Full Steam Ahead!

Anna Schiraldi's Lincoln Cathedral artwork from our Enter The Asylum comic

It doesn't seems 3 years but it is since the previous full blown Asylum Steampunk Festival and we can't wait for it to return next week!

It's fast become one of our favourite events with it's friendly atmosphere, immersive environment, packed inspirational programme, attractions and of course all it's splendid people. This will be our 5th time attending and each event has been different, either in it's themes, locations, headline acts or weather! But the constant has been the fun and creative inspiration encountered on almost every corner of the streets of Lincoln where the festival is held, all under the wide all embracing umbrella theme of 'Steampunk'!

There are many definitions offered for 'Steampunk' but for us it's become a fun, friendly way of sharing creative ideas, imagination (and gin) with like minded folk!

A Glimpse of the Steampunk Festival fun!

This year, our regular comics crew are a little depleted but teaming up with our long time pals - and fellow Asylum 5th timers - at Time Bomb comics we are delighted to return and provide a little creative comics corner at the festival with our latest art and releases. This time though, for our sins, we've been 'banged up' and find ourselves, innocent or not, displaying our wares in Lincoln Castle's Old Victorian Prison under the event heading 'COMICS in the CELLS! '.

We will also - parole allowing - be presenting a couple of sessions/workshops during the event;

SATURDAY 27^th August 

Heritage Skills Centre – 12pm     

COMICS CHAT ROOM!

Join comic creators Steve Tanner (Time Bomb Comics) and Colin Mathieson (Accent UK Comics) as they are temporary released from their Victorian Prison Cells to reveal the secrets behind their latest and forthcoming comics. Including the dramatic conclusion of the Flintlock series, the origins of the mythical Asylum Q, the exciting return of an iconic favourite, Captain Scarlet and a graphic novel inspired by one of Michael Caine’s finest! May contain freebies and surprise guests!

SUNDAY 28^th August      

Castle Talks Marquee – 12:30pm             

MAKE YOUR OWN PENNY DREADFUL!

Ye Asylum Chronicle editor is demanding a sensational headline and illustration for their latest issue, can you oblige? Have you been attacked by rats or witnessed an extraordinary scene? Perhaps you’ve been party to a shocking failure of fashion or just misplaced the gin?

Comic artist convicts Colin Mathieson (Asylum Comics, Moments of Adventure) and Dave Morris (Flintlock, Norton The Dragon) are on reprieve from the Victorian Prison and will guide you through the process to create your very own Penny Dreadful broadsheet to take away with you.

Remember today’s gossip is tomorrow’s news!

Paper, templates and pens will be provided in this informal workshop, suitable for all. 

Plus a mysterious 3rd session on Monday afternoon in the Heritage Centre at 2pm which may or may not involve 'Dave and Drawing'!

See the full packed events programme here!

It all promises to be splendid fun, so if you're thinking of attending why not give it a go and if so please stop by the prison and say hello to help prevent any miscarriages of justice!

Oh and did I mention a 'Q'? Thought not!😉

London Film & Comic Con (sort of) report!

Now for the show that wasn't, the London Film and Comic Con! Accent UK didn't have a table for the show but Scott wanted to visit it and I was intrigued to see a show from the punter's side, something I've not done for gosh, maybe 12+ years!.  Well I'm sorry that I can't tell you anything about the show as we didn't get in! This is despite setting off at 7 in the morning from Manchester, and queueing at the Earl's Court venue for 3.5 hours!

The LFCC queue about 2 hours in! The folk on the left are in the same queue!

The same queue looking behind us - snaking all the way behind Earls Court and back again, don't forget that the folk on the right are in the same queue and theres more people behind them yet! 

There were huge, huge queue's and with the advance pre-paid tickets the venue was virtually full as soon as the doors opened. Of course there was no information to tell you this it was only after 2.5 hours or so that rumours started to spread that the venue had closed its doors for health & safety reasons and were now operating on a "one in one out" policy! The organisers had gone to ground and there was no way of confirming the rumour and in the meantime the queue behind us had grown to gargantuan proportions, all of this in the baking heat of one of the hottest days of the year!

2 1/2 hrs in, towards the front of Earls Court but not even 1/2 way in the queue - note folks still arriving on the left!

Well, Scott zipped off for some much needed water and did some investigating to discover that we were no better that maybe halfway in the queue and likely faced another 2 hours to maybe get in, that was enough for us so we finally did the sensible thing and gave up. Not before I should add, our very good friend Chris, (who was helping at Lucky Target's table inside) collecting and coming outside to deliver Scott's pre-ordered Stan Lee funko figure which was one of our main reasons for visiting.
 

The Q around 2pm just as we'd had enough

The same Q behind us and stretching at least 2 1/2 hrs behind!

The show was attended by Excelsior himself, Mr Stan Lee, in his last European show and this together with a huge list of Dr Who and media stars had caused the huge turnout and apparently caught the organisers on the hop, not helped by their own website encouraging people to turn up on the day as tickets would be available!

And it was one of the hottest days of the year with no refreshments available !

There's already been quite a bit of reportage on this with Bleeding Cool having a video report of the queue and chaos and The Beat having their own report and there are numerous horror stories if you search online. Needless to say there's definite lessons to be learned and although I didn't get to experience the show I can now sympathise with punters who have queued at shows we've exhibited at in the past and hope all was worth it once you got inside.

Photo of Scott to prove we were there

Having said that, Scott and I were determined not to let it spoil our day too much and in between catching up with Chris, made a wee visit to the nearby Natural History Museum and back into town to visit Accent UK comic stockists Orbital Comics, chatting with Camila and Chris and a wizz round a few other places before having a well deserved burger n pint before travelling home.

Happy to see Chris and head off for a cup of tea, 3 1/2 hrs in and not setting foot in the venue!

Thankfully there's not much travelling involved for us next week, making our third appearance at the extended MCM Manchester Comic-Con, which promises to be another well attended event. Its just been previewed in a full page spread in our local Manchester Evening News paper and online, so we'll see. Hopefully the queues will be manageable for all concerned and like our trips to Belfast and Glasgow be a worthwhile one for comics?