TV presenter Jonathan Ross acted as auctioneer during the sale of comic artwork to raise money for a Cumbrian festival. 

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron joined the TV presenter to run the auction, which took place on Tuesday evening at Orbital Comics in London. The auction attracted bids from the UK and beyond as comic art fans sought to get their hands on original art by Ian Churchill, Hunt Emerson, Dave Gibbons, Jamie Hewlett, Bryan Talbot, the team from VIZ and others.

The highest bid was £3,500 for a piece of work by Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard. An original cover illustration by Cumbria-based artist Sean Phillips went for £1,700, the second highest bid of the evening.

Guests at the event enjoyed Cumbrian nibbles courtesy of Kendal’s Castle Dairy and rounded off the evening with a taste of Kendal Mint Cake Liqueur.

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival director Julie Tait said: "It was fantastic for the Festival to receive such an enthusiastic reception in London, to demonstrate that there's great culture going on in the Lakes. It also raised vital cash for the Festival thanks to incredible donations of artwork by some of the very best comic artists and skilful auctioneering by Jonathan Ross and Tim Farron."

Tim Farron MP said: "The evening was not only great fun, but also hugely successful. We have managed to raise a significant sum of money which will help to ensure that the Comic Art Festival has the funding it needs to be as fantastic in the future as it has been in the past.”

Claire Croskery, Content Manager for Choose South Cumbria, said: “We’re delighted that the auction was such a success, and promoted the Lakes International Comic Art Festival to the rest of the UK and beyond. The event was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the vibrant cultural scene in South Cumbria – and even Jonathan Ross is keen to visit the area now!”