Last year at BF we covered the first Occultz: Oxford Comic, Cult and Zine Fair event here on the site. Since then the cult arts group have continued to expand with a whole new programme of events coming in 2025. Check out the full details in the press release below.
OXFORD COMICS, CULT & ZINE FAIR EXPANDS
The newly formed cult arts group in the City of Dreaming Spires follows its first successful year with a raft of new attractions.
The brain-child of Jason Atomic creator of London’s quarterly Dark Art Fair, the Satanic Flea Market and writer/cartoonist Owen Michael Johnson – the OXFORD COMICS, CULT & ZINE FAIR returns for a one-day fair on September 6th at its new home of The Bullingdon, in East Oxford.
Offering local culture fans an alternative arts fair focusing on esoteric and hand-made cult art including independent comic book creators, zine-makers and arts practitioners, the day culminates in a special film screening from Oxford’s beloved grass-roots cinema club Cinema Under The Stairs.
“We’re really encouraged to see how Occultz is naturally evolving,” said co-founder Owen Michael Johnson. “It’s been immensely rewarding to see those links between artists start to form. It’s been a joy to welcome a breadth of artists including pottery, role-playing games and puppetry alongside genuinely unique graphic artists. Everyone is welcome at Occultz if you make your work with love and care.”
On August 17th, the founders of Occultz proudly-present UTOPIA, INK – EXPLOSIVE EMPATHY, POWER & FREEDOM IN THE COMIC ART OF JACK KIRBY, a very special one-off event celebrating the often-overlooked genius behind the most famous comic book characters in Pop culture.
Hosted at Curio Bookshop beneath Common Ground Social Co-work & Community Arts venue on Little Clarendon St, this unique evening – the first of its kind in Oxford – includes a presentation by special guest Ben Saunders, professor comics at the University of Oregon and editor/curator of Penguin Classics Marvel Collection book series.
“UTOPIA, INK promises to be a fun, creative celebration of one of the true heroes of comic art and pop culture, and it’s an absolute privilege to host it at Curio,” said Nick Hagan, founder and curator of Curio Books + Culture. “We’ve got an expert presentation, discussion, audience Q&A and unique comic art workshop loaded into one spectacular evening – if you love comics, you can’t miss it!”
All this is in addition to a monthly social at the site of the original event, The Star pub, which seeks to continue the long tradition set in the creative home of Tolkien and CS Lewis in which artists meet to share their work and support each other.
“Our annual event is the flagship celebration we build to but OCCULTZ was always intended to be much more,” said Jason Atomic. “Hanging out in the pub and getting excited about art is such a big part of forming connections and making friends. We’re proud to offer that outside our art fairs.”
