The other comics event of the week was anything but lowkey. MCM EXpo is a twice-yearly event in the Docklands, full of cosplayers and hyperactive teenagers, which I wouldn't normally consider going to, were it not for the fact that it's also full of fabulous comics folk and offers up a great opportunity for me to catch up with so many friends at once. So many photos, I decided to split the post into two parts: daytime and nighttime. Here's part one.
First up, these are the cordons that ensured people stood in proper lines inside an otherwise giant, empty hangar. When I arrived it was back to being a giant empty hangar, but earlier in the day it was heaving with people having to queue up for at least an hour. Crazy people.
Here's Mondo Towers Tech Hero Billy (he's the one who fixes things when the site's broken) with his freshly shorn head. Those of you who know him can all join me in a chorus of "I told you so" because he looks better now.
(Nestling under Billy's chin is comics colourist Rosemary something-or-other, who I met at dinner, and comics artist Kevin Maguire who I met later in the bar.)
Here's sci-fi space princess Sarah MacIntyre at the Fleece Station table.
She's dressed like that to promote the picture book she illustrated, You Can't Eat A Princess, and apparently that dress really is made of science-fiction because it never ever needs cleaning. (Sarah's reviews of the Expo are here.)
Here's Gary Northfield, looking a bit pensive (actually he was answering someone's question, but I don't remember who or what it was).
And here are the four members of the Fleece Station studio, as drawn by Gary (clockwise from left, Sarah, Gary, Lauren and Ellen):
Here's Daniel Merlin Goodbrey looking tired and overwhelmed, because MCM Expo is a tiring and overwhelming experience. Daniel is one of the organisers of Unicomics which took place a couple of months ago, and is about to be part of a group exhibition of comics artists going up in the Pump House Gallery, so you should check that out (it opens in August, keep an eye on Paul Gravett's event listings).
Here are the lovely stars of My Cardboard Life.
Some giant banners promoting the Scott Pilgrim movie. Awesome. Watch the new trailer here! (the second one is better than the first)
This is a banner that I think is advertising a game, except that the graphics look like the record sleeve designs of a popular Britpop beat combo, and it uses a very similar same typeface as their 1990s logo. I got confused. Is it deliberate? Can someone explain it to me?
Here are some random cosplayers dressed up as people I am not remotely familiar with.
stroppy foppy
GIGANTNORMUNGOUS SCYTHE
very weird wings
<3 supervillains playing DanceDance Revolution <3
girls with beards
And here's some of my haul from shopping around the Comics Village, including the last Scary-Go-Round book; some prints from David O'Connell; the latest issue of There's No Time Like The Present, a mini-comic from Cliodhna, the first book of Far Out Mantic, and some stuff from Jarina Liew, a brand-new discovery for me, who was so engaging and friendly without being pushy, I immediately wanted to buy everything on her table (the fact it's all so very pretty also helps).
I'm annoyed that I somehow totally missed the DFC table though, because I wanted to pick up a copy of Mezolith for my mum (not that I can't buy it elsewhere, of course).
More coming in part 2!
