Comics @ Sci-Fi London

Hey Kids! Here's a really great looking comics even that seems to have slipped under the radar in all the Kapow! and pre-Bristol excitement Comics @ Sci-Fi London is a two-day event which is part of the 10th Sci-Fi London Film Festival which is being held at the BFI from tomorrow (23rd April) until the 2nd of May.

Day One of the Comics event will be on Saturday 30th April from 10am at the BFI Southbank - entry is FREE for both days and both days and will have a significant small press presence with creators & dealer tables. The panels sound really great too...

11am – SF comics for kids

Paul Collicutt (Robot City adventures), Phillipa Rice (My Cardboard Life), Alex Milway (The Mythical 9th Division),Eddie Robson (Doctor Who adventures) discuss creatingScience-Fiction and Fantasy comics for kids and having interested children in the format, how to keep their love of comics going. Followed by a children’s workshop run by Paul Collicutt

12.30pm – City of Abacus

A panel discussion with four of the creators of the serialised graphic novel CITY OF ABACUS including writers V.V. Brown and David Allain and artists Lee O’Connor and John Spelling, who drew issues two and three respectively, looking at the intriguing mix of dystopian SF and fantasy that the comic presents. Followed by City of Abacus signing

2pm – Manga Jiman

Three recent finalists - Zarina Liew (Runner-up 2009/2010), Yuri Kore (Winner 2009/2010), Clio Millett(Winner 2010/2011) – of the Japanese Embassy’s ‘Manga Jiman’ (Pride in Manga) competition join one of the judges, to discuss the homegrown manga scene in the UK and the difference between Manga and Western style comics.

3.30pm – The work of Warren Ellis

Writer Ian Edginton (who collaborated with Ellis on X-Force), Matt Jones (principal, BERG design who commission Ellis’ new comic SVK) and Matthew Sheret (writer, whose love of comics started with Warren’s work) discuss the work of comic book / multimedia writer Warren Ellis who has penned some of the most influencial SF comics of the last twenty years.

Followed by 20 min preview screening of new documentary - WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS

Day Two - Sunday 1st May - looks just as good, again its at the BFI Southbank, entry is FREE and there will be small press dealer tables. Check out the panels list from their website...

11am – Small press to mainstream

Al Davison (IDW Doctor Who comic), Tom Humberstone(Solipsistic Pop) and David Hine (Batman) talk about how working in small press comics has lead to work for mainstream publishers, but also provided a home to publish alternative titles throughout their careers so far. Followed by ‘Drop in and draw’ activities for first time artists wanting encouragement in creating comics, run by Tom Humberstone

12.30pm - HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe

Novelists China Miéville (three time Arthur C. Clarke award winner for SF literature) and Denise Mina (The Field Of Blood) alongside writer David Hine and artist Alice Duke (Self Made Hero) discuss the influence of American writers Poe and Lovecraft on comic books and the difficulties posed by adapting their stories into strip format.

2pm – Horror and noir

A panel looking at the crossover between two popular genres with guests Denise Mina, graphic novelist Hannah Berry who will be previewing her new book ADAMTIME and Ian Edginton who has written further comic strip adventures of Sherlock Holmes in which the great detective fights zombies, vampires and serial killers.

3.30pm - Comics and moving pictures

Comics have been both the basis of and influenced the look of much TV and film over the past few years and so creators Martin Fisher (Battle among the stars), Huw J. Davies (Freeman, Garth), Edward Ross (Filmish, Parasites!) and Roger Mason (2000AD, The Mice) will be talking about how their interest in both fields has led to cross-pollination in their work and how they see this influencing both media as a whole.

The whole event looks just SPBM's cup of tea frankly and I wish I could get there. If anyone does go please get in touch cos we'd love to have a pair of eyes there for a little write up. Full information can be found clicking the links above or by visiting the Sci-Fi London site HERE - looks ace!