The Sunday Spotlight – The ‘They’re Actually Agreeing With His Unamerican Sentiments’ Edition
by Richard Bruton
Time to put your feet up and ignore, for a moment, the nightmarish world outside your window – time for a little comics news, time for the Sunday Spotlight…
DAVE MCKEAN’S CLASSIC JOKER FROM ARKHAM ASYLUM HEADS TO AUCTION IN SEPTEMBER… HOW MUCH WILL IT MAKE?…
Headed to Heritage auctions in September, Dave McKean‘s classic page from Arkham Asylum. McKean’s manager has said that McKean was holding out for when it was worth $100,000. But it’s surely going to fetch a hell of a lot more than that.
GO SEE MARK STAFFORD’S UNEASY GRAPHIC WORKS – ALL GOOD BOOKSHOP, LONDON – 8 SEPT-3 OCT…
Mark Stafford‘s a great, great artist, responsible for plenty of wonderfully organic, ofttimes grotesque and even sometimes disturbing pieces of comics art, including working with Bryan Talbot on Cherubs and David Hine on The Bad Bad Place, Lip Hook, and The Man Who Laughs.
Well, now London’s All Good Bookshop is having an exhibition of seen and unseen works created by himself and David Hine. It should be well worth a trip…
THE LAKES INTERNATIONAL COMIC ART FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FULL PROGRAMME…
Happening this year in Bowness on Windermere from 26th-28th September, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival is a wonderful celebration of comics from around the world, one of the big two comic festivals in the UK. Loads of guests already announced, including Lorenzo Mattotti, Craig Thompson, Alison Sampson, Bill Morrison, UK comics laureate Bobby Joseph, Martin Rowson, Philip and Shelly Bond, Simon Lia, The Rickard Sisters, and plenty more. There’s also going to be creators from The Phoenix comic, including Jamie Smart, Neill Cameron, and Jess Bradley for the Phoenix Fest happening at LICAF.
Well, they’ve announced the full events guide for the weekend now… seriously, it’s a comics show focused solely on comics, comics, and nothing but comics, all set in the glorious landscape of the Lakes – what’s stopping you from heading along?
If you can’t read it from the images below – here’s the links to see them on the LICAF site – Friday 26th September 2025, Saturday 27th September 2025, Sunday 28th September 2025.
FAN EXPO CANADA – DO BETTER..
Now, you have festivals like LICAF that are really all about the comics. Then you have shows like Fan Expo Canada where comics are very much an after thought, with preference given to a load of celebs flogging autographs and photos and walking away with literal bags of cash. And that’s fine as far as it goes. If that’s your thing, that’s okay.
But what isn’t good is the reports that the show, that took place this very weekend, has a sponsor using generative AI in the shape of a booth doing free AI portraits. Worse, where did they put it? Yes, right in artist’s alley. I saw it on Heather Antos‘s BlueSky but plenty of others are talking about it.
Just a reminder for those still deluding themselves about this. Generative AI is theft, plain and simple. It takes art from creators and uses it to power the algorithms that then ‘create’ the AI art. Takes the art without permission. And that’s just theft. Pure and simple. So, to have something churning out AI art right in the middle of artist’s alley at a con… well, that’s just taking the piss.
THE SILVER UNICORN KIDS GRAPHIC NOVEL FESTIVAL 2026 – HAPPENING MAY 2, 2026 IN ACTON, MA…
Kids don’t read comics, say the old folks who fail to realise that they’re just looking at what they say is comics and ignoring the obvious fact that kids are devouring comics of all kinds like never before. And we’re always glad to celebrate the joy of kids reading comics here.
So, advance notification and then some, but the fourth annual Silver Unicorn Bookstore hosts it’s Kids Graphic Novel Festival in May 2026. Already loads of names appearing, including Colleen AF Veneble and Dave Roman.
‘We have always loved kids graphic novels here, and celebrating them with their own special day has been among the best things we’ve ever undertaken as a bookstore. Borne out both by their sales in the store and with the enthusiasm that kids greet them, we know that these are the books that kids want. Our first Festival in 2023 attracted more than 2,000 attendees, and 2024’s and 2025’s Festival drew more than 3,000, cementing this day of joy for children and families as a permanent spot on our calendar.’
Full details here.
THE RISE AND FALL OF COMICO…
Way, way back in the ’80s, when I was a young lad, Comico was a small company publishing, amongst others, Matt Wagner‘s Grendel and Mage, two comics I fell in love with as a teen.
Anyway, it’s a classic example of a comic company starting from nothing, getting somewhat popular, expanding too fast, making bad decisions, and ending up going out of business, leaving many creators high and dry awaiting payment for work that would never come.
Strange Brain Parts has a half hour look back at the company all the way through from the earliest days to the final death throws. It’s fascinating viewing for those of us who remember many of the company’s titles fondly, but also good for those interested in comics business generally. Yes, the voiceover isn’t exactly the liveliest, but persevere.
