There’s an Avery Hill Publishing exhibition coming to Thought Bubble this year and we have the details below. Also we’re delighted that BF will, in its own small way, be involved, with our Andy Oliver acting as tour guide on the Sunday of TB. We’ve been following AHP since the beginning at Broken Frontier so this is a lovely thing to be able to do!
We’re incredibly excited to announce a project we’ve been working on for some time – a major exhibition of comic art at the Mercer Gallery, Harrogate!
18th October 2025 – 26th April 2025
Poster art by Kristyna Baczynski
Avery Hill recently celebrated their tenth year as a publisher, and this exhibition offers an in-depth exploration of their work. It’s an important retrospective that charts their early days publishing zines in the London small press scene, through to today’s carefully and lovingly produced high-quality graphic novels which are sold the world over. All achieved despite having no publishing experience, juggling demanding day jobs and major life-changes, in what was supposed to be a fun side-project that accidentally got out of control.
On display will be original art from the books, glimpses into the creative process of making comics, and fascinating information about the artists they work with. Additionally, there will be video, prints, books on display and interactive elements, including a game designed by another of their discoveries, the highly talented and idiosyncratic comics creator and graphic designer, George Wylesol.
The exhibition gives insight into their development and philosophy, with deep-dives into some of the books that have been milestones in their catalogue. As the audience goes on this journey through the history of the publisher, they will witness the development of some of the most interesting and important creators working in comics, and an important snapshot of the UK comics landscape over the past decade.
Featured artists:
Kristyna Baczynski, Tim Bird, Katriona Chapman, Tom Humberstone, Charlot Kristensen, B. Mure, Owen D. Pomery, Claire Scully, J. Webster Sharp, Rachael Smith, Lizzy Stewart, Lucy Sullivan, Zoe Thorogood, Donya Todd, Tillie Walden, and George Wylesol.
If you’re attending the Thought Bubble festival this autumn, there will be two guided tours of the exhibition. Avery Hill’s Kat Chapman (Saturday) and Broken Frontier’s Andy Oliver (Sunday) will take you on a 30-minute walk through the exhibition, giving some extra insight into Avery Hill’s work as a publisher. They’ll be accompanied by several of the creators with work on display, who’ll talk about the medium of comics, their artwork, and their approach to making graphic novels.
For anyone unable to attend and see the exhibition in person, we’re working on some online content to share too.
