Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Bryan Talbot, Comics, destival, lakes

Diving Into The Lakes This Weekend

Published Fri, 18 Oct 2013 18:00:00 -0500

The BBC gave a rather lovely puff piece for The Lakes Comics Festival beginning on Saturday in the UK, turning the town of Kendal in Cumbria, England, into a comic book international festival. And, apparently, attracting a bunch of academic types.

Dr Gibson is one of 50 leading figures from the world of graphic novels who will be appearing at the inaugural Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Kendal from Friday until Sunday.

With writers, artists and industry figures coming from as far afield as Japan, the United States and Scandinavia, the event promises to transform the picturesque Cumbrian market town.

While there are still only a handful of courses across the UK dedicated solely to comics and graphic novels, Dr Gibson says they find their way into many traditional undergraduate subjects.

"Some of my final-year students are looking at children's literature and as part of that they will explore comics and graphic novels," she said.

"They can even be included in social work studies and paediatric nursing – Bryan Talbot's The Tale of One Bad Rat has been used by health professionals around the world dealing with people who have suffered childhood abuse.

The Lakes Comic Art Festival kicks off this weekend. Bleeding Cool's Gary Gray will be running around the town trying tot to buy mint cake.

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