The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is celebrating the success of its inaugural International Comic Rights Market, which took place at its annual Festival weekend last month in Bowness-on-Windermere.
Furthering its ongoing aim to provide a platform for the development of creators’ careers and promote British Comics and publishers on the international stage, the organisation, in operation since 2013, secured the funding from the Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and The Adlard Foundation to create the UK’s first International Comics Rights Market.
It brought together 12 international comics rights buyers, and 44 British publishers and creators wishing to sell rights to comics and graphic novels. Feedback on the event has been very positive, paving the way for next year’s gathering – and while final deals can take time to reach, some agreements for foreign versions of UK comics and graphic novels and the republication of strips are already in progress.
While it’s still early days for the project – the Festival team, along with co-organiser VIP Brands Ltd., led by Ivanka Hahnenberger, has received praise from both the buyers and sellers for the Market’s organisation. British publishers and individual creators have welcomed this unique opportunity to meet with European publishers on “home soil”: the first of what will be an ongoing development to further promote British comics.
The only other International Rights Market dedicated to comics is at the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême, so the chance to create a similar environment to sell comics internationally in Britain has garnered strong support, and the hope is that this aspect of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival will grow and grow, just as it has for Angoulême.
“We’re delighted our first International Comics Rights Market has been so well received and we’re encouraged by the feedback and suggestions for future events, from buyers, publishers and creators,” commented Festival Director Julie Tait. “We knew this project had many challenges, but the opportunities to help grow the British comic industry, to promote the huge diversity of comics being created here in the UK on a world stage were too good to miss.”
“The strong support for this project from the start was very motivating and the praise and enthusiasm it has received since, encouraging,” added Ivanka Hahnenberger. “There is a great deal of excellent comics and graphic novels in the UK and a place for them around the world and LICAF has created the marketplace to get them out there.”
The International Comics Rights Market will return as part of the Festival in 2025.
• Lakes International Comic Art Festival returns Friday 26th – Sunday 28th September 2025: www.comicartfestival.com
• Sign up for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Newsletter: http://bit.ly/3m1TFs6
BRITISH PUBLISHERS
British publishers in attendance in 2024 were 77 Publishing Ltd; Avery Hill Publishing, represented by Full Bleed Rights; B7 Comics; Blue Fox Comics; David Fickling Books and The Phoenix Comic; Engine Comics; First Graphic Novel; Knockabout Comics; Korero Books; Koguchi Press; Penguin Random House; Rebellion Publishing; Scholastic; SelfMadeHero; Sloth Comics; Third Bear Press; Time Bomb Comics; Titan Comics; and Watson, Little Ltd
INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
International Buyers in attendance were Argo (from the Czech Republic); Avant Verlag (Germany); Dupuis (France);; Helvetiq (Switzerland); La Cafetiere (France); Nathan (France); Scholastic Graphix (USA); Sylvain Coissard Agency/Scout (France); Steinkis (France); Timof (Poland); VigeVageKnjige (Slovenia); and WSOY (Finland)
BRITISH CREATORS
British individual creators in attendance were Andrew Wildman; Arks; Bambos Georgiou; Connor Tierney; Corey Brotherson; David Gaffney & Dan Berry; Dr Simpo and his Poisoned Pen; Ed Firth: Emma Reynolds; ILYA; Joe Latham; John McCrea; Kev F. Sutherland; Lyndon White; Monty Nero; Myfanwy Tristram; Pigeon; Sam Hart; Smith vs Smith; Stevie White; Stuart Lloyd Gould; Tinglin Liu; and Yomi Ayeni
• Lakes International Comic Art Festival returns Friday 26th – Sunday 28th September 2025: www.comicartfestival.com
• Sign up for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Newsletter: http://bit.ly/3m1TFs6
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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