Posted in: Comics, Conventions | Tagged: 2017, comic con, comicon, Comics, comics festival, debut, leeds, thought bubble, thoughtbubble

Thought Bubble Debut: Lost Light By Claire Spiller

Published Tue, 12 Sep 2017 03:12:45 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Thu, 21 Sep 2017 07:18:04 -0500

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The Thought Bubble Festival begins in Leeds in six days' time with the comic-con side beginning in eleven days. Bleeding Cool will be there, and there will be plenty of comic books old and new to pick up.We're going to try and take a look at some of the comics appearing for the first time at the show. If you are exhibiting at Thought Bubble and would like to preview something you are debuting there, please let us know!

'Every night Maeve lights up her house with lamps to keep the wilderness away. But the more light she creates the greater the shadows she casts. Only when her lights go out is she able to see how bright the night really is.'

Lost Light by Claire Spiller is a new graphic novella debuting at the show, a 44-page A5 comic that focuses on the effects of light pollution and our relationship with nature and night skies. The story is told completely visually, without any kind of narration or words, which makes it suitable for all nationalities and ages. Claire says,

The story was first planted in me while I was camping out on the plains of Namibia, watching a meteor shower against the arms of the milky way, miles and miles away from the nearest town or city. Since then I've sought out dark skies as often as possible – I recommend Exmoor National Park. There's something about star gazing in completely natural light that grounds you, connects you with the cycles of nature, seasons and history. It forces you to look inward and rely on every one of your senses to navigate. And it exposes how much of a bubble city life can be, how disconnected you are from nature on the simplest level.

This is my first comic, drawn traditionally with good old pen and paper, then digitally coloured.