Review and most photographs by James Bacon
The most welcoming and friendliest convention on the calendar, Enniskillen Comic Fest attracts some amazing names in comics but also sees fans making the journey to this beautiful town in Northern Ireland, travelling from Europe to get there and experience a warm atmosphere with a relaxed pace and yet great insight into comics, current and old.
The journey to St. Macartin’s Cathedral Hall in Enniskillen was easy. London to Holyhead, and thence to Dublin on the Ferry and to Enniskillen. With four of us planned in the car, it was an affordable weekend road trip. There was no delay at Dublin port, and we crossed the border at a steady 60mph. We arrived and found ourselves sitting with fans and professionals at the bar for a cracking good evening.
Rebellion had arranged a launch of the Battle Action #1 at Enniskillen Comic Fest, making the web exclusive issue with a wrap around cover by Keith Burns and a special printed copy of issue Zero with a recent “Hellman” story available for fans. Garth Ennis is a heavy contributor to the comic he has helped Rebellion revive, and with all four creatives on issue one were present – John Wagner, Dan Cornwell, Keith and Garth, this was a great chance to catch up with them.
Gerry Finley-Day was an especially brilliant guest to get to see. I had met him at some signings, and he was delightful, but here relaxed in conversation he engaged considerably, and along with Rob Williams, John Wagner, Mike Dorey, Staz Johnson, PJ Holden and Patrick Goddard, there was a fabulous representation of Battle Action creatives, older and brand new.
I am continually impressed with the calibre of dealers, professionals and the many small presses that come to Enniskillen. Katie O’Kane had travelled from Donegal for the weekend, and her brilliant display of art demonstrated just how dynamic she is as an artists, action packed images, and moments caught and frozen perfectly, there is such a variety to her interpretations and yet has a beautiful painterly style of her own.
DaNi had some work for sale and to show, and I was so taken with the pencil and ink juxtaposition of the same pages, demonstrating the process, especially her “Fiends on the Eastern Front” story, set in Vietnam. DaNi’s style continues to develop, her black and white work seems to strengthen, a striking clarity of strong blacks and fierce white, yet drawn so nicely, it was hard to not ask for a sketch.
Art is a crucial part of the convention. Dan Cornwell and Keith Burns, as the artists on #1 of Battle Action, were in demand, as were their portfolios. Keith’s accuracy when it comes to planes, his ability to capture the action, take the reader on a visual story and portray flight is fabulous, and Dan had pages from “HMS Nightshade“, and one was able to see how brilliantly he capture the closer moments, especially the interior, as well as the larger scenes.
John Wagner was present, not only the original writer on “HMS Nightshade”, but the creator of so many loved comic characters and stories, and now back with this special on HMS Nightshade, returning forty years later, to one of the finer maritime comic stories.
2000AD writer Michael Carroll conducted the first panel of the day, a conversation event organiser Paul Trimble and Gerry Finley-Day. Gerry worked on so many comics, being an editor and writer, and Michael started with a question about “Hellman” had come about. Gerry said that Pat Mills had gone to see Battle of the Bulge with Robert Shaw, and while Shaw was not a hero in that film, he was an iconic Panzer leader, and the visual basis for Hellman. Gerry thought that the first character who played a German in a sympathetic way was Marlon Brando in The Young Lions, and so we learned of the background of Hellman from Action and Battle, the first good German in comics.
Michael made mention of how there can be ambiguity to comic characters, and Gerry noted the dilemma for German soldiers; that they were were “a patriot first and foremost, your best friend; all your schoolmates are doing the same thing and gradually you realise how unclean the whole thing is” and this quandary, the morals around war stories was discussed.
Gerry went on to note that he had spoken with Mike Dorey about Phillip Kerr’s character, Bernie Gunthar, from the Berlin Noir prose series a German detective, in the Nazi Era, the who realises his work is really for Himmler, the secret police, the worst murderers of the lot; and the irony of knowing that, and what do you do.
It was wonderful to hear how comics that came from Prestwick air base permeated Gerry’s childhood, and how he had an appreciation of Sgt Rock, Gunner and Sarge, Mademoiselle Maire, and how Sgt Rock was the one that stood out, which has a bit to do with Rogue Trooper was fascinating.
Gerry is currently working on getting the second two parts of a trilogy released this year, following on from The Men from Morganland, but is also working on a new trilogy, going in a different direction.
Stephen Mooney was in great form, drawing The Rocketeer and Darth Vader, and chatting about future projects, which sound fabulous. His art is so polished and delicate and yet really can capture a sense of action.
I also took the opportunity to talk to Davy Francis about the Belfast People’s Comic, and the art and artists that influenced and contributed to the titles that were published in the late 1970s, which was enlightening.
Will Simpson, who had been superb company in the evening, worked on a stunning rendition of Friday, the Dave Gibbons written “Rogue Trooper” in watercolour.
I was also very pleased to hear that more writings are coming from Alan Nolan, whose book The Sackville Street Caper, featuring Molly Malone and Bram Stoker, has proved so popular, and likewise here, lovely quick sketches in the book being appreciated by fans.
The is a really lovely balance with Enniskillen. There are not too many panels, and some are in the evening, which allows for a smoother experience at the con.
In Blakes in the Hollow that evening we saw Michael Carroll conduct three further interviews. First we had John Wagner, PJ Holden and Dan Cornwell. John was insightful, explaining that the hardest part was finding something different to do, working to find a new angle. In regard to “HMS Nightshade’, he reckoned that Parsons the bully in the original comic series was the most heroic, and there were many compliments for Mike Western, the original artist on the series, who was himself a veteran of World War Two. John suggested to Dan to make a model ship, which he duly did, and it is stunningly beautiful.
After a break for a beverage, Mike spoke to Patrick “Paddy” Goddard who, is drawing “Nina Patrova” for Battle Action, Staz Johnson who is drawing “Colley’s Gun”, and Mike Dorey, original artist on “Hellman of Hammer Force” and who has returned to draw the episode for this new Battle Action series.
Mike Dorey reaffirmed the matter of Robert Shaw giving a look to Hellman, but again the discussion was about the juxtaposition of character, Cooley for instance, a horrible character, but without doubt the hero. Hellman, too – a German Panzer commander but decent and aware and hateful of the Nazi’s.
Paddy was meanwhile obviously pleased that he was drawing Nina Patrova, one of the original characters first appearing in “Johnny Red”, in the issue cover dated 22nd July 1978, a fighter who was happy to floor anyone who disrespected her. She was Tom Tully’s representation of the women who flew in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, and led a reconnaissance unit.
Finally we had Garth Ennis, Keith Burns and Rob Williams. The conversation went deep here, and this was widely appreciated. First, the simplest understanding of the World War Two, where it was a war of good against evil, how many wars previous and after were colonial, but here it was the Good Guys against the Bad Buys, the Nazis being the Ultimate Bad. Fusing thoughts about reality and how we perceive comics, Garth noted that in Hitler there was a true evil man, killing himself in his secret lair as the war was lost, and in the Pacific theatre the use of a super weapon to end the war.
Morality, the hyperbole of fiction, rather than actual stories, and the lessons that people learn, that might suit themselves, and seeking meaning from the war, the meaning of all the deaths, to humanity were all touched upon. It was sufficient to get fans thinking, but then it was drawn back, when it was noted how Proud Boys are a modern personification of Nazism.
As we went for pints, it left listeners asking questions, or entering into smaller discussion, contemplate the modern day Nazis, in the Proud Boys, the neo-facist group who welcomes political violence, attempted to overthrow democracy with the January 6th Capital storming and who are an all-male group who despise left-wing and progressiveness and love Donald Trump.
“Nazis are the ultimate bad” was a clear message, but the challenges that characters can be placed in and thoughtfulness that can be extracted from war stories was also discussed.
It was great then to share a pint with Rob Williams, and this is the brilliance of Enniskillen, continuing to chat in the bar, and I am eagerly awaiting his story in the Battle Action, two stories in actual fact, “Major Eazy” and “Cooley’s Gun”.
When asked if there would be further comics after this first run, Garth Ennis, who has been crucial in bringing back this comic, along with the support of the fans who loved and love it, crossed his fingers and like him, everyone at Enniskillen hoped so. Rebellion editor Oliver Pickles seemed very happy with how the weekend was progressing, and the encouragement from fans was visible, their hope and excitement both for this run, but for a future with more Battle Action.
The venue on Sunday was the Enniskillen Hotel, and this proved quite useful, close to the guests and with a sunny outdoor seating area, it felt busy and yet not over filled. Pau Vassileva was creating some beautiful images, and I saw her do a very nice Rivers of London artwork.
I was pleased to see Octocon Chair Paul Carroll, not only representing this Octobers SF convention in Dublin, but also with Limit Break comics, who have just had a very successful Kickstarter for Fractured Realms, 24 comic stories of Norse horror.
Peter Duncan and the teams behind the local fanzine, Sector 13, were also out in strength, with copies of the just-released Issue Seven, featuring “Tyranny Rex“, written by original creator John Smith and with art by Will Simpson, who drew the cover.
They also had a 32-page, large sized Sunday Supplement that has a Dave Broughton Dredd cover, which is outstanding. I really like how Sector 13 work to a level of quality that makes the stories so good for readers.
John Wagner was due to be interviewed on the Sunday by Mike Carroll, and Gerry offered to join this group, carrying on some good discussions he had had with John over the weekend, which were insightful, especially about Rogue Trooper, and their backgrounds. This was a short but really strong panel.
I said to some pals in the summer sunshine, that when it comes to 2000AD and associated titles, it was like we are in a peak of good comics. We have had “Hershey, The Cold in the Bones” by Rob Williams and Simon Fraser, “Proteus Vex” by Micheal Carroll and Jake Lynch, “Rogue Trooper” by Patrick Goddard and Garth Ennis, all in 2000AD, “Dreadnoughts” by John Higgins and Mike Carroll and the reprinting of the Garth Ennis and Keith Burns “Johnny Red” in Judge Dredd Megazine – and now five Battle Action issues, with ten very exciting stories, with fifteen creators, including John Higgins, Torunn Grønbekk and Henry Flint.
This is a good time to be reading comics, but really quite a fabulous time to be a fan heading to cons such as Enniskillen and meeting such friendly writers and artists.
Many thanks to Paul Trimble for a superb weekend, to Stephen Trimble for support, and to the whole Enniskillen team for a great weekend.
James Bacon
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James Bacon (he/him) is an Irish fan, a train driver living in London. A Hugo Award-winning editor of the fanzine “Journey Planet”, he is a comic fan and enjoys comic art, war Comics, Star Wars, Irish aspects to comics and railways in comics or otherwise. He has been writing about comics for over thirty years.
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Excellent report
Great review, and lovely to read what happened over the weekend – the official website and FB page has zero information.
Thanks.
I think as a volunteer run event, post con recovery is vital, so we have to be patient, or at least have fair expectations, after all it was a success (from my perspective) and I think that speaks for itself.
Although volunteers may now pivot to thinking about next years, which would be great. The delevery of an event is the focus, I expect, and they do that well.
Apologies if that sounded like I was having a go at the Fest, is that Poe’s Law?? 🙂 Paul and the team do an outstanding job, and the line up was sensational this year. I’m just greedy for more info.