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Pond Life #6 by Martin Conaghan – Suffering From Insomnia

Published Thu, 27 May 2010 05:02:25 -0500

Last updated Thu, 27 May 2010 05:32:13 -0500

So, we've covered getting your comic an endorsement, the importance of getting the right logo and I've also looked at the fundamentals of writing and artwork – then, last week, I went into the practicalities of writing a comic-book script.

This week, I want to talk about conventions.

If the printed comic is the lifeblood of the industry, then conventions are its soul. Up and down the UK (and internationally) every other week or month there's a comic-book event of some form or another; a mart in a library where local retailers and creators hawk their wares, a talk or a demonstration in a local library or school, or a major comic-book event like last weekend's splendid Bristol Comix Expo.

Cons in particular are the perfect place for up-and-coming writers or artists to start dipping their feet in the pond, either by taking the opportunity to meet fellow-creators, retailers or publishers – or to simply soak up the atmosphere as a fan, obtain sketches or to marginally increase the value of a comic by politely asking a top professional to sign it for you. Usually, there's also a series of talks and demonstrations from industry superstars and plenty of beer-swallowing in the convention bar until the wee small hours of the morning, where many a project is dreamed up between boozy creative teams, only to be forgotten by the time the sun comes up and the hangovers have kicked in.

It's also a place where small press publishers can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the big names of the industry and put their titles up for display to the public – since the events are generally designed with the man on the street in mind.

I attended Bristol this week – my third convention since October last year – and it was a fabulous weekend, featuring a plethora of talks, exhibitions, costume-clad cosplayers, a substantial presence of Stormtroppers from the 501^st Garrison, and late-night drinking sessions with guys like James Peaty, Ferg Handley, Ian Sharman, Stephen Daly, Jim Alexander and Jason Arnopp – to name but a few.

However, what should have been an opportunity to promote my graphic novel Burke & Hare, turned out to be a bit of a joke, and not a funny one. The facts are this: the publisher, Insomnia Publications, failed to appear at the expo, leaving the company's staff and creative teams in the unfortunate position of hurriedly organising a scant supply of stock and display materials, which had to be physically lumbered to Bristol from Glasgow by the book's artist, Will Pickering. Instead of a few hours signing books, reviewing portfolios and pitches or chatting to customers here and there during the course of the weekend, Will and I had to man the stand for the entire duration between us, aided commendably by some fellow-Insomnia creators, who have since resigned their respective roles with the company.

I won't abuse my position as a columnist here at Bleeding Cool to sling mud at anyone, but the failure of a publisher to turn up, as scheduled, at a major event is wholly unprofessional, and an insult to the aspiring creators who have worked hard on prospective projects and invested their hopes in seeing their work published. However, I will absolutely take the opportunity to defend my reputation (for what its worth), along with the credibility of my work, and protect the dignity of other hard-working people who were affected by the debacle.

As a result of Insomnia's failure to attend the expo – and other factors following the weekend's events – I took the decision to step down as editor of Insomnia Publications' Vigil imprint. It was not taken lightly, since I had invested a significant amount of time working on three incredible historical projects in conjunction with some of the best up-and-coming talent in the industry. I sincerely hope their projects will yet see publication, but I cannot say with any certainty that they will.

Additionally, I have withdrawn all personal support for my graphic novel, Burke & Hare, but I have not instructed any other member of the creative team to do so. The amount of effort invested in Burke & Hare, both by myself in terms of writing, promoting and publicising the book on television, radio, in national newspapers, online and in person at various conventions and events was quite substantial – so the decision was not frivolous.

Similarly, my colleague and friend Will Pickering shouldered an extraordinary burden of effort in producing the artwork for the book in the first place – along with the incredible support of top industry professionals such as Rian Hughes, Alan Grant, Frank Quitely, Gary Erskine (and others too numerous to mention) – making it all the more disappointing that I've had to walk away.

I am uncertain as to what the future holds for Burke & Hare, which is a great pity, since a movie of the same name, with the exact same subject matter and directed by one of the biggest names in Hollywood, John Landis – with Simon Pegg starring – is set for an October 2010 release, and an opportunity to maximise the book's potential will almost certainly vanish.

Anyway, where was I? Oh – yes: conventions. They're great, and if you're an up-and-coming creator, or merely a fan – you should make a point of attending one. Publishers should also attend, and they normally do.

The next major event (well, for me, at least) is the Birmingham International Comics Show (BICS for short) on 16-17 October 2010 at the Think Tank, Millennium Point in Birmingham. It's a great show, run by a grand fellow named Shane Chebsey. After that, it's Thought Bubble in Leeds – another excellent event for budding writers, artists and fans.

I hope to see you there, and I hope Messrs William Burke and William Hare are with me.

Martin Conaghan is a journalist and broadcaster at the BBC and a freelance comic book writer. The views expressed here are his own. He is no longer the editor of Insomnia Publications' Vigil line of historical graphic novels, but he will always be the writer of Burke & Hare.

Are you a small press publisher, writer or artist? Do you have something you think might be worthy of mention on Pond Life? If so, tell Martin about it at pondlife@copydesk.co.uk

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