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Comica Festival
WELCOME
I hope you will join me and enjoy exploring the worlds of comics, graphic novels and manga at the annual Comica Festival and other special Comica events held throughout the year.Paul Gravett, Comica Director
COMICA NEWS
Hypercomics: The Shapes Of Comics To Come
Posted: July 5, 2010
The Pump House, Battersea Park, London
This summer, from August 12th to September 26th, exhibiting on each of the four floors of the recently refurbished Pump House Gallery in London’s Battersea Park, Adam Dant, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Dave McKean and Warren Pleece will explode the narratives in their work from the printed page into the gallery space and beyond.
Curated by leading comics expert Paul Gravett, the Hypercomics exhibition responds to the function, history and architecture of the Pump House Gallery, using the building’s unusual architecture to weave a story whose outcome depends upon how visitors interact and move through the space. This episodic experience of navigating through the structure of the gallery, takes on the principle of expanding the narrative potential of the comic in relation to its environment, and applying it in a real (as well as virtual) setting.
Dave McKean: Gold Egg Head
‘A hypercomic can be thought of as a webcomic with a multi-cursal narrative structure. In a hypercomic the choices made by the reader may influence the sequence of events, the outcome of events or the point of view through which events are seen… it’s that element of reader choice and interaction that makes a hypercomic a hypercomic.’
Daniel Merlin Goodbrey
Daniel Merlin Goodbrey: The Archivist
Artist Adam Dant depicts a narrative autopsy of the city as he charts the passage of Doctor London through the digestive tract (and other organs) of the capital, in an all-encompassing trompe l’oeil wall drawing. Daniel Merlin Goodbrey creates an alternate history for the gallery as an archive for infamous glam-rock dictator Hieronymus Pop and charts a day in the life of its lone archivist. Visitors to the gallery will inhabit the characters of Dave McKean‘s story of childhood betrayal, watching events unfold from the perspectives of the protagonists. Interacting with Warren Pleece‘s animated installation, the audience will be able to pry into the lives of the dysfunctional tenants he has created for his work set in the apartment block Montague Terrace.
Warren Pleece: Montague Terrace
Accompanying this exhibition will be a programme of screenings, talks, workshops and events, including a special Summer Comica Comiket: Independent Comics Fayre, sponsored by Gosh! Comics and housed inside a marquee near the Pump House Gallery, on Sunday August 22nd. Publishers interested in attending should contact Nick Kaplony: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Further details of this and other Hypercomics events will follow shortly.
Comica Argentina Events
Posted: June 26, 2010
If you missed out on seeing the revelatory exhibition Comica Argentina at Canning House, co-curated with my friend and talented cartoonist Sylvia Libedinsky and superbly designed (of course) by Peter Stanbury, then you have three more chances to see it again as part of three special events next weekend in the St. Pancras Room at King’s Place, the impressive new headquarters of The Guardian and The Observer newspapers and a vibrant cultural destination five minutes from King’s Cross.
So, next Friday July 2nd, 6.20pm, tickets £6.50, I’ll be expanding on the presentation I made with Sylvia at the Canning House opening reception and taking you on a more wide-ranging and in-depth journey through Argentinian comics past, present and future, including geniuses who found wider fame working for the American comics market, from Bruno Premiani to Eduardo Risso. More details here…
Then on Saturday July 3rd, at 4.30pm, I’ll introduce a fascinating documentary, The Mystery of the First Animated Movies, by Gabriele Zucchelli, exploring the legendary Argentinian feature film El Apóstol made by Quirino Cristiani in 1917. To find out more about this, take a look at this dedicated site. Tickets for this cost £4.50. More details here…
And finally, on Sunday July 4th, I am delighted to be joined by the brilliant comic artist, animator and illustrator Oscar Grillo, for a lively conversation about his own work as well those of other Argentinian cartoonists he admires. The event is called Drawing Board and will reveal the creative thinking and processes of this major talent. You can also listen to Alex Fitch’s special interview with Grillo for Panel Borders on Resonance FM here. Tickets are £6.50. More details here…
So don’t miss these exciting Comica Argentina events and the opportunity to enjoy our exhibition celebrating twenty of this country’s most remarkable creators. After this, Comica Argentina will be travelling to Santander in Spain, a European City of Culture next year, where it will be shown from July 17th to 31st in the prestigous Galeria Del Sol St.
Unmasking Corruption
Posted: June 25, 2010
Below, writer/artist Ben Dickson details the moving response to his contribution to Ctl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption, the comics anthology launched at the 2009 Comica Festival.
It’s easy to forget that you can make a difference.
About a year ago, Paul Gravett, director of Comica, the London International Comics Festival, asked me to contribute to a new graphic novel anthology he was editing on behalf of Ctrl Alt Shift, on the theme of corruption. I chose to do a dramatic retelling of the murder of a Colombian university student named Jhonny Silva Aranguren, who in 2005 had been killed at the hands of the notoriously brutal Colombian riot squad, ESMAD. Jhonny had been studying in Valle University in the city of Cali, where on Sept 22nd a peaceful protest was violently broken up. Despite having not taken part in the protest, Jhonny was arbitrarily singled out and shot in the neck.
The day this happened, an international delegation of foreign students were at Valle University, who had come to record testimonies of human rights violations. Amongst their number was my friend Nathan Eisenstadt, with whom I and a few others subsequently set up Espacio Bristol Colombia - a small organisation that works to combat and raise awareness of human rights violations. After reading his diary, I decided to do the story from his point of view. Paul enlisted the exceptional talents of Warren Pleece to illustrate the story, and the rest is history.
But it always nagged at the back of my mind. This wasn’t a fictional story I was telling. I was talking about real people, and an incident the effects of which are still being felt in Cali today. Did I really have the right to tell this story? I never met Jhonny. I hadn’t been there, I wasn’t involved. I had Nate’s permission and support, but I worried about what others who were there would think.
The strip was well received, and Espacio felt a Spanish translation would be a good idea so the story could go back to Colombia, and help raise further awareness. I also decided that I should give a copy of the book to Jhonny’s family, Wilman Silva and Eneried Aranguren. So that my intentions were clear I wrote them a short letter explaining who I was, where I was from and why I wrote the story - and that I hoped they would find comfort in it.
In April Espacio member (and member of the original international delegation) Claire Hall took the book, the letter and the Spanish version of the strip out with her to Colombia. The intention had been to meet them privately and give them the book, but fortune brought them together when both Claire and Jhonny’s parents were invited to talk at a public hearing on human rights at Valle University.
From what Claire told me later, it was clearly hard for Wilman and Eneried to stand and talk to an audience about the pain of losing their son, and the impunity with which the Colombian state had murdered him. They were standing almost on the very spot where Jhonny was shot. Enereid Araguren broke down during their talk, and was unable to continue, but later when she had recovered, Claire approached them and told them she had something to show them.
When she read my letter out to them, their eyes lit up. They were amazed, delighted and overwhelmed by what Warren and I had done. They went through the strip page by page, pointing to Jhonny’s first appearance, saying “there he is!” and “that’s where he was shot!” (This may seem ghoulish to some, but you have to remember they have been living with the legacy of this event for a long time). In short, my concerns were unfounded. They loved it.
Wilman and Eneried decided to go back on stage, holding the book in their hands. Claire came up with them and read out my letter to the audience, and Wilman and Eneried talked about support. The support they had received from the Cali community, from solidarity organisations, but they also talked about the comic strip. They talked about how much it meant to them, that the idea of people in another continent - who had never met Jhonny, had never been to Colombia and didn’t even speak Spanish - telling this story to each-other made them feel less alone. In their eyes it weakened the impunity with which the state had murdered their son. It made them feel stronger.
I had no idea any of this was going to happen. I genuinely didn’t know how they would feel about what I had done. I worried about offending them. To say my fears were unjustified was an understatement.
There are many stories in the Unmasks Corruption book - mine is just one. Yet already it has had an impact. In however small a way, it made a difference. It told Jhonny’s parents and those at Valle University that they were not alone. Corruption, oppression and suffering are things that thrive in silence, and people who suffer often feel alone. To demonstrate to them that you are aware of their plight and that you care is a gesture that can make a big difference.
Granted, it’s a small step on a very long road. But the outcry over Jhonny’s murder, of which the comic is now a part, will - I hope - make it harder for ESMAD to pull the trigger next time.
It’s important to remember that we can make a difference.
Benjamin Dickson, June 2010
2010 Graphic Short Story Prize
Posted: June 13, 2010
The 2010 Graphic Short Story Prize is officially announced by Rachel Cooke in today’s Observer newspaper:
...I’ve done everything I can to get graphic novels more attention: interviews with their authors, reviews of new books and, most especially, helping to organise the annual Graphic Short Story Prize, now entering its fourth great year. This has been a great success. A former winner, Julian Hanshaw, has already published his first book, The Art of Pho; another shortlisted author has since been commissioned to write his. In 1969, John Updike, who had once thought of becoming a cartoonist himself, addressed a literary society on the so-called death of the novel. “I see no intrinsic reason why a doubly talented artist might not arise and create a comic strip novel masterpiece,” he told his audience. To my ears, this now sounds oddly prescient. But what do you think? And which are your favourites? More…
Today’s Observer also features an interview with Daniel Clowes by Rachel, which was conducted during his recent Comica appearances in London and Brighton promoting his new book Wilson:
It’s not like a job at Microsoft. You’ve got to be obsessed. Now there are all these people who are not really comic people doing graphic novels. Well, it’s not that easy, actually! I wouldn’t pretend to think I could suddenly write a novel. Screenwriting is the closest thing to it, because a comic book is all about dialogue. Even so, I felt like an amateur when I started that. More…
Reviews: Clowes & Ware
Posted: May 30, 2010
Dan Clowes (Wilson) and Chris Ware (Acme Novelty Library) made rare Comica appearances in London and Brighton on 24 and 25 May and here are few impressions of the audience:
Pop Culture Hound:
“This is what was so amazing about the evening and left me feeling inspired afterwards - we got a small glimpse into what motivates these people, what makes them tick, and just how they come up with the things they do.” More…
Tim Pilcher:
“The talk - to a full house - was pleasant, convivial and amusing. A selection of both creators work was shown on a massive screen and Paul kept the whole thing running mellifluously living up to Michael Caine’s mantra of being like a duck: look smooth and graceful on the surface, but paddle furiously underneath.” More…
Dominique le Duc:
“What a beautiful talk. Both Dan and Chris let us into their private lives and I guess this is the beauty of such a special event, and an opportunity to discover more about the person as well as their work. I enjoyed your selection of vivid and happy colours and amazing compositions of the works you displayed on screen.”
Comica Social Club
Posted: April 26, 2010
You are cordially invited to the first meeting of the Comica Social Club on Thursday, 29th April 2010 at The Royal Festival Hall Central Bar from 6pm till 9pm.
The Comica Social Club is a monthly get-together to gab and network on all things comics and graphic novel related, a gathering of like minds, offering the chance to meet cartoonists, comics artists, writers, illustrators and readers too. The plan is to meet every last Thursday in the month at a London venue to be decided. Visitors and celebrities from foreign climes may well attend too if in town. On the night your host will be the Grand Master who will wear a green fez and dispense a badge to you so that you recognise other guests amid the throngs. More details on the Comica Social Club Facebook page.
Daniel Clowes & Chris Ware
Posted: March 26, 2010
Heads up! Hope you can make it one or both of these exceptional Comica events featuring Daniel Clowes and Chris Ware.
First up they’re in conversation with Audrey Niffenegger, a graphic novelist as well as author of The Time-Traveller’s Wife, at the Cochrane Theatre, London on Monday May 24th, in association with Foyles. More details…
Then they are chatting with me in Brighton at the Corn Exchange on Tuesday May 25th, in association with The Brighton Festival & Dome. More details…
Clowes was one of the most requested Comica guests and finally we’ve got him over to launch his first all-original graphic novel Wilson, with Ware as the icing and Niffenegger as the cherries on the cake! Be sure to book your tickets soon.
Both these Comica Events have been made possible by the kind co-operation, first and foremost, of the Copenhagen Comics Festival (where Clowes and Ware are appearing prior to their UK jaunt), and with the generous support of Foyles Bookshop, The Brighton Festival & Dome, Jonathan Cape, Gosh! Comics (who are hosting a signing on Tuesday May 25 between 12 and 2pm) and Offset 2010 in Dublin.
Jean Van Hamme & Largo Winch
Posted: March 26, 2010
You may not have heard of Jean Van Hamme (and no, he’s not “the muscles from Brussels”, that’s Jean-Claude Van Damme), but he is a hugely popular, superstar scriptwriter of a string of hit Belgian bandes dessinées series, including: the heroic fantasy saga Thorgal, high-finance thriller Largo Winch, amnesiac mystery XIII, enigmatic secret agent Lady S. and brand-new exploits of thoroughly British partnership Blake & Mortimer (all of these series are being published in English from CineBook). Another of Van Hamme’s credits is co-writer of the screenplay for Jean-Jacques Beineix’s ultimate-cool 1981 movie Diva.
Now Van Hamme makes his first major UK appearance at last on May 5th at a special Comica Event, in conversation after an exclusive big-screen showing of the 2008 (yes, 2008) lavish, live-action, English-language movie adaptation of Largo Winch, out soon directly on DVD. More details here…
Earlier on the evening of May 5th, from 5.30pm to 7pm, Van Hamme will also be signing his books at The French Bookshop in Bute Street, South Kensington. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet this major author of mainstream French-language comics.
While we wait for the Anglophone audience to wake up and discover these comics and their spin-offs, the latest word is that a second Largo Winch is underway with Sharon Stone joining the cast, based on the albums Fort Makiling and The Hour of Tiger, compiled in the fourth of Cinebook’s translatons.
Comica Argentina
Posted: February 27, 2010
Comica returns this summer with a special Comica Argentina season hosted by Canning House and King’s Place in London devoted to the astonishing comics of Argentina. There will be an exhibition and a series of related events between June 7 and July 4, to tie in with celebrations of the bicentennial of independence from Spain.
With co-curator and cartoonist Sylvia Libedinsky, I’ll be exploring Argentina’s unusually rich culture of cartoons and comics. We’ll be tracing some of the key creators, characters, magazines and books that have reflected and shaped this nation’s psyche and spirit from Patarozú and Rico Tipo to Hora Cero and Fierro and many more.
You will find geniuses of satire and humour like Quino, creator of the fiercely witty Mafalda strip, and Oscar Grillo, master cartoonist and animator who recently adapted Shakespeare’s The Tempest. And these will sit next to some of the world’s most dramatic graphic novelists: Héctor Oesterheld and Solano López, whose El Eternauta came to symbolise resistance against oppression; the masters Alberto Breccia and Hugo Pratt (an Italian but a major contributor to Argentine comics); Carlos Sampayo and José Muñoz, the duo behind the New York noir classic Alack Sinner; the prolific scriptwriter Carlos Trillo and his many varied series; and Oscar Zarate, who has collaborated with Alexei Sayle, Alan Moore and now Sampayo too.
El Eternauta by Héctor Oesterheld & Solano López
In 1994 I helped curate the exhibition El Humor Grafico Argentino with the Argentine Embassy for the Cartoon Art Trust, and this only confirmed my admiration and excitement for this country’s cartooning and sequential art. So I am delighted that several of the 1994 show’s brilliant cartoonists will also be featured here, such as Dante Quinterno, Lino Palacio and Di Vito. I also plan to touch on the impact of Argentine artists internationally, from Bruno Premiani on Doom Patrol for DC Comics in America to Solano Lopez on Kelly’s Eye and Janus Stark here in Britain. Just as important to me is to spotlight the new generation of talents that has been flourishing since, such as Liniers, Saenz Valiente, Alejandra Lunik and Eduardo Risso, with huge help from Thomas Dassance and the Viñetas Sueltas Festival in Buenos Aires.
The full Comica Argentina programme can be found here…
Come and join the celebrations at Comica Argentina!
Joe Sacco’s Comica Interview Online
Posted: January 10, 2010
On 29 September 2009, Comica welcomed Joe Sacco to London at the ICA. Joe was in town to discuss his new book Footnotes In Gaza with comics historian Roger Sabin. The full transcript of this talk is now available online at the Eye Magazine Blog:
RS: If you’re going to write about a massacre, you’re going to attract a certain amount of flak about whether this is Israel-bashing. How do you respond to that?
JS: What I tried to do was get as many eyewitnesses as possible. And I felt like I needed to be convinced by it. I think in the book I talk about the problems of the story, or certain people’s stories.
RS: Did you make an effort to talk to Israelis, to get their side of the story?
JS: I got two Israeli researchers to go through the archives to see what they could find. Which turned out to be almost close to zero about the Khan Younis incident: the second incident, there is something about that. There was one Israeli soldier who actually wrote about this in the early 1980s. And he wrote about coming across, as he put it, a human slaughterhouse. He had died, but I managed to call his widow. And she gave me the number of a guy he mentions in the story, and I managed to track that guy down. He really evaded the issue - he said he saw nothing himself. He finally told me that this guy was actually kind of a newspaper man. But he meant that in a pejorative sense. ‘Ah, he’s a newspaper man. He’s going to tell you lies anyway.’ So I include that in the book. It’s always harder to get stories from people who might have committed atrocities or seen them from the side that committed them. It’s always going to be more difficult. I think at some point Israeli historians have to step in.
RS: There are a couple: there’s Benny Morris.
JS: There are definitely great Israeli historians who have been detailing this sort of thing. I sat with Benny Morris and we talked about it. I called up every Israeli historian that I could get hold of. Some of them knew about the incidents, but none had examined it themselves. Benny Morris knew about it - he called it a massacre. And Benny Morris himself is actually quite right wing, but he’s a very good historian.
RS: So when you’re dealing with something as atrocious as this, is there a psychological effect on you? Does it take a toll?
JS: I got tired of drawing bodies. [Long Silence]...
