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Things To Do In London In September 2023 If You Like Comics

The new edition of Things To Do In London If You Like Comics for September 2023... and it looks like Saturday, the 9th, will be a big day out

Published Fri, 01 Sep 2023 06:57:08 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Thu, 07 Sep 2023 07:08:13 -0500

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The new edition of Things To Do In London If You Like Comics for September 2023 suggests that Saturday, the 9th of September, will be a big day out for anyone who likes comics and can trek into the Big Smoke.

Saturday, 2nd of September

Twistwood Tales Signing With A.C. Macdonald, Gosh Comics, Berwick Street, Soho, 1-2pm.
Join us for a magical journey through Twistwood Tales as we invite artist and writer A.C. Macdonald to Gosh! In celebration of the launch of his new comic! Twistwood Tales, originally a highly popular webcomic, is Macdonald's humorous adventure following a whimsical gang of magical creatures. Inspired by the forests close to his own home in Scotland this lush comic is sure to entertain.

OverBoard London – games, films, comics & geek culture, The Thirsty Bear, 62 Stamford Street, Southwark, 2-8pm
If you're looking for a laid-back Saturday playing some board games and talking nerd stuff in a pub with some awesome people, this is the meetup for you! Whether you're new to London or just want to get some long-lost in-person socialisation, we're a friendly community and welcome you all.

Tuesday, 5th of September

Meet Lavie Tidhar at Hammersmith Library, Shepherd's Bush Road, 6-10pm, Free,
Meet British Science Fiction, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy Award–winning author Lavie Tidhar. Lavie is an acclaimed author of literature, science fiction, fantasy, and graphic novels. He will be promoting his new novel "The Circumference of the World" and discuss his genre bridging work.

Thursday, 7th of September

Troopers Soho, from 7pm. Those who know, know.

Friday, 8th of September

London One Piece Anime and Manga Meetup Group, Meltdown London, 342 Caledonian Road, 7.15-9.15pm.
"Come join us to talk about the latest One Piece episodes, Chapters, Theories, Projects, Games and more at London Meltdown Bar. After you are invited to stay at Karaoke Night and have fun!"

Saturday, 9th of September

Damn Them All Signing With Si Spurrier, Charlie Adlard, Sofie Dodgson, Jim Campbell and Tom Muller, Gosh Comics, Berwick Street, Soho, 1-2pm.
You'll be damned if you miss this one! Celebrating the trade release of Boom! Studios new supernatural series, Damn Them All, we've summoned the entire unholy creative team for a signing. Join Si Spurrier, Charlie Adlard, Sofie Dodgson, Jim Campbell and Tom Muller. The first volume of Damn Them All follows Ellie Hawthorne, an occultist-for-hire, hell-bent on exorcising the 72 devils that plague the planet.

DSTLRY Presents: The Devil's Cut Launch Event, Forbidden Planet, Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden, 3-4pm.
The Devil's Cut launch event with Jock, Tula Lotay, Lee Garbett, Emma Price, Jamie McKelvie, Ram V & Christian Ward will be joining us at this event & will be signing copies of the comic. The Devil's Cut: One-Shot (Tula Lotay Forbidden Planet Exclusive Signed Variant)

Positive Frequency – A Day Rave At The Museum, Cartoon Museum, Wells Street, Noho, 2-7pm
Come join us as the museum is taken over for a day rave. Soundsystem, DJs (Mutapa: Positive Frequency, Black Moses: The House of Osiris), dancing and cheap bar. All profits to support marginalised migrants, refugees and the museum. Tickets are very limited, so grab yours now! Adults only (18+) Positive Frequency is a universal platform for boundary-pushing techno, house, breaks and electro. Positive Frequency is a community that looks to use dance music as a positive force to bring people together and nurture peaceful interaction allowing people from all walks of life to evolve together. If you are low-income or unwaged and the ticket price is out of reach for you, please feel free to contact them via their website form at positivefrequency.net and they can sort entry for you.

Tuesday, 12th of September

Book Fair: Open House Festival 2023, Pushkin House, Bloomsbury Square 3-9pm
A fair in our specialist bookshop dedicated to culture, history, politics, literature and visual arts from Russia and the post-Soviet region, including topical graphic novels, comics, art and design books, zines and artist books made by our creative community and just in case you were wondering, Ukrainian literature, visual arts and culture, and Dissident and anti-war works with stories from the voices less heard, such as the LGBTQ+ community, women writers and writers from the Baltics, Caucasus, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The fair will include books from small presses in the UK and abroad and self-published works which aren't readily available in other bookshops.

Wednesday, 13th of September

Book Fair: Open House Festival 2023, Pushkin House, Bloomsbury Square 9am-9pm

Thursday, 14th of September

Book Fair: Open House Festival 2023, Pushkin House, Bloomsbury Square 9am-9pm

Friday, 15th of September

Entity Reunion 3 Launch Party With Alexander Tucker, Gosh Comics, Berwick Street, Soho, 7-9pm
Entity Reunion is back for its third stand-alone issue from Undimensioned, and we're happy to welcome Alexander Tucker to the shop for a launch party to celebrate its release. Musician Alexander Tucker (Furrowed Brow, Grumbling Fur, MICROCORPS) returns to release the latest standalone issue of his ongoing mind-bending series. Tucker's imaginative work has captivated us before in his previous two issues of Entity Reunion, as well as his release with Breakdown Press, World in the Forcefield. We're excited to delve into his creative and abstract narrative once again. Artist and musician Alexander Tucker's ongoing Entity Reunion comic returns with a brand new oblique narrative where omnipotent forces underlying all reality seek to manifest concretely. Interwoven desires to conjure and be conjured play out between practitioner and insidious beings. The veil is thin. Published by Tucker's own Undimensioned imprint and printed by Pagemasters.

Batman Unmasked, 180 Piccadilly, Green Park, Free tickets
An immersive pop-up intended to be the UK's most comprehensive Batman showcase to date, and featuring costumes, props and vehicles spanning Batman's comic book and cinematic history. Over 100 comics and the brand-new Batman Day special edition comic, Batman/Catwoman: Prelude to Gotham War that will kick off the Gotham War event, and the reissue of the recent Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1 will be available to read in a special comic book area.

Book Fair: Open House Festival 2023, Pushkin House, Bloomsbury Square 9am-9pm

Saturday, 16th of September

Hancock: The Lad Himself Signing With Stephen Walsh, Gosh Comics, Berwick Street, Soho, 1-2pm
It's the lad himself! From Stephen Walsh and Keith Page comes the story of the life of Tony Hancock. Celebrating its release next month, we're happy to welcome writer Stephen Walsh to the shop for a signing. Hancock: The Lad Himself is the biopic of the titular comedian Tony Hancock that provides an earnest and attentive exploration into the British legend.

OverBoard London – games, films, comics & geek culture, The Thirsty Bear, 62 Stamford Street, Southwark, 2-8pm
If you're looking for a laid-back Saturday playing some board games and talking nerd stuff in a pub with some awesome people, this is the meetup for you! Whether you're new to London or just want to get some long-lost in-person socialisation, we're a friendly community and welcome you all.

Sunday , 17th of September

Batman Unmasked Family Day, 180 Piccadilly, Green Park, Free tickets
An immersive pop-up intended to be the UK's most comprehensive Batman showcase to date, and featuring costumes, props and vehicles spanning Batman's comic book and cinematic history. Over 100 comics and the brand-new Batman Day special edition comic, Batman/Catwoman: Prelude to Gotham War that will kick off the Gotham War event, and the reissue of the recent Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1 will be available to read in a special comic book area.

Tuesday, 19th of September

Book Launch: Ajay to Yogi Adityanath, by Shantanu Gupta, The Nehru Centre, Mayfair, 6.30-10pm, Free.
Shantanu Gupta is the founder of The Ramayana School, an Indian Author, TEDx Speaker and TV Panelist. He is a published Indian author with renowned publications like Sage, Bloomsbury, Garuda, Prabhat and Rupa Publications. He is the biographer of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He is known for the Yogi Trilogy, with the three books he has written on UP Chief Minister – "The Monk Who Became Chief Minister", "The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh" and "Ajay to Yogi Adityanath". Shantanu is currently traveling to the United Kingdom as a "Chevening Gurukul fellow" at the University of Oxford. In the program, Shantanu will discuss his latest book, "Ajay to Yogi Adityanath" an innovative graphic novel on the subject. The author will also discuss the process of creating a graphic novel with the participants.

Wednesday, 20th of September

Reads, Gosh Comics, Berwick Street, Soho

"Farewell occasionally warm British summer, hello more times indoors with your papery pals. Because as the leaves start to turn your friends at Reads are going to make sure you've got more incredible comic book picks than you can get through in a dozen wet and windy autumns. Shaking things up a bit this September Reads will be dedicating our first gathering of the fall season to all things Small Press. Over the next few weeks we're inviting our extended comics clan to share their best buys from the truly excellent selection of independently produced books currently stocked by our buds at Gosh (https://goshlondon.com/small-press/). Make sure to post your picks to the group so we all know what type of comic book awesomeness to expect when we gather together at the slightly later than usual date of Wed Sept 20th. And on the evening itself feel free to make your pitch for why your personal fave should be crowned our Small Press champion."

Thursday, 21st of September

Ram V. Signing Rare Flavours, Forbidden Planet, Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden, 6-7pm.
Ram V. will be joining us to sign copies of Rare Flavours #1 at Forbidden Planet London Megastore

Workshop – Shi-t Art Club, Cartoon Museum, Wells St, Noho, 6-9pm Tickets £12.
Ever wanted to be an artist, but worried that you'll need years of training? FEAR NOT! Welcome to Sh-t Art Club, the only art club where you make bad art… on purpose. Let our eccentric host lead you through creative warm ups, exercises and more until you find yourself staring at the worst piece of art you've ever made in this interactive and immersive show. The perfect blend of a cultured art workshop with the absurdity of an interactive comedy show. Art meets comedy, not to be confused with 'sketch comedy'. "I thought I knew everything about art until today" – Matt Eece "putting the 'art' into 'i made a terrible piece of art'" BankC "I finally know where to draw people's noses" Pickasso.

Friday, 22nd of September

Saturday, 23rd of September

London Comic Mart, The Royal National Hotel, Bedford Way, 11-4pm, £5 before noon, free after.
The London Comic Mart; an established event that's been running for over 30 years in one form or another, longer than I have been in London.

Sunday, 24th of September

Relaxed Mondays at the Cartoon Musuem, Wells St, Noho. 11am-1.30pm.
Our free Relaxed Monday events have been specifically designed for children and young people with autism spectrum conditions or sensory processing differences. Events are free, but advance booking is essential. One ticket per person, and one member of the group needs to be aged 5-25 with autism spectrum conditions or sensory processing differences. Drop-in workshops are most suitable for ages 8-14. Drinks and snacks will be available. Join us for a free morning or afternoon event specifically designed for children and young people with autism spectrum conditions or sensory processing differences. The event offers children and young people the opportunity to visit the museum without the distraction of other visitors, accompanied by their families, carers or friends. Throughout each session there will be drop-in cartoon workshops with our cartoonist Steve Marchant, as well as a self-led trail of the museum – or you can just use the time to explore the museum at your own pace.

Tuesday, 26th of September

Amulet and The Rema Chronicles Signing With Kazu Kibuishi and Amy Kim Kibuishi, Gosh Comics, Berwick Street, Soho, 6-7pm
We're so thrilled to welcome creators Kazu Kibuishi and Amy Kim Kibuishi to the shop for a very exciting double signing! Kazu and Amy are the creators of the Amulet series and The Rema Chronicles series, respectively. These young adult fantasy stories are extremely popular at Gosh! and we're excited to have the artists travel from overseas to meet some of their devoted fans. While The Rema Chronicles is fairly young, with its first volume being released last year, the Amulet series is now 8 books deep, concluding its epic story with its final release next year.

Derek Landy Signing Bad Magic, Forbidden Planet, Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden, 4-6pm
We are happy to announce that Derek Landy will be signing Bad Magic, his new Skulduggery Pleasant graphic novel. All fans are very welcome to attend the book signing. This includes those who have pre-ordered or buy Bad Magic at the event, please bring along your pre-ordered copy of the book and/or additional Skulduggery books from home, and you will be able to join the fun and meet Derek.

Friday, 29th of September

Meet Derek Landy at Waterstones Bluewater, Dartford, 3-5pm.
Come along and meet global best-seller and award-winning author, Derek Landy as he signs copies of Bad Magic, a gleefully gothic graphic novel from the world of Skulduggery Pleasant. Parents accompanying their children do not require to book a ticket. Copies of Bad Magic will be available to purchase on the day, ahead of its official release on 12th October so come along and be one of the very first to own a signed copy. Every customer having a copy of Bad Magic signed by Derek will also receive an exclusive art print on the day. Derek will also sign copies of his other books, so ticket holders are welcome to bring collections from home, and additional copies of Derek's books will also be able available to purchase on the day.

Saturday, 30th of September

The Tragedie of Macbeth Signing With Stewart Kenneth Moore, Gosh Comics, Berwick Street, Soho, 1pm
This September, we're thrilled to invite artist Stewart Kenneth Moore to the shop for a special signing of his comic adaptation of Macbeth. Stewart will be signing on Saturday 30th September 2023, from 1-2pm. Based on the Prague Shakespeare Company adaptation of Macbeth, the beautiful ink drawings and fantastically compositioned panels make this comic unmissable for any Shakespeare fan. The combination of both the graphic novel and original script in a durable and handsome softcover makes this the perfect addition to the shelves of avid Shakespeare readers, collectors, librarians, students, and teachers.

Ultimate Comic Battle with Jamie Smart and Neill Cameron, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, from Noon.
Comic superstars Jamie Smart (Bunny VS Monkey, Looshkin) and Neill Cameron (Mega Robo Bros) will show you how to create your own amazing characters…and then enter them into Jamie and Neill's ULTIMATE COMICS BATTLE! Who will win? Who will survive? Who will end up enclosed in 2,000 tons of LEMON JELLY? There's only one way to find out! Suitable for ages 6+ As part of this event Jamie and Neill will invite children (and adults) to join in by creating their own characters so please do come with some paper, or a sketch book and pencils/pens.

£12 general admission for 1 person, £30 entry for 1 person and 1 copy of Bunny vs Monkey: The Impossible Pig and 1 copy of Mega Robo Bros 6: Carnival Crisis
£38 entry for 2 people and 1 copy of Bunny vs Monkey: The Impossible Pig and 1 copy of Mega Robo Bros 6: Carnival Crisis. Ticket holders 16 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult who must also purchase a ticket) in order to gain entry to the venue and to remain in the venue for the duration of the performance. Jamie and Neill will be signing copies of Bunny vs Monkey: The Impossible Pig and Mega Robo Bros 6: Carnival Crisis after the event, but due to time limitations within the venue we are having to limit the number of books being signed to one book by each author/illustrator, per child.

Ongoing Exhibitions

Mark Stafford Exhibition at the Jam Bookshop in Hackney, until 18th of September

Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers turns 30! 12th September to 16th April, Cartoon Museum, Wells St, Noho.
Released in 1993, The Wrong Trousers introduced icons Wallace & Gromit to the dangerous foe Feathers McGraw, a villainous penguin with ambitions to put Wallace's ingenious inventions to criminal use. The film won an Academy Award®; becoming part of a long legacy for the company as the home of British animation. For the film's 30th anniversary, The Cartoon Museum and Aardman are collaborating to bring you a truly spectacular exhibition that celebrates that legacy. We'll be showcasing behind the screen shots showing the artists and studio as the film was made, set pieces and models seen for the first time in London, and plenty of surviving original artwork.

WAVE: Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts, Japan House, Kensington High Street , until the 22nd October
Explore the vibrant diversity of Japanese graphic arts in this bold exhibition which bridges the worlds of fine art, and commercial illustration. The work of a selection of 60 Japanese artists is presented, with late 20th-century innovators Tanaami Keiichi and Yumura Teruhiko featured alongside a number of emerging artists being exhibited for the first time in the UK. Graphic arts featured in the exhibition include elements of pop art, surrealism and illustration, as well as the concept of heta-uma, which translates as 'bad, but good', and refers to apparently unskilled art which reveals greater merit upon close inspection. Emerging in the underground manga magazine GARO in the 1970s, heta-uma challenges our perspective of what is 'ugly' or 'beautiful' and our definitions of art itself. Variety and anarchy are ever-present in WAVE, with Jenny Kaori's bold, punky depictions of girlhood juxtaposed against Yukishita Mayu's brooding photorealist portraits and husband and wife team tupera tupera's delightful children's book illustration. Inspired by an annual exhibition in Tokyo of the same name, and curated by artists Hiro Sugiyama and Takahashi Kintarō, WAVE: Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts presents a rare opportunity to experience the diversity of Japanese illustration and graphic arts in one place outside Japan.

Norman Thelwell Saves the Planet to September 3rd, The Cartoon Museum, Wells Street, Noho.
Published in 1971, The Effluent Society by Norman Thelwell spoke about modern life and how the progress of humanity has led to us having an impact on the world. Many climate experts have struggled to instil the same love for our natural world that his work was able to. In his own words: 'I was a sort of an unofficial country cartoonist, doing funny drawings that involved birds, cattle, pigs and poultry. One day I did a pony drawing, and it was like striking a sensitive nerve. The response was instantaneous.' Thelwell's love for the countryside was front and centre in The Effluent Society, and his opinions were quite forward-thinking. His words and art read as a hilarious but heartfelt message to look after the spaces we love and the world we live in, and in many ways, predicted the issues that we face in 2023 and beyond. The Cartoon Museum is celebrating this important work in 2023 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Thelwell's birth and Methuen Publishing re-releasing the book over 50 years after it was first written. This year, The Cartoon Museum takes the torch that Thelwell was trying to pass on. There's a fine history of cartooning being used for public messaging, whether that be for the health of the body, mind or planet. That's because where some more scientific communication may be harder to decipher, cartoons are and always will be accessible and engaging. We've come together with a number of modern-day cartoonists and environmentalists to create art and messages about what needs to be done to support climate recovery and carbon neutrality across Britain and the world. We will display their work alongside a bounty of original Thelwell cartoons, plus some of his countryside watercolours and original art materials and references, to inspire the next generation of doodlers and "direct-actioners" to pick up their notebooks and make a change. Because we think Thelwell was right. And we believe he and you could save the world. We've also used this opportunity to change how we do things here in The Cartoon Museum. So far, we have:

Elected a Green Guardian for the museum!
Been selected to participate in London Mayor Sadiq Khan's Business Climate Challenge!
Used a carbon tracker to see how much effect on the planet each of our exhibitions is making!
Designed the exhibition with sustainability in mind, using as many recycled or re-used materials as possible!

She Is My Daughter: All Of Her Is Me to 8th of October, The Cartoon Museum, Wells Street, Noho.

In 2019, the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières – also known as Doctors Without Borders or MSF – commissioned award-winning cartoonist Ella Baron to travel to its field hospital in Pibor, South Sudan. She spent several weeks interviewing and sketching staff and patients about the difficulties in accessing maternity care in this remote rural region. Rising star Ella Baron, who had scooped the Philip Geddes Prize for Foreign Reporting and Young Cartoonist of the Year already by this point, created an intimate and personal piece of graphic reportage out of her experience in the field. Her nine-page graphic short story follows the lives of three generations of women; Chacha, her daughter Laito, and Laito's daughter Maria. Their story is the subject of The Cartoon Museum's latest In-Focus capsule exhibition. A print version of the graphic short story Ella Baron created alongside prints and other pieces of merchandise to do with the exhibition in our shop.

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