HIGHLIGHTS OF COMICA FESTIVAL CONTINUING TILL NOVEMBER 16th!

From Paul Gravett

www.comicafestival.com

Comica 2013, the London International Comics Festival continues its vibrant, visionary Programme right through till November 16th.  Here are some of the upcoming highlights! Thank you for spreading the word - enquire for press comp tickets.

 This Friday November 8th, Comica Festival welcomes an amazing delegation of Polish comics movers-and-shakers, including three of Poland’s most innovative current graphic novelists, organisers from the major comics festival in Lodz, and a leading writer and historian. Comica is showing a free exhibition of twelve Polish comics innovators, entitled POLES APART till November 16th in the Windows Gallery at Central Saint Martins near King’s Cross. Our Polish entourage will be giving a Free Workshop for students in the Platform Theatre Foyer from 2-4pm and you are invited to meet them and discover their work. Simply send an email request for your free place via this link.

 

Then later on Friday November 8th, come and party with us at the glorious Gosh! Comics, 1 Berwick Street, London WiF 0DR when no less than THREE great new British anthologies are being launched at ANTHOLOGIZE! Many of the contributors will be on hand and happy to sign copies fresh off the presses.

 

 On Saturday afternoon November 9th, Comica once again partners with London’s iconic flagship bookstore Foyles in Charing Cross Road for two more Comica Conversations. First up, from 4-6pm, Ben Dickson, Hunt Emerson, John Spelling and Seán Michael WIlson (via Skype from Japan join Paul Gravett to celebrate the London launch of FIght The Power. This book covers in comics form 14 riveting cases of the Protest Movement over the last 200 years and in several English-speaking countries including not just the US and UK but Australia, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, India and Jamaica. Come and enjoy and be inspired! To get a flavour of this remarkable anthology, introduced by Tariq Ali, check out this online video.

 And right after this, from 6.30-8.30pm at Foyles, five cutting-edge British graphic novelists - Gareth Brookes, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Katie Green, John Miers & Woodrow Phoenix - join author Paul Gravett to discuss the emergence and future of Comics Art as ‘The 21st Century Medium’. Their spirited debate marks the London launch of Paul Gravett’s new book Comics Art from Tate Publishing, an opinionated survey of current trends in international comics, from wordlessness and autobiography to digitalisation and installation. You can book tickets online now for both these events or you may be able to buy on the door, subject to capacity, of course.

 And one more highlight and date for your diary: on Saturday November 16th as part of the Barbican Centre’s remarkable Pop Art Design exhibition, superstar artists Gary (Derek the Sheep) Northfield and Rian (Dare) Hughes will give a free Hyper-Pop Workshop. Step into the shoes of Pop artists like Roy Lichtenstein and make your own comic book stories starting from their original sources. Places are limited and timed, under 14’s in the morning, over 14’s in the afternoon.

 And a reminder that you can see the all-new graphic short stories in Reframe: Perspectives on Europe through Comics from Algeria, Turkey & the UK at the beautifully refurbished Free Word Centre at 60 Farringdon Road till November 22nd, admission free. Comica is hugely grateful to our sponsors and partners, and in particular to the European Cultural Foundation and to Arts Council England, for supporting this year’s Programme.

Spread the word and we look foward to meeting many of you and your friends at our upcoming events!