Englishman In San Diego

Talkin' Con: A Cup O' Tea with An Englishman In San Diego s06e01 (19th August 2018) --------------------------------------------------- "...people keep asking if I’m back, and I haven’t really had an answer... but yeah, I’m thinking, I’m back!" SDCC 2018 is well and truly in the rear view mirror... but that doesn't mean that we stop Talkin' Con around here! There's lots to keep us occupied, each and every week, with some cracking Special Guests, informative con previews and live reports, awesome featured segments, and all the latest convention news and updates that you can shake a stick at! And we think that we're starting pretty bloody strong with our first episode of the new season out of the gate: on this episode, we chat with comics art team Ted Brandt and Ro Stein, part of the creative force behind new Image Comics release CROWDED, talking all about the new book and also the current comics convention landscape in the UK. Things are afoot with the shows that fans can go to in 2018, especially for comi

Meanwhile Comic Con is quickly becoming one of my favourite comic conventions to attend, purely because it's so well curated by organiser Simon Birks (Blue Fox Comics) - simply put, he pulls together really nice people with a wonderfully positive attitude, making for an event with the most delicious, laid back vibe! For this second Meanwhile event, held at the Worthing Assembly Hall on Saturday 11th August, we took on a range of topics, from TANK GIRL AT THIRTY to the practical hints and tips of running a successful Kickstarter campaign. However, the backbone of the Meanwhile events is the incredible strong Small Press & Indie community that exists in the UK, and especially in the South of England. Here, Leonard, Simon Birks and a few other special guests come together to hold what was, at first, a very loose conversation about fractures in the comics community and the ties that bind in the small press scene and subsequently wandered through a number of subjects including, getting comics into the hands of

Meanwhile Comic Con is quickly becoming one of my favourite comic conventions to attend, purely because it's so well curated by organiser Simon Birks (Blue Fox Comics) - simply put, he pulls together really nice people with a wonderfully positive attitude, making for an event with the most delicious, laid back vibe! For this second Meanwhile event, held at the Worthing Assembly Hall on Saturday 11th August, we took on a range of topics, from TANK GIRL AT THIRTY to the practical hints and tips of running a successful Kickstarter campaign. However, the backbone of the Meanwhile events is the incredible strong Small Press & Indie community that exists in the UK, and especially in the South of England. Here, Leonard, Simon Birks and a few other special guests come together to hold what was, at first, a very loose conversation about fractures in the comics community and the ties that bind in the small press scene and subsequently wandered through a number of subjects including, getting comics into the hands of

Meanwhile Comic Con is quickly becoming one of my favourite comic conventions to attend, purely because it's so well curated by organiser Simon Birks (Blue Fox Comics) - simply put, he pulls together really nice people with a wonderfully positive attitude, making for an event with the most delicious, laid back vibe! In attendance were a number of UK small press and independent comics creatives, most if not all of which have embraced crowdfunding as a way of financing their projects, mostly in the area of publication and actually getting their books into the hands of eager readers and fans. But what became apparent, during this 50mins conversation about Kickstarter and crowd-funding, is that not every one has a set way for undertaking these efforts - many people have many ways of launching and managing their efforts. But all of these creators have tips and tricks on how to conduct a Kickstarter campaign that will have the most chances to succeed. And they shared some of those tips during the session! Seekri

Summer Cover to Cover: Beyond the Gutter event. Featuring Adam Smith of the Comic-Con Museum, Patrick Yurick of makingcomics.com, Robert Scott of Comickaze - Liberty Station - Barracks 15, and Lorelai Bunjes of IDW Publishing discussing the influence of comic books, their role in popular culture, and their own professional practice within the field.

SDCC 2018: The Annual Comics Journalism Panel (Chronicling The New Comics Canon, 19th July 2018) Comics journalism is at such a crossroads at the moment, with journalism in all mediums itself under attack from all fronts (and even from within its own ranks); those that are tasked with reporting on the comics landscape and industry find themselves balancing many tightropes and under threat of being charged of bias, politically, sociologically, ideologically. It's a strange place to find oneself in. As it happens, the one that succeed the most in this field of journalism are those with strong voices and experience and willing to use those voices and that experience to defend their opinions and lead the charge for honest and respectable comics criticism. The Comics Beat's esteemed Heidi McDonald leads this collection of such voices in the San Diego Comic-Con Annual Comics Journalism Panel, under the title of 'Chronicling The New Comics Canon', in which they discuss the need and necessity for canon in both sto

Interview conducted at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 with Max Allan Collins about his new Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer series, and Quarry's War.

Interview done at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 with David Accampo (co-writer) and Amanda Donahue (artist) about their new graphic novel 'The Margins'.

SDCC 2018 - The Len Wein Memorial Panel (Room 4, Thurs 19th July 2018) The first day proper of this years San Diego Comic-Con was hectic, eventful, punishing, exhausting, rewarding, and ultimately heartwarming and very emotional - Thursday had plenty to see and do throughout its programming but there was one panel that I was determined not to miss: the Len Wein Memorial panel, celebrating the work and mostly the big, big life of the comics industry giant who passed away in September of last year. Len Wein was, with no word of exaggeration, a titan of comics, not only in his output - co-creator of characters like DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, as well as one of the men responsible for the revival in fortunes of the X-Men and editing Alan Moore / Dave Gibbons' WATCHMEN - but also in the size of his heart. He was, by all accounts, a boisterous, exuberant, warm, generous and extremely kind-hearted man, as evidenced by the love and joy that was on evidence at this 'let's not call it a memor

Interview with Zach Oat of Diamond Select Toys about what they are showing off at Comic-Con, both exclusives and upcoming releases.

The eagerly anticipated Comic-Con Museum - the permanent exhibition space to be presented by Comic-Con International, and setting up shop at the previously title Hall Of Champions in Balboa Park in San Diego - had it's big reveal to Comic-Con attendees this year, with many banners in place of where fans would usually see GAME OF THRONES house sigils hanging from the ceiling, a booth on the Exhibition Floor throughout this years convention and a full panel, unveiling the ambitious plans of the Museum team. It was this panel which took a number of people by surprise, not only for those left stood standing outside Room 29ABC on the Sunday (a line of thirty-odd people, which even prompted CCI Director Of Programming Eddie Ibrahim to come and see what all the fuss was about), but also for those that managed to get in: many were galvanised by what Museum Director Adam Smith, Director of Programming Keegan Chetwynd and Founder Member Melissa Peterman were proposing, most raised eyebrows at how much hard work - and

#SDCC2018: The CCI Talkback Panel With John Rogers It's that time of year, again, as we sit in a room and discuss, deliberate, complain and applaud the convention we're currently attending! Taking an hour or so out of our time when we could be exploring the final hours of San Diego Comic-Con does often seem a little premature - let's get the thing to bed before we call it a night! - but it makes sense to go over the major topics of the weekend while they're still fresh in people's minds. And this session was an essential attendance for commentators of SDCC such as myself, as many changes were implemented, not only by Comic-Con International but also by the San Diego Convention Center, the Mayors Office and the City Of San Diego itself. As always, the panel was moderated by the President of the San Diego Comic-Con/Comic-Con International, John Rogers, a role he has served since 1986. And traditionally at this panel, like a stone against the tide, he would sit stoically as a line of people would heap pile

mcmLDN18: IT'S A CON MERCHANT LIFE FOR ME (MCM London Comic Con, Fri 25th May 2018) Featuring: Mary Franklin (National Event Director, MCM Expo), Josh Denham (MCM London Comic Con Event Director), Ivy Doomkitty Moderated by: Leonard Sultana and Mark Searby MCM London Comic Con (27th-29th May 2018) took over the massive ExCel Centre in the capital to bring together fans of so many different types and styles of fandoms at one incredible event. As part of that celebration, new stages had been created to offer new and exclusive content in terms of dedicated stages on the Exhibition Hall floors. An Englishman In San Diego's Leonard Sultana has been taken on by MCM Expo to host panels on the Comic Stage - as part of this first weekend under that banner, Leonard was also offered a session on the Creators Stage to host an Incidental Episode of his Talkin' Comic-Con: A Cup O' Tea... podcast. Here, joined by regular partner-in-crime Mark Searby, Leonard talks about the relationship between conventions and fandoms,

#mcmLDN18: BETWEEN THE PANELS, Sun 27th May 2018 MCM London Comic Con Matteo Scalera, Liam Sharp, Geof Darrow, Ken Lashley - in conversation with Leonard Sultana (An Englishman In San Diego) MCM Comic Con is moving in leaps and bounds to increase the platform for the Comic Village at its shows and this recent event, the MCM London Comic Con Summer Edition held at the ExCel Centre in the Capital, is a big indicator of what they have in mind. Comics creative talent from across the UK and international professionals were invited to the new and improved Comic Village - four such names were Liam Sharp (WONDER WOMAN, THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD), Ken Lashley (BLACK PANTHER), Geof Darrow (SHAOLIN COWBOY, HARD BOILED) and Matteo Scalera (BLACK SCIENCE) who joined AEISD's Leonard Sultana for a conversation about their individual processes, their relationships with their work and the industry, and what it takes to put together comics in 2018. Thank you to the four for taking the time out of their con to join us for the

Over the past few months, as part of our coverage of a number of conventions (such as Silicon Valley Comic Con and Wonder Con Anaheim), we have been lucky enough to have had the chance to participate in the promotion for the upcoming film BAD SAMARITAN, starring David Tennant (Cale) as a privileged and preening socialite with the darkest of secrets and Robert Sheenan as the restaurant valet who, through the act stealing from Cale, finds himself on a collision course of sheer will and violence. Directed by Dean Devlin and written by Brandon Boyce, we have been most intrigued by the funding and distribution of the film, based on the innovative model put forward by Legion M, a crowd-sourced collective in which the investors into the pot are all , effectively, the eventual producers of the final product and can claim ownership for the films existence - it's an exciting business model, allowing for films, TV series, comic books and all kinds of content to belong outside of the conventional Hollywood distribution

SVCC 2018: In Conversation with Fanbase Press (Bryant Dillon), Silicon Valley Comic Con April 2018 In the weekend of April 6th-8th in San Jose, Silicon Valley Comic Con took over the Convention Center of the city to bring a show that fuses both pop culture with the best of science and technology. Attending the show was our 'man on the ground', Dan Berry who got to speak to a host of incredible creatives and exhibitors. Here, Dan speaks to Top Cow Press' CCO Matt Hawkins about what makes Top Cow stand out from the herd in 2018, as well as his current line-up of book,s what Top Cow have got planned down the line, and what is in store for Matt as he takes Top Cow across the globe... Thanks to Matt for his time at the show, and thanks to Dylan Gray of Top Cow and to Dan for bringing us this interview.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - however, due to one or two quiet spells in attendance (ahh, lunchtime!), there were times that the panel format was abandoned for something a little more... informal! So, as Leonard and Rodney moved from the stage down into the seating area, this presentation became more of an intimate 'fireside chat' to talk about Rodney's career, his influences, his thoughts on the current landscape of comics illustration and where the industry could go to advance and progress. A cool talk... Thanks to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event, and to Rodney for allowing me to present this interview.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - here, graphic designer and multimedia conceptualist Emma Price gives a fascinating presentation on one element of comics which is often either ignored or forgotten: a books graphic design, the thing that ties a book into a cohesive whole. From logo, to cover layout, to interior design, it's what makes an incomplete book a total package. Emma talks about the strength of solid design techniques, how they have been applied to some of your favourite comic books - and how, sometimes, those techniques can be broken, to create something new! Thanks to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event, and to Emma for allowing me to present this presentation.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - here, Mike Conroy sits and chats with Lawrence Campbell about a whole host of topics, ranging from his initial start in comics, through his work with 2000AD, and what it is about the comics medium which continues to entice and enthrall him at this point in his career. It's a great chat, and I hope you enjoy Thanks to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event, and to Lawrence and Mike for allowing me to present this interview.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - panel host Olly Macnamee (thecomicon.com) and artist Emma Vieceli threw away the rulebook when it came to presenting on stage, got more comfortable and closer to the audience by setting up on the edge of the stage, and launched into this wonderful, exuberant and incredibly relaxed conversation about Emma's influences as a young comics and manga reader, about her eclectic career and how she feels about comics as the perfect storytelling medium. A marvellous chat. Thanks to Shane and his team for the putting on of the ICE Margate event, and to Emma and Olly for allowing me to record and present this interview here.