Had a great time at Spring Comiket in the Bishopsgate Institute, East London on Saturday. The Comica organisers Paul Gravett, Peter Stanbury and Megan Donnolley did an amazing job, as always, pulling such a big shindig together, and bringing in the crowds.
The bustling Comiket floor. Where's Timothy Winchester?
I’ve been to Comiket for the last four years, starting back when all I had to sell was Delicate Axiom and the Lucy the Octopus Mini Comic, when Comiket consisted of around twelve tables of creators selling their wares in a relatively small room in the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Good to see how its snowballed!
This time around I wasn’t selling, but catching up with old comic scene friends and meeting creators. I also managed to pick up a lovely bounty of small press comics…
Suki Kabuki displays small-press comic goodness
Top row:
Sevillana featuring the Alien Battle Monkey of Doom by Marina Williams
Jumping the Shark by Sammy Borras
Middle Row:
Panic Attacks 1: In the Beginning by Francesca Cassavetti
Places I Left You by Douglas Noble
Cafe Suada Vol 1. by Jade Sarson
Wu Wei by Mike Medaglia
Bottom row:
The Human Beings and Social Notworking by Sofia Niazi
Fecal Depot 3 by Aaron ‘Smurf’ Murphy
The Life of Noise by Emma Mould and Andrew Godfrey
The Phoenix Issues 14 & 15
Alex "Smurf" Murphy holds Fecal Depot 3
Very nice running into Aaron ‘Smurf’ Murphy and picking up the latest volume of his compendium of work, Fecal Depot. The issue contains Zardok Infiltration, a story that I’d written for the hugely talented Aaron to illustrate. It was great to see how good his art for the story looks in print.
Marina Williams and Sevillana featuring the Alien Battle Monkey of Doom, plus cup cakes
Nice to meet Kiwi, Marina Williams and get a copy of Sevillana featuring the Alien Battle Monkey of Doom. Note to the Comics Industry: Free gourmet cupcakes with every comic is an excellent idea.
Jade Sarson hides behind Cafe Suada
Next up I spotted future comics megastar Jade Sarson. I’m loving Cafe Suada!
Douglas Noble holding Places I Left You
Picked up a cool looking stand alone comic from Douglas Noble. After the show in the pub, we reminisced about growing up playing games on a ZX Spectrum (coincidentally 30 years old today). We both agreed Horace and the Spiders kicked monkeys compared to Horace goes Skiing.
Andrew Godfrey holdsThe CF Diaries 1 while Emma Mould holds Secret Language 1
Good to see the lovely Andrew Godfrey and Emma Mould again, who despite hailing from Bristol seem to manage to make it to all the London comic events!
Hooligans, Sally-Anne Hickman and Francesca Cassavetti
At every comic show there’s always a few bad apples who spoil the tone for everyone else. See Sally-Anne Hickman and Francesca Cassavetti above.
Alex Fitch interviewing James Turner
My final pic is of the great comics journalist / interviewer Alex Fitch having a chat with Super Animal Adventure Squad creator James Turner. Alex did a marathon session totaling four hours on interviewing various comic talents. You’ll be able to hear the results on Panel Borders (the UK’s only weekly broadcast radio show about comics), broadcast on Resonance (104.4 FM in London and available online everywhere).
It was a good day – always inspiring! In fact, I’m off to draw a comic right now.
Promo image by me!
Lucy the Octopus – Written and created by me! Art by David O’Connell
Lucy the Octopus – Written and created by me! Art by Zarina Liew
2014
Banner WASP painting by Francesca Dare
Lucy the Octopus – Written and created by me! Art by Rachael Smith
2015
Go! Go! Metro! – Written and created by Inko and Chie Kutsuwada. Art by me!
Lucy the Octopus – Written and created by me! Art by Midori Harako. 
Now I’m thrilled, not only that Sarah and Francesca did a wonderful job pulling the comics together this year, but also that they’re going to continue the project next year – Onwards and upwards!
