Cardiff Film & Comic-Con November 8th - 9th

[amines2058]

Was going to give this a miss due to its film-centric leanings (Looking at you Showmasters) until I noticed that the guest list has just been updated to include 2000AD favourite 'The Biz'.
On top of Dylan Teague, Ben Oliver and David Lloyd (and his Aces Weekly roadshow) means I will definitely have to give this a look.
Lets hope a few more 2000AD names now jump on in the next few weeks!
Anyone else going to be going to this??

[James Stacey]

I always intend to go but get put off by the insane queues. It comes to something when a nerd can't get into a comic con in his own town.

[shaolin_monkey]

I'm put off attending these because of two things:

a) Ridiculously packed venue - dangerously so.  Not fun, and certainly nothing I'd bring out the JIMP suit for.
b) These big events have made smaller and more personal comic cons in Cardiff untenable. 

[amines2058]

To be honest I almost went to the last Showmasters one in March?? But it was a lot of the comments on here that put me off.
Unfortunately though this time around the Biz is attending whose work I have admired and collected from a long way back. I have wanted to meet him for a long time and now is a perfect opportunity plus it is on my doorstep. It is to good an opportunity to miss to meet the artist whose work I admire the most.

[amines2058]

Hmmm.... guest list now updated to include: our very own CFM, Will Simpson, David Roach, David Lloyd, the Biz, Dylan Teague, Mike Collins and a few more.
I think I will definitely brave the crowds to go now.
It will be chaos on the Saturday mind as Wales play Australia at 2.30pm in Rugby so expect an extra 100,000 people milling around Cardiff to make your visit more interesting!
Get an early train or arrive the night before (If you can get accommodation!) as you will be screwed otherwise (Experience talking here!)
Hopefully see some of you there! 

[Bolt-01]

Not sure if I'm right about this but I think you should be able to get a good deal on access to ACES weekly if you ask.

Always a mixed bag, but definitely worth reading.

Have a great time all of you attending.

[amines2058]

Well I am still going and will have to enquire about access weekly.  Hopefully be better this time as all the artist have been moved to the second floor away from all the chaos that apparently ensues in the Main Hall. Add long as I can get a Bisley sketch then I will be happy!

[GordonR]

Well I am still going and will have to enquire about access weekly.  Hopefully be better this time as all of the artist have been moved to the second floor away from all the chaos that apparently ensues in the Main Hall. Add long as I can get a Bisley sketch then I will be happy!

Good to see the Comics Village Ghetto focus of these events is still in full effect, with anything at their Comic Con actually to do with comics cunningly hidden away from most of the punter footfall

[amines2058]

Well I am still going and will have to enquire about access weekly.  Hopefully be better this time as all of the artist have been moved to the second floor away from all the chaos that apparently ensues in the Main Hall. Add long as I can get a Bisley sketch then I will be happy!

Good to see the Comics Village Ghetto focus of these events is still in full effect, with anything at their Comic Con actually to do with comics cunningly hidden away from most of the punter footfall

To be honest it may actually be better as it will keep the baying masses clamouring for their GOT/ Dr Who/ TNA autographs away from the comics fraternity.

[GordonR]

/long rant wisely deleted

These vulture-like tat & celebrity events have strangled the life out of the UK con scene. There used to be a nascent Cardiff Comic Con that - shockingly - was about comics. Now there's this.

[amines2058]

/long rant wisely deleted

These vulture-like tat & celebrity events have strangled the life out of the UK con scene. There used to be a nascent Cardiff Comic Con that - shockingly - was about comics. Now there's this.

Gordon, I do wish I was able to be part of that nascent scene, but after many years away I only got back into 2000AD and comics in general 18 months ago. Now at the ripe old age of forty I am trying to catch up on lost time.
Now when I hear that Simon Bisley, Will Simpson, Dylan Teague & David Roach (plus many more) are in Cardiff then I cannot say no, whatever the implications, as I want some of my 25 year old prog's signed!! I do appreciate what you are saying though and wish that the 2 could exist separately so that the comics could be appreciated for what they are! 

[amines2058]

OK, went, saw and returned intact and to be honest had a fantastic day!
Me and son arrived at the Motorpoint Arena in the pouring rain to be faced with a queue that must have been 1000-2000 people long, and thought Oh shit!
Once queue started moving though it went pretty quickly and me and my son were inside 30 minutes later. The Comic Artists Village had been shifted from the main hall to a smaller conference room on the 2nd floor and this was good for me anyway as it seemed to be a damn site quieter than the main hall. The only problem being that a load of the Cosplayers also seemed to be congregating in the same room. (Pregnant Wonder Woman was not my thing! )
Anyway spoke to Will Simpson first and got him to sign some of his centrespreads from Dredd in OZ and his 2000AD covers for Dredd in Banana City (Plus his Sex Warrior cover from Toxic). It was nice as it was the first time in a long time that he had seen these and he reminisced about then in some detail which was fascinating.
Me and my son then moved onto David Roach who was a true gent and again discussed in detail a lot of his early work which I got him to sign (Nemesis & Anderson) as well as talking to me about his more recent Vampirella covers which he had on display. Son picked up a cracking Dredd head sketch off him!
Then had a chat to Dylan Teague who was quite willing to chat about Manga Studio (his software of choice) and pass on his recommendations. Son also picked up a nice signed print.
Finally moved onto the god that is the Biz and I fulfilled a 25 year wish to meet the Main Man. Had a good chat for 1 hour plus whilst he completed a sketch for someone else, before doing a Joe Pineapples / Lobo face off sketch for me. (Which I shall post soon!)
Also got Ben Oliver to sign the cover of prog 1850.
All in all me and son had a cracking day with the only negative being the queue and the rain, but I got to meet a number of artists who I have admired for a long time so left happy!

[Link Prime]

Sounds great Alex, looking forward to seeing the sketches.

[amines2058]

Cheers Link Prime, I will post up as soon as I have a decent scan, as at present only have some badly lit photographs. Would I be best to post the sketches here, or is there another more appropriate thread to show them??

[Bolt-01]

Lacking a dedicated thread for con sketches you would be best posting here.

Wish Gavin had kept his sketch blog going- that would have been a real treasure trove.