Stephen Downey's Jennifer Wilde on Cosmic Treadmill

You'll no doubt have seen the first issue of Atomic Diner's 1920s supernatural mystery comic Jennifer Wilde, drawn by our own Stephen Downey, on the shelves in the Forgotten Pelmet, and if you haven't picked it up, go and do so, because it's excellent. It's got some attention from new UK-based* comics news site Cosmic Treadmill, who have reviewed issue 1, and interviewed Stephen and the writer, Maura McHugh, and the publisher/plotter, Rob Curley. Check 'em out.

*Chris from Cosmic Treadmill contacts me to point out they're actually based in Cork.

Irish Comic News 2011 Awards open for nominations!

Irish Comic News, a great site covering the comics scene north and south of the border, announces the inaugural ICN Awards, and is inviting nominations in a variety of categories covering creators and comics in the self-published and mainstream fields, comic shops and websites. Go and vote, and ensure that Belfast, and the north in general, are well represented!

TitanCon is coming!

I've been a bit slack blogging here of late - even forgot to plug the last pub meet at the Cloth Ear on Thursday 1 September, and have yet to write up last weekend's Barcamp. A lot of my blogging efforts have been redirected to Irish Comic News, which you should all be following, but I have also just been a bit inactive online due to meatspace factors. Couldn't be helped - sorry.

But anyway. There's a new science fiction and fantasy convention coming up in a few weeks: TitanCon. The main event is on Saturday 24 September at the Europa, and features guests including sf author Ian McDonald and various people involved in making the Game of Thrones TV series - not to mention myself and the estimable Andy Luke, representing comics. There's also a preview night at McHughs on the Friday, and a Game of Thrones bus tour on the Sunday, but I believe that's sold out.

It's a tenner in, and it looks excellent (and I'd say that even if I wasn't a guest). For more, see Andy's write-up at Irish Comic News.

Black Box Bazaar tomorrow

The Black Market is no more. In its place, the Black Box Bazaar. Which is exactly the same. Andy's taking a break, but I'll be there as usual with the usual range of self-published comics by artists from both sides of the border, alongside all the other handmade crafts and buns and old vinyl records and everything else. And they do great slices of pizza in the cafe in the front. Tomorrow, Sunday 14 August, at the Black Box on Hill Street, 12 to 5 pm. Come along and see what creative Belfast has to offer.

Comics Barcamp 2011

There's a new kind of comics event coming up in September - Comics Barcamp Belfast 2011. A barcamp is a kind of communally organised conference where people gather to learn and share their knowledge, that started in the IT industry and has spread to other fields.

Comics Barcamp Belfast is the brainchild of Andy Luke, who has secured a venue, Blick Studios on the Malone Road, on 3 September 2011. He's set up a wiki for planning the event, and a Google discussion group as well. What he needs is more participation. We have two proposed sessions, writer pitching with Andy and outlets and distribution with me. Barcamp is participation only. If you want to give a presentation or lead a discussion on any subject regarding creating, publishing, selling or promoting comics, anything you can contribute from your own experience and thoughts, we'd be delighted to have you.

New outlet for Belfast self-publishers

The Head record shop in the Victoria Centre has a section for local artists. They currently carry books by Wayne Simmons, DVDs by George Clarke, CDs by loads of local musicians, and comics by the Berserker lads, George Clarke and Miguel Martin, and me. Their terms are extremely generous, so if you self-publish locally, call in and ask to talk to Viv.

Pub meet this Thursday

First Thursday of July, the 7th, is time for our regular Belfast comics creators pub meet! If you make comics, or are interested in making comics, and are in the vicinity of Belfast on Thursday, then join us at the Cloth Ear, attached to the Merchant Hotel on Waring Street, from 9pm. Click here for the Facebook event page, where you can invite your friends.

This blog's been a bit quiet lately - I'm afraid my blogging attention has been elsewhere, on the new Irish Comic News site. Check it out.