Jenny Brewer

It’s Nice That: First off, can you tell us about your background working together, and how partnering on Make That Movie came about? What led to you wanting to make this type of show? Joe Pelling: I met Sam after seeing his Edinburgh show in 2017. I think our mutual friend Charlie Perkins introduced us when she was working as head of comedy at Blink Industries.

Now open at the new Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in London, Queer as Comics is the UK’s first major exhibition on the subject. We speak to curator Paul Gravett about its rich archive of work, and why this format deserves more recognition. “I always like to say it starts with the Finnish,” quips Paul Gravett, giving me a tour of the new Queer as Comics show, opening with the new Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in London.

Lizzy Stewart is back with her second illustrated novel, The Wreck, following her much acclaimed debut Alison, and it’s a beauty. Described as ‘genre-defying’ for good reason, it combines comic panels, fully written prose and full-page painted illustrations, challenging the limits of what a book can be. “I’ve always thought I made books the way I do because I’m an illustrator, first and foremost,” Lizzy tells It’s Nice That.