Dublin Comic Arts Festival returns to Inchicore: What to expect

Dublin Comic Arts Festival kicks off on this Saturday, October 7, for the autumn edition of their event in Richmond Barracks, Inchicore.

With events in April, July, October, and December of this year, the family-friendly Dublin Comic Arts Festival is an admission-free series of small press comic book events.

The October event will mark its fifth year of operation.

Matthew Melis and The Comics Lab of the Stray Lines comic collective helped create the festival as a platform, among other things, to help writers and illustrators across Ireland to show off their work to the public.

The Liberty sat down with one of the artists, Kate Escolin who will be at the event and goes by the handle ‘tinygreens’.

Escolin started work at ‘Little Deer Comics’ owned by the festival founder Matthew Melis.

She filled us in about what workshops and events to look out for over the weekend.

“Izzy Rose Grange is an artist who is going to do a scene workshop on Sunday where anyone can come and sketch,” she said. “I would really recommend it.”

Saturday will see an array of different events including a two-hour session where ‘Choulupa’ the dog will be posing and ready for a drawing session, followed by special guest Lizzy Stewart.

Lizzy Stewart is an accomplished illustrator, and author living in London.

Her creative portfolio boasts three captivating picture books for young readers and another trio of illustrated books designed for adult audiences.

Notably, in 2017, her picture book, ‘There’s a Tiger in the Garden’, won the prestigious Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and was also praised with winning the World Illustration Award.

Stewart also made her entrance into the literary scene with her highly anticipated full-length novel, ‘Alison’, which was met with critical acclaim on its release in July 2022.

Sunday will see a workshop ran by book conservator and binder Gretchen Allen, as she teaches attendees how to turn stapled comic booklets into “a hand-sewn beauty” using simple sewing techniques.

The weekend will also see a live figure drawing session with Valkyrie Von Storm, where she will be posing for a self-guided, model-lead life drawing workshop.

Speaking about her own work that will feature next week, Escoline said that her preferred comic style is four panelled.

“A lot of people describe my work as sad but reassuring. It makes you cry, but in a good way!”

Kate likes to base the majority of her work on personal experience or stories she’s heard from friends and family.

“They’re usually more like diary comics, and I always try to have a happy conclusion to them.”

The barracks will also feature 56 independent stands where sellers will have the opportunity to sell and trade their own materials with other vendors and the public.

The festival is encouraging all who are attending the event to bring their own comics and swap them with others.

For more information, as well as a list of all of the weekend’s exhibitors, click here.