A pleasant little shock announcement this week: Comica – The London Comics Festival – is returning in an enormous manner this March with a month-long series of talks on the swanky Century Club.
The season of seven talks – caused in affiliation with VIP Brands Ltd and Lakes International Comic Art Festival – will see acquainted names and faces discuss all elements of comics on the web page and in associated media. Some large names collaborating embody Posy Simmonds, Dave McKean, Brian Bolland and Dave Gibbons. Tickets for every of the occasions shall be £12 apiece and can fairly seemingly promote out swiftly.
Comica described the pondering behind the occasions:
“Comics, cartoons, graphic novels, manga – no matter we name them, there’s little doubt they’re taking part in dynamic roles in our present cultural panorama, whether or not as unforgiving political caricatures, immediately recognisable international icons, acclaimed best-selling books or the sources of hit motion pictures and TV series.
“Through March 2023, to mark the 20th Anniversary of London’s long-running Comica Festival, and in association with VIP Brands Ltd and The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, The Century Club invites some of today’s key creatives to reveal their influences, ideas, techniques and latest projects.”
Comica debuted in 2003 as a collaboration between comics knowledgeable Paul Gravett, and curator, co-conspirator, and comics-writer John Harris Dunning for the Institute of Contemporary Arts. There have been quite a lot of Comica Festivals over the years – plus the beloved Comica Social Club which continues to be ticking alongside on the pub as a derivative of London’s common Comic Mart the place execs and lovers come to point out off their haul or simply shoot the breeze.
Among its many achievements, Comica instituted the annual Graphic Short Story Prize which has turn out to be an influential alternative for budding graphic storytellers to point out their chops and get a publishing contract for longer work. Gravett and Dunning had been additionally initiators of the landmark Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK exhibition, the place British comics took centre stage with a significant exhibition on the British Library in 2014.
COMICA AT THE CENTURY CLUB SCHEDULE
THURSDAY MARCH 2 @ 7PM: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL – POSY SIMMONDS IN CONVERSATION WITH LIZZY STEWART
“Join Posy in conversation with graphic novelist Lizzy Stewart where they will discuss Posy’s life as an artist, writer and observer of the world, revealing aspects about her childhood, friendships and artists that most inspired her work. At the end of the evening, Posy will be presented with The International Award for Excellence in Comic Art for 2022.”
TUESDAY MARCH 7 @7PM: ON THE MONEY – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CARTOON INVESTMENT BANKER ALEX MASTERLEY
“Alex is the longest-running present every day British cartoon strip nonetheless produced by the unique authors. It started life in 1987 as a satire on the short-lived social phenomenon of Yuppies (bear in mind them?) in Robert Maxwell’s London Daily News. The newspaper itself proved to be equally short-lived, however the character of Alex Masterley, an egotistical, snobbish and materialistic banker struck a chord with the general public. The cartoon transferred to the Independent, the place it remained for 5 years, earlier than Alex defected shamelessly to the Daily Telegraph, the place he seems to today. Over the years the strip has developed right into a satire on the company world and middle-class skilled life and has ridden out extra growth and bust cycles than Alex cares to recollect.
“In this illustrated talk Alex’s creators, Charles Peattie (artist and writer) and Russell Taylor (writer and luncher), will give the low-down on Britain’s favourite investment banker (well, it’s not like there’s much competition from any of the real-life ones).”
TUESDAY MARCH 14 @7PM: DESIGNING DYSTOPIA – AN EVENING WITH THE ARTISTS BEHIND JUDGE DREDD AND WATCHMEN
Fan favorite artists Dave Gibbons and Brian Bolland speak to comedian e-book author and critic Tim Pilcher about their lives and new autobiographies.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 22 @7PM: THEY SHOOT COMICS DON’T THEY: A PANEL DISCUSSION ABOUT TURNING GRAPHIC NOVELS INTO FILMS
“An exceptional panel of key film and TV creatives including producers Armando Iannucci (The Death of Stalin), Michael Lake (Violent Cases), Tim Searle (Dennis & Gnasher) and Patrick Walters (Heartstopper) discuss how they bring comics to the big and small screen”
THURSDAY MARCH 23 @7PM: TURNING YOUR LIFE INTO COMICS WITH LUCIE ARNOUX AND LUCY SULLIVAN
“Lucy Sullivan, Barking (Unbound, 2020), and Lucie Arnoux, Je Ne Sais Quoi (Jonathan Cape, 2022), share their journeys from animation to comics and their approaches to putting their lives on the page – with live demonstrations.”
TUESDAY MARCH 28 @ 7PM: BUT IS IT ART? AI AND THE VISUAL MEDIA WITH DAVE MCKEAN AND IAIN SINCLAIR
“Countercultural writer Iain Sinclair and multi-media artist Dave McKean of ’Sandman’ fame consider the future of creativity and art amidst the rise of Artificial Intelligence”
MARCH 30 @ 7PM: GIVING OFFENCE: A TALK AND LIVE DRAW WITH CARTOONIST MARTIN ROWSON
“Award-winning Guardian cartoonist Martin Rowson takes us on a rambunctious, rollicking ride through his 40 years of ankle-biting, satirical-savaging attempts to hold the great and good to account – whilst depicting the nine prime ministers who have been in office during his career – using ketchup, mustard, mayo, peanut butter, toilet duck and various other household condiments.”
Discussion about this post