The Sunday Spotlight: The ‘Party’s Over, Pen Boy’ Edition
by Richard Bruton
Another week passes, the world turns, the US turns into a dystopian nightmare… well, not yet, but we’re early in the four-year cycle. Anyway, a little comics news… it’s The Sunday Spotlight:
Angouleme Grand Prix winner announced – congratulations to Anouk Ricard
The Angouleme Grand Prix was announced at the opening night of the comics festival on 29 January. Congratulations to Anouk Ricard!
This years’ shortlist was made up of three female artists for the comic medium’s most prestigious prize. Which made a positive change from the time in 2016 when the whole longlist of 30 had zero female creators included. Things have, thankfully, changed since then, meaning we have three absolute greats, all worthy in their own ways.
The trio of comic artists were Alison Bechdel, of Fun Home and Dykes To Watch Out For fame, and whose new fiction graphic novel, Spent, is out this spring; Anouk Ricard, whose Anna & Froga series and Benson’s Cuckoos has been published in English by Drawn and Quarterly; and Catherine Meurisse, whose work is yet to be seen in English.
Ricard was presented her award by the 2024 winner, British comic and cartoon treasure, Posy Simmonds.
Anouk Ricard, is best known for her wonderfully funny series of books featuring Anna and Froga that began in 2004. But her work for adults such as Commissaire Toumi, Galaxie Chérie (with Hugo Piette), Patti et les Fourmis, and Coucous Bouzon, the latter two being official selections of the International Comics Festival.
Catherine Meurisse was a former cartoonist of Charlie Hebdo, and has made beautiful comic works including , Mes Hommes de lettres, Savoir-vivre ou mourir, Le Pont des arts, Moderne Olympia, La Légèreté, Scènes de la vie hormonale, Les Grands Espaces, and La jeune femme et la mer. She’s a major talent in French comics, already a member of the Academy of Fine Arts, a first for a comic book author.
The third finalist, Alison Bechdel, is already incredibly well known. An American comic maker and LGBTQ+ activist, her work includes Fun Home and Dykes To Watch Out For. Hugely influential in the English-speaking comics world, she is less well known in Europe. Hopefully, this anknowledgement of her work by Angouleme will see her profile rise worldwide.
Birmingham’s High-Vis Comic Con announces a first quartet of guests…
Comicon’s own Olly MacNamee is putting together his very first Comic-Con in the fabulous city of Birmingham – the rather cool suburb of King’s Heath to be precise. It’s happening 21 June 2025 and the first four guests have been announced – John Wagner, Martin Simmonds, Charlie Adlard, and Laura Howell.
Spread the word about it – although Olly’s been busy and successful at organising the Hi-Vis Street Culture Festival for a few years now, this new High Vis Comic Con is all about comics coming back to the second city! It’s been far too long since Brum had a major comics event.
More guests and more details to come of course. Olly’s busy beavering away sorting things out. If you fancy helping, it you fancy appearing, if you fancy exhibiting, get in touch a info.highviscomicon@gmail.com. And to follow what’s happening, follow on Insta @highvisccomicon or Facebook High Vis Festival.
Paul Gravett interviews Jamie Smart for Books For Keeps…
You all know Jamie Smart‘s work, right? Bunny Vs Monkey, Looshkin, both making kids across the globe giggle with delight (and making publisher David Fickling giggle with delight at the sales, no doubt).
Well, the man at the crossroads (as described by Eddie Campbell), Paul Gravett interviews Jamie for Books For Keeps here.
Here’s Paul’s intro to the interview…
‘It’s happened to me twice now – on a train from Windermere and on the tube in London. I’ve noticed parents giving the latest Bunny vs. Monkey book to their kids, who are so excited they can’t wait to plunge in. Children in Britain love Jamie Smart’s zany, inventive comics a lot. They have turned his Bunny vs. Monkey series, published in the weekly comic The Phoenix and then adapted into 250+-page volumes from David Fickling Books, into a best-selling phenomenon, second only in the UK to Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper. What’s more, last year Jamie was awarded both Illustrator and Children’s Illustrated Book of the Year categories in the British Book Awards. Jamie is no overnight success, having worked for The Dandy and Funday Times and alternative American comic books. But it’s been in The DFC in 2008-9, then The Phoenix since 2012, that his wackiness was unleashed and found an eager young audience. So enthusiastic that his live comics-making workshops for kids sell out almost instantly. Jamie kindly found time to chat from his studio.’
Support your local comic shop – OK Comics’ Drink & Draw – 10 February…
In these difficult times for comics retail, the regular reminder to get down to your local comic shop and buy stuff. If you’ve got a standing order at your LCS, go pick it up.
Anyway, one of the really good shops in the UK, OK Comics in Leeds, has a regular Drink & Draw event, and that’s another way you can support your local comic shop. Make use of all the things they put on, go to the signings, get the exclusives, enjoy all the things that make them different from that huge, mega-millions-making online store, and give your LCS your money. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Anyway, the OK Comics D&D happens 10 February, here’s the great poster by the equally great Anna Readman —
The Power Fantasy Volume 1 Launch Party With Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard – Gosh! Comics 12 February…
The excellent The Power Fantasy by Kieron Gillen and Capsper Wijngaard gets its first collection from Image Comics in February, pulling together issues 1-5 of a much-read series. And Caspar and Kieron will be signing at Gosh! Comics London on Wednesday 12th February 2025, from 7-9pm.
Here’s what publisher Image Comics say about the comic:
“Superpowered.” You have certain preconceptions. They’re incorrect. Here, that word has a specific technical definition. Namely, “any individual with the destructive capacity of the nuclear arsenal of the U.S.A.”
There are six such people on Earth. The planet’s survival relies on them never coming into conflict.
Come dance to the ticking of the doomsday clock with Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard in the first collection of this new, critically adored, sell-out epic.
Make a note in your diary and head along to say hello. As with so many of Gosh!’s signings, there’s an exclusive bookplate as well. More details here.
New Year… new digital Phoenix Comic workshops with Joe List, Andreas Schuster, and James Turner… 15 Feb & 19 March…
As you should know, the Phoenix Comic continues to go from strength to strength, providing fabulous reading for kids (and adults), featuring works by plenty of great comic creators like Jamie Smart, Neill Cameron, Joe List, Andreas Schuster, James Turner, Robert Deas, and plenty more.
They’ve announced the latest couple of digital workshops, where kids can take part in events run by the artists they love. First, there’s the Super Slugman Saturday with Joe List – Saturday 15th February at 10am. Then, on Sunday 19 March at 10am, there’s the Pixie Mayhem Masterclass run by creators of Toby and the Pixies, Andreas Schuster and James Turner.
Find out all the details here.
Yo Comics! — New Comics Fair For (& by) Kids – 23 March…
A new London comics fair with a difference launches in March, Yo Comics! It’s all about kids and comics, with plenty going on, workshops, meeting creators, and plenty of exclusives.
It happens on Sunday 23rd March 2025, 11-5pm at Stanley Arts, 12 South Norwood Hill, London SE25 6AB, and it’s all free entry.
You can expect to see comic stars from the Phoenix Comic and Bog Eyed Books, including Gary Northfield, Neill Cameron, and Tor Freeman.
More at @yocomicsfair on Bluesky and Insta.
