SERGIO Aragonés is hailed as one of the most famous and influential living cartoonists, probably best known for his work on MAD Magazine.

Known and respected across the world for his fast and witty cartooning style, he's heading to Kendal to make a rare appearance as part of Julie Tait's innovative and increasingly popular, Lakes International Comic Art Festival, which runs from Friday-Sunday, October 13-15.

Sergio has won every major accolade in the cartoon creating field, including the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award and the Will Eisner Hall of Fame Award, and he'll announce the first ever recipient of the Sergio Aragonés International Award for Excellence in Comic Art as part of the festival's opening night on the Friday at the Brewery Arts Centre. The new award has been established by the National Cartoonists Society, in partnership with LICAT, and will be presented annually at the festival to an exceptional comic artist, animator or cartoonist.

Festival director Julie said it's an incredible honour to welcome Sergio to the UK and to be creating a new international award in his name: "Sergio is an icon and inspiration to cartoonists across the world," added Julie. "Our festival aims to be truly international, to celebrate all genres of comic art and to encourage people to recognise comics as representing great art for everyone. This new award is a major new step towards our goal and we are extremely honoured and grateful to the National Cartoonist Society for this opportunity."

Born in 1937 in Castellon, Spain, Sergio now lives and works in California. His professional career started in Mexico at the age of 17 but he's most famous for his work on Mad Magazine after he arrived in New York. Sergio’s first contribution, A Mad Look at the U.S. Space Effort, appeared in Mad #76. His work has since appeared in every issue of Mad except for one, due apparently, to a post office error.

In the early 1980s, Sergio teamed up with wordsmith Mark Evanier to create the adventures of Groo the Wanderer. They have also produced many other comics, including Fanboy, Sergio Aragonés Massacres Marvel, Sergio Aragonés Destroys DC, and Sergio Aragonés Stomps Star Wars.

Sergio's artwork has appeared on hundreds of adverts and editorial features and his animation has graced numerous television shows.

“As a US-based cartoonist for MAD Magazine and also my own comic books I have had the opportunity to travel to many countries and to meet so many wonderful cartoonists and comic artists," he explained. "I'm very pleased and proud that this new award will recognise the accomplishments of the best cartoonists in our profession, not only from North America but from the entire world.”

Now in its fifth year, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival is a momentous global celebration of comic art with more than 70 special guests and some of the biggest names that inhabit the comic world.

Artists, creators and writers from Japan, the US, Canada, Australia, Finland, as well as European comic creators are taking part in the festival, which is staged at various venues across Kendal.

Sergio will also be showcasing his cartooning talent as part of the opening night's Quick on the Draw, which will see sizzling speed drawing from some of the planet’s fastest and funniest, starring superstars from the USA's cartooning scene - Luke McGarry, Rick Stromoski and Tom Richmond.

The five star festival gathering includes live comic drawing, films, exhibitions, comic trails, workshops, a free family zone and a comic marketplace, plus new for this year a festival pass system: the main events programme will be exclusive to pass-holders and there will be an exclusive, guest-related comic art goody bag for all pass holders to collect on arrival.

Highlights of the weekend include the Ultimate Comics Master Class with top MAD Magazine artist Tom Richmond; an in-depth interview event with Spider Gwen artist Jason LaTour; the launch of new work by creators such as Mal Earl and Kermit Leveridge and the chance to meet the “insanely imaginative” 2000AD writer Peter Milligan.

Festivalgoers can also discover how comics can shine an uncomfortable light on our modern world with Hannah Berry, Darryl Cunningham and Fumio Obata and find out more about the art of top illustrator Michael Cho. Meet Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai and experience Finnish comics – and the Moomins! – as you have never experienced them before.

The Cartoon Cafe at Brewery Arts Centre's Warehouse Cafe will feature some of the world's leading comic creators, including Charlie Adlard of Walking Dead fame, Duncan Fegredo, the Hellboy artist and Eisner Award winning artist Sean Phillips. The cafe offers an opportunity to try out the latest digital art tools from Wacom.

Kendal College is also in on the act hosting the Finnish Village at its Beezon Road campus with all things Finnish: everything from the country's best comics to a wood fired sauna.

And it wouldn't be a Lakes International Comic Art Festival without the mega popular Comixology Clock Tower staged at Kendal Town Hall on the Saturday and Sunday, full of independent creators, publishers and retailers, representing a wide range of comics from around the world.

Meanwhile, causing a creative buzz across Kendal will be the wonderful windows of the Comic Art Trail. All the artists involved, whether from local community groups or schools right through to professional artists, take their own approach to their individual shop and business windows.

For festival passes visit www.comicartfestival.com.