Photo Gallery: A fun day out at South London Comic & Zine Fair 2023

The South London Comic & Zine Fair returned last weekend to fill the English capital’s small press calendar void with its 2023 instalment on Sunday July 16.

In previous years London has had a significant number of small press and zine fairs for those keen on the grass roots micropublishing to enjoy but the pandemic – and event fatigue – has seen the big names like ELCAF (East London Comic Art Festival), Safari Festival and more fall away, leaving the city’s once-vibrant comics calendar feeling significantly emptier. Thankfully SLCZF 2023 was a welcome return – and a reminder that the community is still there.

SLCZF has been in existence since 2017. Started by experimental graphic novelist, small presser and teacher Gareth Brookes, the show was a small upstart on what was then a vibrant comics calendar. A follow up event took place in 2018 and then a four year hiatus ensued – which included the pandemic. In 2022, the show returned from its slumber under a new organising team of Rebecca K. Jones, Peter Morey and Hannah Lee Miller. The 2023 edition of the show saw the organising team reshuffle, with Hannah Lee Miller replaced by Chloe Starling.

In an interview with Broken Frontier, a strong proponent of the event, co-organiser Rebecca K. Jones talked about the central ethos:

“we wanted a community spirit at its heart, both for the comics community and the local community too. We wanted a space where everyone, including people who were new to the comics medium could feel really welcomed and be encouraged to feel immersed in the day.”

This remained clear on the day, with rolling crowds of people filling the two halls of the Stanley Arts Centre in Norwood, South London. It was also a good mix of people – with families coming to check out and buy some books too. 

There were a number of activities available – such as a small library area stocked with comics for kids…

…and even a wall for the kids to draw on. Aces!

And no small press event is ever complete without a few canine visitors and table wardens.

The event also held a number of panels, the program of which was organised by local publisher Avery Hill, focusing on show-organising, comics-making, publishing, and a discussion around self publishing vs finding a publisher.

Some panels were even so busy that there was overflow up the stairs.

Overall a solid day out – hopefully more again next year.