THE first guests for Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2018 have been announced, with early bird tickets now on sale.

The prestigious event will return to Kendal from Friday October 12 to Sunday 14, welcoming artists and visitors from around the world.

First to be announced are British guests Yomi Ayeni, Ottilie Hainsworth, Kripa Joshi, Rian Hughes, Ian Rankin and John Wagner. Among the international guests are Kaisa Leka (from Finland) Victoria Lomasko (from Russia), Mikiko, Orijit Sen (from India), and Guy Delisle and Seth (from Canada). Two US guests have also been announced so far - writer Joe Kelly and colourist Elizabeth Breitweiser.

Many more guests will be announced in the coming months from the UK and abroad, with an increase in the number of comic creators exhibiting in the Comics Clock Tower and other venues around the Lake District market town of Kendal.

The Festival is the only one of its kind in the UK, modelled on European-style festivals, such as Angoulême in France, taking over the whole town for a weekend of comic art.

Its aim is to celebrate the whole spectrum of comic art, inspiring existing comic art fans and creators and, it hopes, generating new audiences and creators too. It invests in creators through a commissioning programme and has an emphasis on developing international collaborations.

Festival director Julie Tait says: "We're delighted to announce this first tranche of guests for this year's festival.

"With Early Bird tickets on sale, the team here in Kendal, working with our funding partners, both local and national, are gearing up for one of the best weekends of comic happenings in Kendal yet.

"Not only are we bringing a wide range of both British and international guests to the Lake District, but we're making huge changes and additions to the programming, with lots happening in our Comics Clock Tower, new venues and much more."

The full line-up will be confirmed in the coming months.

For more details of the artists announced so far, and to buy early bird passes, visit www.comicartfestival.com