Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, gosh, LGBTQ, london, orbital, pride, small press day

Taking Pride In Small Press Day In London, Yesterday

Published Sun, 09 Jul 2017 08:00:10 -0500

Yesterday saw the massive Pride march in London, estimated at drawing a million souls out onto the sun drenched streets of central London. I went out with the girls to enjoy the sights, the music, the clothes, the general free spirit of liberation and the lesson that they are free to be whoever they are.

It's a pretty good lesson, underlined by ice cream and frozen yoghurts from the appropriate venues along the way.

And since the parade was winding its way around Soho, also fully the grip of Pride, it was also an excuse to pop into Orbital Comics and Gosh Comics, both taking part in Small Press Day, with their own parade of comic book creators popping in and out through the day.

Orbital Comics gave me the chance to pick up the work of Elizabeth Querstret, Walks With Lulu about a stray dog who came into her life, the heartbreaking My One True Hurt by Julie Madrigal, an all-girl superhero comic Thimble by Jason Brown and Sarah Roe, and the award-winning From The City To The Sea by Tim Bird, on the transition from one state to another. The symbolism present was only more prominent on a day like this.

Because I had the kids, I was in-and-out rather than hanging around for the whole day as creators arrived and left, but I think I did pretty well! I also took the opportunity to pick up the latest Beanworld comic, which began as a small press comic by Larry Marder almost thirty years ago, now published in hardcover form by Dark Horse but without sacrificing anything that made it one of the finest comic books that ever existed.

My swag was mighty, and the girls picked up a few comics too – though their tastes were a little less small press. Basically Adventure Time and Bee & Puppycat. They are rapidly becoming Boom! Girls.

Sadly they weren't up for the drawing workshops in Gosh Comics, as they attracted some of the finest comic book creators to inject comic passion directly into the future.

And anyway, Alice was heavily distracted by all the Phoenix spin-off books. Mega Robo Bros for the win, there…

But more comic books were created, big and small, as Gosh delved into the actual creation of comic book small press, rather than a pure marketing opportunity. Expect works created or started there yesterday to be filling all sorts of stalls and shelves in the weeks and months to come.