Comic Convention
Caption Comic Festival 2025 Confirms Its Venue For This August
UK Indie Comics Event Returns This Summer
Caption, formerly a regular fixture in the UK comics calendar, is returning this August and they just confirmed its venue as well as a few panels and events…
We’re happy to finally announce the venue for the relaunched Caption Comic Festival, taking place August 16th and 17th 2025 at Seacourt Hall, 3 Church Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9TH. Seacourt Hall is a community centre based in West Oxford and we’re happy to be able to support the local neighbourhood with Caption. As per usual accompanied children under 16 get into Caption free. We can reserve parking on site for attendees with disabilities and ask that if you need this to please get in touch. For those who need to bring a primary carer along, the carer gets in free. Seacourt Hall is all one level with accessible toilets and changing rooms for parents with young ones. If you have any special requirement the committee would love to hear from you as soon as possible as to how we can help out.
We continue to pull together our schedule of panels, which currently include:
Broken Frontier’s Six To Watch – hosted by Broken Frontier’s own Andy Oliver, we will welcome to the stage: Cara Brown (creator of Everything’s Fine), Mike Armstrong (Rose Thornhill and the Troll Bridge), Dominique Duong (The Dog & The Cat), and Shane Melisse (They’re Coming Down The Stairs).
The Long And Short Of It – A panel discussing the creation of long and short form comics with guests Beck Kubrick (Dead Girls), Paul Rainey (There’s No Time Like The Present) and Lucy Sullivan (Barking), hosted by Barry Renshaw (Engine Comics).
True Tales- The Stories We Tell – An exploration of autobiographical comics with creators Chris Shepherd (Anfield Road); Lucy Sullivan (Barking); Cara Brown (Everything’s Fine) and Zara Slattery (Coma) published by Myriad Editions. The panel will be hosted by Barry Renshaw (Engine Comics).
More panelists to be added in the coming months.
This year’s Caption is taking an educational direction by giving attendees opportunities to speak directly to established creators for guidance and advice on their own projects. We are looking to highlight the way established creators can help up and coming creators, whether in a practical way like storytelling or printing, to more promotional activities with marketing, exhibiting at conventions, and dealing with social media. So for Caption 2025- Rebirth, alongside the panels mentioned above and valuable networking opportunities with other creators, we are introducing a limited number portfolio reviews with our volunteer guests.
These will be 20 minute slots throughout the day, with one on one discussions with established creators who have been exactly where you are and have continued to succeed in their own unique ways. The review is informal, without promise of employment, nor bias or agenda- we’re there to help in whatever ways you’re looking for. To that end, they are FREE with a valid ticket for the festival. This is an unique opportunity to spend quality time with professionals. We expect these portfolio reviews to go quickly, so creators can go to https://caption.sumupstore.com/page/portfolio-review-info to find out how they can register their interest when they buy a ticket, with their contact details, preferred professional and a brief paragraph of what type of advice or help they’re looking for.
We will be welcoming more reviewers to the list closer to the event. One of those is publisher and editor Shane Chebsey of Scratch Comics, home of hit titles such as Hedrek, Dracula The Return, Fully Loaded and Claudia Christian’s Dark Legacies. Shane has been a champion and activist for independent and small press comics for over thirty years in publishing, distribution, and as an organiser of multiple events. The other professionals volunteering their time include:
Lucy Sullivan (Barking)
Andy Oliver (Saturday only) (Broken Frontier)
Beck Kubrick (Dead Girls)
Chris Shepherd (Anfield Road)
Dominique Duong (Saturday only) (The Dog & The Cat)
If attendees already have a ticket, then email us at captionfest@gmail.com with their ticket reference number, contact details, preferred professional in order of preference and a brief paragraph of what type of advice or help you’re looking for.
Caption is an independent comics festival taking place August 16th to 17th 2025 at Seacourt Hall, 3 Church Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9TH. Caption was born from the Oxford Student Union body and became the longest running UK comics festival from 1992 – 2017 before it’s hiatus. With its focus on Independent and Small Press, it was instrumental in encouraging many creators starting out, big or small. A goldmine for finding fresh talent and rare publications, including zines and handmade comic books, you could discover unique personal projects by obscure, unsung artists or accidentally bump into your comic heroes. Unlike commercial comics conventions, Caption has always been non-profit. Its sales table is run by the organizers, allowing creators to roam free and mingle with fans in a relaxed, non-pressured environment. Without barriers, everyone got involved in talks and workshops, naturally networking, swapping tips and making friends with people with a shared interest in comics. 2025 is the year of its return. The Caption 2025 Organizing Committee are Amy Letts, Andy Luke, Vickie Bernard, Emily Brady, Matt Chambers and Baz Renshaw.
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