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Speakers include the creators of the bestselling Milly McCarthy
Why are Comic Books So Popular Right Now?
Work of art, baby…
umping Off the Page is a new comic book festival for kids – the first of 
its kind in Ireland.
Featuring a wealth of Irish and UK talent, this two-day festival will take place in Greystones on Friday, October 4th and Saturday 5th.
Speakers include the creators of the bestselling Milly McCarthy 
series, Leona Forde and Karen Harte, plus UK award-winner Neill Cameron, creator of the Mega Robo Bros series.
The festival is run by award-winning children’s bookshop Halfway up the Stairs (current holder of the An Post Bookshop of the Year Award), and funded by the Arts Council.
The events will take place both in the Halfway bookshop and in The Whale Theatre. There will be a special afternoon for young makers of comic books and zines where they can sell their own work, plus events for schools and for families.
Sarah Webb, events manager at Halfway up the Stairs, programmed the festival, stating, “Comics have never been more popular in Ireland, with children all over the country reading them.
“Jumping Off The Page aims to entertain and inspire children to read comic books and graphic novels, and hopefully help them reate their own comic books.”
Why are Comic Books So Popular Right Now?
Trish Hennessy, owner of Halfway up the Stairs says, “Children love comic books as they are fun, easy to read and attractive.
“This year has seen Irish comic books bursting onto the scene in a big way, a trend that looks here to stay.
“Comics also teach visual literacy, which is hugely important given how information is processed these days, and they keep children reading and away from screens.”
Comic Book Sales
According to The Bookseller magazine, between 2018 and 2023 sales of children’s comic books have quadrupled in value and ‘experienced triple-digit growth between 2021 and 2022’.
Parents who loved Beano, Bunty and Calvin & Hobbes in their day are eager to share the joy of comic books with their own children, from Chris Judge’s Evil Duck to dav Pilkey’s Dog Man and John Patrick Green’s Investigators series.
Irish Comic Books for Children
Irish comics books for children are a relatively new phenomenon. Sarah Bowie, who is speaking at the festival says, “Illustration didn’t exist as an industry in Ireland when I was a girl. But now you can be a seven-year-old in this country and say ‘I want to be an illustrator or a comic book maker’. I think that’s beautiful…”
Highlights of Jumping Off The Page include…
⦿ Comic Book and Zine Fair For Young Comic Book Fans and Creators, Plus Giant Window Painting and Signing Bonanza, with special guest artists Neill Cameron, Sarah Bowie, Alan Nolan, Leona Forde and Karen Harte. Saturday 5th double-bill – 2.30pm at The Whale.
Forde & Harte
