Every year, I enjoy one of the few truly major industry events to hit my local area, the Leeds Thought Bubble comic convention. It's hard to say just how influential comics have been on my life - at the age of 6 my Mum gave me a suitcase full of Silver Age DC comics, and from there I spent the rest of my young life reading stories about the Teen Titans, Batman, Superman, Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane and Aquaman among many others. It was a treasure trove of storytelling from a bygone age, and doubtless influenced my use of language and my love of reading. Coupled with The Beano, Whizzer & Chips and my Transformers comics, you can safely say I have a healthy respect for sequential storytelling art, and the people who create it.
I spent the start of my day with UKA's Dan Barnett, who like me is a massive Bengal and Babs Tarr fan, so no surprise one of us had an awesome commission waiting (Dan's turn this year!). We were later joined by James and Sophie, before UKA's Editor in Chief Mr Seb stopped by for a drink. Thought Bubble is nothing if not social.
TAKING IT ALL IN
But enough about us, what was there? Too much to go into in one article, but let's take this from my own personal perspective. I had my hit list of stalls to visit, and managed to nail almost all of them. First up, I found my way to Disney Artist (Tangled, Wreck it Ralph, Big Hero 6) Victoria Ying's table. My biggest spend of the day, I ordered a commission of Rapunzel from Tangled which you can see below. It's a lovely piece, and sadly I missed out on the artbook she would have had available had it not been for her luggage being lost. I was very impressed at her positive attitude despite the setback, and I hope it turned up on Saturday evening for her.
As always, I made a beeline for Andrew Wildman's table. Whilst I first became familiar with his work on Transformers in the 90's, he has since become a very successful storyboard artist for film and television. His new offering this year was a storyboard book for the Neil Gaiman penned City of Silver Doctor Who episode, which is a fantastic insight into how an episode is ultimately directed. I also spoke with him about his upcoming project Oxygen, which has a wonderfully cinematic feel and should be released next year. You can find more information on his website and Patreon page.
My friend in Japan, Ai, had also sent me a request. As a return favour for netting me Ken'ichi Matsuzaki autograph, I agreed to chase down Antony Johnston (Atomic Blonde) and grab a copy of his graphic novel and autograph. He was an amazing fella, really chatty and a fellow Brit who works occasionally in Japan, so we had much in common. I'll be sending the book off as soon as I've read it! :p
I also couldn't believe my luck when I saw that John Allison (Giant Days - check out my article for more info) was also in attendance. Not only did I get to pick up the second Not on the Test graphic novel, he also signed the first one I had taken with me and drew a few little characters in it for me too - what gent! I can genuinely say that Giant Days has given me more pleasure than any other comic this year, and it was an honour to meet the guy who created the series.
The final notable meeting I had was with graphic artist Rian Hughes. Rian has designed logos for some of the biggest comics properties around, including Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His book, Logo a Gogo, features an extensive look at his work and thought processes. For anyone (like me) that works in graphic design, this is an essential read. His 2 sample books were also available at the table, and I've already been putting his advice to work.
AND THE REST
There were lots of surprises from smaller stalls too, and we ended up collecting quite a lot of indie comics, which are in a sizeable pile on my desk. Not to be outdone, Travelling Man was also on-hand to sell graphic novels published professionally too. I finally picked up a copy of Wayward, which has art to die for and a Japanese setting (always a plus for me!) and DC's Lil' Gotham which is a terrific and beautifully illustrated set of stories for younger readers.
Sophie was kind enough to buy me a Ranma 1/2 print which is very cute, and it just goes to show that you never know what you'll find at one of these events. Everything from pins and stickers to professionally self-published hardbacks were available, and everyone was happy to talk with enthusiasm about their craft.
Once again, I find myself highly recommending the Thought Bubble experience to comic fans of all ages and tastes. Time to start saving for next year.
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