Tube Surfing 6 July 2009: Scotch Corner, Harker, Tom Baker, Bodysnatchers and Cricket

• Those pesky Scottish creators are attempting another coup of downthetubes with a reminder that Scotch Corner, a collection of Scottish artists, is up and running. The fine team from north of the border include Thomas Crielly, Gary Erskine, Andy Hepworth, Jon Hodgson and Graeme Neil Reid.
"Every day there will be a new piece of art posted, each artist posting on a certain day," says Thomas" We kicked off last Wednesday so have a look and feel free to comment on the images."
The blog will also feature the work of guest artists: on Sunday, Leigh Gallagher kindly provided this splendid 2000AD-inspired image.

• A quick reminder that the London Film and Comic Con takes place later this month (Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July) at Earl's Court 2. As well as media guests such as Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise), Tom Baker (Doctor Who), Bruce Boxleitner (Babylon 5, Heroes) and Eve Myles (Torchwood), comics creators such as Spider-Man artist Lee Townsend, The Beano's Henry Davies, Doctor Who Magazine's Mike Collins, John Charles and Al Davison are also on the guest list, as well as publishers such as Orang Utan Comics. More info via www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com/.

• ComicBitsOnline has a round up of all the new Classics Illustrated titles now on sale in British newsagents, which include digitally enhanced editions of Mutiny on the Bounty, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. You can also subscribe to the series online via the official web site at: http://www.classicsillustrated.co.uk

• Brilliant British cartoonists news site Bloghorn - for some reason, often a breed apart from comics artists, although I'm never sure why or how that happened - reports the Chris Beetles Gallery in London will stage A Celebration of Cricket: From Ashes to Zooter from 15th July 15 until 8th August.
Encompassing 200 years of cricket and featuring illustrations and watercolours, more than half the show will be devoted to cartoons, including the work of Glen Baxter, Mark Boxer, Tony Husband, Jak, John Jensen, Larry, Nick Newman and many more.
The Chris Beetles Gallery, is at 8 and 10 Ryder Street, St James’s, London (nearest Tube Green Park or Piccadilly Circus) is open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 5.30pm. The gallery’s website can be found at www.chrisbeetles.com

• 2000AD and Star Wars artist Colin Wilson reports he's got his own web site. "After 14 years of maintaining a website, I've finally got myself a domain name. With my old ISP cutting me off a lot quicker than expected, thanks to Wolfgang at Gestalt my comic work, in all its glory, can now be found here (http://web.mac.com/wilco440). Who knows, I might even have the time to update the site one day...."

• Over on the Forbidden Planet International blog, Richard Bruton has given a glowing review to the latest issues of indie detective comic treat Harker, the work of York-basd publishers Ariel Press, which we had no hesitation in plugging earlier in the year. "Harker issue 1 & 2 were reviewed a few weeks back. The verdict: I thought it was great," he opens. "So with issues 3 & 4 I was really hoping it was going to live up to the promise of the first issues. Well, [Roger] Gibson & [Vince] Danks have taken that promise and really gone for it. If 1 & 2 established the characters and setting and dastardly plot, then 3 & 4 are where they relax and open out into the story some more. It’s still completely fantastic genre stuff but it just gets better and better and better here."
Issue 5 is already on the shelves at Traveling Man in York and is winging its way to the other stores Ariel supply over the next day or so. If your local comic shop doesn't supply it, please ask them to drop me an email: roggibson1@aol.com - we'd be very happy to supply them, and will make it very easy for them (and even offer them a really good rate). Read the full review here or find out more about the comic at www.arielpress.com

• Talking of indie publishers, head over to Insomnia Publications blog where, after a whole host of new titles and projects were announced last week, various art trailers for them also now feature. Upcoming titles include Burke and Hare by Martin Conaghan (interviewed about the project here) and Will Pickering, Oz: Fall Of The Scarecrow King by Barry McGowan, Damaged Goods: Manifestation by Mark Chilcott and Butterflies and Moths by Jennie Gyllblad. Head there now, or take a gander at their Burke and Hare preview on myebook...

DC Thomson Bids Farewell to former Beano Editor

Comics artist Lew Stringer picks up on news that broke over at web site Comics UK that Euan Kerr, DC Thomson's Deputy Manager of Children's Publishing and former long-standing editor of The Beano and other titles, is to retire.

Dismissing wild rumours that he had been sacked (but making no comment about that DC Thomson is engaged in a serious 'rationalisation' of its workforce at the hands of consultation company Pricewaterhouse Coopers, which include offers of voluntary redundancy), Euan told comics fans that while he was tempted to make up an exciting and intriguing reason for his departure, "I'm going by my own choice and didn't negotiate any special deal.

"After 40 years in the business and with my health and sanity almost intact, the lure of the golf course was too much!," Euan, who edited The Beano for 22 years before handing over to his Chief sub-editor Alan Digby in 2006 explained.

"I've loved my time in comics and hope to do some part-time writing," he added.

As editor of The Beano, Euan was intstrumental in keeping The Beano at the top of the UK comic sales chart for years, often appearing on TV to promote it. His credits also include The Crunch, where he worked as 'agony uncle' Andy (pictured above), as revealed in our Bill Graham interview last year.

He's always said he enjoyed his time on The Beano, and leaving the hot seat on the title back in 2006 was a wrench. "I was left a wonderful legacy of great comic characters by my two predecessors in the Beano hot seat, George Moonie and Harry Cramond," he revealed in an interview for the Forbidden Planet International blog back in 2006. "Over the years I tried to introduce new characters to topple Dennis the Menace from the top of the readers’ popularity polls.

"I’d have to admit that I didn’t even come close to achieving that aim," he admits. "I’d put this down to Dennis’s striking design and simple philosophy on life to pack in as much fun as he possibly can during waking hours. This allows the writers to unleash him into contemporary situations. I’ve often been quoted as saying that Dennis was the original Punk."

Alan Digby moves up to become what Euan describes as "Commander in Chief" of both The Beano and BeanoMAX, the monthly comic/magazine hybrid Euan launched in February 2007 as an 'older brother' to The Beano.

"Euan did a fine job both as an editor and as the media 'face' of The Beano for decades," notes Lew Stringer on ComicsUK. "The task of an editor can be a subtle one, as far as the readers are aware. We immediately notice art changes for example but the editorial guidance to a comic is often under the radar.

"It's fascinating to see how editors put their own stamp on a comic and Euan guided The Beano through some difficult periods in comic history when lesser titles fell by the wayside."

Not least of his problems during his time as editor was an instance in 2005 when an entire print run of 200,000 copies of The Beano was scrapped after its publishers noticed a cartoon character was rather too similar to Arsenal striker Thierry Henry. "In the cold light of day we felt it might cause offence and we did not want to do that so we replaced it," Kerr told the Metro newspaper at the times. "We thought it was safer as we always try not to offend anyone.'

Here at downthetubes, we wish Euan all the best on his retirement and every success in his endeavours beyond DC Thomson's Dundee HQ. These include an already sold out-event at for the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August where he'll be joining former Beano writer Morris Heggie and artist Jim Petrie in "bringing The Beano to life as you've never witnessed before." The event will involve the audience in inventing a new Beano-inspired character and watching it develop.

Right: Euan Kerr giving The History of Beano talk at the Glasgow Aye Write book festival in March this year. Picture: Jeremy Briggs

Apollo 11: Behind the Scenes?

Contributions to our 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing Comics Celebration album on the downthetubes forum are coming in daily, with this latest gem from comics, storyboard artist and illustrator Martin Baines, a tongue-in-cheek tip of the hat to the film Capricorn One, which capitalised on deeply ingrained claims that the moon landings never happened by positing a faked landing on Mars, all shot in a remote film studio.

Martin's credits include work for Match of the Day Magazine, Spaceship Away and many other magazines: he's represented by Smudged Pencil.

Here at downthetubes we're unconvinced by sceptics - given voice recently by character Tyrone Dobbs in Coronation Street, of all places - that the moon landings never happened, but Martin's art gave us a laugh.

Other contributors so far include Bugpowder contributor Dan Fish with a strip called "The Moon's A Balloon", the Etherington Brothers, Mike Nicoll, Malcolm Kirk, Doctor Who illustrator Colin Howard, games artist Gary Hall and Bob Bello.

More contributions from comics artists and illustrators to help mark this major anniversary for space exploration are very welcome: we see it as an opportunity to present a portfolio of themed work based on space and space exploration (real or imagined) that should generate press interest given the upcoming anniversary.

The album can be “embedded” on any web site. If there’s a strong response to this, we may also do a MyEbook version.

Text pieces are also welcomed: we're not quite sure how to present those yet, perhaps in another part of the downthetubes forum. We don’t want writers to be left out.

If you don't want to join our forum and upload art but would like to join in with the celebrations, simply send your work to johnfreeman6-moonlandinganniversaryart@yahoo.co.uk. Please ensure images are no larger than 2MB in size.

• Visit the downthetubes forum at: http://downthetubes.ning.com

In Review: Torchwood - Rift War

When Titan Magazines launched Torchwood The Official Magazine in January 2008, they chose to follow the example of Panini's Doctor Who Magazine and include a comic strip. While the Doctor Who comic strip is an historical remnant of Doctor Who Magazine's beginnings as the Doctor Who Weekly comic, a comic strip in the magazine of the more adult orientated Torchwood was seen as a brave move on editor Simon Hugo's part. It did raise a few eyebrows when in the first issue's comic strip The Legacy Of Torchwood One artist SL Gallant drew the story's main guest star as actor and comedian Bill Bailey while the lack of a comic strip in issue 2 left readers wondering just what was going on. However it was back in issue 3 while issue 4 began the ten part Rift War story arc. Titan's Rift War graphic novel is the first compilation of that comic strip and features the ten part story of the same title plus Jetsam, the Brian Williamson written and illustrated story from issue 3 concerning gigantic alien motorcycles.

Despite the photographic front cover only featuring the season three cast, the stories are set before the deaths of Owen and Toshiko in season two. Cardiff is attacked by the Harrowkind alien warriors who came through the Rift and as the Torchwood operatives battle them they soon realise that it is a diversionary tactic to steal the Rift Manipulator from the Hub. Tosh recovers the manipulator with the help of the alien Vox who remains at Torchwood as he is on the run from the Harrowkind's masters, the Sanctified. After a few less violent Rift disturbances the Sanctified attack once again and Torchwood have to decide if their enemy's enemy can really be called their friend.

While the ten episodes are all called Rift War this is more of a story arc than one subdivided story with some of the episodes in the middle having little to do with the main plot. Of the different episodes the odd Funhouse, in which a giant alien baby is cared for by Gwen and Rhys, sits most uncomfortably amongst the rest while Dino Crisis, as fun as it is, would have made a better Primeval story that a Torchwood one. However the stories are at their best when in full Rift War mode with each eleven page monthly episode becoming part of the greater story as our heroes battle their unseen enemies. The stories here depend more on the full team than the TV series, with its emphasis on Gwen's character, does and while some episodes feel that they could be made on a television budget others are deliberately more outlandish.

The original publication in the then monthly magazine was A4 size but here the pages have been reduced to an American size for this softcover graphic novel. While it therefore sits comfortably with the modern American IDW Doctor Who reprint books, it feels out of place beside the British Panini Doctor Who Magazine reprints that you would have expected it to fit better with. In addition to this, while the creators of the strips are all credited at the front of the book there is no credit breakdown per episode. Since most episodes are preceded by an effectively blank page it would have taken little extra effort to credit the writers and artists at the beginning of each section that they worked on the in the same way that, for instance, Rebellion does in their Nikolai Dante reprint books.

The credits are not as straight forward as you would expect, with Paul Grist illustrating six of the ten parts while only writing four, Simon Furman providing the scripts for the others, while one of Ian Edgington's three stories is with SL Gallant rather than long time collaborator D'Israeli who does the other two. Wikipedia provides a better credit source than Titan do for the reprints in this book.

No doubt the photographic cover will have more people in shops picking the book up to browse through it than a comics cover would have, while the changing of artists throughout the book may prove to be a drawback for the non-comics fans. SL Gallant's art would be the most accessible while Paul Grist's and D'Israeli's more extreme styles may prove to be a turn off to the non-comics reader, yet for the comics reader the opposite will probably be true. Indeed the story is at is best when Paul Grist is both writing and illustrating and this book really should be considered a must-buy for Grist fans.

Overall, the book makes a welcome addition to the comics Whoniverse particularly for those who are not quite interested enough to pay the monthly magazine's cover price just for the comic strip.

Birmingham Con Helps Realize Creators Dreams

This year's British International Comic Show in Birmingham has announced the publication of the first winner of the BICS Got Talent Writing contest.

The lucky winner, John Howson, has had his Future Shock story “9 to 5” illustrated by the talented artist Ben Willsher in the latest issue of the world famous science fiction anthology magazine 2000AD, which is available now in all good newsagents.

Last year, two artists where also picked up by DC Comics when Editor Mark Chairello visited the show, and this year the organisers plan to keep helping to establish that career path from creator to publisher by working with artists, universities and publishers very closely.

This year - once again – artists will have the chance to show their work to DC Comics editor Michael Wright and other editors who will be attending the show.

As always, the UK’s largest event devoted to the medium of comics will also play host to a weekend long schedule of great events including an exclusive interview with visionary comics creator Howard Chaykin who will be flying over to take part in many other events over the weekend.

Visitors will also get the chance to meet artists from as far a field as Japan, Spain, and America including fan favourite artist Pasqual Ferry, who will be helping to celebrate 70 years of Marvel Comics along with other creators such as Alan Davis, Paul Cornell and Doug Braithwaite.

Along with the huge comics fair featuring the UK’s most reputable dealers and publishers and an eclectic and vibrant presence from the thriving UK indy scene this year’s BICS is sure to be the premiere event for all comics fans in 2009.

• To find out more about BICS visit: www.thecomicsshow.co.uk

• To find out more about 2000ad visit: http://www.2000adonline.com


All artwork © Rebellion BICS logo © International Comic Shows

'Nana Rocket launched by Forbidden Planet!

This is just a bit of Friday fun! In 1988, Forbidden Planet commissioned the young Rian Hughes to create the world famous rocket logo and typeface still used today.

Now you can own a piece of history with this vinyl replica, brought to 3D life by Matt ‘Lunartik’ Jones based on the acclaimed artist, designer and typographer Rian Hughes original logo design. This variant version comes complete with Lunartik Banana design!

• More pics and info here on the FP web site

BVC's Shades Enters Spirit World

British Web comic publisher Broken Voice Comics has just released Chapter 12 of its flagship title, the online graphic novel Shades online, plus some of the first pages of Chapter 13 have just been launched at its website. For the first time, the new chapters allow readers a glimpse of the story's mysterious spirit world.

Written by David A J Berner (whose adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Oval Portrait” was included in the Self Made Hero anthology Nevermore in 2007) and illustrated in full colour by E.C. Nickel, Shades is both a timely examination of the characteristics and traits that have come to define the British national character and an appreciation of the super hero genre, from a particularly UK perspective.

Until now, most of the action in Shades has taken place in a very real-world version of the UK, but the spirit world has always been hugely important to the story.

"We learn very early on that the Shaman (a prehistoric mystic) relies on the spirits for his knowledge, and that the energies of that world are the source of many of the characters’ unique abilities," reveals Berner. "From this point in the story, however, events in the physical world and the spirit world start becoming increasingly intertwined."

In Chapter 12 a demon spirit known as Thrawn manifests itself in the physical world. Able to twist and manipulate a person’s self-doubts and insecurities, the demon finds plenty of material to prey upon in the troubled minds of the British heroes who people Shades.

In Chapter 13, readers are finally given their first glimpse of what the spirit world is actually like.

"Technically," Berner elaborates, "we only make it as far as the Fringes – a kind of buffer zone between the physical and spirit worlds. But then, it’s not the most inviting of places so perhaps that’s as close as we want to get!"

"The art team has done a fantastic job of rendering the nightmare landscape of the Fringes," David enthuses. "E.C. Nickel has really been able to demonstrate his love of surreal detail in these sequences, and the sombre, brooding colours by Muamal Khairi add a dimension that wouldn’t be out of place in an H.P. Lovecraft novel!”

Formerly the Senior Editor of webcomics studio Midnite Comics, David formed Broken Voice Comics in February 2006. Since its launch, Broken Voice Comics has been home to Berner’s own comic projects including Shades and his two four-part fantasy mini-series, The Spires and Hunted along with Guest Titles such as recent arrival G.A.A.K. by Darryl Hughes and Monique McNaughton.

Behind the scenes on the project, Berner informs us that work on this graphic novel is now nearing completion. "The script for Shades was written back in 2003,” he says, “so it’s been a long haul, but the end is finally in sight. The art team is already working on the last two full-length chapters (15 and 16) and then we just have a short epilogue to do, before we have to start looking at the options for putting together a collected print edition!”

• For more on Broken Voice Comics and its titles visit: www.brokenvoice.co.uk

Pasties Are Better Than Comics

Oh all right, that's not really true, but you'd be hard pressed to find more enthusiasm for the pastry-based food, created by the Cornish and whose reputation is frequently ruined by bakeries across the UK who simply have no idea how to make one*, than in Rob Jackson's fun new comic anthology devoted to them.

Celebrating this lunch time staple of Cornish miners, students and many others, indie British creator Rob Jackson has just launched the 28-page The Pasty Anthology, which features contributions from downthetubes contributor and new Dad Matt Badham, Jim Medway,
Steve Butler, Francesca Cassavetti, Dave Hughes, Ant Mercer and of course, Rob himself.

The Pasty Anthology available from Rob's web site, priced only £2.50 (PayPal accepted), free postage in the UK.

"I mentioned a random idea on my blog for a Pasty based story ('The Story of Greggs' – which was a Viz-style story, thinking of those pages in Viz every so often that are called things like ‘The Story of Honey’ or ‘How We Get Milk’)," explains Rob of the anthology's origins. "Dave Hughes was very keen and started drawing pages for it so I thought I’d better actually make it."

Rob admits it's a pretty off-the-wall theme for a comic, "but everyone likes pasties. I was happily surprised at how all the artists have gone for very different takes on the vague theme.

Rob tells us he hopes his fans and newcomers to his work and the other creators will enjoy the title, which he's been working on since February. "It's very funny," he enthuses, "and has lots of very diverse stories."

Despite creating a Pasty Anthology, Rob admits he's never made one of his own. "Cheese and onion is my favourite, or Greggs Vegetable pasty," he admits, "but Dave Hughes did masses of research for his two stories (which are very funny). He's like a method actor in his diligent research!"

• Buy The Pasty Anthology via www.robjacksoncomics.com

• Sample Pages and more info on Rob's blog: www.robjacksoncomics.blogspot.com

* (I once gave a proper Cornish pasty recipe to the now defunct bakery chain Birketts, which had a shop on the Lancaster University campus, but it did no good, they never produced a decent one).

Comics International Back for San Diego

Prompted by fans questions over on the downthetubes forum, Comics International's Barry Renshaw has sent us a short but hopeful message on the future of the much-missed comics news magazine, which has been consigned to scheduling hell for several months.

"We appreciate people have been waiting on info on Comic International's future," he says, "and [editor] Mike [Conroy] and I are working on a press release for the relaunch with 208 which will address all the queries of the forum.

"#208 will be out to coincide with the San Diego Comic Con and re-establish the monthly frequency we've been having problems with."

Barry adds that the CI Star Trek Special and the Horror Special should be in shops next week: having seen the interiors of the Trek Special it should prove a definite collector's item. It's beautifully designed and encompasses the entire history of Trek in comics with plenty of accompanying visuals. Fingers crossed, its publication will finally bring an end to CI's publication woes.

• More about Comics International at: www.comics-international.co.uk

Strip!: There’s no time like the present

Starting Sci-Fi comics month on the Strip! radio show for London-based arts channel Resonance FM, Alex Fitch talks to small press creator Paul Rainey about his serialised graphic novel There’s no time like the present, which he has been self publishing as individual comic books over the past five years.

TNTLTP tells the story of a group of friends from Milton Keynes who suffer from the usual concerns of our generation – niche interests, unfulfilling jobs, difficulties with dating etc. – but in a world where time travel exists and the UK in the present day is a holiday vacation for patronising visitors from the future.

Alex and Paul talk about the latter’s influences from Alan Bleasdale to Doctor Who, Kurt Vonnegut to Coronation Street, how the opening of a new memorial in Milton Keynes is best attended by a Dalek and the process of telling a long form narrative with an unusual structure.

• Strip!: There’s no time like the present airs at 5.00pm today, Thursday 2nd July, repeated 11.30pm 05/07/09, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) and streamed at www.resonancefm.com and podcast soon after transmission at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Ex Astris Artist Celebrates Moon Landings

Mike Nicoll, the creator of CGI comic Ex Astris featured in Spaceship Away, has sent us this fab piece of art to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first human moon landing, which forms part of a gallery of art marking the event over on thedownthetubes forum.

Several artists have contributed images so far for our celebration, including Doctor Who illustrator Colin Howard, Space Age Magazine editor Bob Bello and the Etherington Brothers.

More contributions are welcome. More details on how to contribute here

Pride Illustrated at Foyles

Illustrators, cartoonists and artists gathered in London yesterday to discuss graphic literature and queer culture as part of Pride London, for an event chaired by comics expert Paul Gravett.

The line up at the event, held at Foyles book shop, included Kate Charlesworth, David Shenton, whose work is currently on show at the Glasgow Musesum of Modern Art as part of sh(OUT), Sina (The Book of Boy Trouble) Shamsavari, Rachael House, whose work features in the forthcoming US anthology Spilling Over, and Howard Hardiman . Unfortunately, Jeremy Dennis, who is producing comics with the Whores of Mensa, and was scheduled to at the event, didn't make it.

• For more on Pride London visit: www.pridelondon.org

Combat Colin: The New Brickman

Brickman is dead and there's a new Brickman patrolling Guffon City - ex-Marvel UK hero of the 1980s, Combat Colin!

The bobble-hatted bucaneer ditches the bobble hat for a black cowl and cape in US publisher Active Images Elephantmen #20 on sale now in all good comic shops.

Brickman, a wonderful Batman parody, is the creation of top British cartoonist Lew Stringer. Originally created as a character for Marvel UK and featuring in titles such as Action Force, ownership of Combat Colin was assigned to Lew by Paul Neary, back when he was Editorial Director in the 1990s. This was part of a wider move by Neary to make good on promises that certain strips and characters - particularly those that featured in Marvel UK's Strip! comic - would be creator owned.

Let's hope this is just the start of a long overdue Combat Colin revival.

Talking of Lew Stringer, however, folk here may know he has been publishing a superb blog about British comics for many years, but, unfortunately, he's had to scale back on that.

"My apologies for a lack of blogs of late," he commented earlier this week. "I'm currently undergoing hospital eye tests for a potentially serious problem so it's quite a worrying time and probably best to keep away from the computer except for work.

"Hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly."

We wish Lew all the very best at this time.

• More info from the the official Elephantmen website!

In Review: Timeframes Dundee

Now in its third year, Dundee University's comics conference has become established as a regular part of the British comics year and both the number and the recognition factor of the comics creators who attend has increased year on year. Under the auspices of the Dundee Literary Festival, this year's Sunday conference had the theme of how comics both deal with, and subvert, the passage of time within their stories.

Prefaced by a morning workshop on writing for graphic novels by ex-2000AD editor David Bishop, the main conference began after lunch with an introduction by organiser Dr Chris Murray of the university's English department. After the pink Hawaiian shirt that he sported at the Beano celebration last year, Chris' shirt this time was a more ecological themed lime green. It is worth reiterating that Timeframes was set in a university and billed as a conference rather than a convention and so the first two speakers were academics with what was, to many in the audience, an over analysis of how time passes between the panels of a comic strip and how Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean used time in both the real and fictional worlds in the graphic novel of Signal To Noise.

The dryness of the initial two topics was brought into sharp perspective with the first talk by a comics creator. Manga Shakespeare artist Emma Vieceli bounded to the front of the lecture theatre in an explosion of enthusiasm that lifted the mood of the room considerably. Looking for all the world like a Manga character herself, with her long hair and black and white outfit, she took the audience through her adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing showing the real Italian locations that she had used as well as her more unusual graphical trickery to illustrate parts of the narrative. Borders, who were running the bookstall in the reception area, definitely missed out here as they did not have any copies of Much Ado About Nothing of sale on their stall which would have sold well for them based on the first enthusiastic applause of the day from the audience. The final speaker of the first section was Dr Mel Gibson, who regularly gives talks to non-academic audiences, covered how Bryan Talbot dealt with different time periods and the story-within-a-story concepts of Alice In Sunderland. While the earlier talk didn't inspire me to read Signal To Noise this did make me want to return to Talbot's book and the number of people looking at it on the bookstall afterwards suggested that I was not alone.

The break after this allowed for free refreshments before the audience moved upstairs to the Lamb Gallery where the exhibition of artwork from DC Thomson's Starblazer digest was formally opened. Starblazer editor Bill McLoughlin gave the attendees a gallery talk as he walked around the exhibits pointing out details and relating tales of his time on the title. Also at the gallery talk were artists Ian Kennedy, Keith Robson and Colin MacNeil with cover artists Kennedy and Robson each getting a wall of the gallery devoted to their work while one of MacNeil's covers had been blown up into an enormous poster sized print. This free exhibition is now open to the public until 22 August 2009.

The second selection of talks began with editor Bill McLoughlin and artist Keith Robson talking about their work at DC Thomsons in general and on the Starblazer title in particular with some good natured needling of each other over the differences between editorial and artistic concepts of the same idea. As much as they did overrun their time slot, I could have listened to much more of this. Next up was academic Peter Hughes Jachimiack with a presentation given the less than riveting title of "Days Of Future Passed: A 1970s Britain, Economic Downturn An Utopian Futures In Children's Science Fiction Comics". This actually turned out to be an interesting overview of Starlord comic with an emphasis on Ro-busters and in particular the Lep-R rocket/Midpoint Tower collision story, as illustrated by Ian Kennedy, with its 9/11 overtones. Next up was ex-Tharg David Bishop, a university lecturer himself nowadays, with an entertaining look at how Alan Moore dealt with the concept of time in two different 2000AD Future Shocks and the final Halo Jones story. Artist Gary Erskine came next with a heavily illustrated talk on his work on the Virgin Dan Dare series from concept to completion emphasising writer Garth Ennis' attention to visual detail on his designs. A short presentation from Insomnia's Cameron Coutts on the Edinburgh company's current and forthcoming range of graphic novels completed the session.

After more refreshments and a popular signing session from all the professionals still in attendance, the conference moved into its final section with its two keynote speakers. Writer Alan Grant had originally been intending to talk about his career in comics but had been inspired by the academic nature of the event to instead change his theme to his thoughts on the current state of comics aimed at primary school age children. Emphasising the general lack of stories in the titles and the blandness of those that were included, he ranged from Barbie to biblical Armageddon making the point that children just are not interested in bland stories. The conference concluded with a short talk from writer Warren Ellis which had been, if his blog is to be believed, written earlier that day and fuelled by Red Bull and cigarettes. With Ellis seated comfortably at the theatre's microphone he concluded with a long Q&A session allowing the audience more of an interactive opportunity with him than with any of the other guests.

With other literary and book festivals regularly charging upwards of £9 per guest talk, at £10 for the entire day, plus refreshments during each break, Timeframes was an absolute bargain. The university theatre was well equipped and spacious, if a little warm at times, and the reception area outside, with its good selection of graphic novels and comics related books for sale, allowed for socialising between sessions. In addition, with most guests taking the opportunity to chat in the reception area during the breaks, the day had a friendly feel which is what organiser Chris Murray was aiming for.

That said, the extant dichotomy between the erudition quest emanating from the divergent knowledge levels of the independent researchers present and the referential requirements of academic study may always prove to be a cause of concern prior to each Dundee event, treading as it does the fine line in its temporal ratio of conference vs convention, so the event chairs should remain aware that the interest length of the non-academics present will show an inverse ratio to the sentence density of dictionary level words used during the presentation of academic papers.

In other words, as long as the academic presenters remember that they are not presenting to a university level peer review but to a general albeit attentive and knowledgeable audience and that an illustrated conversational style is therefore preferable to reading from sheets of A4 with too many long words and too few full stops, then Dundee will remain as it was this year, an interesting as well as an unique part of the comics events diary.