Canny Comics Goings on in Newcastle this Saturday!

By John Freeman on 15 March 2017

This Saturday (18th March 2017) will see Newcastle City Library taken over by comics for Canny Comic Con, a free event which includes an appearance by 2000AD artist Nigel Dobbyn and Marvel artist Gary Erskine – and a host of independent comic creators.

Running from 10.30am to 3.30pm, the event will offer a hall jam-packed with some of the most interesting comics creators from around the region and beyond, including web comics creators CharlyVonKarma (Sultans) and K. Ben Clarke (Man-Children); Analogue Press; Tom Boyle (Rocket Wizard); Manchua Cha; Brittany Coxon (Making and That); Cuttlefish (Out of Time); Jack Fallows (Axolotl); Luke James Halsall (The Bullpen); Ingi Jensson, a sequential storyteller and Concept Art lecturer at Teesside University; Tara McInerney (Friendfiction); Mama Lips; Gemma Moody (Skyline City Heroes); the Paper Jam Collective; Faye Stacey (Eye Spy! Murder); Paul Thompson (Tales of the Hollow Earth); Andrew Waugh (co-editor, BOO!); Terry Wiley (Sleaze Castle, VerityFair); and Letty Wilson (Cosmic).

The day’s programme includes an-depth Star Wars character design workshop with Nigel Dobbyn; talks from Applied Comics Etc and Black Lodge Press; an anthology editors’ panel discussion; and “Drop-By Drawing” all day.

One intriguing highlight has to be ‘Just A Comics Minute‘ (lovingly reinterpreting a certain classic Radio 4 panel show by adding a comics theme).

• For more about Canny Comic Con visit the event’s official blog | Follow Canny Comic Con on Twitter @CannyComicCon

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as 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.