The Sunday Spotlight – The ‘Not Yet’ Edition’
by Richard Bruton
It’s Sunday, it’s coming up for Christmas (but not yet) and it’s probably about time we had a little look at this weeks news that’s caught my eye… it’s The Sunday Spotlight…
RIP Richmond Clemonts – writer, editor, convention organiser, comics through and through… he’ll be much missed…
This week started with more terrible news, as we heard of the unexpected death of Richmond Clements at the age of 55. It was news that reverberated around the Comics UK social media accounts and the outpouring of shock, upset, and grief was loud and genuine. Damn, he left us way, way too soon.
Richmond Clements was a comics writer, editor, convention organiser, but he was also something of a comics touchstone over here in the UK, a man who would always go out of his way, it would seem, to bring people into the comics community, as so many of the plentiful tributes I’ve seen this week attest to.
His writing included strips for Renegade, Markosia, Strip magazine, Time Bomb Comics, and he wrote plenty for magazines, including the Fortean Times. He also co-organised the Hi-Ex! The Highland International Comic Expo from 2008 to 2012, a really popular, fondly remembered Scottish convention. But so many remember him, alongside Dave Evans, who passed away himself in 2021, as editor at Futurequake Press, and the titles FutureQuake, Something Wicked, and the 2000 AD fanzines Zarjaz and Dogbreath. These were instrumental in bringing so many new writers and artists into comics, many of them going on to bigger things – like Mike Carroll for example, who had this to say about Richmond…
“I first met Richmond Clements back in 2003 and we instantly bonded over our love of the same comics, books and movies. He was funny, inventive, kind, supportive and always fun to be with. It was Rich who encouraged me to submit scripts to the small-press comics he was editing with the late, great Dave Evans – FutureQuake and Zarjaz – and that kick-started my career as a comic writer: I owe them both so much for that… It’s unbelievable that he’s gone.”
We’d like to extend our sympathies and condolences to Richmond’s family and friends. You know he’ll be much missed. And we hope he’s busy raising a glass with Dave somewhere right now.
More Caption 2025 news – Broken Frontier’s Six To Watch is their first event…
Caption, which ran from 1992-2017 in Oxford, is back and raising funds for its 2025 show… ‘Rebirth’.
Caption was always a special thing, a convention where fans and creators mixed easily, a relaxed, chilled-out place of fun and comics. Having been gone for a while, it’s damn fine to think it’s going to be back next year – over the weekend of 16th – 17th August 2025.
They always had some great panels and workshops and this new Caption promises to be no different, with the first announced panel being the ‘Six To Watch’ panel in conjunction with Broken Frontier and Andy Oliver.
Andy and Broken Frontier are the go-to place for comics coverage of diverse talents, small press, indie, micro-publishing – basically, if it’s good, Andy and the team will be looking at it. He’s a great guy and works his arse off doing it.
The Broken Frontier Six To Watch is an annual showcase of six comic creators that Broken Frontier champion all year round. And they’ve picked some absolute greats over the years they’ve been doing it – Abs Bailey, Alba Ceide, Aleesha Nandhra, Alice Urbino, Alxndra Cook, Andy Barron, Beatrice Mossman, Cat Sims, Dominique Duong, Ed Firth, Ellice Weaver, Joe Stone, Josh Hicks, Kat Cass, Kate-mia White, Kry Garcia, Laurel Pettitt, Manon Wright, Mereida Fajardo, Norm Konyu, Olivia Sualdea, Olivia Sullivan, Peony Gent, Pigeon/Kamila Krol, Sabba Khan, Sammy Ward, Shanti Rai, Tal Brosh, Tinglin Liu, Tom Philipson, Zhenyi Zheng and Zoè Delautre Corral.
Andy and Broken Frontier are a natural fit for Caption and the Six To Watch panel on Saturday 16th August 2025 will be a highlight of the Caption weekend. No idea on guests as yet, we’ll find that out closer to the date.
So, put the date in your diary… Caption – the Oxford Comics Festival – Saturday 16th – Sunday 17th August 2025, Oxford. Find out more here – https://captionfestival.co.uk/ – and back the IndieGoGo crowdfunder here – https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/caption-small-press-indie-comics-festival-2025
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Aces Weekly, David Lloyd’s digital anthology launches Volume 71…
David Lloyd, famed Brit artist behind V For Vendetta, is also the man behind Aces Weekly, a digital-only weekly comics anthology. And he’s been doing this for a long time now – Volume 71 launched recently.
Previous contributors include John McCrea, Phil Hester, Mark Wheatley, David Lloyd, Shaky Kane, David Hine, Kev Hopgood, Yishan Li, Kat Layno, Lew Stringer, SK Moore, Rachael Smith, Dylan Teague, and plenty more.
This latest Volume has work from Pablo Barbieri Guionista and Jorge Luis Gabotto with Outpost Z, Stephen White brings you Tara Togs, Federico Zilli continues his family crisis drama in The Right Place, Ertito Montana and Roberto Corroto give you Sicarios, there’s the dark fantasy saga of Celestial Hunters by Marcello Bondi and Alessandro Amoruso, and The Good Soldier by Petri Hanninen and Niccolò Pizzorno.
Subscribe for just £1 a week (in any currency) and you’ll get a weekly anthology published in 7-part volumes, 20-plus pages a week hitting your inbox every Monday. Loads of fabulous comics, incredibly good value… go here for more – acesweekly.co.uk.
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Jamie Smart’s Great Big Drawing Workshop… coming your way Saturday 14 December…
More fun this month from the Phoenix Comic and Jamie Smart, creator of Bunny vs Monkey and Looshkin, as it’s time for another fab digital workshop – great for fans who couldn’t get to the recent sold-out Phoenixfest, and there’s sure plenty of fans out there.
It’s happening Saturday 14 December at 10am, with the price covering one device, meaning as many of you can watch along, either live or on the recording of the event that you’ll get, plus a digital activity pack for every ticket holder.
Get your tickets here.
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The return of Rachael Smith’s Nap Comix…
C’mon, you know Nap Comix, right? Heaven knows I’ve banged on about Rachael Smith‘s latest bit of brilliance often enough… it’s a regular webcomic all about Rachael and partner Rob welcoming baby Henry into their lives. Although, he’s already growing up far too fast! It’s sweet, it’s cute, it’s lovely. But it’s also, no surprise to anyone who knows Rachael’s work, unafraid to go to some difficult places.
I once said this about it… still stand by it… “Nap Comix is something everyone should be reading for both wonderful feel good moments and insights into our human condition and is definitely recommended for every new parent to get a realistic, warts-and-all view on how wonderful and difficult this whole new child thing can be.”
Well, after a bit of a break after making it past 200 episodes, it’s back… you are reading it, right??? You can find it all over Rachael’s socials and webtoons…
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And we’ll end this week with a few more of Steve May‘s Slade-Mas pieces… plus something festive to play you out with… after all, there’s no better Christmas record ever…
