It’s a Roy of the Rovers Special: Lancaster Comics Day Returns on Sunday 11th June

The third Lancaster Comics Day, organised by The Friends of Lancaster Library, will take place on Sunday 11th June 2016 in Lancaster’s Main Library.

This year, the organisers have gone football crazy, not only bringing local publisher Michael Barrett, author of Preston North End: Rise of the Invincibles graphic novel to the event, but artist David Sque, best known for his work on the iconic Roy of the Rovers too – all the way from Spain!

Roy of the Rovers is of course one of Britain’s best-loved comic characters, first published in the weekly comic Tiger in 1954 but who eventually got his very own comic in the 1970s, edited by Barrie Tomlinson – who will also be at Lancaster Comics Day.

Barrie is eager to reveal some stories about British comics publishing for the very first time direct to fans who grew up reading the comics he edited such as Tiger and Eagle, and how he persuaded Morecambe and Wise to write for comics, and Prince Phillip, too!

Joining them will be Doctor Who and Road to Perdition artist Richard Piers Rayner, a longtime artist in residence at Middlesbrough Football Club; publisher and comic artist Tim Perkins; top artist Nick Brokenshire, who’s currently blowing comic fans away with Once and Future Queen for Dark Horse comics; local fantasy author A.S. Chambers, whose characters live and work in an alternate Lancaster; top indie comics creator Tom Ward, a master of crowdfunded comic publishing; Beano and Aces Weekly artist Marc Jackson; and Lancaster Guardian cartoonist Jack Knight.

The event is supported by Lancaster’s very own comic shop First Age Comics and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, who will be taking over a whole room to bring comic fans the latest news on their major comics event spanning 13th – 15th October. (Weekend passes already on sale).

With Comic Cake and plenty of comic creators on hand selling their independently created comics, as well as lots of comics to buy (and more), there will be plenty to do and comics to discover.

“We’ve had great fun over the last two years with Lancaster Comics Day and support for the event has been amazing, from local comic creators, fans, library staff, Lancaster’s own comic shop, First Age Comics, and backing from Kendal’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival. 

“Lancaster Comics Day also helped raise money for a sound systems for the Library last year and black out blinds in the first,” notes co-organiser and comics writer and editor John Freeman, whose many credits include Doctor Who Magazine and who runs the British comics web site downthetubes.net. “This year, we hope to support the Library still further, and make a donation to St. John’s Hospice.

“The British comics creator community has been hit hard this year by cancer-related deaths, with the passing of 2000AD artist Edmund Bagwell announced just this week,” he continues. “Stuart Reynolds, of the Friends of Lancaster Library and I were only too happy to agree to support our local Hospice in appreciation of the work such services do nationwide for cancer victims and their families.”

“I’m looking forward to second helpings of Lancaster Comics Day and I hope local comic fans are, too!”

• Related Pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHskZWMoBx

Lancaster Comics Day art created by and © Nick Miller

• Lancaster Comics Day takes place from 11.00am until 5.00pm on Sunday 5th June 2017 at Lancaster Main Library in Market Square, Lancaster. Tickets £5 adults, £2 concessions, which includes admission to all four comics panels, accompanied children under 13 free. Web: www.lancastercomicsday.uk

• Follow Lancaster Comics Day on Twitter @LancasterComics – https://twitter.com/LancasterComics/

• For further information about the Friends of Lancaster Library contact Stuart Reynolds of the Friends of Lancaster Library: follmembers@gmail.com

• For interviews about Lancaster Comics Day, contact John Freeman via johnfsfreeman@gmail.com

Notes for Editors

All guests appear subject to work commitments.

About Lancaster Comics Day

The first Lancaster Comics Day, organised by The Friends of Lancaster Library, first took place in June 2015 and proved a tremendous success, raising £800 for the Library, which will in part be used to buy black out curtains for the “Sanctuary” room. Despite a baking hot day, the 2016 event was also widely acclaimed and also helped raise money for library funds.

Past guests have included comics writer Andy Diggle, Doctor Who and Judge Dredd artist Dave Taylor, Hellblazer and Doctor Who artist John Ridgway, publisher and raconteur Tim Quinn, Doctor Who artist Adrian Salmon, and local comics writers Alex Paknadel and Eddie Robson.