The Sunday Spotlight: Another Week, Another News Dump

Welcome, welcome one and all to another Sunday Spotlight, where I take all those things that caught my eye in comics news this week and pass them on to you… you know, like a spotlight on comics that comes to you every Sunday…

Okay then, as usual, do remember that this is what I want to talk about, so it’s going to be a bit light on how the news of the latest record number of variant covers you’re going to find on the latest Bat book. Although you might find a news article on how variant covers are going to be the death knell of comic shops. With that in mind, onwards to the stuff and nonsense going on in comics this week…

 

Manchester, Jim Medway style…

I’ve always loved Jim Medway‘s work, ever since seeing it in the excellent Crab Lane Crew, recently reissued from Bog Eyed Books, who also publish the very funny Chip Charlton by Medway. Crab Lane Crew captures moments of childhood and the simple, little things that are so important. Chip Charlton‘s tale of a Canadian Mountie is just gloriously funny stuff. And then there’s Playing Out, perhaps my favourite of all of his work, that follows a group of normal teens mooching around Manchester City Centre in their summer holidays. It’s an absolutely magnificent snapshot of teen life, the boredom, the drifting nature of a strange time in everyone’s life, the minutiae of everyday life given so much importance. Definitely a lost gem of comics.

And now he’s (finally) put up a gorgeous print of Manchester’s Oxford Street that he did for for the relaunch of Manchester Art Gallery in their Manchester-themed space back in 2002. As he mentions in the listing:

It sat next to Adolphe Valette’s 1913 painting of the nearby Irwell river, from where I borrowed much of the colour palette.

It’s done in his signature cat people style and is an absolute treat of a thing, full of detail, full of the everyday, perfectly capturing expressions. Definitely one for the Medway fans’ Christmas… you can have a look and buy it here.

 

 

Bubbleboy at Thought Bubble…

We’re getting to the end of the convention year and in Britain, that means it’s gearing up for Thought Bubble, one of the biggest and best in the UK.

Part of Thought Bubble’s remit is community works, one of which included the Bubbleboy project, named after Sam, a young comics fan who was diagnosed with leukaemia at age eight and was isolated in the last four years of his life. In honour of Sam, the festival’s Bubbleboy Hall is named after him. (You can read more of Sam here at the TB website)

And now, as part of this year’s Thought Bubble convention, they’ve unveiled a drawing challenge for anyone aged 16 and below in honour of Sam. Simply download this pdf and follow the instructions to win some Travelling Man vouchers! There’ll also be copies available in the Kids’ Zone at the comic convention.

Thought Bubble comic convention takes place on 12th and 13th November 2023.

 

Still on Thought Bubble: become a Friend of TB and support comics…

Yep, more Thought Bubble. I make no apologies, it’s THE big comics event in the UK. As with the Bubbleboy project, Thought Bubble does an awful lot of community work and outreach to bring comics to those who might not otherwise have the opportunities to learn, to read, and to love the medium. They work with libraries, schools, and community organisations all year round to promote the medium.

So, it’s well worth becoming a Friend of Thought Bubble to support this great work. Hell, there’s even a few perks to membership over and above feeling good about yourself – full weekend ticket for that year’s convention with exclusive wristband and thank you package that includes limited edition art-prints, exclusive Thought Bubble tote bag, badges, stickers, and loads of other fun Thought Bubble merch.

 

Latest Phoenix Comic digital workshop… Jess Bradley’s spooky squid bits…

The Phoenix Comic, a fantastic weekly read full of great comics from the likes of Jamie Smart, Neill Cameron, and Jess Bradley, really do great things with their comics workshops.

Next up is a special digital workshop with the fabulous Jess Bradley and her squid bits – perfectly timed for Halloween on 27th October. Details here.

 

Lakes International Comics Art Festival Announcements…

And while we’re looking forward to Thought Bubble, we can also give you a little news from last weekend’s LICAF.

We already told you about Bobby Joseph (creator of the brilliantly satirical Scotland Yardie) being made the British Comics Laureate at the Lakes. But there were other announcements made…

The inaugural Sophie Castille Awards for Comics in Translation, for the best translation of graphic novels into a variety of languages around the world, was presented to Michele Hutchison for her translation of Barbara Stok’s The Philosopher, The Dog and the Wedding.

The inaugural award in memory of the late Aileen McEvoy, who played an integral part in LICAF’s organisation for several years as its Associate Director and who passionately championed comics in various arts roles working with many other organisations, was made to Jonathan Edwards and Louise Evans (aka Feltmistress).

Graham Dury and Simon Thorp of Viz were awarded the Sergio Aragonés International Award for Excellence in Comic Art for 2023. The winner(s) each year are chosen by Sergio Aragonés and previous winners have been Dave McKean (2017), Hunt Emerson (2018), Charlie Adlard (2019), Boulet (2021) and Posy Simmonds (2022).

And that’s it for the Lakes Festival for 2023. Next year, more of the same great comics stuff from them. For now, everyone’s taking a well-deserved rest.

 

Dave McKean signing at GOSH…

It’s one of Britain’s finest comic shops and it does do a very good line in signing sessions and events. Dave McKean will be there on 29th November for a talk and signing of his new art book, published by Dark Horse, Thalamus: The Art of Dave McKean.

Thalamus covers McKean’s entire career in comics and art, featuring commentary from McKean and unseen artwork across two hardback volumes.

Signing info here.

 

Brit publisher BHP calls it a day…

A sad moment in Scottish and Brit comics as BHP Comics announces that it’s calling time on its publishing operations.

They’ve been publishing since 2011 as first the underground collective Black Hearted Press and then, from 2015, as BHP Comics.

The company be making one final live event appearance, at Edinburgh Comic Art Fair on Saturday 19th November in the city’s Drill Hall

The full details are in their press release here. But essentially it’s a mix of tighter and tighter profit margins and ever-growing costs, combined with the twin nightmares of Covid and Brexit that have forced them to make this decision.

Publisher Sha Nazir had this to say:

“I’ve loved working with everyone at BHP Comics and I’m really proud of all we’ve achieved. It’s been a tough decision to wind the company down but we feel it’s the right one. Over the course of the next few months we’ll be selling off all remaining BHP stock. If you’ve got a gap in your collection, now’s the time to grab it. BHP has been instrumental in opening numerous doors, and I take immense pride in its profound impact on both Scottish and UK comics publishing. We broke many barriers, getting wider acceptance of comics in UK publishing, increasing representation and being the only person of colour publisher in Scotland for far too long. BHP’s legacy lives on through the many lives it has touched. It will be around for the next few years in schools because of Freedom Bound and our titles will live on in the shelves of our readers and no doubt pop up in charity shops for years to come.”

Nazir will continue in comics somewhat, with his freelance publishing consultancy role for the Terry Pratchett estate continuing (he was one of those responsible for the recent, rather successful, Good Omens graphic novel Kickstarter. He’s also continuing his events company, ACME Comic Con.

No Batman exhibition for London’s Cartoon Museum…

London’s Cartoon Museum is a great place, hosting so many great exhibitions and doing sterling work for the comics medium.

Current exhibitions include Ella Baron‘s Doctors Without Borders commissioned series on South Sudan and Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers Turns 30. In the past they’ve featured comics and art from so many different genres, countries, and times.

According to their Learning Officer/Comic Art Curator, Steve Marchant, it seems they were planning a Batman exhibition in 2024. But they needed the go ahead of DC to use the branding and imagery to promote it. And he continues with this:

“Two young brand and marketing execs came to the museum last week for a look around and have said no… we felt there were too many political and potential sensitive references/artworks in the space that were a cause for concern.”‘

Like he says:

“Aardman have no problem with us, or Rebellion, or DC Thomson or any of the estates of the major figures we’ve displayed… but there we go.”

Really DC? Weren’t you big on the whole ‘Comics have grown up’ line back in the day? Perhaps you need to do a bit of growing up when it comes to this as well?