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Thought Bubble Remembered
I must say, I had a thoroughly wonderful time at Thought Bubble in Leeds last weekend. It's a serious comics festival, with workshops and exhibitions, that includes, on the Saturday, a dealers' room -based comic convention, with a curtained-off panel area in one corner of a big hall full of dealers. I did some serious socialising in the hotel bar on the Friday night, meeting the great artist Ben Templesmith for the first time, hanging out with Emma Vieceli, Adi Granov, Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie and ending up, as is becoming almost usual now, fixing the world in the early hours with Andy Diggle. Add to that my old mates from the Millarworld message boards, many of whom were working on the show, and I felt thoroughly warmed by good company. A chill set in, unfortunately, when I returned to the hotel room and couldn't sleep, and ended up simply staying up all night, worrying about all the stuff which doesn't seem nearly so terrible in the day. It was work related, and has now largely evaporated, but it was a tough old night.
On the Saturday, I plonked myself at my table, under the sign with my name on it, and proceeded to meet the public, sign things, and give away free comics all day, which, it turned out, I really enjoyed. It helped that I was sitting next to the Marvel artist Barry Kitson -
Who shares, according to the Millarworld guys, the title of 'nicest man in comics' with Mike Carey. To our surprise, it turned out we spent our childhoods within a few miles of each other: I recognised the accent. I did one panel, John Mosby of Impact magazine interviewing me, Adi, Diggle and Jock about the interface between comics and film and television, which I thought went very well, and seemed to please the audience.
Who shares, according to the Millarworld guys, the title of 'nicest man in comics' with Mike Carey. To our surprise, it turned out we spent our childhoods within a few miles of each other: I recognised the accent. I did one panel, John Mosby of Impact magazine interviewing me, Adi, Diggle and Jock about the interface between comics and film and television, which I thought went very well, and seemed to please the audience.
One of the loveliest things about the event was how cosplay has arrived at comic conventions. Girls in anime costumes everywhere, a majorly competitive contest between them, and that now, finally, starting to extend into the superhero worlds too -
Longtime readers will recognise the Millarworld Thor's hammer. I've really enjoyed the influx of enthusiastic young women into both comics and Doctor Who fandom: their fannish glee just makes everything better. When Rose, the young craftswoman who was put in charge of looking after us starts talking about how she's been a comics fan for six weeks, and how 'Tony (Stark) and Steve (Rogers) secretly love each other', you know something new is starting to happen.
Longtime readers will recognise the Millarworld Thor's hammer. I've really enjoyed the influx of enthusiastic young women into both comics and Doctor Who fandom: their fannish glee just makes everything better. When Rose, the young craftswoman who was put in charge of looking after us starts talking about how she's been a comics fan for six weeks, and how 'Tony (Stark) and Steve (Rogers) secretly love each other', you know something new is starting to happen.
Here's a quick wander around the hall and the cosplay -
Which gives a feeling for the day, I think. In the evening, the guests were treated to a fabulous Muslim restaurant meal, and the lack of alcohol at the table was frankly very welcome. Then we went on to the top floor of a casino/nightclub, where the afterparty was being held. By this point, I'd been awake for a hallucinogenic length of time, and thought DJ sets from the great Al Ewing, Gillen and McKelvie, and a playlist from Penny Broadhurst were hugely attractive, I just stuck my head into the Geek Syndicate live podcast, then stumbled off home.
I had breakfast the next morning with Marvel editor Steve Wacker, who I'd never really met before. He turned out to be a thoroughly nice chap, with that attractive New York badda bing that Marvel seems to coach its folk in, and loads of sincerity backing it up. He'd been looking at portfolios and meeting the public and creators for almost as long as I'd been awake, but, like me, seemed buoyed up by how well looked-after we'd been. It's a real sign of a good attitude when there's always a steward popping by to ask if the poor dehydrated creators want some more water. Judging by the numbers through the door, the event seems to have been a great success with the public also. Organisers Lisa Wood, Clark Burscough and Michael Bennett (and my old mates Sabrina and Mark Peyton) deserve congratulations on a superb event. Alongside Birmingham, it feels like the new generation of British comic conventions is thriving. Now, if only Thought Bubble could organise a new UK comics awards!
It's good to have peers, and in British comics I really feel welcomed by the friends I have. A drunken pile of them in a hotel bar is always a welcome sight. Cheerio!
Labels:
Comics,
cosplay,
Thought Bubble
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You know if you want a new comics award then you're going to have to help organise/compere it :) I refuse to set it up knowing what you're like at the back of the hall.
I'm only like that when the awards are shoddy. Make it good and you'll be fine.
This may require more thought. Lots more thought.
Couldn't agree more - fantastic event packed with great people.
And now with added Mjolnir!
Paul,
Nice report.
Thought Bubble was my first comics event and I spent more time talking to the dealers and hanging with some of my friends from Insomnia Publishing. So I never actually got to meet to many of the creators and artists that were there. Aside from yourself and Leigh Gallagher.
Highlights for me were everything because simply put I kind of felt like a lost 7 year old kid trying to make sense of everything but having fun while doing so.
Was great to meet you, and also great to meet many of the people have been talking to on the net.
Hopefully when I go to another event like this I'll be a little better at circulating myself around and will know a few more people to boot.
I had a bit of trouble hearing the talks. But in all honesty it didn't really bother me that much because I sort of enjoyed being in the crowd with all the dealers.
Glad you had a good time. I think there were volume issues with the presentation area.
Hey, what is this "the great artist' thing sir? You give me far too much credit.
I usually actually only go by "Oi, it's wassisname".
But I'll take the compliment anyway. ;)
Well, it's much deserved!
Ah well. Mr Templesmith. From what have seen of your work. I've mostly liked. That could change though if you start drawing sheep in fields and stuff like that:)
Paul, just finished reading Captain Britain And MI13: Vampire Nation. I really enjoyed it. Sad though that it will be the last Captain Britain for awhile:(
I kind of enjoyed Dracula as the general sort of character and enjoyed the arc involving Spitfire. Was a moment of bitter sweet sadness when Blade kills her son. A part of me was kind of hoping he'd have a shot at redeeming himself.
Either way. I can now happily say have read all of CB. I'll have to start pestering Rich to get me caught up on Black Widow: Deadly Origins now. I liked her in the Avengers.
Reading Black Dossier right now between breaks.
Anyhow got to go. Would like to discuss some Doctor Who at some point. I mean I watched the Hartnall Beginnings Box Set other day and was kind of taken with the story which totally takes place onboard the Tardis.
I'd love to see them do an episode similar to that with the new series. I mean all we've seen of the new Tardis is the console room. I'd love to see what the living quarters are like and stuff like that. I mean just one episode onboard the tardis might be fun.
After reading this blog entry, I had to smile and introduce myself as a young woman across the Pond who is into both comics and Doctor Who. Please allow me to shower my fannish glee all over you! :)
Started reading comics in 2004, when a friend lent me his trades of Sandman. After that, I started devouring everything and loving non-superhero and superhero comics equally. To me, if it's good, I'll read it, and I don't automatically consider superhero comics "less than." I've seen some brilliant work done w/superheroes...
Was first introduced to your work at NY Comic Con last year. You were on a panel where you were introducing your Young Avengers limited series, and the way you were talking about it made me think "Someone who actually respects the Young Avengers! This I have to read." So I did, and I loved it.
I was reading it as I was watching Doctor Who on DVD for the first time. When I got to "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood" I was totally overcome by how good the writing on this show was, and when I rewound it to see who wrote those episodes, there was your name and I was all "OMG, it's THAT guy! Must...read...or watch...more...Paul...Cornell!" (and also Steven Moffat - your two episodes and "Blink" are my three favorite episodes of New Who) I'll be on the Captain Britain bandwagon very shortly.
If you're ever at NY Comic Con again, I will probably be there, and I hope you won't mind if I gave you a great big hug for your wonderful stories, and for the inspiration you give me. I'm a writer as well, mostly working in the sci-fi/fantasy/dystopia realm, and watching/reading what you do makes me want to be better and helps me work toward that.
Wow, but that was long and sappy. To get that saccharine taste out of your mouth, I'll leave you with this. Speaking of fangirls talking about Tony Stark and Captain America getting it on...I think it's HIGH time that The Doctor and Captain Jack succumbed to each other, don't you? Be a darling and do something about that for the fifth series, would you? The ladies will be very, very grateful. :)
Sincerely, and with highest regard,
Teresa Jusino
PS - I'm currently watching First Doctor episodes of Doctor Who on DVD. LOVED "The Aztecs" and the one set in Ancient Rome, but "The Web Planet was horribly, laughably, ridiculously bad. Oh, 1960s television...
Thanks, Ian. Thanks, Teresa, and welcome! I will hopefully see you at the NY Comic Con next year. I'm in no position to promise anything about the Doctor and Jack, mind you. And good on you for checking out Hartnell. My favourite is the audio-only The Massacre, while Galaxy Four is like a school play. Cheers.