THOUGHT BUBBLE MONTH 2026! Running from 2015 to 2017, Katriona Chapman’s Broken Frontier Award-winning series Katzine mixed autobiographical comic strips, illustration pieces and and regular features. It’s one of those ongoing self-published ventures that was instantly appealing with its amiable, bite-sized slice-of-life material. And yet it was also more than capable of switching tempo and giving the reader something more profound to think about, as it memorably did with its themed The Factory Issue, hitting hard at the time in the immediate aftermath of the self-inflicted Brexit disaster.
After the best part of a decade (!?!) Chapman has returned to the series in time for Thought Bubble with the appropriately named Katzine: The Catch-Up Issue. It’s 20-odd pages that recreate the warmth and honesty of the original run, and it does indeed feel a bit like catching up with an old friend after far too long. Chapman begins with a couple of strips about what has changed in her life since the last issue in 2017, both immediately and in the wake of Covid, that most obvious milestone for all of us.
It’s beautifully reflective and pensive in delivery; sometimes raw and always honest (as with the short comic about her experiences with Coeliac Disease), fostering a rapport with the audience that will be appreciated by anyone coming to Katzine for the first time. But also replete with references that longer-term fans, and anyone connected with the UK indie/small press scenes, will also understand. And if you were there the first time around there’s a delightful anecdotal edition of ‘Local Business’ where Chapman recounts the story of flirtatious shop staff plus the obligatory ‘Featured Plant’ from her collection.
All illustrated in that signature style of beautiful shading and considered colour choices, Katzine: The Catch-Up Issue is enjoyable as more than simply nostalgia. It’s also a reminder of how autobio comics can so ably bring reader and creator together empathetically in shared experiences. This one is a true highlight for Thought Bubble 2026. Let’s hope it’s just the beginning of another run of this wonderful series.
Katriona Chapman (W/A) • Self-published
Visit Katriona Chapman’s site and online store here
Review by Andy Oliver
Katriona Chapman is at Table C9 in the Bubbleboy Hall at Thought Bubble.
Thought Bubble 2026 runs from November 9th-15th with the convention weekend taking place on the 14th-15th. More details on the Thought Bubble site here.
Read all our Thought Bubble 2026 coverage so far in one place here.
Poster art by Núria Tamarit
