You may notice that this month’s round-up of the behind-the-scenes happenings at BF has been somewhat delayed. That’s because Covid finally made itself an unwelcome house guest at Broken Frontier Towers and although most of this piece was already written and uploaded I have been too ill over the last few days to so much as even log on and publish unscheduled articles. Still, I had a good run. And nearly six years of dodging it also proved that, yes folks, masks do work. Don’t let anyone tell you they don’t.
Let’s jump into things with a very big announcement to begin!
Lydia Turner is Broken Frontier’s New Managing Editor
In the early years of the pandemic our editorial structure kind of fell apart. It’s a situation that’s long been something that needed addressing. While I have an overall vision for the site and the team, extra input and alternative ideas are hugely important. So I am delighted to announce that our Lydia Turner is stepping into the long vacant Managing Editor position to help me with planning and executing the future direction of BF. Lyds was an absolute star when she joined myself and Amneet Johal on the Small Press Day organising team in the summer and I am both excited and extremely grateful to her for taking this on!
Andy and Lydia at Thought Bubble 2024
Here’s her staff bio for a little more info (and make sure to follow her on Bluesky): Lydia is an MA English Literature graduate, with a career in children’s book publishing. She previously wrote reviews for Pipedream Comics, and since 2023 now writes features and reviews for Broken Frontier. Most recently, her review of The Dancing Plague was published in The Comics Courier, and she also had the pleasure of co-organising and chairing some panels at Small Press Day 2025, of which she is also a co-organiser. Her comic niches tend to be horror or super cutesy!
Swati Nair Joins the BF Reviewing Team
And I’m similarly delighted to announce the newest reviewer at BF. Swati Nair’s first review of Yudori’s Raging Clouds went up on the site last month. Welcome to the BF crew, Swati!
Here’s Swati’s bio info from our staff page:
Swati Nair is a Dublin-based writer and editor with a lifelong love for words. She holds a Master’s in English Literature and has contributed reviews for the Asian Review of Books, The Seattle Review of Books, and other publications. She has also edited an anthology of true crime stories.
Outside of writing and reading, Swati is happiest when surrounded by music and movies, or exploring new places. And at home, you’ll often find her experimenting in the kitchen or caring for her plants.
Broken Frontier at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2025
Well if you made it to Bowness-on-Windermere over the last weekend of September you will already be aware of just what an incredible experience LICAF was again this year. It’s an event that has evolved into something with its own voice and ethos now, really celebrating the idea of “festival” with its array of international guests and eclectic (and sometimes even idiosyncratic) programming choices. This year, no doubt, the big draw for many would have been the appearances of Grant Morrison and Lorenzo Mattotti. But equally important were the indie guests, the focus on all-ages with the The Phoenix events, the fantastic work involved creating a platform for Palestinian artists (just awe-inspiring work going on here from the LICAF team), and so much more.
From my perspective, of course, much of my attention over the weekend was on my Sunday afternoon interview event in the Old Laundry Theatre interviewing the legend that is Shelly Bond (Vertigo/Black Crown/Off Register Press… but then you knew that…). One of those opportunities that do not come around very often and an absolute privilege to boot. It was fascinating to hear so many anecdotes from her illustrious career in comics from Shelly, someone who has been an appreciated ally of BF and its mission for several years now.
When next we meet we’ll be on the brink of Thought Bubble 2025 (still time for review submissions). See you then.
