Rebirth! – Looking Back at Caption Festival’s Return to Oxford After an 8-Year-Hiatus, and its Grand Celebration of UK Indie and Small Press Comics

When the return of the Caption small press comics festival was announced for 2025, after an 8-year absence, it was with the following description of its ethos and mission:

“Caption is a different type of festival, based around a theme each year. The 2025 event is fittingly using the theme of REBIRTH, reemerging into a post-pandemic world awash with memorabilia focused conventions. Those who attended loved Caption’s more cosy and social ambiance, with no division between guests and attendees, no tables separating creators from fans, and no long queues for autographs.”

Between 1992 and 2017 Caption had become something of a UK indie comics institution and yet despite that somehow I had never attended the event. So when we offered our very own Broken Frontier ‘Six to Watch’ panel as the opening discussion of this year’s return I grasped the opportunity with relish, and the anticipation of finally experiencing Caption’s distinctive laidback vibe for myself.

The Broken Frontier panel hosted by Andy Oliver with (right to left) Cara Brown, Mike Armstrong, Dominique Duong and Shane Melisse

Although I could only make the Saturday of Caption: Rebirth (which ran over August 16th-17th at Seacourt Hall, Botley, Oxford) it was certainly enough to give me a flavour of its unique approach to celebrating small press comics. The emphasis really is on the programming and on freeing up creators, publishers, commentators and comics activists to interact with each other. One huge sprawling communal table allowed the work of panellists, contributors and organisers to find its audience without them having to spend all day behind a table. And you could be as hands-on as you wanted in terms of events with zine-making workshops, puppet theatre, bookbinding sessions and figure drawing. Or alternatively more passive as an observer with a constant stream of panels running throughout the weekend including those centring on networking, webcomics and safe spaces.

Mini-exhibition dedicated to the work of the late Terry Wiley

The Caption communal table(s)

It was great for me to be able to chat with our Broken Frontier Six to Watch crew from across the years, as Cara Brown, Mike Armstrong, Dominique Duong and Shane Melisse/Shanefaced talked about their work and experiences of self-publishing. Being able to offer opportunities like this is a fundamentally important part of the Six to Watch initiative so do remember we can always put together a panel for your event!

Cara also sat on the panel on autobiographical comics, and fellow 2025 Six to Watch creator Zen K. was on the one looking at the contrast between short-form and long-form comics. You would have had no idea that Caption marked the panel debuts of Cara, Zen and Mike, such was their eloquence, confidence and insight.

Lucy Sullivan and Zen K. talking about long-form vs. short-form comics

Cara Brown and Lucy Sullivan talking autobio comics

New comics events learn from each iteration and the same holds true for relaunched ones. If there was one area where I imagine the Caption team might be strategising for 2026 it will be in attracting more of a younger audience to balance up the older attendees (like me!). There was so much for emerging creators to absorb and consider over the weekend, and a wealth of experience for them to tap into, after all.

Obligatory Broken Frontier event pub visit – left to right, Zen K., Dominique Duong, Cara Brown, Mike Armstrong and Andy Oliver

Congratulations to Amy Letts, Andy Luke, Vickie Bernard, Emily Brady and Barry Renshaw on a job well done. Looking forward to a return trip to Oxford next year for Caption 2026!

Report by Andy Oliver

— Andy Oliver

Andy Oliver is Broken Frontier’s Editor-in-Chief and site owner. He is also a co-organiser of the annual UK Small Press Day and has been a judge or committee member for the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition, the British Comic Awards and the SICBA Awards.