[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-leeds-thought-bubble-comics-festival":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Hurrah! I finally met \u003Cb>Gillian Rogerson\u003C/b>, writer of our book \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/new/princess.html\">\u003Ci>You Can't Eat a Princess!\u003C/i>\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_16-094e0869cb.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's Gillian at \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/\">Thought Bubble\u003C/a>, with a fab editor from Scholastic named \u003Cb>Ellie Parkin\u003C/b> (whom I first met at the Edinburgh Book Festival, when she took Stuart and me for \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/319280.html\">tea with illustrator Alex T. Smith\u003C/a>). This was both Gillian and Ellie's first visit to a comics festival, and I think they were well impressed with all the costumes and mad energy.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_22-bac993424b.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Ellie Parkin and Gillian Rogerson\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nGillian picked me up from Leeds rail station and took me home, where we spent the evening making little felt aliens! Gillian had already sewn up the bodies, and we had a great time adding faces. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_24-422b3fb565.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe sold a lot of them at the festival, but I made sure I brought a couple home.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_23-8c675fe75b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more LOADS more photos and write-up under the cut!-->\\r\nHere's our fab DFC reviewer for the \u003Ca href=\"http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2010/vern-and-lettuce-mollys-favourite-comic-and-im-rather-fond-of-it-as-well/\">Forbidden Planet International blog\u003C/a>, \u003Cb>Molly Bruton\u003C/b>. She's sort of our DFC mascot, but this was the first time I got to meet her. Yay!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_11-a7010cdd41.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Molly Bruton with one of our aliens\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nAnd I also got to meet comics creator \u003Ca href=\"http://www.rickeades.co.uk/\">Rick Eades\u003C/a>... and look what he brought me! (I think I startled Gillian with my fan-girl moment.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_17-625a64b973.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Rick Eades with a tiny sousaphone-carrying Vern!\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nRick also made a miniature Queen Mum for the co-writer/co-illustrator of a picture book I'm working on, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.scribblehound.com\">David O'Connell\u003C/a>. Dave's take on the Queen Mum is so fabulous.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_12-2bee13268e.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>David O'Connell's Queen Mum, sculpted by Rick Eades\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nChildren's book writer meets her first cosplayer:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_2-edc773e8c7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nGillian, Ellie and I worked an activity area of four tables, where anyone could sit down, design an alien, make a space comics, decorate a space ship or basically muck about drawing. We had a great mix of ages jump in and make things, which was good fun.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_4-dfb485d2cf.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Poster drawn by Sarah and coloured by Gillian\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_7-44a4122c3e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI was dead chuffed to get an amazing \u003Ci>Vern and Lettuce go to Leicester\u003C/i> comic adventure from the wonderful \u003Ca href=\"http://www.factorfictionpress.co.uk/girly/girlybook.html\">Selina Lock\u003C/a>, which I'll post very soon with the launch of Vern and Lettuce online magazine, \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.picklerye.com\">The Pickle\u003C/a>\u003C/i>. (Please do jump in if you'd like to contribute something!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_10-ed8ae90a99.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Selina Lock with her Vern and Lettuce strip for \u003Ca href=\"http://www.picklerye.com\">The Pickle\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nWe were bustling so much to keep the Space Station tables going that I only had about ten minutes to rush madly about saying hello to people, which meant I sorely missed seeing (and stealing flat cap off) DFC colleague \u003Cb>Neill Cameron\u003C/b>, who was also hustling across the room to sign copies of his amazing robot comic, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.neillcameron.com/\">\u003Ci>Mo-Bot High\u003C/i>\u003C/a>. But the good bit was seeing Neill's dedication artwork drift round to our side of the room.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_9-ff8d55dbeb.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Signed copy of Neill Cameron's Mo-Bot High\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nAt several festivals, artist \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Erskine\">Gary Erskine\u003C/a> has pestered me to borrow my pink princess wig, so I let him have it this time. Little did I know, it made the rounds of almost every head in the building (photos to follow, I'm sure... ah, yes, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7544363&id=620562278#!/album.php?aid=300515&id=620562278\">on Facebook\u003C/a>), ending up as Gary's sporan. I think I might get a new wig.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_1-afa14ef7a2.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Mhairi Stewart, Gary Erskine with dodgy sporan, Ed Hillyer\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nI \u003Ci>always\u003C/i> take pictures of \u003Ca href=\"http://www.modernmonstrosity.moonfruit.com/\">Oliver Lambden\u003C/a>'s \u003Ci>Curtis and Terrorist\u003C/i> comics with their one-off, hand-drawn covers, but the displays just get better and better. I often show Ollie's comics to kids when I do workshops and they get really fired up about them.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_13-0fc28310d3.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Oliver Lambden with Curtis and Terrorist\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nAnd speaking of lovely displays, \u003Cb>Philippa Rice\u003C/b> of \u003Ca href=\"http://mycardboardlife.com/\">\u003Ci>My Cardboard Life\u003C/i>\u003C/a> comics did herself proud once again. But this time, she included a miniature copy of my \u003Ci>Vern and Letttuce\u003C/i> comic! How fab is that!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_21-405776b73a.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_19-5725078329.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Philippa Rice with My Cardboard Life... and Vern and Lettuce on the far right!\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nI made a few discoveries this weekend and, while I didn't have time to browse their work in detail, I'm bookmarking them here to find out more. These included table mates \u003Ca href=\"http://www.taves.co.uk\">Octavia Raitt\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://kriskicorp.blogspot.com\">Kristyna Baczynski\u003C/a>, with their lovely display.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_8-93d580155a.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Kristyna Baczynski and Octavia Raitt\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_37-9bab2eb1d1.jpg\">\\r\nI didn't even have my wallet with me, and I really wanted this envelope by Octavia.\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_38-aa6b27d488.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_28-7b1a0c4a2a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA few more faces from the day, including another find, Canadian creator \u003Cb>Kayla Marie Hilliyer\u003C/b>, with \u003Ca href=\"http://togalavant.com/\">\u003Ci>Galavant\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, a travel comic about her three months travelling around the UK.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedtb10_41-efb3022ad2.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Backpack man, Nigel Dobbyn, a space comic creator, Kayla Marie Hilliyer, Steve Tanner & baby Sasha\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nI got a copy of \u003Ca href=\"http://wearewordsandpictures.com\">\u003Ci>We are Word + Pictures\u003C/i>\u003C/a> with - guess what - Dave O'Connell's Queen Mum comic in it!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_32-55b8575c0d.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_33-8b88f054a7.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Matthew Sheret with We are Words + Pictures\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_26-0e78d414c3.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.johnmiers.com/\">John Miers\u003C/a> at his table, with hand-printed bags\u003C/i>\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_31-9ed2b5f181.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI tried to snap a photo of \u003Ca href=\"http://www.blankslatebooks.co.uk\">Blank Slate\u003C/a>'s fab editor \u003Cb>Kenny Penman\u003C/b>, but he was so excessively camera shy that the best I could manage was a photo of him covered up by \u003Ca href=\"http://dinlos.blogspot.com/\">Rob Davis\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://warwickjohnsoncadwell.blogspot.com\">Warwick Johnson Cadwell\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_25-a76f31a594.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Rob David and Warwick Johnson Cadwell\u003C/i> (who are also exceedingly fab).\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_34-778010c9c4.jpg\">\\r\nLovely popcorn-style display by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.lizzlizz.com\">Lizz Lunney\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_14-f939c756da.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Lovely sketchbook by Irish creator \u003Ca href=\"http://daleof.blogspot.com/\">Dale O'Flaherty\u003C/a>, who looked after me most diligently on a visit to Dublin last year.\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_36-21da83d28d.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>The Leeds Cosplay Group\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nI had to leave so many conversations unfinished, and I consoled myself by saying, '... but you're coming to the party later, right?' And I fully intended to go, but Gillian went home to check on her kids, and Ellie and I had a bite to eat, and suddenly, I was so tired I could barely stand up. The official party took place in a nearby casino, so Ellie and I popped in for an hour or so, and ran around the roof a bit with Selina, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.factorfictionpress.co.uk/\">Jay Eales\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/09/08/the-greatest-comic-creator-youve-never-heard-of-terry-wiley/\">Terry Wiley\u003C/a> and Matt Brooker (\u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Israeli\">D'Israeli\u003C/a>), trying to find somewhere we didn't have to shout at each other. But then my legs buckled, and I realised it might be the last chance I got to see Gillian for awhile, so I headed back to her place for a cup of tea and a much-needed sit-down. Huge apologies if I missed talking to you!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_6-247381d51a.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>I'm not too keen on casinos, but Ellie and I had fun admiring the chandeliers\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>Thank you SO much to my Thought Bubble contact Lisa Wood and to all the amazing people who made this festival happen!\u003C/b> I'd heard great things about how friendly and well-run it's been in the past, and it was amazing, even exceeded expectations. And busy! Man, that place was PACKED. We sold lots of books and met so many fabulous people. A huge thank you, Thought Bubble Team!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_27-4573bba604.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Back home with Gillian and her daughter Eve\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nI spent the whole trip back to London feverishly finishing my book club read for the afternoon's meeting, but I had some great Fleece Station company on the way up to Leeds. I've never seen someone work as hard on a train as Lauren; she was almost going cross-eyed with concentration.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leedstb10_3-aa71a4a66f.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.stitchldn.com\">Lauren O'Farrell\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garynorthfield.co.uk\">Gary Northfield\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nI needed to come back to London for book club and to say hello to Stuart (last week, he actually said, \u003Ci>Oh, do you live here?\u003C/i> ...yikes!) but I'll be heading right back up north on Tuesday morning for the \u003Cb>Sheffield Children's Book Award\u003C/b> ceremony. Fingers crossed for \u003Ci>Morris the Mankiest Monster\u003C/i>! And thank you to \u003Cb>The Book Zone\u003C/b> for the \u003Ca href=\"http://bookzone4boys.blogspot.com/2010/11/review-morris-mankiest-monster-by-giles.html\">fab review you just posted!\u003C/a>","2010-11-21T21:06:00.000Z","leeds-thought-bubble-comics-festival",[],"Leeds Thought Bubble comics festival",1776628719165]