Comiket coming up

The Dessinators are back this time with a second helping of selected comics from myself, Sally Anne Hickman and Sean Azzopardi, and will be found at St Martin's College of Art in King's Cross at Comiket on Saturday 2 November. Having been firing off in all different directions over the last few months , we are coming together once more, with renewed perspective and inspiration. While I have mostly been attending to family business, Sean seems to have been popping up at events all over the globe, while Sally Anne is embarking on a M.A. in illustration at Camberwell.

However, being faced with the necessity to produce material, I managed to pull something out of the bag and seem to be back on track for now.

New arrivals

Look what arrived today! I may not have any new goodies ready yet, but having sold out of this old perennial I've decided to reprint a second edition – complete with barcode – so I can reach a wider audience. And the table plan for Comiket has finally been posted. I will be seated with Sean and Sally Anne, with all their exciting new wares, on table 5 tomorrow in the Studio Theatre at Central St Martins. Come and say hi!

Springfest

Spring is here at last. At least I think so. Saturday I will be joining my fellow Dessinators Sally Anne and Sean at a table at Comiket, this time relocated to Central St Martins behind King's Cross. For more information about exhibitors click HERE through to the page Liz Lunney has cleverly set up on facebook.

A grand day out in Bishopsgate

After five years of attending Comica's Comikets, the event has finally come of age.
Though previously held in some wonderful locations such as the ICA and the Pump House in Battersea Park, this the first time that the combination of venue and location has worked so well to bring in the kind of footfall that I'm sure made every exhibitor's day worthwhile. With plenty of passing trade, free entry and a magnificent continuous large-screen live drawing display kept visitors in the hall. A parade of talents, including such luminaries as Posy Simmonds, Woodrow Phoenix, Sarah Macintyre or the rockstar-like Brecht Evens, below, enthralled the punters and inspired them to purchase product.

Well done Paul and Peter and all the team!
And thanks for being such wonderful table companions, Sean, Sally Ann and Joe Decie.
Then we went to the pub.

Check out lots more pics HERE.

Next week Leeds Thought Bubble...

Cominget yours at Comiket

Next month I will be exhibiting at Comica's Comiket alongside my good friends and very talented individuals Sean Azzopardi and Sally Anne Hickman, as well as many other creators and publishers. It will take place at the Bishopsgate Institute and entry will be free.

Pubs, performances and revivals

I have been such a bad blogger. There are mitigating circumstances but I won't bore you.
I missed mentioning last month that the incredible Mr Nick Tesco performed on a stage with the Members for the first time in several years and was fabulous as always. We can but hope that the love he was rewarded with by all and sundry will spur him on to repeat the experience.
Last Sunday was Comiket in Russell Square. A most positive day, though the punters consisted mainly of trainspottery collectors ( "I only buy comics that have cricket or Fred Basset in them" was one riveting exchange). Easy to get to, convivial company, and the drawing performance thingy on the screen was a good initiative.
There have been mutterings of a pubdraw revival, your chance to sit in a pub and draw cocks in other people's sketchbooks. Or even get on with some work – watch this space.

Off to Paris today to pack up Ma's appartment as the move is imminent – should give me a couple of hours drawing time on the train.

Hypercomics and Pumphouse doings

Been rather sidetracked of late with the business of family, but as for the business of comics, I managed to attend the opening night of Hypercomics at the Pump House in Battersea Park and (wo)man a table at Comiket last Sunday.
I am also in the process of pulling together BASTARDS 2, the second issue of the anthology that took us to Angouleme this January, watch this space for more details. And I am beavering away at my contribution to Solipsistic Pop 3, honest!


















There have been other distractions, notably the visit of my good friend Nick over from LA with his family, entailing various reunions. Only three of the original line up could make it but can you spot the difference between then and now?

Comica Comiket

Saturday at the ICA. What can I say? GOOD DAY. Lovely venue, fantastic tablemates and shifted some stock.
Not so good that Lucy got her phone jacked by some pikey on her way out of work, but then Nick brought her to the after show pub and a couple of G&Ts put a smile back on her face.
Managed a few sketches – a couple of which I'm quite pleased with, and picked up a handful of comics I haven't yet had a chance to look at.
Last night we went to The Soho revue bar to catch the splendidly tuneful and musically eclectic Oh Atoms whose catchily poppy Sugar Mice should be huge. And I finally got round to reading Matter from Philip Barrett. I swapped a couple of mine for issues 1 and 7 with him at Leeds, both very accomplished. Issue seven has a Daniel Clowes vibe, a kind of Twilight zone story, creepy with a twist, and brilliantly drawn.
I have now produced four canvasses for the Christmas do at the Alphabet Bar