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Talking comics again on Arena
I’ve been on the RTÉ Radio 1 arts and culture show, Arena, twice recently. On Monday, 25 June I was discussing the 2000 AD Special Sci-Fi Magazine, and on Monday, 2 July I was reviewing the new Cambridge Companion To The Graphic Novel. I always enjoy being on Arena, and chatting to presenter Sean Rocks, but I particularly love talking about comics and expressing my passion for this artform to a wider audience.
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BCA Nominees 2015
The nominees for this year’s British Comic Awards have been announced. Best Comic Beast Wagon – Owen Michael Johnson, John Pearson and Colin Bell (Self published) Grey Area: From the City to the Sea – Tim Bird (Avery Hill Publishing) Hand Me Down – Kristyna Baczynski (Self published) Lost Property – Andy Poyiadgi (Nobrow) Strip – Sarah Gordon (Self published) Best Book Comic Book Slumber Party: Fairytales for Bad Bitches – Hannah Chapman (Editor); Stephanie Ayres, Sarah Burgess, Emma Carlisle, Lucie Ebrey, Enoki, Lize Meddings, Becca Tobin, Donya Todd, Alice Urbino and Jenn Woodall (Self published) Supercrash: How to Hijack the Global Economy – Darryl Cunningham (Myriad Editions) The Motherless Oven – Rob Davis (SelfMadeHero) The Rabbit – Rachael Smith (Avery…
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Worldcon Comic Book Programme
Nearly two years ago my friend James Bacon phoned me up and asked me if I’d be on for designing the comic book programme at Worldcon in London (known as Loncon 3) in August 2014. I agreed readily enough as I was keen to raise the profile of comic books at the event. Comics are still a bit of a newcomer to Worldcon – the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story was only introduced in 2009. I didn’t realise how much work was involved, which was probably lucky for James, as I might have turned him down if I truly understood. I now have huge respect for the Worldcon programming…
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Laydeez do Comics Two
Lynda Rucker and I can finally release the details of our second Laydeez do Comics – Dublin event, which we’ve been working on since the success of the first meeting in May. It will be happening from 7pm – 9.30pm on Wednesday, 11 September, 2013 in the Rooftop Bar, 3rd floor, of the Odessa Club, 13 Dame Court, Dublin 2. Our guests for this meeting are: Sarah Bracken, Paddy Lynch, and Arja Kajermo – check out their bios on the web site, as they represent a wide range of experience in the independent comic book/cartoon/zine scene. We’re looking forward to the night already!
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Loncon 3
Yesterday at Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction convention in Chicago, the membership voted for the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention to convene in London in 2014. It will be called Loncon 3, and the Guests of Honour are Ian M Banks, John Clute, Malcolm Edwards, Chris Foss, Jeanne Gomoll, Robin Hobb, and Bryan Talbot. Several months ago I was asked by the Division Head of Programming, James Bacon, to be the Head of the Comic Book Programme. I accepted the position without hestitation as it’s a chance to showcase the vibrancy and diversity of the comic book scene currently. We’re already in discussions about the programme, and I…
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Eagle nomination
Yesterday the final short-list of nominations for the Eagle Awards was released, and much to my delight, Jennifer Wilde, the comic book I write for Atomic Diner, is one of the contenders in the Favourite European Comic Book category. A special shout-out to Stephen Downey, whose artwork brings Jennifer to life, and to Robert Curley at Atomic Diner, who also nabbed a couple of other nominations. Voting is open now in all sections until April 2nd. The final results will be announced at the Eagle Awards ceremony at London’s MCM Expo on Friday, 25 May 2012. It’s a fitting category for Jennifer Wilde, especially as the series is decidedly European…
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BFS Awards juror
It’s been officially announced: I’m a member of the inaugural jury for the 2012 British Fantasy Awards. My fellow jurors are: James Barclay Hal Duncan Esther Sherman Damien G. Walter So I’m in excellent company. I’m currently in the last throes of reading for the Shirley Jackson Awards, so I’ll be keeping the momentum going into the BFS Awards. I will enjoy being given a short-list of material to read, and not every title/story that’s eligible. If you’re a member of the BFS please nominate your peers for this year’s Awards, and give the jury grounds for a lively debate. I may not want to read anything else for a…
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women in comics at Thought Bubble
At Thought Bubble in Leeds last weekend there was a Women in Comics panel, which has been a regular feature of the event since the festival started five years ago. It was one of the panels I was very much looking forward to seeing, and guessing it would be a popular event I decided to get on line early. By the time the doors opened there was a huge queue making its way back almost to the door of the hall itself. While I didn’t attend every panel at Thought Bubble it was the longest line for a panel I saw that weekend. The line-up, from left to right is,…
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Nelson reflects the scene
Last weekend I was in Leeds for the Thought Bubble Sequential Art Festival, a mecca for comic book artists and writers in the UK and Ireland – with a number of well-known Americans attending as well. The event was extremely well-run with a friendly atmosphere. The range of talent on display was quite staggering, and after a while a certain level of guilt kicked in because it was impossible to support everyone. I did my best to visit as many stands as possible, spread around my cash and buy work that really caught my attention. I was lucky to know a few people at the event, and I quickly met…
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lucille
On the Forbidden Planet International blog today I have a review of Lucille, the graphic novel by the artist/writer/singer Ludovic Debeurme, which has recently been translated into English and published by Top Shelf Productions. It’s a complex and impressive book, and one that deals wtih serious themes. It’s very French, and by that I mean it’s deeply interested in the human condition in a way that is philosophical and meaningful. Plus, it’s drawn in a unorthadox comic book style, which just adds to its Frenchness. While reading the graphic novel I wondered how on earth you would pitch this story to an English/American publisher? I suspect it would be a…
