The build-up has began. The first guest line-up for Thought Bubble 2026 revealed below…
THOUGHT BUBBLE ANNOUNCE FIRST GUESTS FOR LANDMARK 20TH EDITION
KATE BEATON, LEE GARBETT, SIMON SPURRIER & YUDORI LEAD FIRST WAVE
THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL
VENUES ACROSS YORKSHIRE
9 – 15 NOVEMBER 2026
THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION
HARROGATE CONVENTION CENTRE
14 & 15 NOVEMBER 2026
https://www.
Internationally renowned Yorkshire comic art festival and convention Thought Bubble has released the first wave of convention guests and speakers for its milestone 20th Edition, as it celebrates becoming one of the longest-running comic events in the country.
Leading today’s guest announcement are Canadian cartoonist, author and storyteller Kate Beaton whose webcomic Hark! A Vagrant became a NYT bestselling graphic novel before her 2022 graphic memoir Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands won Beaton multiple Eisner, Harvey and Ignatz Awards, the Jan Michalski Prize for World Literature and a spot as one of Barack Obama’s favourite books of the year; renowned artist and publisher Lee Garbett, co-creator of Skyward and Shadecraft (Image), artist for Marvel’s Daredevil, Uncanny Spider-Man, Batgirl and more and founding member of forward-thinking creator-owned publisher DSTLRY; British comic, prose and TV writer Simon ‘Si’ Spurrier whose projects include the likes of X-Men, Flash and Hellblazer as well as Eisner and Grand Prix D’Angouleme-nominated indie works such as Coda, Damn Them All and The Spire and South Korean-born cartoonist Yudori whose 2016 webcomic Pandora’s Choice won the Lezhin Comics Award and lead to her 2025 print debut Raging Clouds and the forthcoming Lovers of The Empire series.
Joining this year’s headliners will be New York-based indie cartoonist, creator and publisher Mahdi Khene (Zuperhero Comics), British cartoonist and illustrator Michael D. Kennedy (Milk White Steed, The New Yorker), award winning Canadian cartoonist Adam de Souza (Blind Alley, The Gulf), California-based illustrator Jessica Fong (DC Comic’s Poison Ivy, The Liminal Cafe, Magic: The Gathering, Marvel Snap), British artist Boo Cook (2000AD’s Judge Dredd, Anderson PSI, Void Runners) and Moscow-based independent artist Nina Vakueva (Lilith’s Word, DC Comics, Marvel, Riot).
Thought Bubble Comic Convention will be taking place on 14th & 15th of November at Harrogate Convention Centre. 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.
Taking place throughout the first half of November, Thought Bubble Festival will see venues across Yorkshire hosting an extensive programme of academic conferences, art exhibitions, artist and industry Q&As, social events, LGBTQ+ book clubs as well as thousands of free comics donated by the comics industry and given away to young readers by Leeds Libraries.
Entering its 20th iteration, Thought Bubble is one of the UK’s longest-running conventions and comic art events, founded in 2007 by renowned comic artist Tula Lotay (aka Lisa Wood) who was working in Leeds comic book shop Travelling Man at the time. 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.
Tickets for Thought Bubble Comic Convention 2026 are on sale now.
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Thought Bubble Director Martha Julian said:
“We can’t quite believe that this year will be our 20th festival. It’s just incredible to look back and see how we’ve grown in that time; from the one-day event in Leeds, to the week-long Yorkshire-wide celebration of comics we have become. And yet our ethos remains the same as it ever was – to share the power and diversity of comics with everyone! We hope to see you all for an extra special celebration this November, and we are excited to see what the future holds for Thought Bubble.”
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
