Team TEAW at The Lakes – (back row) Dan Hill, Selina Lock, Brick, Stuart Richards, Robert Brown (front row) Kate Charlesworth, Jonathan Clode, Jessica Martin, Jenny Linn-Cole
Belgian creator Ivan Petrus at work on the streets of Kendal painting a WW1 British tank for auction on behalf of the festival.
Woodrow Phoenix presenting his and the world’s largest comic book.
Just back from my first visit to this snappily titled binge of most things comics-wise that aren’t big time corporate and oozing testosterone. Hugely enjoyable, and great to meet so many contributors to TEAW and bathe in the esteem the anthology has garnered among so many of those I truly respect. Scott McCloud’s talk was extremely entertaining, even educational, and several of the other gigs I gatecrashed were enlightening for a newcomer like myself. Our own TEAW gig on editing played to an unexpectedly packed house and went down well. It was recorded (for some reason) and is streamed on Resonance FM‘s Panel Borders series here.
But I guess the most enjoyable element, as always, was just chewing the cud with other creatives who largely spend their days locked in their own heads producing these weird things called comics. I was billeted with Ivan Petrus from Belgium (of The Neuport Gathering fame) and his pal from the Netherlands, Sytse Algera, who is a street copper seconded as an adviser to the government who writes cop comics for internal use (instructional material) and general consumption. Fascinating. Ivan and myself discovered a shared passion for Leonardo da Vinci, as well as WW1, and he spent Friday night pitching me the entire movie script of a wonderful Leonardo-inspired love fantasy he’s written that sadly will never be made due to the budget limitations on Flemish films.
Festival highlights for me were walking the streets of Kendal checking out the window displays complementing the festival, standing before the largest comic in the world and reading it as Woodrow Phoenix patiently turned the pages, and the hilarious cabaret turn laid on by the Knockabout ‘Fringe’ for Saturday night. What was the name of that fabulously anarchic stand-up?
Many thanks go to those who slaved behind the scenes of the festival, and to all the locals and professionals who were so welcoming. Long may it survive and develop.
