A Thought Bubble press release gives us an opportunity to remind you again of how to submit your TB debut comics for review here at Broken Frontier. Got that? Then carry on and read the festival programme for 2026 below.
THOUGHT BUBBLE SHARES 2026 FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
MORE SPECIAL GUESTS FOR LANDMARK 20TH EDITION INCLUDE CONVENTION CO-FOUNDER TULA LOTAY
THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL
VENUES ACROSS YORKSHIRE
9 – 15 NOVEMBER 2026
THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION
HARROGATE CONVENTION CENTRE
14 & 15 NOVEMBER 2026
https://www.
Renowned comic art convention Thought Bubble has shared the programme for this year’s Thought Bubble Festival: an extensive collection including an academic conference, artist and industry Q&As, social events, an LGBTQ+ book club, free comics and more, in venues across Yorkshire.
The festival will take place between 9-15 November, the week leading up to the award-winning Thought Bubble comic convention opening its doors in Harrogate for a landmark 20th edition.
Featured in this year’s festival programme is An Evening with Kristyna Baczynski & Darryl Cunningham, a special author event with two of Yorkshire’s finest graphic novel creators. On Wednesday 11 November, Kristyna and Darryl will lead a celebration of comics, illustration and the art of non-fiction storytelling.
Thought Bubble Festival will also see the launch of Cosmic Lighthouse, a new UK publisher working with some of the world’s leading comic talent. At Everyman Harrogate on Friday 13 November, Cosmic Lighthouse will be revealing an exclusive first look at their forthcoming graphic novels, whilst a host of creators including SF star Adrian Tchaikovsky (Children of Time) will be on hand for signings.
Leeds Libraries presents GIGS: How to make a Worryingly Prescient Graphic Novel, writer Mark Mosedale and artist Si Smith discuss their graphic novel Gigs, and how they spent seven unwittingly prescient years making the perfect comic for this very moment.
Thought Bubble Festival 2026 is again hosting its impressive Free Comic Day, which sees the festival team up with Diamond Comics UK on Friday 13 November to give away thousands of all-ages comics to young readers from libraries throughout Leeds. Fan favourites are also returning, including social drawing evening Pints and Pencils on Wednesday 11 at Brew Society with plenty of prizes to be won, and on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November, the internationally recognised Comics Forum brings expert speakers together to discuss this year’s topic: welfare.
Most events within the festival week are free, find all the details here: www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/
Thought Bubble have also added to this year’s Comic Convention guest roster with over 25 new names announced including comics industry veteran Charlie Adlard, the artist behind global phenomenon The Walking Dead; NYT bestselling and Eisner Award winning author, cartoonist and educator Jeffrey Brown (Star Wars: Darth Vader and Son, Batman and Robin and Howard, Hulk Teach); multi-Eisner nominated GLAAD winning comic artist Caspar Wijngaard (The Power Fantasy, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Limbo); renowned comics writer Al Ewing (El Sombra Trilogy, Loki: Agent of Asgard, Ultimates) and Eisner Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award-winning artist and Thought Bubble co-founder Tula Lotay, aka Lisa Wood Bodies, Barnstormers).
Entering its 20th iteration, Thought Bubble is now one of the longest-running conventions and comic art events in the country. Co-founded in 2007 by Lisa Wood, aka Tula Lotay, whilst working at Leeds comic book shop Travelling Man, and encouraged by Travelling Man’s Director and fellow Thought Bubble co-founder, Nabil Homsi; Lisa put together the first Thought Bubble Convention, a one-day event in the basement of Leeds Town Hall that celebrated comics, the creators making them and the fans who love them.
Nineteen conventions later, Thought Bubble is still proudly independent and still delivered by a small team of dedicated comic lovers, having steadily become a cornerstone of the international comics community.
As one of the most significant events in the global comics calendar, Thought Bubble welcomes leading figures in the industry from comics legends to the most exciting new artists and writers from around the world for a series of panels, conversations, workshops and signings. The convention is set to host over 600 comic-creating exhibitors and welcome thousands of comics fans across the weekend and more guests from the comics industry to be announced soon.
Tickets for Thought Bubble Comic Convention 2026 are on sale now with ticket options for families and students, while under 12s, carers and over 65s tickets remain totally free.
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Thought Bubble Festival Director Martha Julian said:
“For our twentieth festival, we wanted to nod to the past with some classic festival features that people know and love, while keeping things fresh with exciting launch events and new guest talks. Similarly with this year’s convention guest list, you can expect to see fan favourites sitting alongside the emerging creators who we are confident will be the fan favourites of the future! We can’t wait to welcome you to this very special edition of the year’s best comics event.”
For latest programme, guests and events please visit:
https://www.
Press For Thought Bubble:
“Thought Bubble is the UK’s biggest celebration of comic art and culture.” – Creative Boom
“Thought Bubble is the most important comic convention around” – Popverse
“Thought Bubble feels like a festival built with and for the local community” – The Gamer
