Expo Expose part 2

It's hard not to namedrop after going to comics conventions, just as it's easy to forget that in most other entertainment industries it's not as easy to hang out socially with the creators you're a fan of. I take it for granted sometimes, and it's easier to avoid the hero-worship thing once you've had a big comics name buying you triple vodkas (Bob Schreck; he insisted); or a steak dinner (Greg Rucka); or introducing you to his sister like you're very old friends (Grant Morrison); or you've prised him out of your very drunken friends arms (Jim Lee); or you've sat on a hotel bed discussing shoe fashion (Paul Pope and Matt Madden); or you've shared tips about the corridor to men's toilets on the top floor of the New York Public Library (Neil Gaiman [there's a Charles Addams exhibit there]). I could go on…

And of course one of the main reasons, for going to a convention — even more than buying all those lovely goodies — is to drink and talk to comics creators. Mostly to drink, to be honest, otherwise it feels like you're letting the side down. If there isn't at least one member of bar staff on the verge of a breakdown after a con, then it's because it's that very very rare occasion: enough staff and enough supplies at the bar. That doesn't happen very often.

Actually I didn't have that much to drink (just a couple of glasses of red and a Dalwhinnie single malt), but I hadn't even finished my first glass of wine before I'd introduced myself to 30 Days Of Night artist Ben Templesmith by sticking my head in his lap and giving him "a cheap thrill" (his words). It was an accident, as I'd had to crawl under a table to get to the available empty seat, but it was a perfect ice-breaker and we ended up having a very nice conversation, even if his side seemed to be peppered with non-sequiturs sometimes.

Here's Ben at dinner, in conversation with Si Spurrier.

Dinner was lacklustre as far as food was concerned (there are very few restaurant choices near the Excel Centre), but lovely as far as the company was concerned, which was the main thing. And then it was off to the bar, where I ran into Elephantmen artist Boo Cook and his missus, Gemma, who I've known for about ten years, but hadn't seen since the last time I went to a con in Bristol. We had a nice chat with Elephantmen writer, typographer and all-round-nice-guy Richard Starkings about weird 1960s teatime telly show The Owl Service (it's brilliant but very weird). Turns out Richard's 10-year-old daughter is a huge fan. I need to watch it again, actually.

After that it was the usual round of talking to old friends and new over an ever-increasing number of bevvies.

Here are Marc Ellerby and Kieron Gillen posing like the posey poseurs they are.

Not pictured is Marc's girlfriend Swedish Anna With The Assymetrical Fringe He Can Never Draw Right, who is one of the people who organises the Comics Village at Expo.

Here's Dan Boultwood, "making an effort to be good" (his words)

I wish I'd thought to get a photo of Dan and Ben together, as they almost matched, in their black suits and red ties, but I didn't — even though I think that's Ben's elbow next to Dan's. (Behind Dan is Paul Fryer talking to a bald guy I don't know). Dan was drinking absinthe, but had to take his glass back to the bar for them to add the sugar, because he wasn't allowed to do it himself for "health and safety reasons". Someone must have tipped them off about him.

Here's Ben Templesmith again, this time with Cassandra Conroy and the man they call Von Pud.

Cassie is the organiser of this year's Eagle Awards. This year they're introducing the Eagles Initiative, a special award to help fund a comics unknown, which is pretty cool. If you know anyone who should be considered, head over to the site and let them know. Pud is the lovely husband of lovely Emma Vieceli, one of the other organiser of Comics Village. The poor lass had completely lost her voice by the time we all were in the bar, so unfortunately I didn't get to talk to her.

And here's Templesmith again, this time with David Monteith from the Geek Syndicate podcast. David is one of the biggest tarts loveliest men in comics, who always gives the best hugs (he also gives good back rubs).

That Ben is such a camera hog, though! I did take other photos that didn't include him, but I believe he must have hexed the camera when it wasn't focussed on him, or at least made some concerted efforts at deliberate sabotage, because most of them didn't come out. I had a lovely one of John Allison that was ruined and blurry as Ben walked in front of the lens, and none of the pics of David came out until Ben was included in this one.

My phone started dying after that, and I had to stop taking photos, which is a shame, because I would have liked to have been able to show you pictures of Warren Ellis doing impersonations of Helen Mirren and Patrick Stewart. Not to mention the sight of Kieron Gillen, Si Spurrier and Jamie McKelvie dancing in the middle of the street to make the night bus come. They were using "rain dance" logic, which made perfect sense standing in a desolate road in Canning Town at two in the morning. Kieron and Jamie favour the Ska Attack Squad approach as made famous in an issue of Phonogram; while Si favours a cross between Cossack leaping and Riverdance.

On the night bus we came up with a crossover story featuring Miss Marvel and Miss Marple, due to Jamie mishearing me. Who wouldn't want to read that?

Lovely as the day was, I was glad to get home to my lovely bed.