NICE: Latest update

Here's the full guest list for NICE, the Bedford Comic Con that takes place in just a few weeks on September 2nd/3rd! Sadly, Alex Maleev can no longer make it but artist Pete Doherty has been added to the roster, which is a great addition. There'll also be exhibitors including Ben Cullis, editor of The77!

It's going to be a fantastic weekend and, yes, it's a proper comic con, dedicated to comics! Don't heditate to buy your tickets. Info at this web link...

https://nicecon.co.uk/

See you there!

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TFUKCON for 2024!

Certainly an eye-catching acronym, TFUKCON stands for Transformers UK Convention, and I've been invited to be a guest there next year. Saturday 11th May at the Strathallan Hotel, Birmingham. See the link for more info...
https://www.primetimetoyz.co.uk/tfukcon

I'm looking forward to meeting readers who grew up on The Transformers comic of the 1980s that read my Robo-Capers and Combat Colin strips! 

They've also produced a little video announcement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc9gTxzTO2s

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CONventional Thoughts

When is a Comic Con not a Comic Con? When it has absolutely no comics creators as guests but still calls itself a comic con. There are a few of those around across the UK and, annoyingly, some people are wrongly assuming all comics events are like that.

Thankfully that isn't the case. This year I've had the pleasure of being a guest at Comic Book Day in Liverpool, Sonic the Comic Con in York, Lawless Comic Con in Bristol, Macc-Pow! Comic Festival in Macclesfield, and the London Film and Comic Con in London; all of which featured a good number of comics creators and panel discussions about comics. (Yes, LFCC features actors too, but with nearly 80 comics guests and about the same number of actors it was a fair balance that no one could fault.)

The next event on my schedule is the Bedford Comic Con known as NICE on September 2nd and 3rd. This is completely dedicated to comics with guests from the UK, USA, Spain, Greece and more. Follow this link to find out more about it and buy tickets...

https://nicecon.co.uk/

After that, my next event (and final one for this year I think) will be the one-day Comic Expo Bristol on Saturday 7th October. Again, totally devoted to comics! To find out more, visit this link:
https://comicexpobristol.my-online.store/



 

I know that some of you have never attended a comic con, or may be cautious about doing so. If you have any questions or thoughts about it, please leave a comment below. I've been going to cons since 1979, and always enjoy them. There's never any pressure to "join in" if you just want to keep to yourself, but it you do want to mingle you'll find some like minds to talk to. 

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Latest art auction ends soon!

Only a day to go on my latest art auction. Bidding ends Sunday night (23rd July). All bids appreciated! 

 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47

 

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New Daftness This Thursday!

There's a new issue of Doctor Who Magazine in the shops this week and amongst its packed pages of interviews and features you'll find another Daft Dimension comic strip by me. 

Doctor Who Magazine No.593, on sale from Thursday 20th July, available in WH Smiths, selected supermarkets, newsagents, and comic shops... or you could order it directly from Panini UK, the publishers, at this link:

https://www.panini.co.uk/shp_gbr_en/doctor-who-magazine-593-gbdrw593-uk02.html 

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Daleks! Combat Colin! and more in this week's art auction!

More of my original artwork for sale! Auctions run until next Sunday (23rd July). Pete and his Pimple! Combat Colin! Daleks! and an unusual one from me... Ronald McDonald! All bids gratefully received! Good luck! Links under each photo...

Pete and his Pimple page from the third combined issue of Buster and Oink (1988)...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204398805955?hash=item2f971e43c3:g:IDEAAOSwx6xktEqH

 

Combat Colin strip from Transformers No.194 (1988)...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204398800876?hash=item2f971e2fec:g:P4oAAOSw0j9ktElh

 

 

The Halloween of the Daleks Daft Dimension strip from Doctor Who Magazine No.557 (2020)...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204398798759?hash=item2f971e27a7:g:qIkAAOSwwCdktEih

Five pages of a Ronald McDonald comic strip from around 2003...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204398811710?hash=item2f971e5a3e:g:orcAAOSwGNlktEwZ

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Dandy Annual preview!

Do you want to read a sneak peek of some pages from the next Dandy Annual? Amazon has some full pages as a preview on its website. It includes one of the four Kid Cops strips I scripted and drew for the book.

Here's the link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dandy-Annual-2024/dp/1845359550

Simply click on the images shown under the book cover on the Amazon page and then click each one again to englarge them to full size.

The Dandy Annual 2024 will be published next month in August.

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Looks like the Beano & Dandy gift book will also feature some of my work. Unlike the annuals, this book is all reprint and it appears some of my Keyhole Kate pages will be included. DC Thomson don't pay for reprints but we all know that when we sign up so there's no point moaning about it. I'm happy to see this Kate story from The Dandy Annual 2015 re-published as the three pager was one of my favourites.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beano-Dandy-Gift-Book-2024/dp/1845359496

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NICE is next!

Here's the next comics event where you'll find me. The NICE Comic Con in Bedford takes place over the weekend of September 2nd and 3rd. The fine people above are the guests, (click on the image to see it full size) and there'll be exhibitors selling comics too. Find out more info at this link:

https://nicecon.co.uk/ 

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Thank you!

The new printing of Combat Colin No.4 is almost sold out (and may be all gone by the time you read this). I posted a pile of them last week, sold a bunch at LFCC, and will be posting more this week. Don't worry if you missed out, though. I will be getting more printed in a couple of weeks! A big thank you to everyone for buying it!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=203554298786&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562&_ssn=graphite47

Some have asked me to reprint the long sold out first issue. It's a possibility for later this year but in the meantime I hope to publish something new (not a Combat Colin comic) in time for NICE Bedford Comic Con in September. Watch this space!

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Photos from LFCC 2023!

Coming down from the high spirits of the London Film and Comic Con I'm totally exhausted today but it was worth it! Catching up with friends and meeting the readers means so much to me these days and those four days in London are a highlight of the year. I was there from Thursday to Sunday night, (with the convention running from Friday morning to Sunday evening). A mammoth event, tiring but enjoyable!

Thanks to Tony Lee, Amy McGarry-Thickitt and their crew for organising the Comic Zone and looking after guests so well. Not forgetting Irma Page for her great job hosting our panel discussion on Saturday. 

It was so good to see old friends again and meet the readers! A big thank you as well to everyone who dropped by my table to buy something or just to talk. The weekend gave me the boost I needed.

Thanks for the great company of Laura Howell, David and Petra Manley-leach, Aneke MY, DaNi, Jessica Martin, Mike Collins, Bernadette Vella, Peter Hogan, Eleanor Hughes, Ian Richardson, Gary Erskine, Yel Zamor, Rachael Smith, Rachael Stott, Dan Slott, Irma Page, Simon Bisley, Stephen Baskerville, Guillermo Ortego, Ben Cullis, Jo Heeley, Andrw Sawyers, Brian Bolland, Hunt Emerson, John McCrea, Kev Sutherland, Nigel Parkinson, Pau Scorpi, David Roach, Sonia Leong, Simon Williams, Jason Cardy, Simon Furman, Shane Chebsey, Ben Dickson, Lee Townsend, Geoff Senior, Amrit Birdi, Steve Tanner, Dave West, Erica Shultz, Mark Stafford, Jeff Chahal, and many more I've no doubt forgotten!

Here are a few photos from the weekend...

Tables set up on Friday morning, ready for the show!

The massive hall at Olympia. Comic Zone on the balcony.

 

List of panels for Saturday.

Brian Bolland sighting at the SHIFT comic stall.

Good pal and top Beano artist Laura Howell.

Steve Tanner, publisher of new UK comic QUANTUM.

With my good friend from Madrid, comic artist Aneke.

Longtime friend, comic creator David Leach.

Dapper Dan Boultwood, artist of Steel Commando for Monster Fun comic.

Artist Gary Erskine and colourist Yel Zamor.

With good friend actor/comic creator Jessica Martin.

Artist Chris Geary drawing from a live model.

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Combat Alert! Combat Colin No.4 available again!

I've just listed another batch of Combat Colin No.4 on my eBay page, so those of you who missed the ones I listed last week can grab one now!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204392334407?hash=item2f96bb8447:g:UQkAAOSwQd1kovFf 

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It's LFCC this weekend! July 7th to 9th

It's all happening this weekend! The gigantic LFCC (London Film and Comic Con) stretches across three days Friday 7th July to Sunday 9th July at Olympia in Kensington. Nearly 80 guests from the world of comics: Dan Slott! Rachael Smith! Brian Bolland! Aneke! DaNi! Hunt Emerson! Mike Collins! and many more (Plus a ton of actors from film and TV too of course!)

The Comic Zone is situated upstairs at Olympia (lifts available) and these graphics explain where you'll find us. Click to enlarge them.

I'll be bringing along copies of Combat Colin 2, 3, 4, some original art to sell, and doing sketches on request. I'm on a panel on Saturday afternoon (3pm) on the Comic Stage with others, including Laura Howell and Simon Bisley, talking about the anniversaries of the Beano and 2000AD.

Hope to see you there! Here's a link to the LFCC website with all the info!
https://londonfilmandcomiccon.com/

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Combat Colin 4 selling fast!

Thanks for the great response to the new printing of Combat Colin No.4. (See previous post.) All of the ones I listed on eBay sold out in four hours! I'll be posting those this week, then it's off to the London Film and Comic Con where I'll take a few more to sell at my table.

Don't worry if you missed yesterday's listings. I'll put more on eBay when I return from London, and I'll have a new batch printed this month too. 

Regarding LFCC (London Film and Comic Con), more about that in my next post!

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COMBAT COLIN 4 BACK IN PRINT!

I can actually say this is "By popular demand" because so many of you asked for it. A second printing of the previously sold out COMBAT COLIN No.4 is now available to buy exclusively from me. Same contents as the first printing except... new topline to promote the fact it won Best Independent / Small Press Comic in the Comic Scene Awards in 2019, a different back cover, an additional editorial update, and some of the out of date small ads have changed. There's also a price rise since the previous printing four years ago, due to rising print and postage costs but I hope you'll still think it value for money. Well printed on good paper stock with a matt-laminated card cover.

I've only had a small print run done to see how it goes. (I will do another print if it sells out.) Available from my table at LFCC this weekend, and on eBay right now at this link...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204385433394?hash=item2f96523732:g:UQkAAOSwQd1kovFf

 

Update: The 15 I listed on eBay have sold out in four hours. I'm taking some to LFCC this weekend and will list more on eBay next week. Thanks for your support and patience! 

 

 

 

Photos from MACC-POW 2023!

The cobbled streets of Macclesfield.

 

I had a really nice day at Macc-Pow! on Saturday. Macclesfield's Comic art Festival at the Town Hall. Thanks once again to tireless organisers Marc and Jane Jackson for putting on the show that always has a friendly atmosphere to it. It was great to catch up with my comics pals Rachael Smith, Laura Howell, David Leach, Leah Moore, John Reppion, Sonia Leong, Ben Cullis, Dan and Carol Ann Whitehead, Roger Langridge, Nigel Parkinson, Nika Nartova, Emmeline Pidgen, Nick Brokenshire, Kev F Sutherland, Tor Freeman, Joel Meadows, and more. Thanks of course to the readers too who stopped by for a sketch or to buy a comic!
 

I've attended every Macc-Pow! since it began in 2016 and it's always a pleasure to be there. Hope you can have a rest now for a bit, Marc and Jane! You did a great job.

Here are a few photos from the day...

One of the sketches I did at the show.

Rachael Smith with her latest book, Glass Half Empty.

At my table, ready for action. :)

Top Manga artist Sonia Leong.

With writer Leah Moore.

Minnie the Minx artist Laura Howell.

David Leach with his latest publication, MONOLITH.

The brilliant Roger Langridge.

Carol Ann Whitehead filming the event.

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