Comic Joy's Journal

8:16pm: This Week's Comics
I’m budgeting this week and surprised at what I bought.

Empire – ever since I did a quick reread of the first issues, I cannot wait for this superlative story to finish. Plot threads a plenty, gorgeous art and one of the more complex and interesting Superhero stories out there (anti-hero isn’t just about swearing…)

Demo #1 – The new Brian Wood/Becky Cloonan collaboration. I like Brian Wood’s writing, and I very much enjoyed Jennie One – for me, it’s a perfect conclusion to Channel Zero, and I just like the way he thinks. This take on superheroes is quite something else. Heart wrenching and challenging and takes a better perspective on the whole twelve connected issues thing than Global Frequency does. This deserves to be on everyone’s list. It’s kicking about my head thinking about themes and images.

Bad Girls – on the other hand, my new bad taste title is Bad Girls. It’s pointless and I like it.

Powers – Yay! More Walker backstory! The monkeys fucking make so much more sense now. Also more bang for the buck, less adverts and still a letters page – how do they manage to do this for a reasonable price when certain other manufacturers just seem to have less and less plot and story in the title. Liking Powers even more now.

Random pick up was 9 Lives, about the daughter of Bast. Has a cute kitty cat. No idea why, just fun. Also got the first graphic of Meridian, as I feel in the need for cheering up – I like Meridian, it’s gentle.

8:23pm: Con Report
Also, a quick report on the London Winter Fest on November 1st.

I'm in two minds about the con - on the one hand, it was busy, and there was an awful lot of people about, and it was great for meeting people I hadn't seen for a while, and catching up with the guys. On the other hand, it was only one day, and there were a whole raft of other events in London on the same weekend that I had heard nothing about until I got there. Also, the dealers had no set time to clear up at, and the big store of junk decided to clear up a four, when there were still people coming in.

Got to spend more time with Al Davison, who is a personal god, and was unimpressed with small press people who refused to talk to me as I was standing behind the only back issues dealer table there. Which was not of the good. I also seemed to mis a lot of the craic being as I was exhausted and wanting to sleep after my lovely 13 hour drive.

On the overall, loved the idea of the con, loved the atmosphere, but possibly prefer Bristol. Was a great con for the self publishers and wannabes, I think.

But Selena Ulrich (kitsune76) won the pitch fest, which I can only be glad at. Superb and professional pitch, very different from anything else pitched and a deserving winner.