Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: comic con, Comics, expo, ian sharman, london, mcm

MCM London Expo Under Criticism From Orang Utan Comics

I attended the MCM London Expo this weekend. Met up with friends, found some cool stories, saw lots of cool comics, costumes and finery and my two daughters enjoyed themselves too. But not everyone seems to have had a great time.

Ian Sharman is a comic book creator who has created his own mini-publishing empire as Orang Utan Comics, firstly publishing his own work, then of others. You may recognise him at shows by his traditional top hat and waistcoast.

Though you won't recognise him at the MCM London Expos anymore. He writes about a few events this weekend that have soured him on the show.

One, that he was told there were were reduced £15 parking permits by organisers, so he chose to drive there, to discover they had run out and he'd have to pay a full £50 – though he should be able to get the money back after he'd paid. Later he found out that there were parking permits available, but it was too late now as he'd already paid.

Second, the Green Room was made non-accessible to Comics Village exhibitors or those with a Comics Pro badge, when at previous shows that had never been the case.

But thirdly that one of his creators, David Wynne, who had tweeted the messages below, had been taken aside by the show organisers away from the table and asked to "justify" his tweets, for over an hour.

davidwynne So, @MCMExpo has now closed the green room to all non-VIP pass holders. Determined to extort their exhibitors I guess.

davidwynne Between this, the fiasco over parking charges this weekend,& the general attitude towards exhibitors, I don't think I'll do @MCMExpo again

davidwynne We PAY to be here. They would have NO SHOW without us. And still @MCMExpo treats us like freeloaders over a few cans of coke. Despicable.

Ian's version is here, David's is here. I asked MCM London Expo organisers for comment today, but was told that the organisers are uncontactable, as they are taking a break. We may return to this at a later date…

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