Dundee Literary Festival - Comics Day

Scotland's love affair with comics continues in June in Dundee, the home of publishers D C Thomson.

In January writer Alan Grant gave one of the Edinburgh Lectures, while February was the successful Hi-Ex comics convention in Inverness and the release of the latest One Book - One Edinburgh graphic novel, Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and its associated tie-in events. March was quiet, while April was the start of the Local Heroes comics exhibition at the National Library Of Scotland and its wide range of talks and presentations. May continued the Local Heroes exhibition, added the Eagle Society's annual meal and weekend of events and talks in Edinburgh, and will end in Prestonpans with the Prestonpandemonium 3 comic mart with its associated exhibition and talks. Edinburgh still has the International Book Festival to come in August.

Last year Dundee University held a comics conference entitled Biff! Bam!! Crikey!!! as part of the Six Cities Design Festival, which this year has evolved into the Comics Day of the university based Dundee Literary Festival. Running from 1pm until 6pm on Sunday 22 June, the day consists of a series of talks from comics creators and historians in the New Teaching Block of Dundee University, which is only a short walk from the city centre and the main train station.

One of the highlights of last year's Biff! Bam!! Crikey!!! was Paul Gravett's talk on the history of British comics which tied in with his Great British Comics book. This year he is back with a talk on Crime Comics and is preceded by Roger Sabin talking on How Comics Work. The number of comics creators is greater than last year with another highlight of last year, Metaphrog, returning to talk about their Louis graphic novels. In addition to Metaphrog, DC Thomson artist Jim Glen will be there to talk about his work, editor of the Mammoth Book of Best British Manga Ilya will talk about the impact of Manga, while the day will conclude with a talk from Alice In Sunderland artist and writer Bryan Talbot.

More details are available from the Dundee Literary Festival website and tickets cost £10 for the full day or £5 for each half of the programme.