Our final 2025 Kickstarter is underway, and currently needs just a few more backers to reach its goal. We’re funding Was That Normal? by Alex Potts – a beautifully observed graphic novel about connection, confusion, and the spaces in between.
“It was like he’d missed the main part of the story and arrived between the big climax and the end credits. A new order had established itself and everyone, apart from him, was living happily ever after. Nothing interesting could possibly happen between now and the ending.”
Philip is searching.
For meaning. For connection. For someone to share a moment with.
By day, he works from a rented room. By night, he drifts through cafés and bars, dodging awkward chats with his landlady and hoping for something more. When he meets Gina, a local musician, things begin to shift. But relationships are messy, and Philip’s discomfort grows as he stumbles through miscommunications, emotional misfires, and the looming presence of Gina’s intense ex.
Add in a crumbling tower, gong baths (whatever they are), and the quiet ache of modern life, and you have a story that’s tender, funny, and deeply human.
In other news, our big exhibition of comic art has now opened at the Mercer Gallery in Harrogate! This has been years in the making, and it’s wonderful to see the results of all the hard work. Already feedback from visitors has been incredibly positive, and we’re really looking forward to the official launch which is happening next month at the Thought Bubble Festival!
Entry is free, and there’s so much to see! The exhibition offers a fascinating glimpse into the work of leading comic artists, and an important snapshot of the UK comics landscape over the past decade.
On display in the exhibition will be original artwork by sixteen diverse Avery Hill artists, shown alongside the finished books. The exhibition will offer insights into the creative process of making comics, and the different working practices of each artist, including video footage of the creators at work. There will be photo opportunities with life size recreations of some of the book covers, and an interactive game designed by artist George Wylesol. The various design elements pulling it all together are by comics artist Kristyna Baczynski who has created infographics, including a description of the various stages of journey from the original idea of the creator to the finished physical book.
Visitors will come away with an appreciation of the talent and vision of the creators and a new understanding of the labour involved in creating the art and making the finished book!
If you’re heading to Harrogate for the Thought Bubble Festival, join us on opening night from 6.30-8.30! You can raise a glass with us, enjoy the exhibition, and also pick up your Thought Bubble pass while you’re there!
And if you’d like a real deep-dive into the exhibition, join us on one of the guided tours we’re doing on both the Saturday and Sunday of the festival. No booking required – just turn up at the gallery at either of the times shown below. We hope to see you there!
Finally, we were delighted that New York Public Library has highlighted both Kit Anderson’s Second Shift and Donya Todd’s The Witch’s Egg on their list of Best New Comics For Adults! Check out the full list here.
