Showing posts with label Conventions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conventions. Show all posts
Friday, 1 July 2011
Manchester MCM Expo - 30th July
I'll be appearing at the Manchester MCM Expo on the 30th July, along with Square Eyed Stories.
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Animal Bubbles
Item! Comical Animal has launched, "a bi-monthly online publication for comic, cartoon and kids books afficianados" that is, as you might guess from the title, all about animals.
I've got a couple of strips in it that have been coloured especially for Comical Animal (or in one case, recoloured since the colour version was lost to a computer mishap).
Item! While at Thought Bubble, I was filmed by Geek Syndicate where I got to plug Bahala Na! and Square Eyed Stories. Video at the link.
I've got a couple of strips in it that have been coloured especially for Comical Animal (or in one case, recoloured since the colour version was lost to a computer mishap).
Item! While at Thought Bubble, I was filmed by Geek Syndicate where I got to plug Bahala Na! and Square Eyed Stories. Video at the link.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Thought Bubble 2010
My brother and I were at the Thought Bubble comic festival again this year. A Bad Event on Friday night kind of put a downer on the weekend, but we stuck with it. We were late to set up on Saturday, but I arrived to find a box of Bahala Na! 10s waiting for me so I was able to have something new for the table.
I didn't get to take many photos, but here are some tiger sketches I drew:
Some of these were given away free with purchases. There were a few more, but I didn't record them.
And that's that for convention season 2010. Now to start preparing for next year.
I didn't get to take many photos, but here are some tiger sketches I drew:
Some of these were given away free with purchases. There were a few more, but I didn't record them.
And that's that for convention season 2010. Now to start preparing for next year.
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
British International Comics Show 2010
I managed to get a table share for BICS 2010, with Soaring Penguin and the Comics Creators Guild. Sales were abysmal- traffic seemed to be very low and the few people who passed by were just browsing. On the plus side, I got some more tigers for my Year of the Tiger sketchbook, got a bag full of loot, and got some help shaping an idea into a viable form. So things worked out well in the end.
Photomographs:
Photomographs:
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| British International Comics Show 2010 |
Friday, 6 August 2010
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
MCM Expo 2010
After hearing how great it was, and being told that our stuff would fit right in, we decided to give MCM Expo 2010 a try. Normally, we'd go one year as visitors, just to get an idea of what it would be like, but this time I jumped straight in and booked us a table.
Arriving on Friday evening for set up, we discover how big the Excel actually is. The place is huge, compared to previous convention locations (bigger even than the Bristol train shed), and I'm already beginning to feel overwhelmed. Our hotel is conveniently located next to a Docklands Light Rail station, so it's easy for us to get there. The DLR goes up and down and shakes like a rollercoaster, sans loop-the-loops.
Arriving early on Saturday morning, the queue is already long. I have no idea how long they've been waiting. There is no-one at the VIP booth, but we have the entry tickets/badges so we can go straight in. We've brought nearly all our stock with us and we're hoping to shift some of the older titles this weekend.
There are lots of browsers over the day, but not many sales. Certainly, not as many as I'd been over-optimistically expecting. Perhaps this is because we are unknown first-timers and our books aren't strictly anime/manga material.
The Anime and Manga presence at MCM is immense. Most of the merchandise dealers seem to be selling Japanese pop-culture goods of one form or another. MCM is also about the cosplay, more so than any other con I've been to. While the Stormtroopers make an appearance, most of the cosplayers seem to be Naruto/One Piece/Final Fantasy/Schoolgirl/Maids and many of them carry "Free Hugs" signs. I keep my eyes and camera ready for some of the less common costumes. However, having to watch a table for most of the day, I'm limited to those who pass by or are within chasing distance.
On Sunday, we decide to brave the trains back instead of staying over until Monday, which means we have to pack up before official closing time. The bekilted Gary Erskine generously distributes doughnuts in the morning. The Sunday sales we'd been hoping for don't emerge. Things are as slow as Saturday. I'd heard there would be Furries present, so I've brought a heap of Furrloughs in which I've had strips printed - but only a few get sold! It seems the UK Furries aren't into print comics any more.
In the end, we made our table costs back, but it wasn't the sales success we'd been hoping for. It was all so overwhelming as well! I couldn't get it together enough to have a proper look around and forgot to get sketches and buy stuff. Or perhaps I was experiencing convention burn-out, with SPExpo only the week before?
It was an interesting experience, but sales weren't so good. I'd have to think hard about going again - certainly I don't think we'd be back for the October Expo! Now, back to the drawing board, to prepare for the end-of-year conventions...
Thanks and acknowledgements to Emma Viecelli, Al Davison, Gary Northfield, Karen Rubins, Willie Hewes, Gary Erskine and everyone who bought something or stopped for a photograph.
Pics or it didn't happen:
Arriving on Friday evening for set up, we discover how big the Excel actually is. The place is huge, compared to previous convention locations (bigger even than the Bristol train shed), and I'm already beginning to feel overwhelmed. Our hotel is conveniently located next to a Docklands Light Rail station, so it's easy for us to get there. The DLR goes up and down and shakes like a rollercoaster, sans loop-the-loops.
Arriving early on Saturday morning, the queue is already long. I have no idea how long they've been waiting. There is no-one at the VIP booth, but we have the entry tickets/badges so we can go straight in. We've brought nearly all our stock with us and we're hoping to shift some of the older titles this weekend.
There are lots of browsers over the day, but not many sales. Certainly, not as many as I'd been over-optimistically expecting. Perhaps this is because we are unknown first-timers and our books aren't strictly anime/manga material.
The Anime and Manga presence at MCM is immense. Most of the merchandise dealers seem to be selling Japanese pop-culture goods of one form or another. MCM is also about the cosplay, more so than any other con I've been to. While the Stormtroopers make an appearance, most of the cosplayers seem to be Naruto/One Piece/Final Fantasy/Schoolgirl/Maids and many of them carry "Free Hugs" signs. I keep my eyes and camera ready for some of the less common costumes. However, having to watch a table for most of the day, I'm limited to those who pass by or are within chasing distance.
On Sunday, we decide to brave the trains back instead of staying over until Monday, which means we have to pack up before official closing time. The bekilted Gary Erskine generously distributes doughnuts in the morning. The Sunday sales we'd been hoping for don't emerge. Things are as slow as Saturday. I'd heard there would be Furries present, so I've brought a heap of Furrloughs in which I've had strips printed - but only a few get sold! It seems the UK Furries aren't into print comics any more.
In the end, we made our table costs back, but it wasn't the sales success we'd been hoping for. It was all so overwhelming as well! I couldn't get it together enough to have a proper look around and forgot to get sketches and buy stuff. Or perhaps I was experiencing convention burn-out, with SPExpo only the week before?
It was an interesting experience, but sales weren't so good. I'd have to think hard about going again - certainly I don't think we'd be back for the October Expo! Now, back to the drawing board, to prepare for the end-of-year conventions...
Thanks and acknowledgements to Emma Viecelli, Al Davison, Gary Northfield, Karen Rubins, Willie Hewes, Gary Erskine and everyone who bought something or stopped for a photograph.
Pics or it didn't happen:
 |
| MCM Expo 2010 |
Monday, 24 May 2010
Small Press Expo 2010
We were back at the Small Press Expo in Bristol this year. This time it was on all weekend, instead of just the Saturday.
Again, the convention was split over two hotels - the mainstream comics in the Ramada, and the small press and independents in the Holland Mercure, although Nintendo had a display in the Mercure too. I think the Mercure is the better of the two venues; it's bright, with actual windows, and the air conditioning makes it nice and cool - just the thing for a hot and sunny weekend (although it got a bit too cool and slightly chilly in there!). We were also staying in the Mercure this year which was very convenient, especially as we missed the Friday evening set up time due to a delayed train. Certainly, our room was very nice.
Sales wise, on Saturday we managed about as well as we did last year, which was okay. Sunday was a much quieter day, but we managed to shift a few things.
Photos:
SPExpo time is over.
MCMExpo time is now.
Again, the convention was split over two hotels - the mainstream comics in the Ramada, and the small press and independents in the Holland Mercure, although Nintendo had a display in the Mercure too. I think the Mercure is the better of the two venues; it's bright, with actual windows, and the air conditioning makes it nice and cool - just the thing for a hot and sunny weekend (although it got a bit too cool and slightly chilly in there!). We were also staying in the Mercure this year which was very convenient, especially as we missed the Friday evening set up time due to a delayed train. Certainly, our room was very nice.
Sales wise, on Saturday we managed about as well as we did last year, which was okay. Sunday was a much quieter day, but we managed to shift a few things.
Photos:
 |
| Bristol SPExpo 2010 |
SPExpo time is over.
MCMExpo time is now.
Friday, 14 May 2010
Convention time
It's time for the summer comics conventions, and naturally, I'm leaving everything to the last minute to get ready. Not to worry too much, though, I've already got my tables booked so I can sit back and relax until two days before I have to leave. And then the panic sets in.
So where am I going?
Small Press Expo - May 21-23. The Bristol Comic Expo has split into two parts, the mainstream comics event in the Ramada and the Small Press Expo in the Holland Mercure. Naturally, I'll be in the SPExpo all weekend, sharing a table with Square Eyed Stories.
And one week later is London MCM Expo - May 29-30 - where I will again be sharing with SES.
I'll have copies of Bahala Na! 09 on sale, as well as back issues and other comics.
So where am I going?
Small Press Expo - May 21-23. The Bristol Comic Expo has split into two parts, the mainstream comics event in the Ramada and the Small Press Expo in the Holland Mercure. Naturally, I'll be in the SPExpo all weekend, sharing a table with Square Eyed Stories.
And one week later is London MCM Expo - May 29-30 - where I will again be sharing with SES.
I'll have copies of Bahala Na! 09 on sale, as well as back issues and other comics.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
The UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing 2010
Back from the UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing 2010. Sales were good, we met some new people, got some sketches, fun was had.
I was on door duty for an hour in the morning, collecting entry fees. My partner was a first-time exhibitor who had only got into drawing comics recently. Passing by his table later, his comic had space to draw custom character faces, so I opted (naturally) to get a tiger.
While on door duty, a girl comes in. She's not here for the show, she just wanted to see what was going on. She marvels at the scene for a few moments, then leaves.
Sunday morning we passed by the British Museum to see some prints and political posters from the Mexican revolution, then to the Cartoon Art Museum for a Ronald Searle exhibition.
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| UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing 2010 |
I was on door duty for an hour in the morning, collecting entry fees. My partner was a first-time exhibitor who had only got into drawing comics recently. Passing by his table later, his comic had space to draw custom character faces, so I opted (naturally) to get a tiger.
While on door duty, a girl comes in. She's not here for the show, she just wanted to see what was going on. She marvels at the scene for a few moments, then leaves.
Sunday morning we passed by the British Museum to see some prints and political posters from the Mexican revolution, then to the Cartoon Art Museum for a Ronald Searle exhibition.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
UK Web & Mini Comix Thing 2010 - Dinosaurs
The UK Web & Mini Comix Thing is coming up, March 27th.
This year, the anthology's theme is Dinosaurs. Have a promotional sampler for my submission:
I'll be there on the Zip Gun Comics table (#42), where you'll be able to buy copies of Bahala Na!, Square Eyed Stories and other comics.
This year, the anthology's theme is Dinosaurs. Have a promotional sampler for my submission:
I'll be there on the Zip Gun Comics table (#42), where you'll be able to buy copies of Bahala Na!, Square Eyed Stories and other comics.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Thought Bubble 2009
The Thought Bubble Festival took place at the Saviles Hall, Royal Armouries in Leeds, on 21st November 2009.
This was our second year visiting Thought Bubble and the first year Zip Gun Comics had a table. The new Bahala Na! had come back from the printers earlier in the week, so we were all set.
BN!09 sold well, I was able to finish off my convention sketchbook, speak to a few people in person, pick up a bunch of new comics and take some photos:
Lots of cosplayers, although the Stormtroopers were conspicuous by their absence.
The City Inn hotel was certainly the nicest one we've stayed in this year, even though the view was of Leeds train station.
That's convention season over for this year, but the next one will be starting all too soon. See you then.
This was our second year visiting Thought Bubble and the first year Zip Gun Comics had a table. The new Bahala Na! had come back from the printers earlier in the week, so we were all set.
BN!09 sold well, I was able to finish off my convention sketchbook, speak to a few people in person, pick up a bunch of new comics and take some photos:
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| From Thought Bubble 2009 |
Lots of cosplayers, although the Stormtroopers were conspicuous by their absence.
The City Inn hotel was certainly the nicest one we've stayed in this year, even though the view was of Leeds train station.
That's convention season over for this year, but the next one will be starting all too soon. See you then.
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Small Press Expo 2009
Anyone who's been following the news on the UK comics convention scene will be aware that the regular Bristol International Comic Expo had to relocate to a much smaller location this year (the Ramada hotel) and that as a result, not only were the number of exhibitors much reduced, but also the number of attendees. Pre-order tickets were rapidly sold out, and there were no tickets available to buy on the door.
A lot of the Small Press publishers who make up a significant proportion of the regular Bristol exhbitors were left out in the cold, until Fallen Angel Media stepped in to set up SPExpo (in partnership with BICE) at the nearby Holland Mercure hotel. As a result, Zip Gun Comics, a lot of regulars and some new faces were back in the convention game, at least for one day.
The Ramada hotel bar was practically deserted on Friday night, compared to previous years. There were several people around, but it wasn't a dense wall of noise and comics folks (fans and creators).
SPExpo, I think, had the nicer venue. The Forest suite was a nice big, bright room on the top floor of the hotel. The aisles were spacious and there were windows. We also had proper, laminated lanyards instead of the BICE paper tickets. What we didn't have was the foot traffic. The day was quiet compared to other years in the big hall of the Train Shed.
Compared to previous years, sales seemed slow. Passersby seemed rare, we didn't see many of our regular customers and there were very few families with children (I was also suprised at the distinct lack of Rorshachs wandering around). Part of the appeal of the previous Bristol events is that it is open to the public and many of the attendees are passersby who aren't necessarily comics fans. Maybe they're there for Doctor Who or the Beano, but they also get a chance to look around the rest of the UK comics scene, including all of us in the Small Press. While SPExpo had tickets available on the door, the restriction on BICE tickets may have put many regular attendees off coming altogether.
The Saturday night Ramada bar was back to its usual self. The bar staff were even in costume, including 2 Iron Men, a Joker, a Cowgirl and Indian, and a female-to-male crossdressing Pirate (with mustache and drawn-on hairy chest). Sadly, I didn't take photos. We saw the Joker delivering a tray of food upstairs and thought he was just a costumed fan taking his dinner back to his room until we saw him behind the bar. We amused ourselves by imagining the reaction of a regular hotel guest on finding their room service being delivered by an overly-theatrical psycopath.
Sunday was a strange day for us. We didn't have to get up early and we didn't have the refuge of a table to retreat behind. BICE was so small this year that I'd seen all of it I wanted to see on my flying visits on Saturday. I'm very much of the alt/indy/small press side so the 2000AD/DC/Marvel artists didn't really appeal to me that much.
So on Sunday afternoon, we decided to leave much earlier than we normally would, especially as there would be several changes to make on the way back.
So that was our Bristol convention for this year. Good in some ways, but disappointing in others. Time to prepare for the next one.
A lot of the Small Press publishers who make up a significant proportion of the regular Bristol exhbitors were left out in the cold, until Fallen Angel Media stepped in to set up SPExpo (in partnership with BICE) at the nearby Holland Mercure hotel. As a result, Zip Gun Comics, a lot of regulars and some new faces were back in the convention game, at least for one day.
 |
| SPExpo 2009 |
The Ramada hotel bar was practically deserted on Friday night, compared to previous years. There were several people around, but it wasn't a dense wall of noise and comics folks (fans and creators).
SPExpo, I think, had the nicer venue. The Forest suite was a nice big, bright room on the top floor of the hotel. The aisles were spacious and there were windows. We also had proper, laminated lanyards instead of the BICE paper tickets. What we didn't have was the foot traffic. The day was quiet compared to other years in the big hall of the Train Shed.
Compared to previous years, sales seemed slow. Passersby seemed rare, we didn't see many of our regular customers and there were very few families with children (I was also suprised at the distinct lack of Rorshachs wandering around). Part of the appeal of the previous Bristol events is that it is open to the public and many of the attendees are passersby who aren't necessarily comics fans. Maybe they're there for Doctor Who or the Beano, but they also get a chance to look around the rest of the UK comics scene, including all of us in the Small Press. While SPExpo had tickets available on the door, the restriction on BICE tickets may have put many regular attendees off coming altogether.
The Saturday night Ramada bar was back to its usual self. The bar staff were even in costume, including 2 Iron Men, a Joker, a Cowgirl and Indian, and a female-to-male crossdressing Pirate (with mustache and drawn-on hairy chest). Sadly, I didn't take photos. We saw the Joker delivering a tray of food upstairs and thought he was just a costumed fan taking his dinner back to his room until we saw him behind the bar. We amused ourselves by imagining the reaction of a regular hotel guest on finding their room service being delivered by an overly-theatrical psycopath.
Sunday was a strange day for us. We didn't have to get up early and we didn't have the refuge of a table to retreat behind. BICE was so small this year that I'd seen all of it I wanted to see on my flying visits on Saturday. I'm very much of the alt/indy/small press side so the 2000AD/DC/Marvel artists didn't really appeal to me that much.
So on Sunday afternoon, we decided to leave much earlier than we normally would, especially as there would be several changes to make on the way back.
So that was our Bristol convention for this year. Good in some ways, but disappointing in others. Time to prepare for the next one.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
The UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing 2009
28th March was the UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing, and as usual Zip Gun Comics had a table.
Fun was to be had on leaving the hotel, with us forgetting trivial things like keys to padlocks and comics that had been left in a backpack, thankfully only within yards of the hotel and not halfway across the London Underground.
After the event and the post-Thing Thing, we dropped in on the nearby Schmurgen-Con where several other Small Press stalwarts were gathered (but not, alas, Schmurgen himself).
Sunday we saw some ancient Chinese jade and bronze artefacts, and visited the Cartoon Museum.
Fun was to be had on leaving the hotel, with us forgetting trivial things like keys to padlocks and comics that had been left in a backpack, thankfully only within yards of the hotel and not halfway across the London Underground.
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| UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing 2009 |
After the event and the post-Thing Thing, we dropped in on the nearby Schmurgen-Con where several other Small Press stalwarts were gathered (but not, alas, Schmurgen himself).
Sunday we saw some ancient Chinese jade and bronze artefacts, and visited the Cartoon Museum.
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