A new, hard-edged graphic novel about a homeless woman who uses parkour to outmaneuver violent mobs and corrupt police will make its debut at Thought Bubble this weekend, adding a darker voice to the UK festival’s lineup. The book—staged on Halloween in a claustrophobic northern town—arrives as a collected edition after an earlier web- and indie-comic run.
The story follows Soma, a terse, homeless Muslim woman navigating a Halloween night where masked youths and abusive officers converge on her neighborhood. Her ability to move through urban terrain—parkour free-running—turns the streets into both refuge and battleground, and the publisher classifies the collected volume for readers aged 18+.
What to know about the release
- Title: Grinding Against The Marrow (collected edition)
- Creators: writer known as Snake (Scott Matthew Watson) and artist Mauro De Falco
- Origin: began as a Webtoon, issued as a four-issue mini-series by Markosia, now reissued as a single volume
- Where to find it: Redshirt Hall, table D17a at Thought Bubble
- Event dates: 14–15 November, Harrogate Convention Centre (part of the festival week across Yorkshire)
- Audience guidance: for mature readers (18+)
Snake—whose full name is Scott Matthew Watson—brings a background in spoken-word poetry and stage and broadcast writing to the book’s terse, often poetic narration. Mauro De Falco, an illustrator from Naples, supplies the panels that turn the urban landscape into a kinetic arena for Soma’s escapes and confrontations.
The narrative’s setup is deliberately narrow: one long, violent night that exposes social fault lines in a town defined by small-minded hostility. Instead of long monologues, the protagonist’s interior life is suggested through brief verses and spare lines sprinkled through the art, letting motion and composition carry much of the storytelling weight.
Why this matters now
At a moment when festivals and creators are re-evaluating how to reach readers beyond mainstream publishers, collected editions like this one show how digital-first serials can pivot into print and festival spaces. For readers, the book offers both an action-driven graphic novel and a portrait of marginalization told through a nontraditional heroine.
Thought Bubble, now in its twentieth year, remains the UK’s largest comic art festival, dedicated to supporting writers and illustrators—especially independent and small-press creators. Founded in 2007 by Yorkshire artist Lisa Wood (known professionally as Tula Lotay), the event expanded from a modest local gathering into a national showcase. In 2019 the convention relocated from Leeds to Harrogate to accommodate growing attendance and exhibitor needs.
Both creators are scheduled to attend the convention, giving readers a chance to see original pages and hear about the book’s evolution from web serial to printed collection.
For anyone planning to visit: expect a focus on creator-led projects, a mixture of established and emerging talent, and a program that highlights comics as both a commercial and artistic medium. Grinding Against The Marrow is one of several small-press titles at the show that underline how festival floors can be an important launch point for works that began online or in limited runs.
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Hello, I’m Jax. I guide you through the latest comics releases and enrich your geek universe.