Wednesday 13 November 1830 - 1930
Haha, Peculiar and Everything Else: The Stories of Comics
In the days leading up to Thought Bubble Comic Con, we are thrilled at Quay Words to be linking up with our friends at Gnash Comics to host a live panel discussion on the impact of comics on literature, art and popular culture! Together, our panel will be exploring the innovations and diversity in the fields of cartoon art in Britain and beyond.
For this panel discussion, Gnash Comics will be in conversation with the editor of recent publication Cartoons, Comics and Art , Paul Gravett, and local comic maker and committee member of the women-led comics forum LDC, Wallis Eates. The event will also feature an exhibition of comic artwork by three times New York Times best-selling British artist Jock.
About the Speakers
Gnash Comics
Gnash Comics is just off the A38 in Ashburton, Devon and specialises in graphic novels and comics for all ages and tastes. Gnash stocks a wide range aimed at everyone, from children to adults, manga afficionados, illustration fans and everyone else!
Paul Gravett
From a background in publishing comics and directing the London comics festival Comica, Paul Gravett is a London-based writer, historian, curator and lecturer specialising in international comics art. He has written, co-written, edited or contributed to over twenty books about this field, as well as curating or co-curating numerous exhibitions, from The British Library, London and National Comics Centre in Angoulême, France to The Centre Pompidou, Paris and a touring exhibition of Asian Comics for The Barbican Centre, currently touring museums in the USA. For more details visit www.paulgravett.com
Wallis Eates
Wallis Eates is an autobiographical and collaborative comics practitioner based in Devon. Shortlisted for the Myriad Editions First Graphic Novel Award in 2014 for her childhood memoir, she has since worked with community groups to share stories in the graphic narrative format, including prisoners, adults with dementia, amateur boxers for social change, and survivors of brain injury. Funded by Arts Council England, her long-form graphic narrative ‘Like an Orange’ documenting her creative residency with the charity, Headway, is due to be published next year through Cast Iron Books. She is also a mentor, workshop facilitator and is on the Board of Directors for the all-women lead graphic novel forum, LDComics CIC through which she launched the initiative, ‘Safe Space for Hard Stories’ – an online reflective practice group for autobiographical comic makers. Wallis graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2001 and has just embarked on a PhD at Kingston University this autumn.
Jock
Jock is the three times New York Times best-selling British artist best known for his comics work with writer Andy Diggle on DC/Vertigo’s The Losers, the award-winning Batman: The Black Mirror, and Wytches with writer Scott Snyder, and his self-penned Batman: One Dark Knight. A founding creator at ground-breaking publisher DSTLRY, his sci-fi epic Gone was launched as their debut book in 2023.
Jock has also produced key art and concept design for every major Hollywood Studio, on films including Dredd, Annihilation, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and the Oscar-winning Ex Machina.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he now lives and works in Devon, England.
This event will be in-person at Exeter Custom House. You can find out more about the accessibility of the Custom House here. If you have any access needs you’d like to discuss with us before the event you can contact us on quaywords@literatureworks.org.uk. We can offer free carer tickets if you need help to support you to attend.