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Interview

Lisa Wood p4

Lisa Wood talks about some of the great comics artists appearing at the Thought Bubble Festival in Leeds, November 14-20, 2011...

READERSVOICE.COM: Who are some of the comics artists you’ve had in previous years hiring tables at the Thought Bubble festivals and who have you got this year?

LISA WOOD: Most artists who have attended previous events have been back year after year including this one. Professionals from all over the UK have been so supportive of the festival that I don’t need to convince them to come back; they offer their time freely which we feel very lucky about as an event.
This year as well as previous we have some great names, such as Andy Diggle, Jock, Sean Phillips, Duncan Fegredo, Kieron Gillen, Jamie Mckelvie, Tony Harris, Didier Criss, Ben Templesmith, Becky Cloonan, Robin Furth, Emma Vieceli, Sarah Mcintyre, Kate Brown, Paul Duffield. There are far too many to list and more to be announced. Previous years’ big names have included John Romits JR, Mark Millar and Alex Maleev.

RV:
By when have they usually organised the hiring of tables or spots at Thought Bubble?

LW: It usually goes on throughout the year starting in February. Tables get booked up very early so I think people know they need to confirm attendance fairly early on.

RV: What are some of the things you like about comics?

LW: I’m a massive art fan, I draw myself. Comic art really captured my imagination as a child so they have always been with me. I feel comics are still very underrated. Some of the best illustration and art currently being produced appears in sequential art form. The art industry always seems to overlook this. The same goes for comic book and graphic novel storytelling, which the film industry above all else seems to being really embracing at the moment.

RV: What does the anthology from the Thought Bubble Festival cost and how can people buy it?

LW: Our first ever anthology is actually being published by Image Comics; we are really excited they have picked this up. The cost will be $2.99 which should be around £2.20. People will be able to buy it from any good comic store around the world in November to coincide with our festival. I’ve just proofed our full page in the catalogue Previews and it looks amazing! Image have given us the Spotlight of the month!

RV: What sorts of stories are in the anthology?

LW: Most of the stories are one page strips based around the theme of November in Northern England. We have a Wasteland story in there by Antony Johnston and Charlie Adlard. A Lovecraft adaptation by the film director Stuart Gordon, an autobiographical page by Duncan Fegredo, a mythical story by Robin Furth and Mark Rutter and a wonderful detective story by Andy Diggle and D’Israeli.

RV: What can people expect at the Thought Bubble Festival this year?

LW: Lots of fun, a great atmosphere, free stuff in the form of goody bags, several book launches, some of the most interesting current publishers, lots of incredible mini comics, wonderful art, free sketches, screenings and movie premieres, free workshops for children and adults, a huge book crossing where we give away free graphic novels across Leeds and Bradford and graphic novel awards for young people. Our programme is the biggest yet and is packed with everything you can imagine connected to the world of sequential art.

-Visit thoughtbubblefestival.com
-copyright Simon Sandall