Belated Hi-Ex 2 Report

It's taken me a while but I just wanted to say a few words about what a wonderful convention Hi-Ex 2 was! The first one was a hard act to follow, but this year was even better. Graeme Neil Reid summed it up better than I could, but a few of my favourite moments were the Watchmen panel, the Judge Minty fan film, the marvellous Cinebooks, the now traditional saturday night drunken jam comic, and just seeing friends old and new, united by a love of comics. I have to give a special thank you to Vicky and Rich for all their hard work in putting Inverness on the comics map, and organising the best con I've ever been to.

See you at Hi-Ex 3!

Hi-Ex!

I will be at the Highlands Comic Expo in Inverness this weekend, hope to see some of you there!

Full report, and the final few horrifying chapters of The Stink, when I get back!

Zine-o-rama

Sadly I couldn't make it to the Edinburgh Zine-o-rama today, I hope it was a huge success for everyone who was there. I'm definitely going to the next one!

I will be at Hi-Ex in Inverness next weekend, details during the week!

Thought Bubble

I was at the Thought Bubble comics event in Leeds on saturday, it was a great day and an astonishingly well organised event. The hall it was in was huge, and for once at a comic con not unbearably hot and stuffy! 

My comics didn't do badly, I dished out about 40 or 50 copies of I Cashed A Dead Man's Pension, and gave away all my spare Battle doubles, they went down rather well.

I got some fantastic comics and books which I've been reading for the last week. Some graphic novels by Jason, a signed copy of Al Ewing's novel I, Zombie, and lots of small press.

A new issue of Banal Pig is always a joy, and number 4 might be the best one yet. I loved the apocalyptic tone towards the end, but poor old Truculent Strawberry!

The epic Can I Borrow Your Toilet? by Gareth Brookes was probably my favourite comic from Thought Bubble, it's funny and moving and quite brilliant, you really should read it. 

I was most looking forward to seeing the new issue of Mallard because I've got a story in it, and I'm really pleased with how it's turned out, it's a top issue. Tom England's The Escapist and Joe Baddely's The Adventures of Racist Jim are recommended too!

Also splendid new issues of Sgt Mike Battle and Monkeys Might Puke, and a preview of Cosmic Apple's new series, I always forget to get something though, and missed out on Ben Powis' beautiful looking comics. Ah well, next time!

Edinburgh Zine Fair

If you're in the area today the Edinburgh Zine Fair is on, I can't make it unfortunately but it looks like it's going to be a great event!

Prestonpaftermath

Prestonpandemonium 3 was a huge success, we had a great time! My new comic I Cashed A Dead Man's Pension went down pretty well, and Omnivistacope 4 did too. (There's a review of OVS4 on Down The Tubes here by the way!)

I got some great comics and books too, like Graeme Neil Reid's One Last Time, Magda Boreysza's Toastycats, and Gavin Inglis's Crap Ghosts. All highly recommended!

Gavin also very kindly gave me a copy of The Cocoanuts, the Marx Brothers first film and the only one I didn't have. Hence the gratuitous Marx-tastic clip above :)

Bargain of the day was getting issue 23 of Groo The Wanderer for 50p, a true classic and the first appearance of those mendicants Pal n Drumm. Sheer joy!

So a big hello and thanks to Graeme, Jeremy, Tom, Bruce, Paul and his adorable son, Kerry, Gavin, Magda and everyone else I saw. And a mega-thanks to Nigel and Jan for putting on such a great event!

Events, Dear Boy...

Just a reminder that this saturday, the 31st, I will be attending the third Prestonpandemonium comics event in Scotland. It's a great day out, and as it's part of the larger Three Harbours Arts Festival, attracts all kinds of interesting people. I've got a new comic out for it called I Cashed A Dead Man's Pension, which is so awesome I'm giving it away free. :) Come and say hello if you're going!

On the same day at the other end of our Green and Pleasant Land, the first No Barcodes event is taking place in Camden Market. London Underground Comics have assembled some of the finest small press creators in the UK, and it promises to be quite a day. So if you're in London on saturday go to No Barcodes!

I wish I could go to both, but I'm not Madrox The Multiple Man!*

Ben

 

* For non-geeks: He's in the X-Men and can make duplicates of himself. I'll shut up now...

Me so knackered

I'm home from the Bristol Comics Expo, and totally worn out after a long weekend of sleep deprivation and heavy drinking :)

I had a fantastic time, it was great to meet up with new friends and old, and to see all the talented mofo's out there! I'll have more to say when I'm less knackered, but it was a superb festival. So many kids there again, passionate about comics, it really is wonderful to see. On a personal note I'd like to thank everyone who was down with the Magic Beans, and especially those who have been reading Mothman. It really means a lot, cheers.

Today I plan to chill out and read some of the comics I got at the weekend, Mr Amperduke, Duke Etrange's World of Weird, Banal Pig, Sgt Mike Battle, and Al Ewing's Iron Man-Noble Defender of Fascism, among many others, and listen to my new favourite band Justice.

By tomorrow I'll wish I was back at Bristol with all my friends.

Ben

UK Web & Mini Comix Thing 2008

 

This year's Thing takes place this saturday the 22nd, at the Queen Mary University in London. I wish I was going but I can't make it. Have fun if you're going you lucky blighters! And be sure to seek out my friend Aaron Smurf Murphy, he's at table 54!

Prestonpandemonium 3

On Saturday May 31st the third Prestonpandemonium comics event takes place in Prestonpans, East Lothian. It isn't far from Edinburgh and is easy to get to.  I'll be debuting a new comic, which makes it a must for all! A few guests have been announced so far, and an exhibition of art by the brilliant Malcy Duff, but Organiser Nigel Barker clearly has some surprises up his sleeve, so keep an eye on the website and I hope to see you there!

http://www.prestonpandemonium.com/

Reviews

Here's a rather good review of the festival. It mentions me on the scriptwriting panel too!

http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/Default.aspx.LocID-hianewnfj.RefLocID-hiacg5005.Lang-EN.htm

Hi-Ex! Report

Over the weekend of February 2nd and 3rd I was the at The Highlands International Comic Expo in Inverness, it was a great event. Organised by Vicky Stonebridge and Richmond Clements, it was the first event of it's kind ever to be held in the north of Scotland.

It was a fair hike on the train for me, six hours each way roughly, but the scenery on the way through the Highlands is breathtaking. As is Inverness itself. On saturday morning I saw a huge seal swimming in the river, not far from the town centre.

Unfortunately the weather was pretty grim, and some of the guests, including Alan Grant, didn't make it. Which resulted in me standing in on the scriptwriting panel alongside writer Al Ewing and artist Declan Shalvey. Naturally we were inspirational and insightful!

I created a new mini-comic just for the event to give away to people, and because I wanted to support Vicky and Rich in their crazy endeavour. Nessie Vs Dracula it's called, and to my astonishment all the copies I took along were gone by 2.00 on saturday afternoon. I had to make a mailing list for people who still wanted a copy. In it's own small way this shows what a success Hi-Ex was. There were so many kids, and people who hadn't been to a con before. The atmosphere was wonderful. Hi-Ex 2009 has been announced, I'm looking forward to it already.

So hello to everyone I saw at the weekend, and thanks to anyone who bought one of my comics. You're the best!

http://www.hi-ex.co.uk/