Thought Bubble 2022 – Preview
This week sees the return of one of the UKs most popular comics events, Thought Bubble 2022. A week long arts festival in Yorkshire that culminates in a two day comic con, in the beautiful city of Harrogate. This is the second session for Thought Bubble since the pandemic-based cancellation of 2020, and hopefully it will be even bigger and better than last year.
Guests!
Thought Bubble always pulls in a high calibre of international comics talent, and this year is no different. With big names flying in from America such as Gail Simone, G. Willow Wilson and Lilah Sturgess, as well as home grown talent with the likes of Jock, Si Spurrier and Rachael Smith, this year is set to be another cracker.
The event is set across three rooms in the Harrogate Convention Centre, with big name and indie guests spread across all three, along with a special children’s section, three panel rooms and a couple of cafe areas! You enter into the Redshirts hall – which I know is named for the volunteers signature t-shirts, but my inner Trekkie winces a little – followed by the Comixology Hall, and finally Bubbleboy!
With the calibre and sheer number of guests this year it helps to take a look at the floor plan first, and work out a plan of who you want to see and where. I’ve got myself a wish list and know where I’m headed first because there are a couple of prints I have my eye on, and I don’t want to miss out on the prettiest of pretties!
Programs!
There is a full program of events across the two days of the convention, with spotlights on guests Gail Simone and Scott Snyder, themed panels for fans of the X-Men and 2000AD, and the intriguingly named ‘How Not To Succeed In Comics’! I’ve made myself a list of must-see panels, and will be fitting in my time on the show floor around these!
Some possible highlights in particular for me will be ‘YA Got It’, a young adult focused panel featuring comic creators Raina Telegemier, Hamish Steele, Liana Kangas and host Laura Jones, as well as ‘Creating Worlds’, which sees guests Lilah Sturges, G. Willow Wilson, Alison Sampson, Ted Brandt & Ro Stein in conversation about creating new and exciting worlds.
Parties!
The famed mid-con party is also back this year, and another new venue. After the weird car-park vibe of 2019, and the lack of official event in 2021, this is going to be the place to be on Saturday night. Whether Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie will bring their famed DJ sets back is yet to be announced, but with plans for The Majestic to host both a ‘party’ room and a ‘hang out’ room – giving space for the dancers and the sitters – this is one not to miss.
Let us know on social media what you are looking forward to most about Thought Bubble 2022, and hopefully we will see some of you there!
You can find out more about the week-long festival, and the weekend comic con, by following Thought Bubble on twitter.
