Free comic books given away at Leeds libraries as Thought Bubble event held across city for 19th year
Superhero fans can get their hands on free comic books at Leeds libraries as an annual event that started in the city is held for the 19th year.
Comic art festival Thought Bubble is currently being held at venues across Yorkshire and will conclude this Saturday with a huge comic book convention in Harrogate.
On Friday (November 14) hundreds, and possibly thousands, of comics and graphic novels will be given away at libraries across Leeds as part of an initiative with Diamond Comics to get people of all ages discovering the joy of reading comics.
The libraries taking part are Leeds Central Art Library, Headingley, Crossgates, Chapel Allerton, and Pudsey.
The festival has been running since Monday (November 10) and also includes an evening with acclaimed cartoonist Caroline Cash (The New Yorker, MoMA), interviewed by Leeds illustrator and comic artist Kristyna Baczynski, as well as the return of the popular Pints and Pencils event, the two-day Comics Forum conference, an exhibition of the works of indie publisher Avery Hill, and much more. For more information about the festival programme visit the website.
Taking place at the end of the festival week is the Thought Bubble Comic Convention, a huge two-day celebration of all things comic art. Thought Bubble sees hundreds of creators and thousands of fans descend on Harrogate Convention Centre for one of the most beloved and important events in the global comics calendar.
Guests for this year’s convention include New York-based creator of the million-selling smash-hit graphic novel InvestiGators, John Patrick Green; British artist and Thought Bubble mainstay Jock (Judge Dredd, Batman and Wolverine, Wytches); award-winning industry veteran Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead, Batman, Superman, Savage); and Eisner Award-winning artist Simon Bisley, best known for redefining characters such as Lobo for DC Comics and for the celebrated Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgement on Gotham.
They, alongside other newly announced guests Ram V, Monty Nero, Abigail Jill Harding, Alison Sampson, Paul Cornell, Chrissy Williams, Lee Garbett, Babs Tarr, Sarah Graley, Lauren Knight, Mike Lowery, and John Allison, join a huge programme of other creators from across the world.
This year's convention will also welcome over 600 comic-creating exhibitors to Harrogate's convention centre, from established names to the most exciting new talent and featuring more comic publishers than ever before, including Hachette Children’s Group, Cape Graphic Novels, and Puffin Graphics, in an impressive display of the thriving comics scene and Thought Bubble’s vital role within the international comics community.
Thought Bubble Comic Convention 2025 tickets are still available to purchase at the website here.
Thought Bubble Director Martha Julian said: “We are thrilled to bring these fun, educational, and inspiring comics events to Yorkshire. Here at Thought Bubble, our main aim is to get EVEYRONE reading comics, and with this week-long array of activities, we are confident that we can make that happen!”