British Comics Now: UK Creators Shine at Brussels Ninth Art Festival

by Ben Williams

21st October, 2025

3 minutes

Hot on the heels of its successful Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2025 in Bowness-on-Windermere, LICAF took a new British Comics Now delegation to Brussels this weekend, for a special weekend of Ninth Art events.

LICAF has also released its very first British Comics Now catalogue. A selection of exciting new work by UK-based creators, which is available to view online now. You can also download here, from the Festival's Comics Can Change The World site.

Earlier this year, LICAF, as part of its year-round activities beyond its annual festival, announced its project to promote British comics on the world stage, British Comics Now. The initiative offers two opportunities for creators to get their work seen overseas as part of a wider promotion of British Comics.

Photo from British Comics Now in Brussels 1

British Comics Now – LICAF@The Comic Art Museum

LICAF was invited by the Comic Art Museum in Brussels to run a British Comics Now weekend. The programme, running from 17th to 19th October, is outlined here.

The format of the weekend was structured around events that focused on and highlighted comics from a single showcased country. A model used previously by the museum with enormous success. The 2025 event centred on all things British comics-related.

The weekend coincided with the 'Museum Night Fever' initiative, where Brussels Museums open their doors to the public until midnight. The weekend will feature a range of events by British Comics Now creators, as well as invited Belgian creators. There will be opportunities for 'speed-dating' with Belgian and Francophone publishers. Along with opportunities for networking with each other, a wider group of creators, the museum team, and other partners.

Photo from British Comics Now in Brussels 2

Five comic creators were chosen. Neill Cameron (Mega Robo Bros, Donut Squad), Peony Gent (Sixth Illustrator in Residence for the House of Illustration), Shane Melisse (The Last Kaiju, They're Coming Down the Stairs) and Jenny Robins (Biscuits), represented the UK, alongside artist, writer and Festival patron Lucy Sullivan (Barking).

The creators were chosen by a group that included Broken Frontier's Andy Oliver, UK Comics Laureate Bobby Joseph, and Festival Director Julie Tait. They had the chance to visit one of the world's most important comic art museums. There, they could promote their work during a well-publicised, attended weekend. They also received feedback from publishers and others and met Belgian counterparts.

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Between them, they also ran workshops, drawing live, taking part in discussions, running masterclasses and giving presentations on comics.

British Comics Now - Catalogue of New British Comics by Independent Creators

The Festival has also published a British Comics Now catalogue, to be promoted between October 2025 and September 2026. It features a selection of exciting new work by UK-based creators. The catalogue, promoted to industry professionals rather than the general public, has been carefully designed and printed to a high standard. It specifically targets overseas publishers, festival directors, and other key players in the comics industry.

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Aiming to showcase the range and diversity of comics and comics creators living across the UK, this first catalogue features the following 32 creators. Presented here in alphabetical order.