Alternative Press Fair Shapes Up Nicely

By John Freeman on January 21, 2009

With just two weeks to go, Jimi Gherkin, Comic creator and organiser of the The Alternative Press Fair 2009 in London on 1st February is shaping up nicely with a terrifi line up of creators scheduled to be part of the day’s proceedings (see below).

“It’s only going to be as good as we can make it so… invite everyone you can!” Jimi urges via the event’s Facebook group. “Get your friends down there even if they’re only slightly interested, it will be great to have people from outside the scene there and show them what the scene is all about; they might feel inspired to get into it themselves!”

Over 50 exhibitors will be part of the day, representing about 100 artists. “It’s going to be a really amazing day!” enthuses Jimi.

Creator Groups at the event include…

• Active Distribution (www.activedistribution.org)
• Brighton BA Illustration (www.illustratorselbow.com)
A a group of illustrators, currently studying at the University of Brighton who make drawings, books, prints, films, animations, sculptures, paintings, photographs, stuffed toys, jewellery, clothes, badges, stickers, and pretty much anything else they can think of.
• Hand Made and Bound (www.handmadeandbound.com)
An independent fair with affordable, handmade artists’ books, comics and zines.
• Last Hours (www.lasthours.org.uk)
Last Hours is a radical culture web zine and occasional publisher. It aims to explore and promote DIY ideas and ideals, with articles, interviews, comics, columns and reviews.
• Meat Mag
• Nude Mag (www.nudemagazine.co.uk)
Nude was launched in August 2003 by Suzy Prince and Ian Lowey; two people brought together by a shared interest in many of the strange and exotic things which exist at the margins of pop culture.
• Paper Tiger
Paper Tiger is a co-operative venture where all the artists get creative control of their work and get published in one of two ways.
• Wallflower Press (www.wallflowerpress.co.uk)
Independent specialist book publishing across the full spectrum of cinema and the moving image.

Individual Creators include…
• Gavin Burrows (lucidfrenzy.blogspot.com)
From his base in Brighton, England, Gavin Burrows has badgered the foolish and unwary with a plethora of comic strips, articles, polemics, drunken rants and nuisance phone calls for over twenty years now…
• Capes & Drapes (capesanddrapes.tripod.com)
Mini Comics and Doodles
• Chiu (www.myeyeisonfire.net)
Animator and comics creator
• Gethan Dick (www.gethan.org)
Creative educator
• Tanya Meditsky (www.milkkitten.com)
• Eleanor Jane Parsons (www.eleanorjane.co.uk)
Self publisher of Wretch and Pushing Twenty
• Sarah Ray (www.sarahray.co.uk)
Birmingham-based illustrator
• Karoline Rerrie (www.nursepussy.co.uk)
Yes, wwe still think people visit her site more by ‘accident’ than design.
• SINA (www.boycrazyboy.com)
Sina burst onto the underground queer punk scene at the age of 16 with the queer teen zine Concerned Muthers, going on to create comics such as the gay superhero saga Atomic Love and the intensely personal and highly acclaimed BoyCrazyBoy.
• Wes White (www.ecartilage.co.uk)
Publisher of Attack!!!! Magazine

John Freeman

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.