Orful Comics

Yes, it’s probably a week late for this but I’ve not had the internet in my new place so you’ll have to deal with it ok?

IT’S AN MCM BLOG POST!!!

Having had a brilliant time at my first MCM Expo back in May, I was thoroughly looking forward to October’s festivities. Annoyingly, it lay right in the middle of a two-week sofa surfing session around London. Having to bring everything I needed for MCM, plus two weeks of clothes and other bits I’d need for my stay was a bit of a nightmare to say the least but despite having the world’s heaviest suitcase, I made it.

I decided to take the day off work on Friday and use that as my set-up time. I know a lot of people don’t really do the Friday but I quite like to set-up as I like and relax a bit so I’m not rushing around like a mental on the Saturday morning. So I decanted all my MCM goodies into the bright orange Comics Wagon I’d been so generously lent and jumped on the DLR.

The Friday was of course slow as expected, made even slower by the fact that my table was opposite the Comics Village stage with no events planned for that day. No passing traffic. Only two other tables set up on my row. Long afternoon to get to work on some drawing. Slight up-side to Friday, my sister was randomly at the Excel Centre too. We ate jacket potatoes. Good vibes all round.

Usual Friday night beers with Graham, Luke, Matt and Mike (and my sister) and then off home to recuperate

Saturday arrives and with it, the onslaught of coffee. Things as expected started off slowly and picked up once the stage got going. Pretty steady all day really. Sold about what I was expecting and had some good chats with people. Great to see so many people come along, old faces and new ones alike. Was nice to see a couple of people buying my original artwork too. I don’t really expect to sell them so much but they seemed to go down quite well.

The day carried on pretty much as normal. Sell a few books, do some drawing, nip out for a cuppa, lather, rinse, repeat. Pretty standard really. What made the day slightly more interesting was the stage mere metres from my table.

The stage was in general a good thing. I enjoyed being able to watch the talks and Q&A sessions without having to go out of my way. There was a great sense of unity around our side of the room when the artists won the writers vs. artists quiz and a few of the talks were surprisingly interesting given they were about things I’m not that into.

However, there was a downside that grated on us all.

Inexplicably, Vic Mignogna, voice actor for various mundane anime shows, was doing a talk on the Comics Village stage. He comes on, a hundred or so children (I repeat, children) start screaming as though he’s some sort of superstar, the volume goes right up and any chance of us being able to speak to anyone or make any sales goes down, dramatically.

I have no idea why this guy was on the Comic Village stage. I have no idea why these kids were going so crazy for him. I have no idea why he was playing up to it so much and generally coming across to us adults in the room as a little bit creepy. The next hour or so was painful for us exhibitors and self-indulgent on Vic’s part. The only joy we could get from it was when his DVD kept skipping.

Oh how we laughed.

When he eventually shut up, the crowds dissipated, the mood mellowed and we were all able to enjoy the final hours of the Saturday. Bell rings, class dismissed, let’s all go to the pub

So, Saturday night, some things happened, I get less than an hour’s sleep. This is all the information I am liable to divulge right now. Safe to say, Sunday morning, I was a mess. A sleepy, delirious, caffeinated mess.

I struggle on regardless again, selling books, drawing away and watching talks. Much as normal. Highlight of the day was seeing Orful Comics super-fan, Boo again. Sorry I had no new books for you but thanks for buying a print anyway. You are a star!

It may just have been the sleep deprivation but I don’t really remember much about the Sunday. It was all pretty much as expected.

Oh wait, no I remember, VIC MIGNOGNA COMES BACK ON STAGE!!!

Halfway through an interview I was doing with some students, the volume once again cranks up to an ear-splitting level and the screams of the fan-girls begin. I was perplexed by his appearance on the first day but to have a second day of this trash?! Outraged. I know for a fact of at least one exhibitor packing up and leaving as a result and it was tempting to do the same.

That said, I tried to keep a cool head and instead asked a volunteer to look after my table while I scurried away from the noise and did some shopping of my own. Kevin, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry I subjected you to that for so long. You’re a real trooper!

It was on my wanderings that things started to get interesting. Talking to many of my friends and colleagues around the Comics Village there was some level of un-rest. It seems that along with Vic Mignogna enforcing his presence on us all, there were a few other topics coming up time and time again.

Now, these issues aren’t something that really affected me at all. In fact my time at MCM has always been fairly straightforward and painless. However it seems it has not for everyone. I will NOT talk about these issues myself as, like I say, they haven’t really affected me at all. However, I will let David Wynne explain to you in detail about what has become known as “The Incident”

Wrap your ears around that and make up your own minds. I for one am un-decided just yet.

But I digress, I had a brilliant time at MCM October 2011. It was, as always, great to catch up with my fellow exhibitors and always ALWAYS fantastic to see so many people come out and buy books or just say hello. I’m sorry this blog isn;t very well written. These shows are always a bit of a blur and I am useless at writing.

I’ll be at Thought Bubble Festival in Leeds in two weekend’s time. See you there?

In other news, I’m supporting Movember by growing a ‘tache all month. Please please please send your support if you can by donating here