Avery Hill recently celebrated their tenth year as a publisher, and an upcoming exhibition at the Mercer Art Gallery offers an in-depth exploration of their work. It’s an important retrospective that charts their early days publishing zines in the London small press scene, through to today’s carefully and lovingly produced high-quality graphic novels which are sold the world over. All achieved despite having no publishing experience, juggling demanding day jobs and major life-changes, in what was supposed to be a fun side-project that accidentally got out of control. The exhibition runs from October 18, 2025 to April 26, 2026.

On display will be original art from the books, glimpses into the creative process of making comics, and fascinating information about the artists they work with. Additionally, there will be video, prints, books on display and interactive elements, including a game designed by another of their discoveries, the highly talented and idiosyncratic comics creator and graphic designer, George Wylesol.

The exhibition gives insight into their development and philosophy, with deep-dives into some of the books that have been milestones in their catalogue. As the audience goes on this journey through the history of the publisher, they will witness the development of some of the most interesting and important creators working in comics, and an important snapshot of the UK comics landscape over the past decade.

Featured artists:

Kristyna Baczynski, Tim Bird, Katriona Chapman, Tom Humberstone, Charlot Kristensen, B. Mure, Owen D. Pomery, Claire Scully, J. Webster Sharp, Rachael Smith, Lizzy Stewart, Lucy Sullivan, Zoe Thorogood, Donya Todd, Tillie Walden, and George Wylesol.

If you’re attending the Thought Bubble festival this autumn, there will be two guided tours of the exhibition. Avery Hill’s Kat Chapman (Saturday) and Broken Frontier’s Andy Oliver (Sunday) will take you on a 30-minute walk through the exhibition, giving some extra insight into Avery Hill’s work as a publisher. They’ll be accompanied by several of the creators with work on display, who’ll talk about the medium of comics, their artwork, and their approach to making graphic novels.