Belfast-based Sector 13 Comics have published a new issue of their Splank! title to coincide with a two-day Academic Conference taking place today (2nd May 2025) and tomorrow at the University of Ulster, in Coleraine.
The event, organised by lecturers Victoria McCollum and Andrew Sneddon, in association with NI based comic creators, Dr. Bob Curran and Sector 13 editor, Peter Duncan, is entitled “On the Margins: Comics, Gender, Identity and Subversion”.
Day One will feature Julia Round, an expert on Misty comic, talking about “Breaking the Rules in Girls Comics”. Organisers Victoria McCullum and Andrew Sneddon will also speak about their excellent Witches of Islandmagee graphic novel (AmazonUK Affiliate Link), which brings to life the issues around the last Witch Trial to take place in Ireland.
Other panels will look at subjects like Immigration, differing views expressed in post-apocalyptic manga and “Comics as Revolution” which will include Dr Bob Curran’s experience in the US Underground scene of the 1960s, and the impact of the Battle and, in particular, Action weeklies on British comics.
Saturday, will see members of the Northern Ireland comics community, mainly small-press publishers, creators and con organisers give their perspective on the comics scene and look back at the history of small-press comics in Northern Ireland.
The Splank! Academic Special, which is published in the oversized “Sunday Supplement” format, contains articles by Julia Round, on her experience writing a comic strip for Sector 13, Victoria and Andrew on Witches of Islandmagee, and a fascinating article on the impact “The Broons And Oor Wullie” had on Andrew Sneddon’s childhood as a young Scot. Tony Esmond, from the superb Awesome Comics Podcast, also gives his views on the future of the small press.
The rest of the issue is made up of articles and comic treats, largely written by the NI comics community, including Paul Trimble on Enniskillen Comics Fest, Peter Duncan on the creation of a very special story for Sector 13 and an incredibly unreliable, yet very funny, account, by Davy Francis of the history of Ximoc, the early 1980s Belfast title that launched the careers of Will Simpson and Davy himself.
With a brand new cover and a strip from Nigel Parkinson, who will be the main guest on Saturday, this is a new departure for Sector 13 Comics. The Splank! Academic Special will be available at the event and from the groups website from Monday.
“Tickets are available for the event from Eventbrite,” Peter Duncan tells us, “but I would be pretty sure anyone interested in attending would not be turned away.”
• The Splank! Academic Special is available from Monday 4th May 2025 here: boxofrainmagazine.co.uk
• Tickets for “On the Margins: Comics, Gender, Identity and Subversion” available here from Eventbrite
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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.
Categories: British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events
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