Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics, IDW, Image, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Ahmed Raafat, Alison Sampson, Andy Fanton, Ant Williams, Chris Wildgoose, Croatia, fcbd, free comic book day, Fumio Obata, Geoff Senior, ilya, Juno Dawson, Lee Sullivan, Lucy Sullivan, marc laming, mike dowling, Nikola Čižmešija, Norm Konyu, portsmouth, portsmouth comic con, rory mcconville, sam hart, sarah graley, Stipan Morian

Nikola Čižmešija's First Comic Con Outside Of Croatia Is Portsmouth

Batman, Turtles and Godzilla's Nikola Čižmešija's first Comic Con outside of Croatia is Portsmouth Comic Con for Free Comic Book Day

Portsmouth Comic Con is back – in just under two weeks' time – returning to Portsmouth Guildhall for Free Comic Book Day weekend, the 2nd and 3rd of May, with what might be its most carefully curated guest list yet. As previously reported on Bleeding Cool, the South Coast show has been steadily building a reputation for doing things a little differently. Not just going for the biggest headline names, but putting together a line-up that actually works,  artists, writers, rising stars, established pros, all pulling in slightly different directions. Previous years have seen Esad Ribic, Pepe Larraz, Marguerite Sauvage, Tini Howard, Dave McKean and Walt Simonson visit the seaside port for its Comic Con. But this year, they have someone new. Someone very new.

Because tucked into that guest list is Nikola Čižmešija. This is his first convention appearance outside of Croatia, a proper international debut. With a significant run of work at DC Comics, including the recent DC Vs Vampires: World War V, lots of Batman, the recent Godzilla reboot, Turtles, his new creator-owned comic Umbral Chains and around 170,000 Instagram followers, Čižmešija is one of those artists whose work you've definitely seen… even if you have no idea how to pronounce it. Still, that never stopped Bill Sienkiewicz.

Stipan Morian will also be there, coinciding rather neatly with his work on next week's The Ultimates #23 with writer Deniz Camp for Marvel Comics. Over in the Writers Block area, you've also got Juno Dawson, bringing that crossover appeal between prose, television and comics, thanks in part to her work on Doctor Who. They also have Rory McConville fresh off of writing Spawn, Andy Fanton celebrating Dennis the Menace's 75th birthday in the Beano, Lucy Sullivan, Alison Sampson, Marc Laming, whose Dan Dare Kickstarter has been getting press, Mike Dowling, Ant Williams, Sam Hart, Chris Wildgoose, Norm Konyu, Sarah Graley, ILYA, Ahmed Raafat, Fumio Obata, Geoff Senior and Lee Sullivan.

It is possible that some see the big-name comic conventions for comic creators as Thought Bubble or The Lakes, with London Film and Comic Con and MCM London Comic Con for those who are a little confused as to why they are there. And they wouldn't be wrong. But over the years, Portsmouth Comic Con has been building an eclectic mix of guests and events on the English South Coast. Which, for guests, also means sea, Roman encampments, and a direct, quick train back to London. And this year, especially, a sense that Portsmouth Comic Con has worked hard to balance its guest list, building something that reflects the different corners of comics and storytelling as a whole.

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