We were looking for something triumphant for the tenth year of Small Press Day and you certainly delivered! SPD 2025 was very possibly the most enthusiastically received yet with 24 events taking place across the UK and Ireland (and beyond!). The Small Press Day organising team of Amneet Johal (Alternative Press), Lydia Turner and myself Andy Oliver (Broken Frontier) wanted to ensure that for this anniversary edition we took SPD back to its founder David Ziggy Greene’s original vision for the event – a dedicated day for comics self-publishing that brings local creators and local shops/spaces together, connecting them and forging longer-term relationships. From the buzz on the day across social media it certainly appears that aim was achieved.
Thank you to all the organisers who worked so hard in supporting this unique celebration of our small press scene! We had things happening across England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Northern Island. And for the first time ever in the US (see below for more on that!). Importantly, we had first time events for places like Bristol and Hull that had never hosted SPD before. And yes, our closing post image above is already out of date as we discovered another event we didn’t know about after it had happened. Please don’t forget to register your Small Press Days with us next year folks so we can do our utmost to promote them!
From the huge mega-events like the fairs and mini-fests to the more focussed zine-making sessions and comics-creating workshops, the emphasis on valuing a sense of community was so evident throughout SPD 2025. As ever, we like to run a photo gallery of Small Press Day happenings here at BF. Below are images from the day. We’ve put out a couple of calls for contributions via e-mail and social media. If you haven’t already contributed it’s not too late. Just e-mail BF’s Andy Oliver at the e-mail address here.
For more details on events check out the SPD listings here.
Forbidden Planet International Glasgow
Forbidden Planet Glasgow featured 10 local small press artists across both their floors to mark this year’s SPD.
Forbidden Planet Edinburgh
Forbidden Planet Edinburgh invited small press fans to the Counting House for an independent artists market. Featured artists included Adam Hayter, Benjamin Morgan, Blue Bottle Ink, Blue Fox Comics, Chris Phillips, Clown Town Capers, Dave Cook, Drekas, Gustaffo Vargas, Hedgehog Boy, Julie Mapes, Marcello Borsetti, Matt Cooper, Nytastic, Quindrie Press, Seth Statham, Smith Vs. Smith, Steven Harper, Steven Ingram, Wee Spark and more.
ArtHole, Cardiff
Broken Frontier Six to Watch creators Abs Bailey and Pigeon teamed up to bring Small Press Day to ArtHole in Cardiff. A day of comics signings, art talks, workshops and a small press marketplace featured creators from South Wales and beyond. R.E. Burke talked about her new graphic novel in progress, Ed Stockham did a drawing dice workshop and panels featured creators like Josh Hicks, Joe Latham, Beastly Worlds, Archie McKenzie. Mereida Fajardo and more. Hosted by Broken Frontier’s Lydia Turner!
Leeds Comics Collective at The Brew Society
Leeds Comics Collective put on an amazing small press comics market at the Brew Society. A mightily impressive line-up included Hannah McCann, Molly Pukes, Jack Fallows, Rob Luckett, Feff, Rachael Smith, aprilthefrog, Flo Woolley, J. Webster Sharp, James Patricks, Kat Rose Illustration, HRAMcomics, stinky twiglet, Becky Kidner, Adrian Bryter, Dan Pollard, Beardedhorse, Neomints, SNAKESTARR, Claire O’Brien, TC Robin, Ahseem Yousuf, Choo Jollie, Caterpillar Press and Transmuted.
Travelling Man York
Zine-making workshop fun at Travelling Man York with hosting help from Lara Aitken.
Ground Gallery, Hull
More collaborative zine-making with the gallery’s risograph machine, an open zine shop, stallholders and a mini zine-making workshop with Onyx Ocean from The Critical Fish.
Hull Comics at Brew
Hull Comics were at Brew for Small Press Day with a ‘how to get those ideas onto a page’ drawing class, a zine-making workshop, and an all day communal comics table. Gareth Sleightholme was in residence all day drawing. Photo credits: Sean Azzopardi, Mark Stafford and Gareth Sleightholme.
Travelling Man, Newcastle
Travelling Man Newcastle held a ‘Jam With The ‘Jammers’ – a drop-in collaborative comics-making session with the Paper Jam Comics Collective.
Lighthouse Comics, Folkestone
Lighthouse Comics held a ‘Draw your own comic’ activity session. Comics created will be displayed in the shop for the rest of July. They also hosted small pressers Nick Bryan and Nicholas J. Woodhead/Lethargic Margin.
Gnash Comics, Devon
Gnash Comics hosted emerging talents Eve Newman and DK Beedie, both BA honours students fresh out of Arts University Plymouth, alongside UK small press mainstay Wallis Eates.
Gosh! Comics, London
Gosh hosted the fabulous creators from the Camberwell Comics Club from Camberwell College of Arts, part of the University of the Arts London.
The Cartoon Museum, London
The Cartoon Museum had their young cartoonists in residence in selling their comics, prints and zines.
The Floating Bookshop, Oklahoma, US
The Floating Bookshop held the first ever Small Press Day event in the United States! They hosted a pop-up from Careful Kitty Books featuring regular candy, creator of THE LOST WIZARD.
Small Press Day/Broken Frontier Connects One-to-One Zoom Calls for Emerging Creators with Andy Oliver
On Sunday, July 20th, Broken Frontier’s Andy Oliver offered one-to-one Zoom calls for emerging creators to discuss their practice, strategies for getting their work seen, improving their profiles and engaging with the community. This was as part of Small Press Day/the Broken Frontier Connects initiative.
