Comic Convention
Festival Director Chloe Green Talks About Thought Bubble
A Northern UK Comics Institution
Thought Bubble festival director Chloe Green has been involved with the show for a number of years now and here she is answering questions on how the event has evolved and grown…
TRIPWIRE: What was the genesis of the show?
CHLOE GREEN: Thought Bubble started out as a one day event by our founder, Tula Lotay, she once told me it was to get all her comic friends and heroes together in one place. There weren’t many events like it in Yorkshire back then; something that focused completely on comics.
TW: How has the show evolved since its first year?
CG: We’re going into our 17th year, and Thought Bubble has physically grown a lot; we’ve changed venues a bunch of times, even moved to a neighbouring town, but the core value is still here that Lisa (Tula Lotay) cultivated in the first years; to celebrate comics, those that make them and the fans that read them.
TW: What is the show’s specific remit?
CG: To focus on comic makers and to get comics in front of as many people as possible
TW: How did you weather the two years that Covid affected live comic events?
CG: This is a really hard one to answer because Covid is still affecting everything around us. But if we’re talking solely about how we got through the time we were specifically unable to gather; we made it through because of our ticket holders and exhibitors. Thought Bubble is not for profit, so we didn’t have anything to fall back on and would have simply ceased to exist if ticket holders and exhibitors weren’t as trusting and understanding of the situation as they were. They meant we could get through the full year of no income and come back when it was safer to do so.
TW: How has the UK convention landscape changed over the past few years?
CG: With the costs of everything going up it feels like a lot of events have gone on hiatus, been forced out, or forced to change, with only some of the biggest names sticking around. Recently, though, there seems to be a bunch of little events popping up all around the country, and it’s really nice to see. Events are HARD, so seeing people giving it a go is really exciting; especially when they’re comics based.
TW: How do you continue to adapt to keep your show commercially viable in a sometimes fluid and changing environment?
CG: Team TB read a lot of comics (thanks Travelling Man!), we try to stay on top of current trends, keep an eye out on who’s winning awards, who’s doing something new, different and exciting. We actively read outside of the genres we gravitate towards to broaden what we absorb, we go back years too to pick up things we might have missed. That means when it comes to planning the convention, inviting guests, organising panels and side events, we have this pool of knowledge which (hopefully) enables us to create something that appeals to every type of comic fan. We have something for people who love 2000 AD, who love Batman, Spider-man, alongside webcomics, kids comics, YA comics, zines, small press and self published work.
TW: What are the greatest challenges for you as a show organiser?
CG: Costs? Haha.
TW: What aspects of your 2024 show are you most proud you have pulled off this year?
CG: Our exhibitors this year are on another level, everyone seems to have somehow gone up a gear and they’re making work that is mind-blowingly good. Having creators like this apply to be part of TB always feels really special. We’re filling up an entire fourth convention hall this year because of that, which is absolutely wild.
CG: I’m excited to put the panel programme out this year too, I’ve been working on some amazing talks that I think people will really love.
TW: If someone was going to set up a new UK comic convention, festival or event now, what are the three essential pieces of advice you would offer them?
CG: Make the kind of event you’d want to go to, figure that out by going to others and seeing what works from a visitor and fans point of view. Advertise as much as possible, people can’t come if they don’t know about it! Annnnnd, look after your exhibitors.
TW: How would you describe your show in one pithy sentence?
CG: COMICS, all under one roof.
Thought Bubble’s show website which includes information on this year’s show is here
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