COMICA NEWS

Don’t Miss Comica Festival’s Final Big Week!

Posted: November 22, 2011

Comica Festival 2011 continues its final, full, fun-packed week. Tomorrow, Wednesday November 23rd, why not come and hear me speak about The History and Future of Superheroes, about how the superhero genre was born and has evolved, and where it may be heading to next. As editor and co-author of 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die, I’ll be examining this much-loved and much-loathed genre. Secret Origins will be exposed and Secret Identities unmasked in my talk at Islington Central Library, Fieldway Crescent, London N5 from 6.30-8pm. This is free but please book your ticket by phoning 0207 527 6960 or emailing angelic.ashcroft[at]islington.gov.uk - dress code is capes and tights!

Other Comica Festival events for the rest of this year’s season include launch parties: for stunning 54-artist anthology Nelson; for the first issue of The Strumpet, ‘the world’s rockingest journal of ladies’ cartoon art’; for The British Museum’s first ever manga, Professior Munakata’s British Museum Adventure; for Sylvia Libedinsky’s A Girl’s Best Friend cut-out shoe book; and for Luke Pearson’s magical new full-length European-style album, Hilda and The Midnight Giant from Nobrow. For details see the full list of events.

There are two more late additions to Comica Festival now all confirned so add them to your diary! First up, at Orbital Comics on Saturday November 26th, 7.30-8.30pm (so giving you ample time to get over from the Pearson event at Gosh!), you are invited to another very special Comica Conversation between a North American and a British graphic novelists, in this case between Sarah Leavitt from Vancouver, whose Tangles from Cape movingly chronicles her mother’s Alzheimer’s disease, and Nicola Streeten, whose Billy, Me & You grabbed two whole pages in The Guardian for her account of losing her young child and confronting her loss and her grief. It promises to be a very special encounter and is completely free, subject to capacity. Both authors will also be signing their books afterwards.

And for the very last Comica Festival event, on Sunday November 27th from 3pm, in association with the Institut Francais’s South Ken Kids Festival at 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT, I will be interviewing the truly brilliant French cartoonist Julien Neel, whose album series Lou! is being translated here by Highland Books (the latest volumes, 4 and 5, are being launched here). You can check out my rave review of the first three albums on my website. Joining me will be the series’ translator Ros Schwartz. Book your tickets now at £7 and Neel will be signing his books after. Come earlier and you can catch a free screening from 1.30pm of the excellent animated adaptation of Lou!, shown in French and in English in alternating languages.

By the way, all being well and strike permitting, Comica Social Club is meeting again as usual, always the last Wednesday in the month, at the Central Bar of the Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, on November 30th, from 6pm to 9pm - or later. Join the Club via the Comica Social Club 2011 Facebook page and enjoy the company of people who love making and/or reading comics. You see, there’s no reason for Comica Festival to ever end!