Comic Expo
Encyclopedia
Comic Expo is the name given to the UK
's largest comic book
event. It is held twice a year: in Bristol
in the spring and in Brighton
in the autumn. The organiser is Mike Allwood, formerly of Area 51, a comic shop based in Bristol.
(which itself had replaced UKCAC
), the first Comic Expo was held in Bristol in November 2004
. This was very much a trial run by all concerned. Although not very well attended, it established how future events in Bristol would work.
The next one held in May 2005
in Bristol, was a success with guests such as Mike Ploog
and Simon Bisley
attending.
The first Expo to be held in Brighton was in November 2005 at the prestigious Metropole Hilton, the largest conference hotel in South England. This was again successful and with the exception of a few minor criticisms proved immensely popular with those attending.
Comic Expo Bristol 2006 was a huge success, with early attendance figures suggesting around 2000 attendees. The Guest of Honour was Roy Thomas
, the former Editor-in-Chief of Marvel (1972 - 1974). Other guests included Geoff Johns
and Howard Chaykin
.
The Brighton Expo for 2006 was cancelled so the next Comic Expo held was in Bristol in May 2007. Guests included Kurt Busiek
, Brian K Vaughan, Jeph Loeb
and Jean-Pierre Dionnet.
The guest line up for Bristol 2008 included Jim Shooter
, Walt Simonson
, Jim Starlin
, and Dave Gibbons
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's largest comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
event. It is held twice a year: in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in the spring and in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in the autumn. The organiser is Mike Allwood, formerly of Area 51, a comic shop based in Bristol.
History
Replacing a previous UK convention, the Comic FestivalComic Festival
Comic Festival was a British comic book convention which was held between 1999 and 2004.-History:It was devised and produced by Kev F Sutherland with the help of Mike Allwood of Area 51 Comics and was held in Bristol annually...
(which itself had replaced UKCAC
UKCAC
United Kingdom Comic Art Convention was a British comic book convention which was held between 1985 and 1998.-History:It was organised by Frank Plowright and Hassan Yussuf throughout via their company Rusty Staples starting in 1984. Many others contributed either for a few years or on the...
), the first Comic Expo was held in Bristol in November 2004
2004 in comics
-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
. This was very much a trial run by all concerned. Although not very well attended, it established how future events in Bristol would work.
The next one held in May 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
in Bristol, was a success with guests such as Mike Ploog
Mike Ploog
Michael G. Ploog is an American storyboard and comic book artist, and a visual designer for movies....
and Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
attending.
The first Expo to be held in Brighton was in November 2005 at the prestigious Metropole Hilton, the largest conference hotel in South England. This was again successful and with the exception of a few minor criticisms proved immensely popular with those attending.
Comic Expo Bristol 2006 was a huge success, with early attendance figures suggesting around 2000 attendees. The Guest of Honour was Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, the former Editor-in-Chief of Marvel (1972 - 1974). Other guests included Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
and Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
.
The Brighton Expo for 2006 was cancelled so the next Comic Expo held was in Bristol in May 2007. Guests included Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
, Brian K Vaughan, Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
and Jean-Pierre Dionnet.
The guest line up for Bristol 2008 included Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
, Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
, Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
, and Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
.