Well this is huge from Thought Bubble for its 20th edition. Alice Oseman of Heartstopper fame has been announced as the headline guest for 2026. Heartstopper fans can read our reviews of Vol. 1-4 here and Vol. 5 here.
ALICE OSEMAN ANNOUNCED AS THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION HEADLINE GUEST
MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING HEARTSTOPPER CREATOR JOINS LANDMARK 20TH EDITION
THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL
VENUES ACROSS YORKSHIRE
9 – 15 NOVEMBER 2026
THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION
HARROGATE CONVENTION CENTRE
14 & 15 NOVEMBER 2026
https://www.
Renowned comic art festival and convention Thought Bubble has revealed award-winning creator of the critically acclaimed Heartstopper graphic novel series Alice Oseman as a headline guest of this year’s milestone 20th Edition.
Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper is a global phenomenon. The graphic novel series has dominated the international bestselling charts, achieving the #1 spot on both The Sunday Times and The New York Times bestseller lists, and selling over 10 million copies in more than 40 countries worldwide.
This month saw the release of Heartstopper Volume 6, the final instalment in Nick and Charlie’s love story, which became an instant #1 bestseller in combined adult and children’s charts.
Originally a spin-off webcomic on Tumblr, Webtoon and Tapas featuring characters from Oseman’s cohesive fictional universe; Heartstopper has amassed an enormous online fanbase with over 700 million views to date. In 2018, Alice Oseman crowd-funded for a limited print run edition of the webcomic, meeting her funding goal in less than two hours. Hachette Children’s Group published Heartstopper Volume 1 more widely in Spring 2019 and have since published six volumes, a yearbook, an official colouring book, a journal and a calendar.
Heartstopper has since sold tens of millions of copies worldwide and propelled Oseman into the record books. Heartstopper Volume 5 remains the UK’s fastest selling graphic novel ever whilst Volume 1 is the top-selling graphic novel in a combined adult and children’s chart since BookScan records began. Heartstopper has also been adapted into a critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning and BAFTA-nominated live-action series for Netflix starring Kit Connor and Joe Locke, which has run for three seasons with Oseman as the writer and executive producer. Heartstopper Forever, the final feature-length installment of the series based on Heartstopper Volume 6 premiered globally on Netflix on 17 July 2026 to widespread critical acclaim.
Alice Oseman secured their first publishing deal at age 17 with their debut Solitaire and has since written four YA novels and two novellas, alongside the Heartstopper graphic novels series. In 2024, Alice was named as Illustrator of the Year by the British Book Awards and, in March of this year, they received The Bookseller’s YA Book Prize Special Achievement award in recognition of Heartstopper’s global success and impact on the UK YA market.
Alice Oseman will be joined at Thought Bubble this year by artist and writer Jamie McKelvie; writer, designer and former critic Kieron Gillen and three-time NYT Best Selling British artist Jock. Jamie McKelvie is best known for his creator-owned comic series The Wicked + The Divine with writer Kieron Gillen, as well as his work for Marvel including character designs for Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel and writing the Captain Carter series. As well as his work on The Wicked + The Divine, Kieron Gillen is renowned for co-creating books including DIE, The Power Fantasy and more as well as extensive writing for a myriad of Marvel characters. Glasgow-born artist Jock is best known for his work on the award-winning Batman: The Black Mirror, Wytches with Scott Snyder, his own Batman: One Dark Knight for DC and the sci-fi epic Gone for groundbreaking creator-owned publisher DSTLRY. He’s produced concept art for every major Hollywood Studio, working on films such as Dredd, Annihilation, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and many more.
Also announced today are North Yorkshire born artist and writer Alison Sampson (Sleeping Beauties, The Department of Truth, Marvel’s Wolverine); comic maker and mental health advocate Bex Ollerton (Lavender Clouds, SENSORY: Life on the Spectrum); Eisner GLAAD and British Animation Award-winning creator Hamish Steele (DeadEndia, Go-Man, Pantheon); Eisner-winning web and print comic creator John Allison (Giant Days, Bad Machinery, Bobbins, Scary Go Round, Solver); Leeds based Eisner-winning artist and illustrator John J. Pearson (The Patron, The Smart Division, In Bloom); Scotland based queer comic artist Lauren Knight (Golden Rage, Sink Your Teeth In); Leeds Book Award and James Reckitt Hull Children’s Book Award-winning writer and cartoonist Ramzee (Spider-UK, Cat Girl, Rex Power) and comic book letterer, editor and writer Richard Starkings who pioneered the now standard use of computer-based comic book lettering (The Whoniverse, Hip Flask, Elephantmen).
These guests join an already stacked Thought Bubble roster that includes the likes of critically acclaimed Canadian cartoonist, author and storyteller Kate Beaton; American comic book writer Matt Fraction; renowned artist and publisher Lee Garbett; Italian artist Erica D’Urso; Spain-based cartoonist and illustrator Emma Ríos; British comic, prose and TV writer Simon ‘Si’ Spurrier; award-winning, South Korean born cartoonist Yudori; veteran British comic book artist Simon Bisley and many more.
Thought Bubble Comic Convention will be taking place on 14 & 15 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 now one of the longest-running conventions and comic art events in the country. 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, and 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 Festival Director Chloe Green said:
“Alice Oseman is a champion of comics, breaking barriers and records wherever they turn! I am beyond excited for us to announce their return to Thought Bubble. Our 20th Edition guest list is already momentous – a collection of old friends and new, spanning every corner of comics, so adding such huge exciting names is really exciting. Can’t wait to see you there!”
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
