Born in London in 1953, Kevin O'Neill is the British comics illustrator best known as the co-creator of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (with Alan Moore), Marshal Law (with writer Pat Mills), and Nemesis the Warlock for 2000AD (also with Pat Mills). With one of the most unique and detailed styles in comics, he has deservedly earned an enormous worldwide fanbase.

Multiple award-winning artist Bryan Talbot has been working in comics for over forty years. He's produced underground, fantasy and superhero stories such as Batman and (with Neil Gaiman) Sandman, and graphic novels including The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, The Tale of One Bad Rat, Alice in Sunderland, the Grandville series, as well as illustrating the books written by Mary.

They are both founding patrons of The Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Bryan was awarded a Doctorate in Arts and another in Letters and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.