[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-manchester-comics-jam":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"When I went to Manchester, I wasn't sure if anyone would be free to meet up, and I didn't know anyone there very well, except a little bit from the Internet and comics conventions, where we hadn't had  much time to talk. So I was slightly nervous when I blogged I'd be at the pub at a certain time on Thursday night, if I'd end up with only one sweaty stranger in a Batman shirt who didn't even want to draw. But it was FINE. In fact, it was much better than fine! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/comics_jam_zps8fbbb732-2c16cea727.gif\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.adamcadwell.com/\">Adam Cadwell\u003C/a> (who runs the \u003Ca href=\"http://britishcomicawards.com/judges/\">British Comics Awards\u003C/a> I'm helping judge this year) jumped straight in and said he'd be there, then \u003Ca href=\"http://bevismusson.tumblr.com/\">Bevis Musson\u003C/a> (who baked the \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/454328.html\">spectacular Morris cake\u003C/a>) said he'd come, and I breathed a big sigh of relief. Then \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/AndrewTunney\">Andrew Tunney\u003C/a>, Ellie \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Frillyart\">@Frillyart\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/AndrewChiu1\">Andrew Chiu\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Kingfridayjoe\">James Lawrence\u003C/a> all showed up. Here we are, drawing! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_comics_jam_pub_zps31c1ec0f-4fe49b315e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI drew a picture of Adam:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_comics_jam_adam_cadwell2_zpsa2efc471-2087ce8c52.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's one of our Comics Jams! We started with the theme of 'Rocket', each drew a panel for five minutes or so, then passed them around for someone else to do the next panel, and so on. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_comics_jam_1_zps8c3e8461-38059ae044.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\nA couple more Rocket Comics Jams:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_comics_jam_2_zps9dfb47ce-e87448b568.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_comics_jam_3_zps344d001f-79d804904f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI got Andrew Tunney (left) and James Lawrence to pose with comics they'd made:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_comics_andrew_james_zps7a78bfe0-0537970d5e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd I had fun peeking into James' sketchbook. (You can see a few Harry Potter characters on this page.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_comics_jam_james_zpsf147dbfc-f4c0c008ed.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nLook, Adam drew Oliver from \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i>! Hurrah! Thanks so much for coming along, Adam, Bevis, Ellie, the Andrews and James! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_comics_jam_adam_andrew_zps404984b5-2a39718fbc.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThis wasn't actually the same day, but when Stuart came up the following day, we managed to meet up with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.graphicmedicine.org/ian-williams/\">Ian Williams\u003C/a> (aka Thom Ferrier) and \u003Ca href=\"http://somethoughtsoncomics.blogspot.co.uk/\">Matt Badham\u003C/a>. I'll always think incredibly fondly of Matt for helping me at Thought Bubble comics festival one year when I was short-staffed on the children's area. He saw I couldn't handle it, jumped in, and turned out to be one of the best sellers I've ever encountered. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_mattb_ianw_zps016bf19c-c8c2f8152b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd not just because he had a good shtick, but because he genuinely cares about people and likes to help them, and it comes out when he talks with them. Professional in the best sense of the word. We talked about how sometimes people put so much effort into making good comics for cons, but then fall down when it comes to relating to people on the day, and Matt mused about writing an article with some helpful pointers. And I'm pleased to say that he has written it! Go have a read, \u003Ca href=\"http://somethoughtsoncomics.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/some-thoughts-on-selling-your-comics.html\">Some Thoughs on Selling Your Comics\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://somethoughtsoncomics.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/some-thoughts-on-selling-your-comics.html\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/matt_badham_tweet_zpsa97d6337-9a91a822dc.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nAnother good article on the topic I've seen recently is by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/yellowcardigan\">Sara McH\u003C/a>, written on the run-up to SPX festival but applicable elsewhere: \u003Ca href=\"http://yellowcardigan.tumblr.com/post/60893336089/advice-for-exhibiting-at-spx\">Advice for Exhibiting at SPX\u003C/a> (via \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/beatonna\">Kate Beaton\u003C/a>). \\r\n\\r\nOh, and I just had to show you the tattoo parlour across the road from the pub that Matt and Ian pointed out. Love all the celeb mentions, 'fresh needles for every client' signs, and the tattoo removal place next door.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/manchester_tattoos_zpsaf493468-9269564edc.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOne more thing, Matt's blog post reminded me that Comica Festival's COMIKET is coming up in November. That's the month of two of the best comics festivals in Britain: \u003Ca href=\"http://thoughtbubblefestival.com/\">Thought Bubble in Leeds\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.comicafestival.com/index.php/comiket/\">COMIKET in London\u003C/a>. If you're love comics, craft, artists books, are thinking about self-publishing or just like stocking up on affordable gift items, these are festivals not to miss.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.comicafestival.com/index.php/comiket/\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/comiket_autumn13_zps46dd4aa4-9c2e3c40a1.jpg\">\u003C/a>","2013-09-16T22:19:00.000Z","manchester-comics-jam",[],"manchester comics jam",1776628725584]