THE event of the year for Cumbrian comic fans arrives this week, bringing together the world's top artists over three days.

The fourth Lakes International Comic Art Festival, running from Friday October 14 to Sunday 16, is the only one of its kind in the UK taking over the whole of Kendal with events, talks and exhibitions.

The festival features comic artists from around the world, as well as performance, film, comic trails, workshops, master classes, live drawing and independent retailers and publishers.


A free Family Zone provides drop-in activities for all ages, alongside a series of fantastic workshops for kids and teenagers.

Exhibitors in the Comics Clock Tower marketplace for 2016 include the Cartoonists’ Club of Great Britain, Italian illustrator and cartoonist Silvia Carrus, Buzzfeed illustrator James Chapman, Disconnected Press, Forbidden Planet, graphic designer and illustrator Simon Russell, Soaring Penguin and independent publisher and writer Tom Ward.

One of the key events this year is the Beatrix Potter Reimagined exhibition at Kendal Library, while Making a Scene, by Ken Niimura, is also running at the Brewery Arts Centre's Sugar Store gallery, and the work of five talented young Japanese artists is on display at the Brewery's Warehouse Café. An exhibition of original graphic novel art by Hanneriina Moisseinen features at The Wildman Gallery, in Wildman Street, and Kendal Museum hosts Five Bridges: Stories of the Flood.

The Family Zone at the Westmorland Shopping Centre features workshops for youngsters, such as digital comic and finger puppet making, while there are also child-friendly workshops at Kendal Library throughout the weekend.


FRIDAY


The big event for the opening evening is Asterix vs Tintin: Clash of the Toon Titans (7pm at Brewery Arts Centre), where many of the festivals guests will fight the cause for their chosen comic to be named the champion of all champions.

There will also be a special screening of Deadpool, presented by the comic's creator, Joe Kelly (8pm at Brewery).

Friday's opening night will also see the appointment of the Comics Laureate for 2017/2018, with the UK’s first Comics Laureate, Dave Gibbons, making the announcement.

SATURDAY

The huge Saturday programme includes the opening of the Clock Tower marketplace (Saturday and Sunday at Kendal Town Hall), with independent creators, publishers and retailers representing a wide range of comics from around the world.

With exhibitions and pop-up events across town, there are many things to enjoy for free, while a series of ticketed workshops and performances also form part of the programme.
Charlie Adlard

Some of the highlights include: screenings of Drawing on Japan: Miyazaki, Master of Ghibli (10.30am at Brewery); Jordi Bernet: Spanish Legend (1pm at The Shakespeare Centre); Adam Brockbank and Ben Haggarty: From Hogwarts to Mezolith (2pm at Town Hall); Luke – I am Your Father! with Luke and Steve McGarry (2.30pm at Brewery); The Dark Knights Return: The Big Comic Draw (4.30pm at Brewery); Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: Special Screening introduced by Bryan Lee O’Malley (5pm at Brewery); and Wrinkles: Special Screening introduced by Paco Roca (5.30pm at Brewery).

The high-profile workshops on Saturday include: Comics Workbook Composition Competition Live (10.30am at Brewery); Meet the Minions: Drawing for Animation with Steve and Luke McGarry (11.30am at Kendal library); Charlie Adlard & Dan Berry: Life Draw Masterclass (1.30pm at Brewery); Kid Savage: Wild Creature Mashups (2.30pm at Kendal Library); and Aidan Koch: Visual Poetry (3pm at Brewery).

SUNDAY


The final day of the festival continues to pack in the events and screenings, with plenty going on across the town centre too.

As with the previous day's events, many of the screenings take place across the Brewery Arts Centre's cinema screens and the Town Hall's Clock Tower.


Black Dog Some of the Sunday screenings to look out for are: Dayglo and Tikkanen: International Live Draw Rockstars (11am at Brewery); Bryan Lee O’Malley: From Scott (Pilgrim) to Snot (Girl) (11.30am at Brewery); How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way the Viz Comic Way (1pm at Brewery); Dave McKean: Black Dog – The Dreams of Paul Nash (1.30pm at Brewery); The Red Virgin: Bryan and Mary Talbot (2.30pm at Town Hall); Princess Mononoke: Special Screening (3pm at Brewery); and The Etherington Brothers: Master Chefs (3.30pm at Brewery).

Numerous workshops also take place on Sunday, such as: John Martz: Create Your Own Comic Characters (10.30am at Brewery); Martin Rowson: A Caricaturing Masterclass (11am at Brewery); Games We Play… In Japan (11.30am at Brewery); Character Design Clinic with Emma Vieceli (12.30pm at Brewery); Micro Masterclass with Joe Kelly: A Question of Character (1pm at Brewery); ILYA: Manga – The Art of Exploded Moments (1.30pm at Brewery); Mezolith: World-Building with Adam Brockbank & Ben Haggarty (2pm at Brewery).

Please note numbers for workshops are limited and early booking is strongly advised.

Tickets for all events are available from the Brewery Arts Centre box office.


For a full list of events, workshops and screenings, you can download the programme at the festival website, or view a quick-list at www.comicartfestival.com