Out This Week: Paul Cornell and Marika Cresta’s “Con & On”, collected

By John Freeman on March 25, 2024

The collected edition of Con & On, writer Paul Cornell’s loving satire about the comics industry with artist Marika Cresta will be out from Ahoy Comics this Wednesday, 27th March, and you can read the first twenty pages, for free, on Popverse.

Con & On - Collection Cover by Paul Cornell and Marika Cresta (Ahoy Comics, 2024)

Con & On, first published as a five-issue miniseries, is a gripping comedy-drama that follows a fictional cast of fans and professionals down through the decades, as they attend the annual gathering of America’s biggest comic book convention.

It’s the story of five different years in the life of the Vista Al Mar Comics Festival – one year featured per issue, spanning three decades – from the points of view of a diverse bunch of desperate people whose lives revolve around this greatest show on Earth. Meet close friends Eddie and Deja, aspiring young comics talents whose ambitions threaten to tear them apart; Anthony, Don & Finn, brilliant, boozy and bombastic British creators; and all of the crusty veteran editors, forgotten TV stars, and enthusiastic fans who make the convention experience something to revisit year after year.

Con & On - Collection Cover by Paul Cornell and Marika Cresta (Ahoy Comics, 2024) - Sample Art — *Sample pages from Con & On by Paul Cornell and Marika Cresta*

“I’m so proud of what we created here,” says Paul. “It’s several decades in the life of a convention, about how people and culture change across time. Lots of it is true. Do check it out.”

Paul Cornell has written episodes of Elementary, Doctor Who (‘Father’s Day’ and ‘Human Nature’), Primeval, Robin Hood and many other TV series, including his own ITV children’s show, Wavelength.

He’s worked for every major comics company, including his creator-owned series The Witches of World War II for TKO, I Walk With Monsters for The Vault, The Modern Frankenstein for Magma, Saucer Country for Vertigo and This Damned Band for Dark Horse, and runs for Marvel and DC on Batman and Robin, Wolverine, Captain Britain and Young Avengers.

Who Killed Nessie? by Paul Cornell and Rachael Smith - Cover https://zoop.gg/c/whokillednessie

Just this week, Paul launched a new comic, Who Killed Nessie? on Zoop, joined by Rachael Smith for a cryptozoological whodunnit!

Every year, legendary creatures from all over the world gather for an annual convention. But never has there been a murder. You can head here to pledge – don’t miss out on an early bird special and this murder mystery about finding confidence through rationality and accepting a world of mysteries… by solving one.

The co-host of Hammer House of Podcast, he’s also the writer of the Lychford rural fantasy novellas from Tor.com Publishing and he’s won the BSFA Award for his short fiction, an Eagle Award for his comics, a Hugo Award for his podcast and shares in a Writer’s Guild Award for his Doctor Who and the Grand Prix Nova and Scribe awards for the audio series Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Firewall.

Nominated for best inker in the Ringo Awards 2020, Marika Cresta‘s credits include work for Marvel, including the Star Wars series Doctor Aphra and Captain Carter: Woman Out Of Time, Lion Forge, Awbw, and Zenescope Entertainment.

• Con & On is available to order from all good comic shops and bookshops | Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link) | ISBN: 978-1952090301

• Check out the Popverse preview of Con & On

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.