(no subject)
Years ago, when I first got involved in comics, there were only three conventions you could attend during the year: a London event, a Glasgow event, and Caption, which was a indie comic event in Oxford. The many months between these conventions stretched out like empty deserts. There was no internet for people in the cartooning community to easily keep in touch back then. I used to live for my mail in those days.
This last weekend was once again Caption weekend. There was also Stripped - a comic event held in Edinburgh as part of the book festival. But I couldn't go to either of these, because I'd been invited to be a keynote speaker a Glasgow University's Attentive Writer's Conference (a healthcare meets creativity bash). Which was amazing, by the way.
Wow! How things have changed. Comics have really bloomed in this country in the past ten years, gaining respectability from the academic and literary establishment. Comics are one of the few areas of publishing doing well in a time of recession. It seems that their is some kind of comic convention of comic-themed event every week. So we cartoonists are in high demand, have literary kudos, and are winning awards. Those people entering the medium now, may take this for granted, but I certainly don't. I'm happy to ride the wave now that it's finally here.
This last weekend was once again Caption weekend. There was also Stripped - a comic event held in Edinburgh as part of the book festival. But I couldn't go to either of these, because I'd been invited to be a keynote speaker a Glasgow University's Attentive Writer's Conference (a healthcare meets creativity bash). Which was amazing, by the way.
Wow! How things have changed. Comics have really bloomed in this country in the past ten years, gaining respectability from the academic and literary establishment. Comics are one of the few areas of publishing doing well in a time of recession. It seems that their is some kind of comic convention of comic-themed event every week. So we cartoonists are in high demand, have literary kudos, and are winning awards. Those people entering the medium now, may take this for granted, but I certainly don't. I'm happy to ride the wave now that it's finally here.