Just a few of our highlights from East London Comic Arts Fair 2016
The East London Comics and Arts Festival (Elcaf) has quickly become an institution for anyone who digs print, comics, illustration and generally having a good time. Last year we dubbed it “as good as a church for those who worship zines, comics, prints and books as though print were their religion and indie bookshops their altars.” So it seems fitting then that this year its main venue (one of three) was literally a church, or at least a chapel, providing a beautiful (and eminently Instagrammable) setting for the hundreds of talented creatives to show off their wares. There was tonnes of superb work, but we’ve picked out just a few of our highlights for your perusal.
Ville Kallio’s Bio Whale, Peow!
Peow! Studio is a cool Risograph printer, publisher and comic book shop from Stockholm, Sweden. At Elcaf, the charming Scandis impressed us with a cute Riso-printed comic by Finnish artist Ville Kallio – billed as a David Lynch-inspired double-volume, Bio Whale is a trippy tale of a “secret military weapon gone haywire.”
Sarah Lippett: Stan and Nan
Sarah Lippett’s Stan and Nan, Jonathan Cape
We’ve long admired the adorable and poignant illustrations of Sarah Lippett, and now her tales about her grandad, Stan, and his wife, Nan, are being brought to life in a new tome published by Jonathan Cape, Stan and Nan. Sarah says: “ Stan and Nan is the story of an ordinary couple and the people who loved them. The narrative follows their lives from Stan’s working-class background, to his premature death, through to Nan’s struggle to cope, and the perils of ageing. It is a memoir about the importance of family, and about death, love, living and human connection.”
Nick White: Ceramics
Nick White: Ceramics
Nick White’s bits and bobs
All-round good guy Nick White added to his collection of prints and zines with a glorious display of cute little ceramic heads,each with a barnet better than the next. When he’s not busy making lovely things, he’s in an illustrator supergroup of a band called Owen and the Eyeballs, with Owen Gildersleeve, Andrew Rae and Jim Stoten.
Alice Urbino, for Comic Book Slumber Party
Alice Urbino, for Comic Book Slumber Party
These adorable but very cheeky pups were created for Comic Book Slumber Party, a cool little organisation that “promotes female creators, introduces newcomers to the world of comics, and celebrates diverse talent from around the world.” They’re crude, rude and hold incense, and we love them.
Guillaume Kashima
Guillaume Kashima
We’ve not featured the Berlin and Toulouse-based illustrator on the site since 2013, and his work’s just as great today, taking on a new, more mature and graphic direction. His strange prints depict characters with peculiar limbs and talismanic faces, and make for a lovely stripped back new aesthetic.
Nous Vous: Nature Calls
Nous Vous and Nous Vous press
Much excitement over with Nous Vous, which was presenting its new publishing venture. As well as the publisher’s debut, Nature Calls, one third of Nous Vous William Edmonds was signing his new book, too.
Hato Press
Our good pals at Hato had a veritable treasure trove of lovely prints and zines, with highest including Jean Jullien’s book Holidays and Alice Bowsher’s adorable feline story Curious and Hato’s own Cooking with Scorcese.
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Emily joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in the summer of 2014 after four years at Design Week. She is particularly interested in graphic design, branding and music. After working It's Nice That as both Online Editor and Deputy Editor, Emily left the company in 2016.