-8af8404410.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nNow, onto more comics! The two other years I went to Thought Bubble, I ran several tables in the family area, but it was wonderfully freeing not having a table this year because I could run around and see everyone else's comics! And here are most of the things I bought:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_sarah_comics_loot_zps32378df3-2d5f500e40.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWhile the cosplay element ('dressing up', for non-comics people) wasn't huge, there were still lots of good costumes. This one just barely fit through the door. Respect.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_cosplayer_xlg_zps528d0483-063879411e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd there were Roller Grrrls everywhere! \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/08/20/gary-erskine-brings-us-the-roller-girls/\">Gary Erskine\u003C/a> has been busy drawing lots of them:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_roller_grrrls_zpsd27049b6-be1dc5e318.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/derbygirl1402\">Simone O'Donnell\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ScienceArtReach\">Mhairi Stewart\u003C/a>, Gary Erskine\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nI made a bee-line for the table of one of my very favourite comic creators, \u003Ca href=\"http://philippajrice.com/\">Philippa Rice\u003C/a>. She always has brilliant little tableaus on her table:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_philippa_rice_zps1f264eef-4b0085cae2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI bought her new book, \u003Ci>We're Out\u003C/i> and read it on the train home. Guys, this book is brilliant! It has a wonderful make-it-yourself aesthetic to it, with her use of collage and photos, but it also does some sophisticated storytelling. This one started off with an exploration of different dimensions, very similar to Edwin A. Abbott's classic \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland\">Flatland\u003C/a>\u003C/i> (which I love).\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_philippa_rice_were_out_zps4293dd06-a71fe64c1e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThis is so different than most of the comics you see at comics fairs. I love how Philippa brings together craft and traditional comics format to create something fresh and wonderful. This scene's so fabulous, where Pauline and Colin have broken out of their flat comic and built a hang glider:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_philippa_rice_were_out2_zpsf65bc30c-427fb46733.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>I think every school and public library should stock this book\u003C/b>, it's such an inspiration for making your own stories out of the bits and bobs of paper and scraps lying around you. It's warm-hearted, funny and stretches the borders of comics. And it makes a great gift, even for people who might not normally read comics. (You can buy it \u003Ca href=\"http://mycardboardlife.bigcartel.com/product/we-re-out\">through Philippa's website\u003C/a>.) Here you can see Nanny slipping back into the comic: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_philippa_rice_were_out3_zpsd0a82814-8de4c4d57e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOne of the things I love about Thought Bubble is that people come up with all sorts of wonderful book formats. Here's an adorable little mini-comics library box set, in the shape of a bear, made by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tempolush.com/\">Richy K. Chandler\u003C/a>. He assembled the whole thing himself, which means the £12 price probably doesn't cover the amount of time he's put into writing/drawing/scanning/printing/cutting/folding/pasting/travelling, but it's a wonderful thing.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_richy_k_chandler_zps9efddf87-5080cc3cf8.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIt was great to see all the examples of self-published comic newspapers printed by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.newspaperclub.com/\">Newspaper Club\u003C/a>. If you're thinking you might want to make and print your own newspaper, check out their website. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_newspaper_club_zpsc3d6e0f1-29527199aa.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI'm always seeing \u003Ca href=\"http://www.joedecie.com/\">Joe Decie\u003C/a>'s family in his comics, including \u003Ci>The Accidental Salad\u003C/i> and this year's BCA shortlisted \u003Ci>The Listening Agent\u003C/i>. So it was fun to see how they look in real life! His son Sam loves \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i> and he made a point of giving me a picture he's drawn, and I drew him a Sea Monkey in his sketchbook.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_joe_decie_andco_zpsce23991c-a57a8469a6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI only managed to get to one talk, although there were LOADS, and it was one on Funny Comics, chaired by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.woodrowphoenix.co.uk/\">Woodrow Phoenix\u003C/a>, with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.donyatodd.co.uk/\">Donya Todd\u003C/a>, Jim Medway, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.lizzlizz.com/\">Lizz Lunney\u003C/a> and Joe. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_funny_comics_panel5_zps483f63f7-1c1353b91d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThere's been a lot of talk recently about female comic artists not being included in comics festival events, or marginalised, and it was nice seeing women having a real say here. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_funny_comics_panel_zps81959bf3-c291cb3d6a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI joked on Twitter that Thought Bubble is getting so female-friendly that its female speakers get TWO microphones.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_funny_comics_panel6_zps6abc0ef4-0ba3dd58b4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI went to the panel to support friends, but it was great to get to hear from a comics artist I'd never heard of, Donya Todd, and get a peek at her new book, \u003Ci>Death & the Girls\u003C/i>. Woodrow's been a big help to me in the past and she mentioned that he'd helped her redo the lettering in her book.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_donya_todd_zps531070db-64e179ae47.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI wrote a short list of the top people I wanted to find at Thought Bubble, and \u003Ca href=\"http://mcqueconcept.blogspot.co.uk/\">Ian McQue\u003C/a> was one of them. I'd only ever talked with him on Twitter, so I had no idea what he'd look like, how old he'd be, if he'd be friendly or surly, etc, and it was great getting to meet him and watch him draw in the sketchbook I bought from him, \u003Ci>Robots & Space Dudes\u003C/i>. Ian does lots of concept design work and is an expert in creating wonderfully atmospheric landscapes. If you haven't seen his work, be sure to \u003Ca href=\"http://mcqueconcept.blogspot.co.uk/\">browse his website\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ian_mcque_sarah_zps1430ae1d-470479ab75.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Thanks for taking the photo, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BenGatewood\">Ben Gatewood\u003C/a>!\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nIan's so good at digitally painting chunky, rusting metal hulks, or dilapidated buidings, with lovely colour palettes. But I also love his sketchbook inked line work, he has a wonderful way of building up lines on a page. You can follow him on Twitter as \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ianmcque\">@ianmcque\u003C/a> and Instagram as \u003Ca href=\"http://instagram.com/ianmcque#\">ianmcque\u003C/a>. Here's a drawing from the back of the sketchbook:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_ian_mcque_zpsf6ac2965-750d6c12ef.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnother person who's drawing (and watercolouring) I love is \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thingsbydan.co.uk/\">Dan Berry\u003C/a>. He had his sketchbook with original watercolour art lying out on the table and I was fascinated by the way he can draw a mess of similar-toned shrubbery and make it look beautiful. Whenever I do that, it just looks like a mess, so usually I have to vaguely hint at it with a bare outline, or turn it into a sort of textile pattern. Dan's new comic about a father and daughter, \u003Ci>Carry Me\u003C/i> is beautiful and haunting. Dan also runs a regular podcast called \u003Ca href=\"http://makeitthentelleverybody.com/\">Make It Then Tell Everybody\u003C/a> and has an amazing archive of interviews (including \u003Ca href=\"http://makeitthentelleverybody.com/2013/09/sarah-mcintyre/\">one with me\u003C/a>, if you fancy a listen.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_dan_berry_zps2f308e15-d31bbca346.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI've just recently become a big fan of \u003Ca href=\"http://isabelnecessary.com/\">Isabel Greenberg\u003C/a>'s work (you can see my rave at length about her new \u003Ci>Encyclopedia of Early Earth\u003C/i> in \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/593524.html\">this blog post\u003C/a>). So I was super-excited to see her new comic, \u003Ci>The Snow Queen and other stories\u003C/i>, published by Great Beast (recently set up by Adam Cadwell and his friend Marc Ellerby). I love the way she uses very old-fashioned looking techniques to retell folk stories, but then puts in little changes and modern twists that made me laugh on the train. This comic is two stories - \u003Ci>The Snow Queen\u003C/i> and \u003Ci>The Emperor's New Clothes\u003C/i> - and it will be great if she adds more folk tales to the collection in future volumes. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_isabel_greenberg_zpsb65c8961-d0cb4d73d5.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd I couldn't miss the table run by Jonathan Edwards (\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jonathan-e.com/\">Jontofski\u003C/a>) and Louise Evans (\u003Ca href=\"http://www.feltmistress.com/\">Felt Mistress\u003C/a>). Jonathan constantly inspires me with his drawings, and Louise amazes me by the way she turns his drawings into beautifully tailored felt creatures. Here they are with Craig Conlan (\u003Ca href=\"http://craigscomicland.blogspot.co.uk/\">Kraigula\u003C/a>), visiting from his table.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_jontofski_feltmistress_zpsec1c9eac-f75cf7da81.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe problem with Thought Bubble is that there's so much there, I end up missing things, or vowing I'll come back for something and then realising, after the great rush, that I've forgotten to buy one of the main things I've come for. And I didn't manage to get lovely \u003Ca href=\"http://darryl-cunningham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/out-in-november-from-blank-slate-will.html\">Darryl Cunningham\u003C/a>'s two volumes of the \u003Cb>Uncle Bob Adventures\u003C/b>. This photo is a bit of a cheat, because I took it when Darryl and I went to see the Paul Klee show at the Tate a few weeks ago. But Blank Slate Books aren't officially bringing out the second book until April, so I'm going to have to pester them to see if I can bag review copies. Darryl's written these books to be accessible to child readers as well as adults, and I'd be very curious to know how children respond to them.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_darryl_unclebobadventures_zpsd1ca786e-888c2a3ea7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSome fab reviewers! I'd met \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/richardbruton\">Richard Bruton\u003C/a> and his reviewer daughter Molly Bruton a couple years ago at Thought Bubble, but it was great to get to meet the whole family! Here's Louise, Molly and Richard with another reviewer, BCA committee member \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/comicsandcola\">Zainab Akhtar\u003C/a>. Richard, Molly and Zainab all write for the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/\">Forbidden Planet International Blog\u003C/a>, and it's the blog I go to most frequently for what's happening in comics. Zainab's recently started writing for \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tcj.com/\">The Comics Journal\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_brutons_zainab_zpse1a2a648-2b29042ee0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMore comics! It was great to see \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tinykittenteeth.com/\">Frank & Becky\u003C/a> (Frank Gibson and Beck Dreistadt), over from America. (The \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/391570.html\">last time\u003C/a> I saw them was MoCCA festival in New York.) They do loads of these comic fests and they told me that of all the ones they've been to in the world, Thought Bubble's in their top three, along with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.spxpo.com/\">SPX\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://torontocomics.com/\">TCAF\u003C/a>. I bought they're big new book, \u003Ci>Tiny Kitten Teeth\u003C/i>, which has a lovely retro look, reminiscent of the old Golden Treasury books.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_becky_and_frank_zps9c3842d9-5533b7d6ed.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nCheck out this fab headgear by Swedish comic artist and costume designer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jenniegyllblad.com/\">Jenny Gyllblad\u003C/a>!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_JennieGyllblad_zps76148d35-979b775855.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI love seeing families who all dress up. Here's a steampunk mother-son team at \u003Ca href=\"http://katiegreen.co.uk/\">Katie Green\u003C/a>'s table. I bought Katie's new book, \u003Ci>Lighter than my Shadow\u003C/i> (which is a slightly misleading title as it was by far the heaviest thing in my luggage).  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_family_steampunk_zps82e367e9-d299b45bd4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd another family who dress up! I've been seeing \u003Ca href=\"http://www.timebombcomics.com/\">Steve Tanner\u003C/a>'s kid in cosplay outfits since she was practically a newborn. She always looks like she's having a whale of a time.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_stevetanner_zps28b0f176-26064c7281.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI bought \u003Ca href=\"http://rachaelsmithillustration.blogspot.co.uk/\">Rachel Smith\u003C/a>'s latest comic, \u003Ci>I Am Fire\u003C/i> and I'm very curious to read it. \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jamiesmart\">Jamie Smart\u003C/a> also got a copy and is telling everyone on Twitter to go read it.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_rachel_smith_zps260bb09c-519db1a10e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPublisher Self Made Hero had a proper Artist Alley going on; here are Ed Hillyer (\u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILYA\">ILYA\u003C/a>), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.strangeplanetstories.blogspot.co.uk/\">Ian Culbard\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.strangeplanetstories.blogspot.co.uk/\">Rob Davis\u003C/a>, not yet flagging too badly.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_blankslate_zpse1f36e0f-56801bf3fa.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI absolutely love Rob's \u003Ci>Don Quixote\u003C/i>. I have it in two volumes, which are ideal for bathtub/bus reading, but he's coming out with a big beautiful hardback, combining both volumes. He's such a good storyteller and his use of line and limited colour palette astonishes me.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_rob_davis_zps5789108e-6a67135aa9.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI have no idea what this newspaper comic, \u003Ci>Astroid Belter\u003C/i>, will be like. But the people at the stand said their comic artists teamed up with scientists, and it all sounds rather exciting. You can check them out at \u003Ca href=\"http://newcastlesciencecomic.blogspot.co.uk/\">The Newcastle Science Comic\u003C/a>. Here are \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/lyd_w\">Lydia Wysocki\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://hollowearth.co.uk/\">Paul Thompson\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://britthub.co.uk/\">Brittany Coxon\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_asteroid_belter_zps1f6fc623-183cd6d852.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI've been running into veteren comics legend \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/09/08/the-greatest-comic-creator-youve-never-heard-of-terry-wiley/\">Terry Wiley\u003C/a> for years at \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/501382.html\">Caption comics festival\u003C/a> in Oxford, and read snippets of his work, but I finally bought one of his comics and I look forward to getting stuck in.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_terry_wiley_zps68794470-cb849d42c4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's Beano artist and former fellow DFC contributer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.laurahowell.co.uk/\">Laura Howell\u003C/a> with her partner, Tim Overton, with her new second volume of \u003Ci>The Bizarre Adventures of Gilbert & Sullivan\u003C/i>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_tim_laurahowell_zps21351def-9e6e214b3b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://adammurphy.com/\">Adam Murphy\u003C/a> and his wife had matching his and her badges! They were right across from Will Fickling at one of \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/\">The Phoenix Comic\u003C/a> tables, and I mostly know Adam's work from his weekly \u003Ci>Corpse Talk\u003C/i> strip in The Phoenix. But he had a new, very blue, comic out called \u003Ci>Fever Dreams\u003C/i>, forays into his subconscious, and he drew me a NSFW dedication drawing that had me gasping laughing.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_murphys_zps5603b2b0-3f1faef9b2.jpg\">\\r\nBeardy writer \u003Ca href=\"http://store.greatbeastcomics.com/artist/dan-cox\">Dan Cox\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.johnriordan.co.uk/comics.html\">John Riordan\u003C/a> (who recently won a big \u003Ca href=\"http://johnnyfighters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/aoi-illustration-awards.html\">AOI Illustration prize\u003C/a>):\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_riordan_zps7545b1e8-385e62fa37.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIt's the excellent \u003Ca href=\"http://www.paulduffield.co.uk/\">Paul Duffield\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://danse-macabre.nu/\">Kate Brown\u003C/a>! They had a preview issue promoting Paul's upcoming comic with David Ficking Books, \u003Ci>The Firelight Isle\u003C/i>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_paulduffield_katebrown_zpsba2620a8-e0f9d78e67.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nYou can see a little artwork preview here:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"2442\"/>\\r\n\\r\nWhen I'm in Leeds, I get to catch up with the writer of two of my Princess Spaghetti picture books, \u003Ca href=\"http://gillianrogerson.net/\">Gillian Rogerson\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_sarah_gillian_rogerson_zpsd022f585-e974c57b08.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's some sketchbook artwork from \u003Ca href=\"http://www.hocus-baloney.com/\">Mark Stafford\u003C/a>, whose \u003Ci>The Man Who Laughs\u003C/i> was shortlisted for the British Comic Awards:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_mark_stafford_zps672c8f66-2bebb00b92.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's the gang who are gearing up for next year's \u003Ca href=\"http://www.loncon3.org/\">World Con\u003C/a> in London! I only know \u003Ca href=\"http://splinister.com/\">Maura McHugh\u003C/a>, but I got to meet \u003Ca href=\"http://www.londonin2014.org/content/bid-committee\">James Bacon\u003C/a>, and I can't quite remember the other woman's name (anyone?), but they sound like they have BIG PLANS.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_world_con_gang_zpsbea3bebc-94e4ea6c70.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe Newspaper Club put out a tweet, asking for someone to invent an app like Shazam, that would help people identify cosplay characters. I need this app very much.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_cosplayers_zpsc0a0020b-63cd72690a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA HUGE thanks to the \u003Ca href=\"http://thoughtbubblefestival.com/information/about-us/\">hardworking team\u003C/a> who ran Thought Bubble this year! I somehow didn't manage to find Festival Director \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/tulalotay\">Lisa Wood\u003C/a> (Tula Lotay), which I'm sad about, but here is Assistant Director \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtBubbleUK\">Clark Burscough\u003C/a>, with comic artists \u003Ca href=\"http://bizhorne.com/\">Biz Stringer Horne\u003C/a> and Matt Brooker (\u003Ca href=\"http://disraeli-demon.blogspot.co.uk/\">D'Israeli\u003C/a>). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leeds_tbf13_team_zpsdcdf6bc4-6ba29b0cfa.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMy camera phone ran out of juice right before Saturday night's party, so I couldn't capture the beautiful interior of the Corn Exchange, with all its swirling staircases and sparkling lights. You'll have to keep an eye on the \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?q=%23tbf13&src=typd&f=realtime\">#TBF13\u003C/a> hash tag to see other people's photos pop up. But someone dressed as Doctor Who took this photo with his Polaroid, and Viv found it in her pocket in the wee hours. I'm pretty sure we were having fun.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tbf13_sarah_viv_polaroid_zpsa3e9927f-e453ead491.jpg\">","2013-11-25T01:03:00.000Z","thought-bubble-comics-festival-2013",[],"thought bubble comics festival 2013",1776628725909]