Words by Olly MacNamee
This weekend, the International Comic Expo (ICE) comes to The Studio on Cannon St in Birmingham City Centre – with the main programme running on Saturday 5th Sept, from 10am (early bird) or 11am (general) to 5:30pm.
Tickets are priced at £12 (adult) and £6 (child/student). Children under 13 and carers have free admission.
Extra ‘bolt on’ events are being held across Sunday 6th September, charged accordingly. For direct event details, click here
Shane Chesbey’s ICE returns with a line up of comics’ brave and the bold that reads like an honour roll working in the industry today, on both sides of the pond. A veritable Justice League of comic book creators.
Alongside Birmingham based creators such as writer Ian Edginton (2000AD), artists Phil Winslade (2000AD, DC Comics, Marvel) and returning Brummie, Rachael Stott (Planet of The Apes/Star Trek) will sit alongside the UK’s first ever comic book laureate and Watchmen/The Secret Service: Kingsman co-creator, Dave Gibbons.
There will also be the quintessential writer and artist team of Judge Dredd, John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra respectively, as well as Charlie Adlard – the artist behind the hugely successful The Walking Dead comics. I can imagine the queues for sketches there… bring a packed lunch.
Flying in from the states, like the Man of Steel himself, comes definitive Iron Man artist Bob Layton, as well as uber-inker, Joe Rubinstein – who has lent his inking skills to most artists worth talking about during his decade-spanning career.
And, like any good convention, below the surface lies a great deal more. The newly formed independent comic book company, Aftershock Comics (backed by no less than former Facebook senior executive, Michael Richter) are on the lookout for new UK talent – and why not, given that some of the best comics to come out of America in the past 30 years are from British brains).
Plus the aforementioned Dave Gibbons, Charlie Adlard and company will be giving talks on their careers as part of the ICE sister event, Comics Uncovered – held at the same venue on Sunday 6th Sept. Aimed at those keen to make the break into the industry, or those already working within it, Comics Uncovered will run a separate programme of seminars, portfolio reviews, networking events and workshops. For further details on Comics Uncovered, click here
However, ICE on Saturday 5th September will still give every knowing nerd (and I include myself in that category, proudly) a chance to get to meet the creators behind the characters, to talk to the architects of fanboy fantasies, and to get a few sketches & signatures onto your prized comic collection.
Maybe even a zombie portrait from the master of the Undead, Charlie Adlard… if the queues aren’t a mile long, see you in there.
International Comic Expo (ICE) comes to The Studio, on Cannon St in Birmingham City Centre, on Saturday 5th Sept – with extra ticketed events running at the same venue on Sunday 6th Sept.
For more details on the International Comic Expo (ICE), visit https://internationlcomicexpo.wordpress.com/
For more venue details, visit http://www.studiovenues.co.uk/conference-venues/birmingham/birmingham-conference-venue.htm
