Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Amy Bellwood, Bis Stringer Horne, Chloe Gree, Fiona Marchbank, harrogate, Harry Ridgway, Jip, lisa wood, Martha Julian, Mikey Bennett, Nabil Homsi, Pete Gorbert, Steve Emmott, thought bubble, Tula Lotay

Lisa Wood Steps Down As Thought Bubble Director, Nabil Homsi Steps Up

Lisa Wood, also known as the comics artist Tula Lotay, is stepping down from her role as Festival Director of Thought Bubble, the comic book convention held in Yorkshire every year since 2007. She issued the following missive;

2022 marks Thought Bubble's 16th year. I can't believe how far the festival has come since the small event we held in the basement of Leeds Town Hall. From that seed Thought Bubble has grown into an incredible festival that celebrates and cherishes comics.

It now feels like Thought Bubble has finally found its home at Harrogate Convention Centre. We've always struggled with venue space in the past and we've had to be very creative with the spaces we had to enable more artists and exhibitors to attend the show. Harrogate has finally given us the space we need to grow, and staging Thought Bubble in a purpose-built convention venue has also allowed us to focus on the things which are important to us – our outreach work, talks, and educational masterclasses.

I'm so proud of how the festival, the team and community has grown over the years. Since I started Thought Bubble in 2007 I've met so many wonderful people in the industry and been inspired by incredible talent, some of whom I've discovered on my doorstep thanks to the community Thought Bubble has fostered.

As some of you may know, I've been trying to balance my work on Thought Bubble alongside my own career as an artist and starting a family four years ago. Over the last few years my illustration work has grown and this now demands most of my time. This has seen the Thought Bubble team take on more responsibilities in terms of managing the convention and the wider festival. Each of them has stepped up to the challenge of presenting the convention. I'm in awe of their passion, dedication, hard work and love for the community that we've built.

I now feel the time has come for me to officially step back as the Festival Director and leave the show in their capable hands. I've seen what they can do and know they can take Thought Bubble to places I never could and I feel incredibly excited for what is in store for the future of the show. Nabil Homsi, the owner of Travelling Man, who supported me from day one, will step up as Thought Bubble's new Director. He'll be working alongside our amazing Festival Directors Martha Julian, Amy Bellwood and Chloe Green.

As well as the core team, I want to pay tribute to the people behind the scenes. The show couldn't run without the hard work of Steve Emmott, Fiona Marchbank, Mikey Bennett, Pete Gorbert, Harry Ridgway, Jip, Bis Stringer Horne, all our amazing volunteers and every single person that has ever worked at Thought Bubble. They have been the best family anyone could ever hope for and they've been there through all the challenging and difficult periods as well as all the amazing and successful times. I'd like to thank them all for being not just amazing hard-working badasses but also incredibly kind, caring people. Thought Bubble wouldn't be what it is today without them

I also want to say a huge thank you to you – our audience. Without your continued support and enthusiasm for Thought Bubble we simply would have disappeared years ago. You have helped to create a community where people can explore the wondrous world of comics in a safe and friendly environment.

Of course I could never really fully leave Thought Bubble and I would like to continue to be part of the team who bring it to life every year, it's just now I'll have more time to enjoy the show and stop and chat when we see each other at the convention! I can't wait for you all to see what the team has planned for this year… I couldn't be leaving it in better hands.

Love, Lisa

Thought Bubble 2022 is expected to take place towards the end of the year in and around the Harrogate Convention Centre,

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