East London Comic & Arts Festival

Following the success of ELCAF’s inaugural 2012 edition at Village Underground in Shoreditch, the festival returns to the heart of East London in a bigger venue and with a mission to make quality UK and international comics, graphic art and illustration enjoyable and interactive for everyone.

If you like to get out and about, you know comics are more than just a trend. Comics events are happening nearly every month this year across the UK and the British comics and illustration scene is producing prize-winning international talent. But it’s still easy to get turned off by a scene that can feel unwelcoming if you don’t enjoy amped-up superheroes or cos-play.

A laid back, accessible comics festival full of great new art to collect, brilliant writers and illustrators, a bar, food vans, events and creative stuff for the kids - well, that would be just the ticket. Fortunately, ELCAF 2013 promises all of the above.

A crack roster of publishers and makers will again be showing their latest work and new for 2013 will be a programme of talks and events for all ages curated by the expert team behind Friday Lates at the V&A. A new space, the historic York Hall in Bethnal Green, offers period charm and extra room to get creative, whilst a fully licensed bar and outdoor area with popular street food vendors will make the festival a great day out.

Come see the UK’s thriving alternative and indie comics and illustration scene for yourself and bring your friends and family - there’s something for all art lovers from 0 to 60 and beyond. Meet artists and writers, check out a new wall mural from the festival’s artist in residence, hot New York illustrator Andy Rementer (fresh from his work for bodycare brand Kiehl’s), and try your own hand at sequential art with super-talented tutors on hand. Kids can look forward to a morning full of events just for them, too.

Sam Arthur, Managing Director of Shoreditch-based Nobrow Press and co-founder of ELCAF with Nobrow’s Creative Director, Alex Spiro, is excited about a bigger, better ELCAF in 2013: “Everyone had a brilliant time at last year’s festival and we were stunned by the response. In 2013 we want to make sure visitors can do and see even more. York Hall is a fantastic venue with a lot of history and brings the festival even closer to its spiritual home of East London. We’re also thrilled that Ligaya Salazar and her team have brought all the style, insider knowledge and enthusiasm that made Friday Lates at the V&A special to ELCAF this year.”

Festival curator, Ligaya Salazar, says: “My team and I have been excited to see the British comics and illustration scene grow in the past few years. There’s so much to show, our challenge is to help ELCAF visitors taste of the best of it in a single day. We are really looking forward to announcing the full programme in May.”