Thought Bubble Festival 2018: everything you need to know about the guest line-up, exhibitors and events

Thought Bubble Festival will take place from Monday 17 to Sunday 23 September at various venues around Leeds

The hugely popular Thought Bubble Festival is making its annual return to Leeds this September, with an exciting line-up of guests, exhibitors and events celebrating sequential art in all its forms.

The vibrant festival is now in its eleventh year, having grown from a small one-day event to the successful week-long occasion it is today, and attracts thousands of comic book fans, artists and special guests from around the world.

This year's event, taking place from 17 to 23 September, includes a range of exciting exhibitions, workshops and talks throughout the week, before the festival ends with the ever popular comic convention over the weekend.

Who is attending?

More than 100 special guests and 450 exhibitors from the world of comic books are set to attend the festival

More than 100 special guests will be attending the 2018 comic con in Leeds city centre, including a host of acclaimed authors and illustrators from the comic book world.

This year's standout guests include:

Charlie Adland - illustrator of the Walking Dead comics

Carey Pietsch - cartoonist for The Adventure Zone: Here Be Gerblins

Since its launch 11 years ago, the comic festival has grown massively in popularity

Victoria Ying - animator for movies including Frozen, Moana, Wreck It Ralph and Tangled

Warren Ellis - writer of graphic novels, including Transmetropolitan, Freakangels, Castlevania and RED

Greg Rucka - writer of numerous comics and novels, including Wonder Woman: Year One and Black Magick

Leslie Hung - cartoonist for Snotgirl

Convention exhibitors

More than 450 exhibitors will be bringing the best of comics and sequential art to the city for 2018.

Exhibitors will be spaced across the Festival Village, four venues around the city centre:

- The Carriageworks Theatre

- The Comixology Marquee, Millennium Square

- The Original Marquee, Cookridge Street

- The Ask for Mercy Marquee, Leeds Town Hall

A full list of exhibitors can be found on the Thought Bubble website.

Events

As well as the exciting comic convention held from 22 to 23 September, a host of other events will run throughout the week in the build up.

Highlights include:

- The Film & Pop Culture Art of Matt Ferguson: A Retrospective - Monday 17 September - Wednesday 31 October

- Cosplay Life Drawing with Bites and Beers - Tuesday 18 September, 6pm - 10pm

- Seriously Into Comics: A Workshop for Comics Studies Graduate Students and Early Career Researchers - Wednesday 19 September, 12:30pm - 17:00pm

- A Day In The Life: Comics as Life Writing - Wednesday 19 September, 6.30pm - 8.30pm

- Travelling Man Signing Tour: Newcastle with Greg Rucka - Thursday 20 September, 4.30pm - 6.30pm

- Leeds Arts University and Thought Bubble present: An Interview with Victoria Ying

Thursday 20 September, 6.30pm

- Travelling Man Signing Tour: YORK with Leslie Hung and Carey Pietsch - Friday 21 September, 4.30pm - 6.30pm

When is it?

Thought Bubble Festival will take place from Monday 17 to Sunday 23 September at various venues across Leeds city centre, with the comic convention held over the weekend (Saturday 22 and Sunday 23).

How to buy tickets

Comic Con day tickets are priced from £16, while weekend tickets start at £27 per person.

Under 12s, over 65s, carers and support workers go free.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting thoughtbubblefestival.com.