Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Manon Wright, thought bubble

Manon Wright's Children of the Earth And Sky at Thought Bubble

Published Fri, 11 Nov 2022 14:27:11 -0600

Manon Wright is an illustrator and comic artist specialising in publishing design and sequential narratives. A Falmouth University and UCL graduate and a winner of the 2021 Thought Bubble Comics Creators Prize. He's back at Thought Bubble again, and this year, he is one of Broken Frontier's Six to Watch creators.

Manon Wright's Children of the Earth and Sky is a short speculative science fiction story about an enigmatic ritual from the point of view of children living in two mirrored societies. One planted firmly on the ground and a hidden industrialised one floating 5000 meters above them in the sky.

In a shimmering and eclectic metropolis, a boy awakens from a nightmare while his home prepares for the arrival of important outsiders. All the while, his mind is filled with unease. In a pastoral tribe, two twins wake at dawn on the day of religious ascension. The community is filled with joy and fanfare, but the girls are suspicious that things may not be quite what they seem.

Manon Wright tells me "My work can be dreamy and surreal; however, the themes at the heart of each story usually centre around empathy and understanding between people across cultures, classes and lived experiences. My work has been enriched by an eclectic mix and includes folklore, film and print media, politics, philosophy and the people I've met all over the world. I created this piece as something that could stand alone or as a taster for a larger story I've been thinking about for a couple of years. I am testing the waters to see if other people also believe this is an exciting concept/world read about! my favourite types of graphic novels are SciFi stories with sociological themes and subtext, so I would love to be able to explore this genre more in the future."

Thought Bubble is the UK's largest comic art festival; a week-long celebration of comics, illustration, animation, and more that culminates in this weekend's comic convention. Focused on those who create comic books, specifically the artists, and the writers, it is especially supportive of small press. The festival was founded in 2007 by Yorkshire artist, Lisa Wood, also known as Tula Lotay, and was organised as part of the Leeds International Film Festival to raise the profile of comics in the area. The first Thought Bubble was held on Saturday, 10 November 2007 in the basement of Leeds Town Hall and was attended by a couple of hundred people, but has grown a little since then. The convention originally ran throughout Leeds but, in 2019, due to issues with Leeds City Council and the need for more space, the convention moved to nearby Harrogate. And earlier this year, Lisa Wood stepped down from the role of director to be taken by Travelling Man's Nabil Homsi. This week's events are already underway and the convention begins on Saturday the 12th of November until Sunday the 13th of November. Bleeding Cool will be reporting from the show all weekend long. Do feel free to say hi!

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!