Walking Dead's Tillie Walden, Image Comics' Zoe Thorogood and more showcase the vision and labor of comic creation in new UK exhibit

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Popverse readers who’ve been with us for awhile may remember my visit to UK comic show Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival in 2023. One of the things that bowled me over about the show was how it focused on comics as a medium as much as — if not more than — as an industry, with an outreach program designed to inspire new readers and new creators as much as any pre-existing plan. In 2025, that program continues, with indie publisher Avery Hill Publishing opening a six month exhibition of UK comic creators to coincide with the festival.

Running through April 26 2026, the Vision & Labour: Making Comics — The Art of Avery Hill Publishing exhibit at the Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate will showcase original artwork from sixteen comic creators including Rachael Smith, Zoe Thorogood, and Tillie Walden, alongside their finished comic books in an attempt to illustrate the work that goes into the creation of a comic. The exhibit will also include life-size recreations of book covers, an interactive game from George Wylesol, and infographics and design from Kristyna Baczynski detailing the different stages of comic book creation.

Avery Hill Publishing co-founder Ricky Hill said in a statement about the exhibit, “This exhibition is an exciting way for us to extend our remit of helping new creators into comics and a great chance for us to look back on what we’ve created over the years.” It should be noted that Avery Hill Publishing is responsible for the early work of both Image Comics’ Thorogood and Tallie Walden, who came to acclaim for her YA graphic novel Spinning, as well as her Clementine series of Walking Dead graphic novels; it’s fair to say that, as a publisher, it’s pushing out new work from creators that the mainstream will embrace in the years to come.

Take a look at some images from the exhibition in the gallery, along with photographs taken during the hanging of the show, below.

Vision & Labour: Making Comics — The Art of Avery Hill Publishing runs at the Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate from October 18, 2025 through April 26, 2026. Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival 2025 runs November 15 through November 16 at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

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