Big difference this year was that I set off for Inverness early on Saturday morning without my table helper and friend Jeremy (Down The Tubes) Briggs sat in the passenger seat as he had elected to travel the previous day and helpfully take most of the 'stock' for the weekend with him. So music fully on I set off on the fairly uneventful two and a half hour journey and witnessed some pretty spectacular landscapes in the morning sun. Arriving at Eden Court just after 9am I met Dave Evans (writer,artists, editor on many a fine title) and gained entry into the venue.
My table was in exactly the same location as the previous year and once Jeremy arrived with the boxes and folders of goodies it took no time at all to be set up and ready for the public. My new wire frame sketch holder getting some envious glances from fellow exhibitors! If I was slightly off my game this year then I had good reason as I was continually checking my mobile phone and nipping (took a few minutes to nip anywhere) outside to phone home and check on the status of my wife who was due to give birth in two days. I'm guessing I missed a few people over the weekend (including Forbidden Planet's Joe Gordon) by doing a disappearing act with phone in hand. That said, even with my mind elsewhere the weekend flew by in a haze of activity.
Saturday was incredibly busy and the prepared sketches, prints, art and sketchbooks did brilliant business and flew off the table. The first three hours literally did fly by, many people stopped to chat and talk about the work I had on show. The whole hall seemed to buzz with energy and I think that everyone being in the One Touch Theatre hall helped with that. The 'artists' wall at the entrance seemed to be a constant queue of activity and I can only guess how many sketches fellow Scotch Corner chums Simon Fraser and Gary Erskine produced? Everybody seemed to be having a great time and doing brisk business too. As usual the mix of people attending was wonderful and once again the family atmosphere was great. I heard from several people that the various activities for kids where all filled up and highly popular.
Scotch Corner member, Tom Crielly, arrived with his son Logan in tow to enjoy the day from the public side of things. After chatting for a while he wandered off to take in the convention and we didn't meet up again until nearly the end of the day where Tom explained that it had been all go with workshops and talks. A full day, but it seemed Logan had enjoyed every moment of it.My only other duties for the weekend involved attending the 'Portfolio Sessions' where myself, Vicky (organiser of the show, artist, fire fighter and general wonder woman), Dave (previously mentioned) Evans and Vince (artist of hit comic Harker) Danks got to check out some amazing work from a very diverse group. A happy hour was spent checking over portfolios ready for submission to college, samples for comic work and some of the younger attendees whose character designs and comic strips showed an amazing range of imagination and humour. I hope that we where able to pass on some good advice and a shot of enthusiasm for all those who came along, I loved the mix that we saw and hope to see them again to see how they develop.
As is the way of things before I knew it 6pm rolled around and it was the end of the first day at the show. A very short drive to book into my B&B and then into town to meet at the convention hotel (the Ramada) before a massive take over of the Chinese buffet ( I think we managed to take over around half of the restaurant). By 11pm I was done in and not going to pass on the chance of nights sleep without one of my kids coming in to wake me up, I headed off to bed.
If Saturday went quickly then I reckon Sunday happened even faster. Although there was visibly less people in the door throughout the day I had decided to do some 'on the spot' sketches, a very rare occurrence for me, and a mixture of doing these, buying some comics (the Cinebook stall took their usual hit from me), chatting to people and selling more sketches, etc., meant that by the time 3.30 arrived it had passed by in a flash. I had decided to pack up at 3.30 so that I could be back on the road for 4pm and so travel back in daylight and get home in time to see the kids before their bed.
Over the weekend I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with a many different people, special shout outs must go to Kevin Levell who had travelled mightily far and whose sketches where stealing the show. John Owens who had contributed the pencil piece he had won on Scotch Corner to the charity auction. John Burdis who led the Hell-Trek up from London and whose bid had won my Dredd painting in the auction. Dave Evans who is always a treat, a good pal and an enthusiastic champion of comics and small press. Also, Stevie White and the Beano team who where set up to the left of me and Terry Martin from Murky Depths at the right. Gavin Leahy who had some amazing Dredd related sketches in his little convention sketchbook. Michael Carroll who always keeps your spirits up and quite frankly said some very nice stuff about my work, he's a gent. The guys from Heroes for Sale, David Wright, Ross Hendry (who lent me a make shift drawing board), Paul Thomson, Gary Erskine, Alex Moore, Simon Fraser, Vince Danks, John Higgins, Colin MacNeil, Al Ewing and Neil Roberts who I only managed to briefly catch up with. Aldous from the Cinebook stall who secured me some sketches from artist Michel Rodrigue just before I set off home, a star! And I'm sure many others whose name either escapes me or I just don't know. Many thanks to you all.
And of course probably the biggest thank you to Vicky Stonebridge and Rich Clements for not only organising the event but making sure we where all okay over the weekend. You guys did an excellent job and it was pleasure to be there. And no small amount of thanks to Jeremy Briggs who once again worked tirelessly at the table for the two days and whose photographs you are looking at with this report. In keeping with my other conventions I did take along a camera but not breaking the trend I took only one photograph, which was this one on Sunday morning before anybody else had turned up, exciting eh!
If I have one complaint about the show it would be that it seems to be too good to spend at a table. I missed so many talks (Colin MacNeil interviewing Cam Kennedy for one) and had so little time to talk to friends I had said I would catch up with that I drove home wishing that I could go back and start the show over on the other side of the table. From all reports everybody had a great time, raised a lot of money for Children 1st and are already enquiring to Vicky and Rich about Hi-Ex 4. If its on I strongly suggest you go.Go check out theses links for more reviews and photographs from the show.
Down The Tubes Photo Review
Forbidden Planet Blog
2 comments:
Hi Graeme. So sorry I never found time to seek you out and say hello at some point over the weekend. I think across the two days I spent about twenty minutes in total looking at tables that weren't my own (though I did bunk off for an hour or so on Saturday to get out into town for a quick visit to the magnificent Leakey's secondhand bookshop). Anyway, I'd meant to catch up with you and never did so apologies. Next year I hope.
No worries Dave. I didn't spot you at all on Saturday and then on Sunday morning I discovered where your table was before you had turned up and made a note to myself to drop by later in the morning. It never happened though and I was half way down the road home before I realised I hadn't stopped by, doh! Sorry to miss you too, next time for sure.
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