Well, that’s one way to kick off Independent Bookshop Week 2025 — with a bang, a Bard, and a very busy cartoonist!

This Saturday, our quiet corner of the High Street transformed into something quite extraordinary as legendary comic book writer, artist, and all-round whirlwind of enthusiasm Kev F Sutherland rolled into town. Armed with a banner, a stack of brilliant graphic novels, and a marker pen moving at supersonic speed, Kev stopped shoppers in their tracks with lightning-fast caricatures that were funny, freakishly accurate, and full of personality.

Crowds gathered, chuckled, and queued (yes, queued! On the High Street! For Shakespeare!) as Kev scribbled away, creating personalised masterpieces in mere seconds and sharing tales of his adventures in comicland—working with everyone from Beano to Marvel, Doctor Who to Viz, and even Red Dwarf to The Dandy. If you’re now wondering whether this man is some sort of wizard—yes. Yes, he is.

But Kev didn’t just draw faces. He drew young readers into the gloriously madcap world of his graphic novel Shakespeare adaptations—a place where Macbeth is reimagined as a modern mystery, Hamlet’s castle is on Denmark Street, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream Team takes you on a farcical forest romp. And then there’s Richard The Third—oh boy. Picture this: a character who’s part Dennis the Menace, part Captain Underpants, and 100% Shakespearian scoundrel. If you love Dogman or Bunny vs Monkey, this one’s for you (and your unsuspecting grown-ups).

Despite the best efforts of the Great British Weather (a bit blustery, a touch soggy), Kev was a force of nature in his own right—non-stop action, non-stop drawing, and non-stop laughter. His passion for storytelling, comics, and Shakespeare was utterly contagious. We lost count of how many kids left with wide eyes, signed books, and a sudden urge to quote the Bard.

And guess what? Kev declared his visit to our little bookshop to be his most fun and successful event of all the indie bookshop gigs he’s done. We may have blushed. But only a little.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came, queued, giggled, and got drawn into the madness. You’ve helped us set a sky-high standard for Independent Bookshop Week, and we couldn’t be prouder and more grateful to our wonderfully supportive community.

If you missed it—fret not! You can still grab a copy of Richard The Third or any of Kev’s brilliantly bonkers books from our shop. Pop in, say hi, and maybe pick up a little Shakespeare with a twist while you’re here.

Long live the Bard. Long live comics. Long live bookshops.