Oli Smith has published this promotional video for No Barcodes, the Camden Comics Mini-Con from 10-6pm on Saturday 31st May.
The event features cheap food, glorious scenery (see video for more on this), sketching tables, entrance is free, and exhibitors a small fee. There’s also an after-drinks event.
The No Barcodes mini-con is all part of London Underground Comic’s campaign of bringing comics back to the underground by making small press cheap, cheerful and accessible and is the first of two events planned over the summer.
An indoor area of Camden Lock Market has been set aside for the event and LUC plan to fill it with at least six or seven stalls. The whole event will work exactly as the LUC stall does — with groups of people on different tables splitting the £30 rent between them equally. The rest is theirs. The whole event will cost no more than £7 per person exhibiting, and the more people come the cheaper it will be.
“We’re looking for groups of people to man essentially themed tables, for example a web comics table, a caption table for Oxford creators and, say, an autobiography table etc.,” says Oli. “Each table will be given a sketchbook at the beginning of the day to hopefully fill and at closing time each table’s book will be auctioned off to help pay for LUC’s expenses in printing banners, posters, fliers etc. any profit will be put towards the next mini-con.
“The point of the event is an excuse to bring comic creators from around the country together to socialise and sell comics to an unsaturated market without huge expense. Depending on how many creators wish to exhibit we also plan to put aside a separate table for visitors to sketch, as well as a rotating ‘featured artist’ who can charge for portraits.”
The hall is situated in the heart of Camden amongst an indoor and outdoor market with a steady flow of tourists passing through. Entry to No Barcodes will be free. “This means that not only will there be plenty of room in the outdoor seating area to catch up with fellow creators, but we will also be selling to the comics-virgin tourists of Camden,” Oli explains, “who will be wondering what the event is all about. I’m not even going to touch on the quantities of food and alcohol outlets around the area, most providing discounts for stall-mannees.
“Also, if you’re lucky, once the market closes at six, we should have an entire pub laid on near Mornington Crescent tube station to host the after-con drinks.”
LUC wants small press creators of any sort to get in touch with us via the facebook group or by emailing camdencomics AT hotmail.co.uk telling them that you wish to take part.
• More information on the LUC web site here
• Facebook Event link
Confirmed Exhibitors So Far (Updated 30/4/08):
• Sean Azzopardi
Sean is a writer illustrator who has produced over a dozen mini comics, and contributed to numerous anthologies. Publications containing Seans’ work include, Grey Sky, Twelve Hour Shift and Ed.
• David Baillie
David Baillie leaps out of bed every morning burning with the fire of youthful enthusiasm. He writes and draws comics. He was recently interviewed as part of BBC Radio 4’s Word of Mouth show
• Gavin Burrows
• Francesca Cassavetti
Francesca has been supplying cartoons and illustrations to a variety of clients for several years, from corporate communications through educational and children’s publishers to management consultants, all the while creating her own comic strips and stories. Characters like Fabian Carr, Bloke in a Dressing Gown and New Man had their 15 minutes in various magazines.
• Helen Casey
“Cath Artic” describes herself as a “venomous little scribbler with poor social skills and a habit of eavesdropping. So watch your back.”
• Richy K. Chandler
Writer and artist on the much praised Delicate Axiom.
• Jeremy Dennis
Jeremy is a female cartoonist (yes, Jeremy is a strange name for a woman, isn’t it?) who has been drawing since she could hold a pencil, a comics fan since she started to read, and producing minicomics since she was shown how in 1989.
• Do Better
Publishers of the new charity comic – see related news story
• Sean Duffield
Editor of the terrific anthology Paper Tiger
• Marc Ellerby
Marc draws an ongoing comic series called Love the Way You Love, written by Jamie S. Rich, published by Oni Press
• Josceline Fenton
Contributor to The Girly Comic (including Gutterbaby in #10) and illustrator.
• Chris Getliffe
Publisher of Kitchen District Comics
• Jake Harold
Eagle Award-nominated creator of Tales from the Flat and Tards
• Ed Hillyer
Better known as ILYA, Ed’s work has appeared in publications from all the major US and UK comics companies.
• Tom Humberstone
Tom Humberstone has been writing, drawing and self-publishing comics under the alias of Ventedspleen for three years.
• Ralph Kidson
Does he still draw Rodney the Radiator, I wonder?
• Oliver Lamden
Publisher of Modern Monstrosity Comics
• David and Martin Lander
Publishers of Decadence comic
• Dan Lester
Cartoonist and film maker
• Zarina Liew
Zarina Liew is a Cambridge based artist who specializes in comic art and illustration.
Using both digital and traditional processes, her work draws inspiration from
vintage fashion, Japanese printmaking and conceptual psychology.
• Andrew Luke
Artist and writer who helps run Caption, the UK’s longest running comics festival.
• Al Maceachern
• Terome McNally
• Trevor Mueller
• Paul O’Connell
Paul makes comic strips and books under the name of The Sound of Drowning.
• Richard Peel
Check out his compendium of comics, Fights ‘n’ Wizards, or Skull Compound, a futuristic quasi-military installation in the wilderness.
• Thomas Plaskitt
I’d tell you more about him but his NewThink site has apparently limited navigation
(that could be deliberate…)
• Clare Power
Creator of Bogus Baby
• Rebecca Pott
• Ben Powis
Ben’s work has been printed in the Computer Arts Graduate Showcase, and the Digital Arts Showcase, August edition 2007.
• Emma Price
• Karen Rubens
• Jon Scrivens
Creator of the macabre strip Little Terrors
• Oli Smith
Comics writer, illustrator and founder of London Underground Comics.
• Idil Sukan
A graphic designer and live comedy producer working in London. Idil production manage the live-arm of the Penny Dreadfuls comedy troupe. She also produces a lovely sketch night called Sketchatron.
• Mick Weller
- About the Author
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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