TELEVISION personality Jonathan Ross has given a major boost to this weekend's Lakes International Comic Art festival in Kendal.

The famous interviewer 'tweeted' details of the event to his 3.4 million followers including a link to the event's website.

Mr Ross - called ‏@wossy on Twitter, tweeted: "Comic Fans! http://www.comicartfestival.com  18-20 oct @seanpphillips & @brubaker"

Mr Ross is a fan of comic art and it is understood a relative of his will be making the journey to Kendal for this weekend's event over 18-20 October.

Julie Tait, one of the organisers, joked: "My mission was to get Jonathan Ross to tweet so I gracefully retire!"

The festival is modelled on the European comic festivals, with the whole town becoming part of the event.

More than 70 writers and artists, including some of the world’s biggest names in comic art are heading to town.

The guests reflect the diversity of comics, including biography, political cartoons, journalism, satire, superhero comics, comedy, adaptations of historical novels and innovative new story-telling.

Guests include American writers Ed Brubaker, and Kurt Busiek, Charlie Adlard the artist on The Walking Dead, Simon Thorp and Graham Dury who created Viz.

American comics journalist Joe Sacco, cartoonist Posy Simmonds, John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra who created Judge Dredd, will also be attending.

Festival patrons Bryan and Mary Talbot are the creators of Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, the winner of the 2013 Costa Biography Award while artist Sean Phillips, who has worked on comics such as Batman and Hellblazer, and more recently on crime genre comics Criminal and Fatale, will also be in town.

The programme features over 50 events of different styles, including meet the creators (presentations, live drawings and interviews), panel discussions, a film programme, exhibitions, workshops, a marketplace/artists’ alley, and a dedicated Comics Family Zone.

There will also be a comic art trail through the town centre with the windows of more than 30 shops and other businesses filled with comic art.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.breweryarts.co.uk or by phoning 01539 725133. More details www.comicartfestival.com