Inspired by Bryan Talbot‘s classic graphic novel Alice in Sunderland, Sunderland University is to host a major event for all fans of graphic novels on Saturday 30th May.
2015 is the 150th Anniversary of the publication of Alice in Wonderland, one of the world’s most popular books. There are many connections between ‘Alice’ and author, Lewis Carroll, and the North East of England and to celebrate Alice’s Birthday the good people of Sunderland and South Tyneside are arranging a series of exciting events. Some are already announced and the Alice is 150 organisation will be announcing others as they go through the year.
Wonderlands will feature a fantastic programme of talks and workshops by some of the greatest writers and artists in the genre. Guests include Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell; cartoonist and illustrator Kate Charlesworth; Yorkshire-based graphic novelist Darryl Cunningham, author of the brilliant Supercrash: How to Hijack the Global Economy; cartoonist Hunt Emerson; publisher Dan Franklin (Vintage Publishing), Comics Laureate Dave Gibbons; Mel Gibson (Senior Lecturer at Northumbria University specialising in teaching and research relating to comics,
graphic novels, picturebooks and fiction for children); Paul Gravett (co-director of Comica, the London International Comics Festival since 2003, co-publisher of Escape Books); Emma Hayley (Managing Director and Publisher at SelfMadeHero); award-winning cartoonist, writer and illustrator Dylan Horrocks; Metaphrog (John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs, who have been creating graphic novels since 1996); Mary Talbot (the internationally acclaimed scholar of gender, language and power who now writes graphic novels and whose first, Dotter of her Father’s Eyes, with partner and fellow Wonderlands speaker Bryan Talbot, won the Costa Biography Award in 2013); comic creator and independent publisher Tim Perkins; graphic novelist Woodrow Phoenix; Paul Register, founder of the hugely successful Stan Lee Excelsior Award; and Guardian cartoonist Posy Simmonds, author of strips such as Mrs Weber’s Diary, True Love (now being re-published by SEQUENTIAL) and Tamara Drewe.
Many of the UK’s leading publishers will be there with some of their best-selling authors.
• Wonderlands 10.00am – 8.00pm Saturday 30th May 2015, the University of Sunderland, CitySpace, City Campus, Chester Road, Sunderland SR1 3SD. Admission Free Web: www.wonderlands.org.uk
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, downthetubes Comics News, Events