New Comics Expo At Dundee University in March

Despite the sad cancellation of Hi-Ex in Inverness, there are an increasing number of Scottish comics events in 2013. 

The Glasgow Charity Comic Mart returns to the Panopticon Music Hall on the Saturdays of 2 March, 1 June, 7 September and 30 November, the Glasgow Film Festival continues its comics strand courtesy of Mark Millar in late February, the Glasgow Comic Con returns for its third year at a date and location that have yet to be announced, the Edinburgh International Book Festival from 10-26 August has turned up some very interesting comics events in previous years, Collectormania will be at Glasgow's Hillhead Arena again on the weekend of 24-25 August and, while it is too far ahead to be announced yet, we would be disappointed if the Dundee Comics Day didn't run again at the end of October as part of Dundee University's Literary Festival.

 

In addition to these old favourites, the Dundee University manga/anime convention this year is Doj-Con, following the D-Cons and Dee-Con of previous years, which is on Saturday 13 April, the Scottish capital gains the Edinburgh Toy And Comic Mart at the RAF Club on Saturday 20 April, while MCM Expo comes to the Glasgow SECC for the long-winded Memorabilia And Scottish Comic Con on Saturday 31 August.

 

The University Of Dundee has been a consistent part of the Scottish comics scene for some years now hosting the Dundee Comics Day and the name changing D-/Dee-/Doj-Cons and they have just announced a new comics event - the Dundee Comics Expo. 

This free Expo will take place in the University's Tower Building, where the annual Comics Day is held, on Saturday 30 March 2013 from 11am to 4pm. The Tower Building is a short 10 minute walk from Dundee's train and bus stations, and not that far from the imposing statue of Desperate Dan, Dawg and Minnie The Minx in the city centre.

In addition to signing tables for artists including Gary Erskine and Alex Ronald, and sales tables for dealers including Plan B and small pressers including Team Girl Comic, the event will be welcoming artist/writers David Lloyd and Karrie Fransman to Dundee for the day, both of whom will be giving free talks. 

More guests are planned and will be announced on the event's Facebook page.

First Edinburgh Toy and Comic Mart announced

The first ever Toy & Comic Mart in Edinburgh will take place on Saturday 20th April, organised by Hero Conventions and local retailer Heroes & Idols.

Running from 11.00am - 4.00pm, the free event will take place at the RAF Club, 11 Hillside Crescent, London Road, Edinburgh EH7 5EA - only a few minutes walk from McDonald Road Library where the Edinburgh Oxfam Comic Events used to take place.

The local indie press, including Black Hearted Press, will have tables along with the usual mix of specialist traders and special attractions include a prize raffle, freebies and guest talks (limited numbers). The organisers will be announcing the guest line up at a later date.

More info: http://www.facebook.com/hero.edinburgh or email: Enquiries@heroconventions.com

Team Girl Comic Issue 6 Available At Thought Bubble

The Glasgow based collective Team Girl Comic will be appearing at Thought Bubble on the weekend of 17/18 November 2012 where they will be releasing their new Issue 6 complete with a colour cover by MJ Wallace.

Earlier this year TGC ran a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to fund Issue 5 and this proved so successful that the collective were not just able to print Issue 5, for which they increased the page count to 44, they were also able to reprint their sold-out earlier issues. Issue 5 was even adapted for Kindle and it is available via Amazon.

In addition to all six issues of their main title for sale at Thought Bubble, they will also have a selection of new TGC tote bags, postcards and badges available for sale as well as a selection of solo offerings by various Team Girl Comic contributors. These will include framed prints by TGC Issue 5 cover artist Coleen Campbell and TGC editor Gillian Hatcher's other titles, Go Wildlife which is also available on Kindle, and the flip comic Taxidermy Tales co-produced with Adam Smith.

Glaswegians won't be missing out on the Issue 6 action as the collective has scheduled a launch night for the issue at The Old Hairdressers in the city's Renfield Lane on Sunday 25 November starting at 7pm. They plan to turn the mezzanine floor of venue into a mini comic mart with a "drink 'n' draw" station. Entrance to the launch night is free and there are more details on the event's Facebook page.

There are more details of Team Girl Comic on their website, blog, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. 

Team Girl Comic issues are available to buy from their online shop as well as selected comics shops in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London.

Team Girl Comic will be at Thought Bubble 2012 and their table is number 7 in the Royal Armouries Hall.

Superheroes At Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has been running in Scotland's capital annually since 1950 and was upgraded to Royal status in 2010. As part of the greater Edinburgh Festival, the Tattoo takes place in the open air high above Edinburgh on the Castle Esplanade seven times a week between 3 and 25 August 2012 with upwards of 1000 performers displaying to an audience of around 10,000 people for each performance.

Since 2005 the Tattoo has included a 'son et lumiere' backdrop using the walls and ramparts of Edinburgh Castle itself to project massive images on. These have often covered military subjects and this year included a tribute to the fallen with images of poppies and the inscription from the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in London's Westminster Abbey.

So the displaying of a "KAPPOW" comic sound effect was something of a change of pace for the Tattoo as images of generic American-style superheroes were projected onto the Castle.

Amongst the massed military bands and selected civilian bands and dancers at this year's Tattoo, the band of the United States Naval Forces Europe performed a selection of musical themes from superhero television series and films described by the Tattoo as "highlighting the external battle between good and evil".

These were not all spandex clad superheroes as the audience appreciated a US Navy band appropriately playing the theme to the Popeye The Sailor cartoons while local British characters of Dennis The Menace, Minnie The Minx, Bananaman, the Broons and Oor Wullie were projected on the Castle with the full permission of DC Thomson as two performers dressed as Dennis and Minnie menaced the band on BMX bicycles.

The band, as with many of the other bands on display, marched and moved into different formations during their performance.

As the music changed to both the Main Theme and Can You Read My Mind? from 1978's Superman The Movie, the band moved into Superman's 'S' emblem as the image on the Castle walls changed to a Superman-style character sporting the Royal Standard Of Scotland's Lion Rampant on his chest.


The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place between 3 and 25 August 2012 and there are more details of the event and the opportunity to purchase the remaining tickets at the Tattoo website.

The BBC will be broadcasting a recorded version of the event later in August 2012.

Dennis to Menace the Edinburgh Tattoo

© DC Thomson

The 220,000 people who are expected to attend this year’s Edinburgh Tattoo (3rd-25th August) on the Castle Esplanade will witness one of the most unusual performance pieces in the event’s 60 year history. Sporting his famous red and white hooped jumper, it will be provided by cartoon character and arch mischief-maker, Dennis the Menace in company with comic favourite Minnie the Minx and her unique brand of mayhem.

Dennis and Minnie will perform stunts on BMX bikes during each performance this August as part of a shake-up of the long-running event and artists behind The Beano, Oor Wullie and The Broons have also created a special commemorative poster of the Tattoo, which will be distributed with all programmes for the event.

© DC Thomson

The poster, which features Wullie and several members of The Broons paying a visit to the highly-popular tourist attraction is apparently one of the spreads from Whaur's Oor Wullie?, book, on sale now in bookshops.

Said Tattoo Chief Executive and producer, Brigadier David Allfrey: “These celebrated characters are a universal element in our national mix. We have grown up with comics and some of us even enjoy them into adulthood! Everyone relishes the prospect of a little menace!

"While the Tattoo seeks to entertain and inspire it is always good to not take ourselves too seriously. This year has seen so many extraordinary celebrations: Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics both to set the scale. These are all about joy and we all love a celebration.”

But, even with the prospect of a little ‘menace’, this year’s Tattoo opens with a scene from faraway times with a Pictish warrior seizing upon a shiny pebble and taking the audience to the start of a magical journey across the ages. The sound of an ancient horn – a Bronze Age carnyx – signals the appearance of the Massed Pipes and Drums and the heart stopping sight and sounds of the very essence of the event.

Bringing together the very best pipe bands from across the globe – 12 pipe bands in all – featuring the award-winning Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Royal Corps of Signals, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland and Queen Victoria School, Dunblane. While from overseas, Melbourne’s Rats of Tobruk, the Australian Federal Police, the Manly Warringah and Scots College from Sydney, South Africa’s Cape Town Highlanders along with the Canadian Army complete the ranks of this prodigious massed pipe band.

With the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen’s accession to the throne as its principal theme, this year’s Tattoo also celebrates the ‘Year of Creative Scotland’ by spotlighting some of this country’s most enduring achievements.

Through dance, the audience will then be introduced to Scotland’s iconic textile – the spinning and weaving of Tweed as pipers, drummers and dancers from Queen Victoria School present an inspired dance piece with Sydney’s Scots College Pipes and Drums.A six-minute medley of music inspired by the Disney/Pixar film Brave, performed by the Bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Scotland, The Queen’s Division, The King’s Division and The Royal Air Force, then carries the audience from medieval Scotland, through its agricultural age and towards the industrial era.

Thereafter, the Tattoo Highland Dancers and the Canadiana Celtic Association tell the story of Scotland’s most successful export, Scotch Whisky, from the sowing and reaping of barley, into the mash tun, on to the distilling, casking and drinking of “Uisge Beatha – The Water of Life.”

From Australia, the Band of the Australian Defence Force present a selection of traditional and contemporary music tracing the transition from colonial times to present day.
There follows a tribute to Scotland’s engineering pedigree with a piece of dance inspired by the work in a foundry from the OzScot Australia dance troupe and music by Tap Dogs’ Andrew Wilkie.

Comic-strip superheroes are then celebrated by the United States Naval Forces Europe Band highlighting the external battle between good and evil and including some iconic local talent.

The story of rapid growth in communications and computing technology, helped by development of microprocessors and the Internet, is told through the precision drumming of sure-fire international crowd-pleasers Top Secret Drum Corps from the Swiss city of Basel.

Brigadier Allfrey said: “I am thrilled with our international guests. As ever the Tattoo is proud to present some of the very best!”

Highlights of the 2012 event will also include an amazing display of precision drill by The Guard of His Majesty the King of Norway, whose skill with bayonet tipped rifles has thrilled spectators on eight previous occasions.

The climax of the evening is an orchestral re-enactment of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation of 1953, concluded by an electrifying arrangement of Diamonds Are Forever and the audience joining hands for a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne – a brilliant spectacle of colour and sound that will leave spectators spellbound.

The Tattoo’s Chief Executive remarked: “Diamonds are forever and I would encourage everyone to dust off their tiaras, their bracelets and their earrings and… bring out a bit of bling! Edinburgh at festival time is a springboard into a splendid Scottish summer for our visitors. Let us all show them a good time.

“Of course, all of this would not be possible without the support of everyone who buys our tickets, the talented cast, our core team in Market Street, some expert contractors and our wonderful sponsors. And of course, Defence and our Armed Forces – in effect our principal sponsor,” he concluded.

• Some tickets for the 2012 Tattoo (3-25 August), priced £23 to £59, can still be obtained at www.edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or acquired by telephone on +44 (0)131 225 1188 or in person from the Tattoo Ticket Sales Office at 34 Market Street in Edinburgh.

Treating Comics Seriously: Six Questions For Curator Jesper Ericsson

Jesper Ericsson is the curator of the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen which celebrates the 200 year history of the Gordon Highlanders infantry regiment from its creation in 1794 to its amalgamation with the Queen's Own Highlanders in 1994.

The museum is holding an exhibition entitled Steadfast! Commando at the Gordon Highlanders Museum from 9 July to 30 November 2012, named after the English translation, Steadfast, of the regimental motto, Bydand. Jesper told Jeremy Briggs about the background to the exhibition the museum and why he wanted to hold an exhibition of Commando artwork.

DTT: Could you tell me a little about the regiment and the museum?
Jesper Ericsson: The Gordon Highlanders was one of the most famous infantry regiments of the British Army in its 200 years of existence (1794 - 1994), seeing service from the Napoleonic Wars, India, the North West Frontier, Afghanistan, both World Wars through to Malaya, Cyprus, Borneo, Northern Ireland and Bosnia. The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, is the current unit that includes in its antecedent history The Gordon Highlanders.

The Museum is a 5-Star Museum, one of only two in Aberdeen, and we are a completely independent self-financing charity. Because the number of core staff is so small, we would be lost without our extraordinary and loyal volunteers. We currently have around 180, who help in the tea room, guiding, collections, research and the garden. Many are Gordon Highlanders, some even who served in the Second World War, whereas others may have had family who were in the Regiment. Others come from different branches of the military and many have no connections to the Regiment at all! The Gordon Highlanders was very much a family Regiment, and that is how it still feels at the Museum thanks to our volunteers.

DTT: Did you read comics as a child and, since you became the curator of a military museum, were war comics a particular favourite?
Jesper: I can safely say that reading comics such as Battle, Warlord and Commando set me up for where I am today! I think I was about 9 or 10 when I discovered war comics, and have kept all the issues I ever bought. As a kid growing up in Cambridge, I still remember cycling down to the market in the middle of town on a Saturday morning, heading for a particular book stall that sold second-hand Commando comics for 10p an issue, 5p if it wasn't in the greatest of condition. Then after buying 10 - 15 issues, it would be back to my local newsagent to pick up my issue of Battle or later Battle Action Force, then home to devour the stories and artwork!! Up in the loft I've got hundreds of issues of these three titles and I still look out for old comics at car boot sales or second hand shops, and buy new ones every month, so the interest and buzz of seeing amazing new artwork and stories has never left me.

DTT: Why chose to put on an exhibition of Commando artwork in the museum?
Jesper: This is pretty much my dream exhibition, it's as simple as that, and when Calum Laird, Editor at Commando gave me the opportunity to loan artwork I absolutely leapt at it!

DTT: How did you choose the artwork that is on display and does it have any themes?
Jesper: Choosing covers was both incredible and nightmarish. For every cover that was chosen, I could have happily picked a dozen more! There are themes - for example alongside the Commando display I've curated a special exhibition about The Gordon Highlanders in North Africa, in particular the Battle of El Alamein since it's the 70th anniversary of the battle later this year. In this special exhibition room, I've got quite a few desert themed covers, including issue 1 'Walk - or Die!' In the corridor outside, where the main Commando display is, it's a wide variety (air, sea and land) to try and show a 50-year sweep of what Commando is all about - from classic covers to some more unusual ones. I've also picked several with a Scottish theme to throw in the mixture. You'll have to come and visit to find out more!

DTT: The publicity for the exhibition includes an image by Ian Kennedy of a piper, what is the story behind this?
Jesper: Yes, this is brilliant. When I was going through the covers, in the back of my mind I was looking for a 'poster boy', for want of a better expression. Then I came across this cover by Ian Kennedy from issue 2349 'Warrior Blood', published back in 1990 and never reprinted, and thanks to some wizardry from the Commando design team, he was magicked into a Gordon Highlanders piper! We're very chuffed with him indeed, as he's completely and utterly unique to us.

DTT: Will the museum have any events relating to the Commando exhibition during its run?
Jesper: Most definitely. At 1pm on Monday 9 July, we've got a 'Meet the Commando Team' event at the Museum. This is completely free, but needs to be booked. We're hoping to see editor Calum Laird, deputy editor Scott Montgomery, graphic designer Grant Wood, former editor George Low plus artists Ian Kennedy and Gordon Livingstone, who will be taking questions and signing comics, so I'm really looking forward to that as you can imagine. We have also got art classes and other activities planned. The best place to look is the events page of our website, as any updates will be announced there first.

DTT: Jesper, thank-you for your time.

The Steadfast! Commando At The Gordon Highlanders Museum runs from 9 July to 30 November 2012. Entrance to the exhibition is included in the normal museum admission price.

There are more details of the Gordon Highlanders Museum at the museum website and an up-to-date listing of all the museum's events in the website's events section.

There are more details of Commando at the official Commando comic website.

Steadfast! Commando Art Exhibition in Aberdeen

For the third time in less than twelve months the Commando archive has been opened to allow artwork to be used in a public exhibition. After the Draw Your Weapons exhibition in London's National Army Museum and the Battlelines exhibition in the University Of Dundee barely a month later, the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen are about to present Steadfast! Commando at The Gordon Highlanders Museum.

This is a new display of Commando artwork especially selected by the museum from the DC Thomson archive and includes a special section commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein and the role of the Gordon Highlanders in the Desert War in 1942 and 1943. The exhibition opens at the museum on Monday 9 July 2012 and runs until Friday 30 November 2012 and entrance to the Steadfast! exhibition is included in the general admission price for the museum.

In addition to the exhibition itself, the museum will be holding the following tie-in events -

Meet the Commando Team - Monday 9 July 2012
"A unique opportunity to meet the team behind Commando Comics. A short talk will be followed by a Q&A and signing session."
This session will include Commando editor Calum Laird, deputy editor Scott Montgomery, graphic designer Grant Wood, former editor George Low and two long time Commando and DC Thomson artists, Ian Kennedy and Gordon Livingstone.
Monday 9 July, Sir Jack Hayward Room, 13.00 – 14.00. Free but booking required. This is a family event for age group 5+.

Operation: Art Attack! Children’s Session - Friday 20 July 2012
"To coincide with our special exhibition, Steadfast! Commando at The Gordon Highlanders Museum, we are offering this unique opportunity to create your very own Commando style comic. Starting with basic building blocks you will discover the techniques needed to bring a story to life through illustration and design. Working with an artist you will create a finished piece by the end of the session."
Friday 20 July, The Education Room, 10.00 – 12.00, then a one hour break for lunch before restarting at 13.00, ending at 15.00. Lunch not provided, bring your own or use the museum tearoom. Cost £10.00 per child (payment made on the day), booking required. Suitable for age group 9+.

Operation: Art Attack! Adult Session - Saturday 21 July 2012
As above.
Saturday 21 July , The Education Room, 10.00 – 12.00, then a one hour break for lunch before restarting at 13.00, ending at 15.00. Lunch not provided, bring your own or use the museum tearoom. Cost £15.00 per adult (payment made on the day), booking required. Suitable for age group 16+.

Commando Collage - Wednesday 25 July 2012
"Commando covers are famous for their vibrant design, action and accuracy. This class will explore our special exhibition as inspiration to design your very own Commando comics front cover using collage techniques. "
Wednesday 25 July, The Education Room, 11.00 – 13.00. £2 per child (payment made on the day), booking required. Suitable for age group 5+.

Steadfast! Commando At The Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen runs from 9 July to 30 November 2012.

There are more details about the exhibition on the museum website and an up-to-date listing of all the museum's events in the website's events section.

Gaiman at Edinburgh Book Festival - tickets still available

A quick reminder that Neil Gaiman will be at the Edinburgh Book Festival on 13th August alongside Chris Riddell (who's the Edinburgh Book Festival's illustrator in residence). The pair of them will be discussing Coraline turning ten years old. "We may talk about other things too," says Neil.

"Right now there are a still some tickets, and the ordering lines seem to have gone away," Neil notes on his blog.

- Check in at http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/coraline-with-neil-gaiman-chris-riddell/buy-tickets

 

Commando Steadfastly Soldiers On

For the third time in less than twelve months the Commando archive has been opened to allow artwork to be used in a public exhibition. After the Draw Your Weapons exhibition in London's National Army Museum (with downthetubes being the only British comics website invited to the opening night last September) and the Battlelines exhibition in the University Of Dundee barely a month later, the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen are about to present Steadfast! Commando at The Gordon Highlanders Museum.

This is a new display of Commando artwork especially selected by the museum from the DC Thomson archive and includes a special section commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein and the role of the Gordon Highlanders in the Desert War in 1942 and 1943. The exhibition opens at the museum on Monday 9 July 2012 and runs until Friday 30 November 2012 and entrance to the Steadfast! exhibition is included in the general admission price for the museum.

In the meantime the next four issues of Commando are available this week -

Commando No 4507: The Spy Catchers
Story: Alan Hebden
Art: Olivera
Cover: Ian Kennedy

Espionage is as much a part of warfare as infantry or artillery. Knowing what your enemy is planning is a great help when it comes to stopping him. But all the time you’re watching him, he’s watching you, isn’t he? Which is why you need spy catchers, men who will sniff out the spies and neutralise them. British Army lorry-driver Arnie Kershaw loved to read about the adventures of such men…but even he never dreamt for a moment that he’d be caught up in their activities for real.


Commando No 4508: The Voyage Of HMS Onion Wagon
Story: Peter Grehan
Art: Vila
Cover: Ian Kennedy

How did a motley crew of British and New Zealand sailors end up on a British Army Bedford lorry in the desert?
How did a routine operation so very quickly go wrong and become an unexpected voyage into danger?
Hop aboard HMS Onion Wagon and find out!


Commando No 4509: Cold Steel
(Originally No 22 - April 1962)
Story: Kenner
Art: Gordon Livingstone
Cover: Ken Barr

Ten Desperate Men… Armed to the teeth, they slipped and slithered from the hull of a submarine into a wave-battered rubber dinghy. A grim cargo of trouble on a life-or-death mission. Ten desperate men who were destined to become… Ten dauntless heroes.

In his introduction to this Gold Collection reprint, Commando editor Calum Laird says, "Secret, dangerous, well-nigh impossible missions have been firm favourites with Commando readers (and editors) since the earliest days. The title was less than a year old when Gordon Livingstone’s trademark art gave life to ten men on the deadliest of missions. (The ten-man mission is another theme that’s been visited and re-visited over the years without getting stale.) Author Kenner’s tale sets the men at their officer’s throat from the off…as soon as they settle with the Nazis he’s likely to be next. All that AND Ken Barr’s menacing cover? What a bargain for a shilling!"


Commando No 4510: Freedom — Or Death!
(Originally No 2062 - February 1987)
Story: Bill Fear
Art: Keith Shone
Cover: Jeff Bevan

To a Gurkha soldier honour is all important, and young Lal had a very important debt of honour to settle with his officer, Lieutenant Archie Cameron. So when the two men were captured by the Japs and sent to different POW camps, Lal was determined to free Archie. There was only one snag, though. First he had to get free himself!

In his introduction to this Silver Collection reprint, Commando Deputy Editor Scott Montgomery remembers, "As young readers, whenever my brothers or I started to read a jungle-based Commando book we always hoped it would feature Gurkha soldiers. There was always something just so…for want of a better word, cool about those stoic, loyal and deadly efficient fighting men from Nepal, armed with their iconic, curved Kukri blades. And I was always glad that they fought on our side. Even twenty-five years after this great jungle tale was first published, I still feel the same way about the amazing Gurkhas."

• Official Commando web site: http://www.commandocomics.com/

• Commando Official Facebook page

• Click here for subscription information or write to: D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd, The Subscribers Department, Commando Library, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL or Freephone (UK only) 0800 318846

• Commando is also available for iPad and iPhone. The apps are free to download through the Apple iTunes App Store and a digital subscription is priced at £4.99 per month, compared to a £99 annual print subscription. For those not sure there are four free issues to download prior to making a purchase.

• Commando Comics iPhone App on iTunes

• Commando Comics iPad App on iTunes

• Steadfast! the Commando artwork exhibition at The Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen runs from 9 July to 30 November 2012. There are more details about the exhibition on the museum website.

In Review: David Sutherland - Comics Genius Exhibition and Talk

The University Of Dundee has presented some unique comics events and exhibitions over the last five or six years under the auspices of Dr Chris Murray of the School of Humanities and Mathew Jarron of the University's Museum Services. At the request of the local community festival, West Fest 2012, this year they took on an exhibition of the work of, and a talk and Q&A session with, an artist who, despite working for decades on some of the best known British humour comic characters, is not that well known himself.

David Sutherland took on art duties for The Bash Street Kids in 1962 when their artistic creator, Leo Baxendale, left DC Thomson's Beano to work on Odham's Wham!, and fifty years later he is still drawing the same characters week in, week out for The Beano. In addition to Danny and his gang from Class IIb, he has also illustrated Beano cover stars Dennis The Menace and Biffo The Bear.

Located in Dundee University's Tower Building, the Baxter Suite has recently become a dedicated exhibition space for the Scottish Centre for Comics Studies (SCCS) based at the University. The exhibition consisted of around 20 pieces of original artwork, both colour and black and white, sourced from the DC Thomson archive mainly covering The Bash Street Kids and Dennis The Menace. The university has previously used the Lamb Gallery for these sort of exhibitions which is a much smaller space and, while the number of pages on display was similar to the number on display for, say, the Beano 70th Birthday exhibition in 2008, the large Baxter Suite did feel a little empty in comparison. However as people started to gather for the talk on the evening of 13 June 2012, the room began to fill-up.

Chris Murray introduced David Sutherland to the stage along with Beano editors Euan Kerr, Alan Digby and Iain McLoughlin and, as David took his pencils to the flip chart, Euan (above left) began to describe David's life and career with David initially adding a few comments as he drew various "Bashers" and then longer recollections as he relaxed into the format of the evening.

David Sutherland was born in Invergordon, Ross-shire in 1933, and attended Glasgow School of Art. After National Service in Egypt, and working for an advertising agency in Glasgow, he began working for DC Thomson in 1959 illustrating adventure strips for The Beano including The Great Flood of London, Danny on a Dolphin and Billy the Cat. Since 1962 he has illustrated over 2000 Bash Street Kids strips in the weekly comic as well as in annuals and summer specials.

In 1969, after the death of Dudley D Watkins, he was asked by then Beano editor, Harry Cramond, to finish the page of Biffo The Bear page that Watkins had started. Initially reticent to complete the work begun by the man that he considered to be the best all round comic artist ever, David would go on to illustrate the Biffo strip for the next 25 years while, in 1970, he also took over the art chores on Dennis The Menace from Dennis' artistic creator David Law when he took ill. Biffo was displaced from The Beano's cover by Dennis in 1974 and David was the artist on the strip as Dennis became the comic's most popular character with his run on the strip lasting 28 years until 1998.

With various DC Thomson editors, writers and artists in the audience, as well as the Beano editors on stage, there was no shortage of comments and other reminiscences from them as David paused to recall something from decades before beforehand or to finish off a particular character sketch. The university even had a video message from Aardman animator Nick Park expressing his love of and appreciation for David's work. Indeed with his colleagues as well as his wife and one of his daughters in the audience, the friendly atmosphere seemed to help the reminiscences flow and we heard not just about his work for DC Thomson but also how his daughters had developed an eye for good artwork in The Beano, how his wife had to wash shirts with Indian ink on the sleeves, and how he had almost killed Beano editor Harry Cramond by throwing a flaming chip pan at him - not deliberately of course, as he was at pains to point out.

The evening ended with a selection of questions from the audience followed by a choice of wine and soft drinks as the attendees got the chance to examine the selection of artwork on display, chat to the participants and, for a lucky few, get quick sketches from David himself.

For someone who has probably never spoken about his career in front of an audience before, David Sutherland was a delight to listen to, sometimes thoughtful, often funny, always animated and it was a real treat to get the opportunity to watch him draw his familiar and beloved characters.

This was the second comic art exhibition in the University's Baxter Suite, the first being the launch exhibition for UniVerse's Anthology One publication, and it was the first comics event there open to the public. While there were a few minor technical hitches to amuse the audience, the evening worked well and its success can hopefully be used as a blueprint to entice other DC Thomson creators to talk about their careers in front of an audience there in the future.

The exhibition of David Sutherland's artwork remains open in the Baxter Suite, room 1.36 of the Tower Building, until 15 August 2012 and is free. The corridor outside the Suite also has a selection of original comic artwork by other artists on display including pages from Dudley D Watkins, Roland Davies, Ken Reid, Elizabeth Stott, Gary Erskine, Henry Flint and Colin MacNeil.

There are more details of the David Sutherland: Comics Genius exhibition on the University of Dundee Museum Services website which includes the exhibitions reduced summer opening hours.

There are more details of the Scottish Centre for Comics Studies and comics studies in general at the University Of Dundee at the university's website.

There are more details of West Fest on the West Fest 2012 website.

Comics Creators At Hi-Ex 2012: Part 2

Having taken a lot of photos of the various creators at the Hi-Ex comics convention, which took place at the Eden Court complex in Inverness last weekend, there was never going to be enough room in the main downthetubes review of the con to include all the images. Instead we present a selection of those images of the creators along with links to their websites, blogs and/or Facebook pages. They are in no particular order and the first part of this photo feature is here.

Artist Nigel Dobbyn has an eclectic selection of titles to his credit from The Beano's Billy The Cat to 2000AD via Thunderbirds and Transformers. The image he is showing here is entitled Primeval Priest and is available to buy from his website.

There are more details of Nigel Dobbyn's work on his website.

Glasgow's small press Team Girl Comic have four issues to their name as well as a selection of individual contributors' own titles and did a good trade, particularly on the Saturday. Shown here are editor Gillian Hatcher (left) with contributors Coleen Campbell (centre) and Clare Yvette (right).

There are more details of Team Girl Comic on their website and Facebook page.

French artist Michel Rodrigue is currently resident in Scotland and having been at the previous Hi-Ex was back this year on the Cinebook stand. His Cinebook titles are the two modern Clifton titles Jade and Black Moon which he was signing and sketching over the weekend. He is also the writer of the French series Sybil La Fee Cartable which is on its third book in France and the first book of which has just be translated into English by Papercutz as Sybil The Backpack Fairy and he was more than happy to sketch and sign copies of it as well.

There are more details of Michel Rodrigue on Lambiek.

There are more details of Sybil The Backpack Fairy on the Papercutz website and of Clifton the the Cinebook website.

From pink fairies to something rather darker and artist John Higgin's RazerJack, the death-bitch from the Twist Dimension. To promote RazerJack, John produces illustrations at each of the conventions that he attends and here is the image that he was working on on the Sunday at Hi-Ex.

There are more details of John Higgin's work on his website and of RazerJack on its Facebook page.

Write and artist Ian Sharman is also editor of Orang Utan Comics and AAM/Markosia as well as writer of Alpha Gods and Hero: 9-5. He took part in the Hi-Ex Pitching and Portfolio session on the Sunday. His latest title, as seen above, is Hypergirl.

There are more details of Ian Sharman's work on his blog and on the Orang Utan Comics website.

Perhaps the most unusual graphic novel available over the weekend was writer and animator Leslie MacKenzie's Gaelic title Cuir Stad Ak An Stoirm Shneashda which translates as Stop The Snow Storm. With art by Shona Shirley MacDonald, it uses the idea that the first peoples of Scotland were not from the south and Europe but from the north and the Arctic regions. As part of the publishing deal with the Gaelic Books Council the title will not be published in English for several years.

There are more details of Leslie MacKenzie's work on her website while Cuir Stad Ak An Stoirm Shneashda will be available from the Gaelic Books Council website.

A comic strip with killer STDs in it just sound like the sort of thing that should be in CLiNT magazine and the editorial team of CLiNT obviously thought so too. As can be seen above, artist and writer Monty Nero's Death Sentence started life as a small press comic but will get a new lease of life, and a lot more exposure, when it begins in CLiNT Vol 2 No 1 very soon.

There are more details of Monty Nero's work on his website and blog.

Artist Will Pickering worked on the Burke and Hare graphic novel published several years ago as well as contributing to a number of Glasgow based small press titles. He was also displaying Black Hearted Press' Gabriel title written by Jim Alexander.

There are more details of Will Pickering's work on his blog.

Londonderry's Uproar Comics came together through the city's 2D Comics Festival and its 2D Collective offshoot. They publish the Zombies Hi title which is an anthology of the main ongoing Zombies Hi story backed up with short zombie text stories and comic strip and has reached its fourth issue. Set after a zombie apocalypse within the defensive walls of the City of Derry, the comic is widely distributed within Northern Ireland. Artist Kevin Logue (left) drew attendees as zombies while writer Danny McLaughlin (centre) drummed up support and artist John Campbell (right) worked on pages for forthcoming issues.

There are more details of Zombies Hi on the Uproar Comics website.

Last and by no means least, especially since one of her titles is Eagle Award nominated this year as Best European Comic, is Irish writer Maura McHugh. Her two titles for Dublin's Atomic Diner Comics are the Eagle Award nominated 1920s mystery Jennifer Wilde and the supernatural Roisin Dubh as seen above.

There are more details of Maura McHugh's work on her website.

There are more details of Jennifer Wilde and Roisin Dubh on the Atomic Diner website.


The first part of Comics Creators At Hi-Ex is here.

The Hi-Ex website is here.

The downthetubes review of Hi-Ex 2012 is here.

In Review: Hi-Ex 2012

Begun in 2008 by Richmond Clements and Vicky Stonebridge, the Highlands International Comics Expo, Hi-Ex, takes place at the Eden Court Theatre and Cinema complex on the banks of the River Ness in Inverness and, after a break in 2011, Hi-Ex was back for its fourth event over the April Fool's weekend of Saturday 31 March and 1st April 2012. As a helper on one of the sales tables this will be more of a view from "the other side" in the dealers' room than a review of the convention and its panels.

Vicky Stonebridge

Traditionally, due to its location as the most northerly comics convention in the UK as well as its pre-Easter timing, Hi-Ex and the threat of snow tend to go together. After a direct hit during the first year when heavy snow in Scotland prevented its more distant attendees from reaching Inverness, a pre-con deluge on the second year across the entire country which had been sorted in time for Hi-Ex 2, a post-con fall trapping lorries on the main road south from Inverness the day after Hi-Ex 3, it meant that travelling into a hot and sunny Inverness on the Friday before the convention was something of a culture shock for seasoned Hi-Ex-ers (although no more of a shock than the Inverness region waking up to inches of snow four days later.)

The dealers' room was open on the Friday night for setting up and it gave people a chance for a catch-up chat while they set up tables even if co-organiser Vicky Stonebridge's voice was already failing her - she would eventually give up the struggle, turn her ID badge around and write "Sorry I have lost my voice" on it.

Saturday morning was cooler but still pleasant and, with the event opening to the public at 11am, this gave the exhibitors a chance to both set up and look around the dealers' room as well as have a chat with some of the guests before the doors officially opened. Illustrator, artdroid and Scotch Cornerer Graeme Neil Reid (above left talking to Judge Burdis of the Hi-Ex Hell-Trek) is an old friend and I was behind his table as 11am brought the start of a very busy couple of hours as comics fans young and old, newbies and seasoned con-goers, streamed into the large room to see what they could find to buy.

The first panel of the day was on the subject of current British comics and included Strip Magazine and downthetubes editor John Freeman who, needless to say, had already been into the dealers' room for a chat.

The Saturday panels have been well covered by Joe Gordon over on the FPI blog and they included a talk by artists John Higgins about his multi-media concept RazorJack, artists Nigel Dobbyn and Monty Nero's art workshops, the Hi-Ex Charity Auction with all proceeds going to Children 1st (the Scottish equivalent of the NSPCC) plus discussion panels on current British and Irish comics and an exploration of Celtic (Irish and Scottish) comics.

The Saturday was so busy in the dealers' room that it wasn't that noticeable when panels started or ended as the number of attendees kept the hall busy whilst the Nasty Nessie Roller Girls provided a little excitement as they whizzed past helped on by artist Gary Erskine's Roller Grrrls concept. Meanwhile the Imperials and a solitary Tusken Raider of the 501st UK Garrison patrolled the venue at a more leisurely pace.

Saturday night was the tradition retiral to the local Chinese buffet conveniently situated between the venue and the con hotel before either a return to Eden Court for a screening of the Edinburgh-set short film Electric Man or back to take over the hotel bar. There were a few bleary eyes the next morning...

Sunday is normally a quieter day but this then allows for more chatting between the guests and exhibitors as the number of attendees in the dealers room is more affected by the panels which included workshops by Chi-Tan and Inko on Manga and Dave Shelton on children's drawing. Indeed considering how busy the two mangaka girls were doing portraits over the weekend, the workshop may have come as something of a break for them. As can be seen above, one of Inko's portraits was of artist Cam Kennedy - more a case of Kenny Yu than Kenny Who. From the old guard of Star Wars artists to the new and Clone Wars artist Tanya Roberts was showing off her new work while artist Colin MacNeil seemed to have managed to do more than his fair share of covers of many of the books and comics that were being sold in the room.

Comics education in the UK also came under the spotlight helped by Dr Chris Murray and Philip Vaughan of Dundee University while film maker John Vaughan gave a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the 1970s bee movie, The Swarm, a presentation format that he has been doing at Dublin's Octocon for the last ten years. In fact those of us at the guest/exhibitors meal on the Sunday night soon discovered that John hadn't so much kissed the Blarney Stone as tickled its tonsils!

Hi-Ex had a big Irish presence this year from both north and south of the border. From Belfast came artists and writers Andy Luke and Paddy Brown who chatted around the dealers' room as well as taking part in panels while the guys of Londonderry's Uproar Comics did a good trade in their Zombies Hi comics as well as doing zombie portraits of the attendees. From the south, as well as John Vaughan, came writers Maura McHugh and Mike Carroll both of whom had their work recognised in the Eagle Award nominations this year.

And all too soon it was over save for one very important fact - the £1907 that Hi-Ex raised for the Children First charity. In these times of austerity when people are counting their money more carefully than ever before, and when so many other comics events are now run to make a profit for their organisers, Vicky Stonebridge and Richmond Clements are to be congratulated for such a enjoyable and family-friendly event that raised so much money for charity.

OTHER VOICES...

• Vicky Stonebridge and Richmond Clement's own thoughts on how it went on the Hi-Ex website.

• Joe Gordon's account of the Saturday's events on the Forbidden Planet International blog.


• Highland News coverage of the event and a pre-con interview with John Freeman about the Team MOBILE project for ROK Comics

• Georgina Coburn's review on the Northlings blog.


• BBC News concentrates on the Star Wars cosplayers.

• Hi-Ex attendees can play spot the familiar faces in the background in Breaking News North's video report on the weekend.

And finally... Scottish Television's news section not really understanding what was going on - "workshops, art classes and discussion panels with leading comedy writers."

Graphic Novel Night in Polmont

To tie-in with World Book Night, Meadowbank Library in Polmont near Falkirk will be holding a free Graphic Novel Night on Saturday 21 April 2012.

Running from 1900 -2130 the event will bring together graphic novelists and artists to discuss their work and will also include a workshop on comics, small press publishers selling their novels, artists and writers signing sessions, an exhibition of art work and, as part of World Book Night, a free book giveaway.

Creators currently scheduled to appear are David Bishop, Edinburgh based writer and former editor of 2000AD, writer John Chalmers and artist Sandra Marrs of Glasgow's Metaphrog who produce the Louis series of graphic novels, Ed Murphy of Glasgow publishers Rough Cut Comics who publish Rose Black and Demon Seed, and James Lundy of Armadale's small press Emancipation Studios whose current title is Wired.

There are more details of the event on the Falkirk Community Trust website.

There are more details of the venue on the Meadowbank Library website.

Dee-Con 2012 - Dundee's Free Manga and Anime Convention

With most Scottish comics fans decamping this weekend for the Hi-Ex comics convention in Inverness, the next major Scottish event in the comics calendar will be the manga, anime and games convention Dee-Con at the University of Dundee Students Union (DUSA) on Saturday 7 April 2012 with doors opening at Noon. This year's Dee-Con follows the previous three year's successful (and similarly named) D-Cons which grew from a single day with several hundred attendees in 2009 to two days and several thousand attendees in 2011.

Dee-Con 2012 will have guest speakers with talks, art demonstrations and presentations covering various facets of anime and manga, video game tournaments including the brand new Street Fighter X Tekken, film screenings in their own private cinema room., as well as a Kendo demonstration from Northumbria University Kendo Club. In addition there will be an artist's alley/dealer's room with over 50 tables and a cosplay competition as well as a professional photo shoot for cosplayers. The day will end with an exclusive 18+ afterparty in DUSA with an audio and visual DJ set from 4MATT. All money raised will go towards funding the university's DJCAD Animation Programme's degree show activities.

All the Dee-Con daytime activities are free and open to all while the 18+ evening afterparty will be £4 per person with tickets available on site throughout the day.

There are more details of Dee-Con 2012 on its website, blog and Facebook page.

Review Of Scottish Comics Events In 2011

Over the last few years downthetubes contributor Jeremy Briggs has collated a Scottish Comics Events Review Of The Year.

These articles originally came about after discussions at the first Hi-Ex comics convention in Inverness in 2008 showed that many people were unaware of the extent of comics events north of the border and that there was a general consensus amongst the Scottish attendees that such events only happened in the Midlands and the south of England. The aim of these articles therefore was to document all comics related events in Scotland that were open to the general public, from talks to exhibitions, workshops to conventions

The first two years reviews were published in the Hi-Ex convention brochures with the Hi-Ex 2 brochure covering those events in 2008 and the Hi-Ex 3 brochure covering those events in 2009. With the postponement of Hi-Ex in 2011 the home of the reviews moved, with the blessing of the Hi-Ex organisers, to the downthetubes main site where the 2010 review was published for the first time and the previous two reviews were reprinted.

As the reviews were originally so closely tied to the Hi-Ex convention, Jeremy has held back publication of the 2011 review this year to allow it to once again tie in with the Hi-Ex convention that is taking place this weekend, Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012. Jeremy will be attending the convention on both Saturday and Sunday while downthetubes editor John Freeman will be there on the Saturday.

You can read the Scottish Comics Events Review Of The Year for 2011 here.

Previous Scottish Comics Events Reviews are below:
• Review Of The Year 2008
• Review Of The Year 2009
• Review Of The Year 2010

Reviews of the previous three Hi-Ex conventions can be found on the downthetubes blog:
• Hi-Ex in 2008
• Hi-Ex 2 in 2009
• Hi-Ex 3 in 2010

There are more details of the Hi-Ex Comics Convention on their website.

Good Cop, Bad Cop checks into High-Ex

If you're planning a trip to the Highlands for the Hi-Ex Comic Expo next weekend, then be sure to track down the latest comics from Black Hearted Press, run by Jim Alexander, David Brayher, John Farman and Sha Nazir.

Black Hearted Press is a new Scottish comic book publisher promoting new, exciting and diverse creator owned, collaborative comic books whose first release was Black Maria issue 616. Building on that success, they've added several new titles including the much-praised School of the Damned, Gabriel and Scout One.

Their latest title is Good Cop, Bad Cop by ace writer Jim Alexander, whose credits include stories for 2000AD, DC and Marvel Comics and Metal Hurlant.

In a modern and suitably macabre take on Jekyll and Hyde, the Good Cop and Bad Cop just happen to be the same person and the first issue features three all-new stories written by Jim, with art by Garry McLaughlin (Junkie Dad, Year of Fear, Taking Flight).

With suitably black humour and some nice touches on the characterisation, it's a project with immense potential - I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops. For example, given the Bad Cop's predilection for killing, rather than arresting villains, how will Good Cop cover the tracks of his alter ego? Do they have entirely different DNA, for example?

I'm sure this is the kind of thing Jim will be having fun with in later issues.

Also out is Scout One, what Jim previously described as "a super-hero strip with a difference." Sha Nazir's art lends the story a gritty DC Thomson look, and the first issue again features three stories from the mythology of Scout One.

"The story has a Doctor Who sensibility to it," says Jim. "There's a real sense of adventure and fun to be had. Something parents and kids can both enjoy."

Hi-Ex takes place at Eden Court, Inverness 31st March - 1st April. Other guests include Jim Montynero, one of the creators on CLiNT, Rok Comics editor John Freeman, artist Graeme Neil Reid, Inko and many more. More info at www.hi-ex.co.uk.

• Black Hearted Press: www.blackheartedpress.co.uk

• Jim Alexander's blog: http://jimalwriter.blogspot.com