This blog began in 1997 as a single news page called Nucelus. In 2005, during a long wait to move into a new house, I decided to learn some php and MySQL and write my own blogging system, which became inkyBlog and which now powers this, my own Webbledegook blog.
Thank you to my brother, Murray Ewing, for help with some of the more challenging aspects!
Elyssa and I drove up to Bristol late Friday afternoon, getting stuck in traffic on the M25, quite a few of our fellow travellers sporting flags and scarves in either the red and blue of Crystal Palace or the blue and claret of West Ham, the teams whose play-off match was being held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff the next day. Three-and-a-half hours later we managed to find our hotel, the Bristol City Inn, and went straight out to eat at a nice little corner restaurant with a view of students, revellers and D'Israeli (briefly). The rest of the evening consisted of tea, cake, and watching the rather pants last episode of Friends.
What we were missing at this point were the UK National Comics Awards. I had recently learned, to my huge surprise, that The Rainbow Orchid was a nominee finalist in the Best Independent Comic section, but even more utterly surprising was that I was also a nominee finalist in the Best New Talent category. Each category had ten finalists and I came seventh in each, which I'm still amazed at - it's very nice indeed. Solar Wind was a deserving winner of the Best Independent, a genuinely funny and entertaining read, especially if you were brought up on all the wonderful wacky British Comics of the 1970's, brought to us by the hard-working Paul (von) Scott.
On Saturday Morning Elyssa and I made our way to the Commonwealth and Empire Museum where all the stall holders and signings were encamped. We found our way there by following a Superman t-shirt. In the queue to get in we overheard a girl say to her comics-loving boyfriend 'you're the coolest one here!', which gave a chuckle, and may well have been true, but in reality comics fans come in all shapes, sizes and genders, and this was reflected nicely throughout the weekend.
We soon found our way to the table I was sharing with Jason Cobley, and there he was, already set-up with a very fine looking spread of Bulldog Comics. Jason is one of those genuine people in comics, a talented writer, and immensely good company. Now that BAM! has completed a 27-issue run he is working on a graphic novel called Bulldog: Empire with Neill Cameron. Neill's artwork on the new Bulldog stuff looks gorgeous, and it was consistently complimented throughout the weekend, with many people's eyes lighting up as they looked at the images of Keiko Panda or Brittany Bell with their attendant armoured robots. I can't wait to read Empire, and it should end up being snapped up by a big publisher at some point - surely.
For myself, I had brought my last box of Rainbow Orchids as well as some copies of The Tempest and my last 10 copies of Captain Powerchord, plus my Rainbow Orchid exhibition folder which showed a couple of colour pages, some pencils and other 'behind-the-scenes' bits. Sales were good, about the same as London, but the highlight was talking to people who actually seemed really enthusiastic about my comic. The fact that people genuinely like it pleases me enormously, humbles me, and recharges my creative batteries. Thank you to everyone who showed any interest in The Rainbow Orchid, because it makes all the hard work done in isolation worth it.
I met so many people over the weekend, but there was more space and time than at London, so I had time to enjoy it more, rather than have my brain frazzled. Paul H. Birch made an appearance but for too short a time, and I'm disappointed I didn't get to have a proper chat with him. Paul first got in touch with me when I was putting out Cosmorama, some 15 years ago (!), and is a writer I really admire. The Accent UK group are all incredibly nice and friendly people, which is gratifying as my association with them is growing closer as they will be serialising Rainbow Orchid in Fusion from Engine Comics. Barry Renshaw is the editor of Fusion and for Red Eye, the UK independent Comics 'news magazine'. Colin Mathieson, who's Zulu comics I have read and re-read, is great company, and was constantly out and about around the hall, quite possibly talking to everyone on every table there. I also greatly enjoyed my time with Dave West, Larry Betts and Leon Hewitt - all the Accent UK people have a positive and creative attitude that can't help but rub off on you. We spent Saturday evening with this lot, plus Tony Hitchman with whom I had interesting discussions on bands we both liked and military history. The man is a database of the most bizarre facts.
Nice surprise meetings came from people such as Pete Ashton, quite probably one of the springs in the springboard that has led to today's vibrant UK independent comics scene, thanks to his Vicious Magazine and the BugPowder distro service and now website. Also Simon Perrins, who, when I realised it was he I was talking to, I had to make an effort not to go into sprawling fan-boy mode, as I truly love his comic, Hope For The Future, and I snapped up a copy of issue 8. A blast from the past was Richard Hill, who had collaborated with Steve Pugh on his Kingfisher strip for Cosmorama, and I last met briefly at UKCAC 91 or so. Another nice surprise was chatting with one of the Pleece brothers - I think it was Gary (please forgive me if it was Warren... I was just desperately trying to think of something good to say without flapping with excitement). He went away with a Rainbow Orchid. So many good people make up the UK comics community, and they include David Goodman (sorry I didn't get to chat to Arthur),Jenni Scott (always nice to talk to... I must try and get to Caption this year), Damien Cugley, Paul J Holden, Regie Rigby (he of Fool Britannia), Darren Worrow, Shane Chebsey (small press hero with SmallZone), Paul Scott (would have like to have chatted more, well I guess that goes for everyone really), Martin Eden (I caught up with O-Men issues), Jay Eales and Selina Lock (doing interesting new stuff, as ever), Aaron Ali (we go back a while too)... and not to mention all the new faces that were great to meet. There were also people I missed, such as Jeremy Dennis, who does a brilliant weekly webcomic, but I'm sure I would have just gone into gushing fan-mode with her as well. Then there were all the people who's websites I quite often visit and would like to say hello in person, but simply ended up with no time to do so. It's quite likely I might get a better chance to make new contacts in London this year, as I probably won't have a table this time.
I did manage to get to the small press panel, which was packed out - very different from the ones I attended at UKCAC. Briefly, the topics covered included a general dislike of the term 'small press', strength in numbers in the form of collectives and support groups, and comics on CD - if not for whole strips then at least for promotional and preview or extras purposes... it was all good positive stuff. After I had identified myself by asking a question, Paul Gravett said a very brief hello to me afterwards, while handing out leaflets for the various Comica events.
I'm sorry my report appears to have turned into a list of people with me saying they're all lovely, but there you go. This is what happens when you at last get to meet up with people who actually have the same interests as you, and it all happens in a single weekend. I'm very excited by many of the comics and creators I've seen, and feel excited for the potential of The Rainbow Orchid thanks to all the good feedback and interest I was getting. Our journey back was just about the same as the journey there, getting into that M25 glut, only there were far fewer West Ham colours in evidence.
For a page of photos that Elyssa managed to take at the festival (I never remember to!), click here.
Left to right: Colin Mathieson, Garen Ewing, Jason Cobley, Leon Hewitt, Dave West, Larry Betts.
If you're going to Bristol, please come and say hello. I'll be manning a table with Jason Cobley (Bulldog Adventure Magazine), where we'll be selling our comics. I was completely surprised to learn that The Rainbow Orchid is a nominee for a National Comic Award, which is lovely indeed, despite the miniscule chance of an actual win.
What else? Rehearsals for Rough Crossing (the Stoppard play) are hotting up, and the band I'm in has got back to rehearsing with the glint of some actual gigs now on the horizon. And I have heard another report of a Jimmy Page sighting in East Grinstead...
After picking up my tickets I met up with Chris, a fellow tintinologist , and was surprised to discover that not only did we both work as designers, but we also both played the bass guitar in bands (see his website). But he's much taller than me! I was also surprised to see that the small lecture theatre where the day's talks would all take place was not packed out, in fact there were perhaps only about 30 or so people there, and one of the organisers stated that about 20 people hadn't turned up. Well, this gave it all quite a nice intimate feel.
The first talk was by Michael Farr, author of 'Tintin The Complete Companion', as he went through some slides mainly reflecting the content of his excellent book, that is Hergé's research sources, but he had many interesting notes to add. Mr. Farr really is a knowledgeable Tintinophile with facts and anecdotes at his fingertips, and was also an excellent and intreresting speaker.
Next up was Paul Gravett, someone I have long admired as a champion of quality comics in the UK, and who, if I remember correctly, would like to set up a permanent comic strip museum for the country, similar to Brussels' amazing and inspiring Musée de Bande Dessinée. His talk was on the evolution of the ligne clair style of BD, from who and what influenced Hergé, to who and what were influenced by Hergé - he really is at the head of a whole respected school of European comic art. If you have read Paul's articles 'Hergé and the Clear Line' from Comic Art magazine (thank you Paul Harrison for sending me those!), then this was basically his talk. Very fascinating - almost too much to take in in one go, but Paul kindly offered to take people's emails and send them the text of his talk (the article). During his talk, Paul handed out various albums for us to flick through, some of which I already had, and some I wish I had.
Chris, Elyssa and I had our sandwiches in the park behind the museum and then had a quick look round the exhibition. It was nicely put together, smaller than I had imagined, but very good, and I'd certainly consider another visit with a bit more time to devote to it. The first display case held a very interesting Hergé self-portrait from 1930, which I'd never seen before, and one of his dip pens, almost like an altar. The highlight of the exhibition were the various pieces of original artwork, which quite frankly I could sit in front of and stare at all day. His line is beautiful, almost perfect, and the composition within each and every panel is just wonderful. They are very inspiring pieces.
The afternoon's talks began with the much-venerated Michael Turner and Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper, the English translators of the Tintin books, who enjoyed a close working relationship with Hergé and are a very important part of the Tintin scene for any British reader, as their own love of the books made sure we ended up with a version of Hergé's ouvre that was as meticulous as the artist himself was. They too had some fascinating anecdotes and stories to tell, and some excellent insights into the work itself, as well as of the publishing world in which Tintin made his entrance to this country. Michael Turner looks very much as though he could quite easily become one of Hergé's mad professor characters, but they are both lovely and approachable people.
Bernard Tordeur, one of the three employees at Fondation Hergé was next up to the lecturn. He apologised for his English, which was actually rather good, but I was particularly amused by the expression of mild shock on the chairman of the day's face, Robert Blyth, when, after a brief introduction, he said his 'talk' would consist of answering questions from the floor. There was a bit of a pause before a few people thought of something to ask and it all got going - though things weren't looking too bright when his answer to the first question was a single word, 'no'. Information, generally, was slow in coming and though what Bernard did have to say was of great interest, I felt it wasn't given up too freely. Someone asked about the possible Spielberg film, and though obviously under orders not to give anything away on this subject, he did confirm it was a definite project. In Bernard's defence he was speaking in a second language, but there is, I think, a general feeling that the whole Moulinsart estate is a bit of a closed shop, perhaps a remnant of the business politics that followed Hergé's death in 1983. If this is not the case, then it must be recognised that public relations is an important aspect towards diminishing this feeling that does exist, justifiably or not. The horizon may be brighter though, as Bernard mentioned the planned Hergé museum that will exist outside Brussels in the next few years.
The day's lecturers then assembled at the front for a question and answer panel. It's a shame this couldn't have been longer, but was still very absorbing. I'd have liked to have heard more from Paul Gravett who has some very interesting and worthwhile views on comics, and Michael Farr again showed his fingertip knowledge of the world of Tintin and all things Hergé, giving particular insight into the misguided accusations that George Remis was a collaborator during the German occupation of Belgium. There was hardly a peek out of Monsieur Tordeur, despite some encouragement from Michael Farr. I hope I'm not being unfair to Bernard who did add nicely to the day, and was perhaps a bit overwhelmed by it all.
The last item on the day's agenda was the UK premiere showing of the documentary 'Tintin et Moi', which I was very much looking forward to, but while that was being set up there was a bit of a disorganised jumble to get autographs from the participants of the day's unique gathering. Due to this slight disorganisation (no one's fault at all) I only managed to get the signatures of Michael Turner and Michael Farr, but not being much of an autograph hunter I didn't really mind. It would have been nice if this had been an organised part of the day though, which was hinted at earlier in the morning.
'Tintin et Moi' was very interesting, but ultimately slightly disappointing. It centred around the taped interviews with Hergé from the conversations Numa Sadoul conducted in the early seventies, but they were pictured with footage of Hergé that had a very annoying 'line-drawing' style filter applied to the image, possibly to hide the fact that words and pictures did not go together. It was a bit unnecessarily artsy, and had an overall melancholy atmosphere to it for some reason, partly due to the music. One bit I found quite moving was the footage of Hergé at the airport to meet Tchang, Hergé himself looking in poor health and quite emotional, Tchang looking slightly bewildered, and the whole thing surrounded by a media circus that can't have helped. Overall it was good, but I wished for more, particularly more insight into the creative process . In fact Chris told me he had seen a version off Swiss television that was an hour and twenty minutes, almost half an hour longer than the cut we saw.
I very much enjoyed the day, and felt I had been to a unique and special event. It was very nice to meet Chris and to bask in the presence of fellow tintinophiles.
Sketch by Hergé for The Secret of the Unicorn
As a big fan of Spaced, I was very hopeful for Shaun of the Dead, and was not at all disappointed. Perhaps you could criticise it for being too close to the TV comedy by the same creative team (Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg), but that didn't matter to me - it's a style they've made their own, and the format deserved a turn on the big-screen. I really like Edgar Wright's style of cutting, and just hope he can move onwards and upwards with it from here. The film was funny but actually incredibly dark, particularly when Pegg's character finds himself faced with having to shoot his own mother, a scene I found almost unwatchable, but it added an unexpected weight to the film. Another notable scene is the line up of British new-comedy talent on show when the two bands of survivors meet, mid-suburbia, one headed by Simon Pegg, the other by his Spaced co-star, Jessica Stevenson. Matt Lucas hardly grunts but it gets a laugh. Go and see it!
Another slightly, possibly, odd thing, is that when I was 13 and 14 I really liked the name 'James', for no obvious reason, and changed my middle name from Cameron to James. All my school work in those two years bore the name of Garen James Ewing. I soon missed Cameron so took it back. It's only been in the past couple of years I've learned that, with only two exceptions, all the first born sons of the Ewing line were named James Ewing (at least back to 1824). My father and I are the two exceptions.
It's of no consequence, but there you go...
Paul, Joe and I worked together on a number of projects, mainly for Blue Comet Press on 'The Devil's Workshop' and 'Zorann Star Warrior', and in the past few months we were to collaborate again on 'Snowstorm' for Bulletproof Comics. I hadn't actually been in direct contact with Joe for a little while, but when I saw his profile on the Bulletproof website, he'd included some lovely comments about my Rainbow Orchid work. Looking at the letters he wrote to me he was always friendly and encouraging, without being at all condescending, and I looked up to him as he fostered a professional attitude to whatever work he was doing at the time.
This is from Paul:
"Joe contributed the Sindrome strip to the fanzine Amalgam before doing illustrations for Fantazia magazine. He did work for the small American publisher Blue Comet Press and assisted James Hodgkins on a number of projects for major publishers. The last 12 months had found him forging ahead, taking on clients of his own. He was very talented and not enough people knew that. More importantly, he was a loyal friend who loved nothing better than a good chin-wag."
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