The Standard at Thought Bubble 2012

With all the excitement around The Standard #1 being released worldwide in January, and the promotional overdrive mode I’ve kicked into for that, I almost forgot to make one other little announcement.  On the weekend of Saturday 17th October-Sunday 18th October, I’ll be attending Thought Bubble 2012 in Leeds!

I’m really excited about this con, actually.  I’ve never even got to attend as a fan, but from what I’ve heard from people who have been, it could very well be the UK’s best comic con.  The guest list is incredible, and there promises to be a large number of comic fans in attendance.

I’ll be selling copies of The Standard, Volume 1, the graphic novel collecting the first 3 issues of the series.  I’ll also have additional goodies such as prints and T-shirts available – limited supply of those, though, so hurry while stocks last!  I’ll be at table 72 in Armouries Hall, sharing wth Glasgow League of Writers compatriot Gary Chudleigh and artist Graeme Kennedy of Obscure Reference Comics, who will be debuting the 3rd and final issue of their ace thriller series Villainous at the con.

But that’s not all!  Thought Bubble will also mark the worldwide debut of GLoW 2, the second anthology from the Glasgow League of Writers.  The theme this time round is horror, and I have a couple of gruesome tales in the collection.  Stop by the table to pick up a copy!

This is my last con of 2012, and I plan on ending the year on a high.  If you’re attending Thought Bubble, stop by the table, say hello, and check out The Standard if you haven’t already.  I hope to see you there!

The Standard at Glasgow Comic Con

This weekend, on Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July, Glasgow Comic Con 2012 will be taking place at the Mackintosh Church Arts & Heritage Centre, at Garscube Road, just off Maryhill Road.  Following on from the success of last year’s inaugural event in the same venue, this year’s Glasgow Comic Con returns bigger and better, expanded to 2 days, spread out across multiple halls, and with more A-list guests including comics legends Grant Morrison and Jim Starlin.  And in amidst the festivities, I’ll be bringing (2-time SICBA nominee!) The Standard along for the ride!

This feels like a major homecoming from me.  At this time last year, I was just a bewildered fan with a comic I’d made, too new to the comics scene to know anybody or even have a table at the con to sell my wares.  Having The Standard nominated at the Scottish Independent Comic Book Awards last year was my first “professional” experience in the comics world, my first peek at the other side of the curtain as I got to attend the awards party with all these creators whose work I admired and respected.  I felt a bit like a gatecrasher or a blag artist even being there!  Now, one year later, I get to return to Glasgow Comic Con, this time with my own table, selling The Standard.

Not just selling The Standard, either.  No, I’m selling the world-premiere graphic novel The Standard, Volume 1, which collects the first 3 issues of my 6-issue miniseries.  Comic fans in Glasgow will be able to get this book before anyone else in the world, and in my opinion that’s the least I could do.  The Glasgow comic community has been so great in its support of this book, after all.  I have a table at the Queen’s Cross Hall, where you’ll also be able to buy copies of GLoW 1, the first anthology of the Glasgow League of Writers.

If that’s not reason enough to attend Glasgow Comic Con, consider this: this year, attending the con on Saturday is the only way to vote in the SICBAs.  I would really love your support, guys, so please, come to Glasgow Comic Con, and cast your vote.  I’m nominated for Best Writer, and The Standard is nominated for Best Comic, with The Standard #3 as the submitted issue.  There are plenty of other worthy nominees, so it might turn out you want to vote for one of their wonderful books, but either way you should attend and cast a vote if you can!

Now, the big question: how do you get tickets for Glasgow Comic Con?  There will be a limited number of tickets on sale at the door, depending on availability.  But if you want to ensure your place at the con, tickets are now available from these four shops in Glasgow:

– Comics by Post

– City Centre Comics

– Plan B Books

– The Shop of Interest

Here’s all the ticket info:

For more info on Glasgow Comic Con, including a full guest list, a schedule of events for the day, and directions on how to get to the venue, visit the official site.

I’m really excited about this coming weekend.  I’m sure it’s going to be absolutely great, and it would be even better if I could see some of you guys there.  Come along, have a great geeky day out, pick up your world-exclusive copy of The Standard, Volume 1 and vote in the Scottish Independent Comic Book Awards.  Show your love for The Standard, and for Scottish comics!

The Standard: 2-Time SICBA Award Nominee!

Last year, I was overjoyed to have The Standard nominated for the Scottish Independent Comic Book Awards in two categories: Best Comic/Graphic Novel, and Best Writer.  At the time, the first issue had just been released, and I was totally new to the world of attempting to be a comic pro.  So, getting to go to the awards show and be in the same room as people whose work I respect and admire was one of my highlights of 2011.  Now, a year later, we’re now halfway through The Standard with 3 issues in the can, and I’m delighted to report that once again, The Standard has been nominated for SICBAs for Best Comic and Best Writer.

The awards show will be held this year at the Citizen M Hotel on Saturday 30th June, the night of the first day of the Glasgow Comic Con.  As soon as I have details on when and how you can vote, I’ll let you all know.

It is an honour to be recognised once again for these awards, especially given the calibre of the talent I’m nominated alongside.  Special shout-outs to fellow Glasgow League of Writers members Gordon McLean and Colin Bell for the nominations garnered by No More Heroes and Jonbot VS Martha respectively.  I’d like to think I have progressed a lot since last year’s nominations – I’ve tabled as a pro at a con for the first time since then, and have since been to several marts and conventions – but it’s still just as exciting to be an award nominee.  Everybody wish The Standard the best of luck!

Kapow Con 2012 Report

The Glasgow League of Writers at Kapow.

This past weekend, various fans, exhibitors and professionals of the comics world descended upon the Business Design Centre in London, England for the second annual Kapow Con.  And I was among them, selling copies of the first three issues of The Standard.  I was sharing a table with the Glasgow League of Writers, with Gordon McLean as my core tablemate, selling the first two issues of No More Heroes.  But also assisting at the table were GLoW cohorts Colin Bell (pimping free samples of his webcomic Jonbot VS Martha), Sam Read, John McCusker and Luke Halsall.  Things started off a little slow, but once they picked up, Kapow turned out to be a very successful weekend for GLoW and for The Standard.

As we struggled to make sense of the London tube system, we ended up being a bit late to the venue on the Saturday.  We ended up arriving at the Business Design Centre just as the fans were getting in.  Perhaps being in a rush to set up threw us off our game a bit, but it seemed like at first we were struggling to grab anyone’s attention on the floor.  Thankfully, we started drawing people to our table, and both The Standard and No More Heroes began to sell rather well.

Catwoman digs The Standard.

The one panel I attended on Saturday was the Image Superstars panel.  Eric Stephenson was moderating this discussion, which included Charlie Adlard, Sean Phillips, David Hine, Shaky Kane and the surprise addition of Doug Braithwaite, who will be drawing upcoming sci-fi noir series Storm Dogs for Hine.  The various projects discussed at this panel reminded me just how much quality output Image is getting out there right now. Exciting times for creator-owned work indeed.  I got to ask a question about why, while in the past it seemed like creators made their naes on great Image titles before moving on up to Marvel and DC, now we’re seeing big name Marvel and DC creators coming over to Image, and that prompted some interesting debate and discussion amongst the panel.  Afterwards, I was also able to pounce on Image publisher Eric Stephenson and get some copies of The Standard in his hands!  Eric Stephenson actually really impressed me at Kapow.  As such a senior publisher, I’m sure it would have been easy for him to take a hands-off approach, but he was there at the Image booth selling away like every other exhibitor.  It goes to show the passion he still has for the industry and the product he’s selling.

Me and Sam Read cornering Eric Stephenson.

The other main thing that took me away from my table on Saturday was a couple of signings.  I’m kicking myself at missing the Paul Cornell signing (especially when I hear that Mr. Cornell sat down to have a chat with my Comic Anonymous friends earlier in the day while I was away getting coffee!), but I did get to go see Jock, getting both my hardcover graphic novel of Batman: The Black Mirror and a couple of Scalped issues signed.  Jock was nice, and seemed pleased that someone had some Scalped stuff for him.  Of course, I’m a Scalped super-fan.

Later on in the day, I ended up in a much bigger queue for Scott Snyder.  We were told that Scott would only be signing 1 item per person, as the queues were massive and he wanted to get through everyone before his time was up, which is fair enough.  So, after a moment of Sophie’s Choice style turmoil, I settled to have Batman: The Black Mirror signed instead of Batman #5, my favourite single issue Snyder has written.  As was the case at NYCC, Snyder was a very nice guy to meet, though I got a real kick to discover that he actually knew who I was, and reads my reviews!  I gave Scott copies of The Standard, and went away feeling pretty chuffed, if I do say so myself.

So THAT’S what made The Joker and Harley Quinn crazy…

As the day neared its close, some of our number decided to head off early.  But I’m glad I decided to stay on to the bitter end, as in that last stint we made a whole bunch of sales.  Among the people I was happiest to meet on Saturday was Magnus Aspli, writer of The Vessel of Terror.
I was a big fan of this book, and gushed about it in my review last year.  So it was nice to put a face to the name at last.  Anyway, after wringing every last sale out of the day that I could, finally we were chased out of the hall, and Kapow was done for the night.

For dinner, we went to a fantastic Thai restaurant called Thai Square London.  This was the first time I’ve had Thai food, but it won’t be the last.  Disco duck with coconut rice: delicious.  We went to the Hilton Bar afterwards, but honestly we were so tired after our long journey and early rise (5am for me!) that we ended up calling it a night early.

There’s something extra satisfying about people in cosplay buying your comic.

On Sunday, we managed to get to the venue earlier, giving us time to get ourselves set up before the punters arrived.  As the day of selling began proper, I was really pleased that we had a few people who had bought The Standard #1 the day before coming back to get issues #2 and #3, because they loved the first issue so much.  It’s great to have readers come back and let you know they enjoyed the book, it really emphasizes that you’re not just throwing your work out into a void, that people are appreciating it.

My one panel for Sunday was DC’s New 52 panel.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: people give Dan Didio a hard time, but his passion for what he does is undeniable.  He showed that again here, in an enthusiastic, often candid panel talking about what lies ahead for DC’s publishing line.  Also on the panel were Scott Snyder, Ian Churchill and Bob Wayne.  It’s funny, the news that DC will be re-introducing an established male character as gay in the coming months has been making headlines as a big announcement in the news-phere, but as someone who actually attended the panel, I can say the “announcement” came somewhat off-hand, as a reply to a tricky question from the audience.  “Much like our President, Dan Didio’s opinion has evolved,” drolly quipped Bob Wayne – probably the line of the panel.

Afterwards, I went back for a second Scott Snyder signing, this time to get Batman #5 signed.  Snyder kindly obliged, and also teased a bit about what’s coming up in Batman.  I can’t share any details, but it’s going to be very exciting!

Scott Snyder and John Lees: writing titans!

As we neared the home-stretch for Kapow, I managed to sell out of The Standard #1.  On one hand, this was great – I’d had a successful sell-out of the first issue!  But on the other hand, it meant that for the last 20 minutes or so of exhibiting I had a hard time getting people to buy just issues #2 and #3.  I did manage to sway a couple of folk, though.

And finally, it was all over.  Another con done, and it was time to pack up and go home.  Already, I’m back in Glasgow and it feels like London never happened.  But all in all, it was a very successful con.  I got to meet some awesome people, make some promising contacts, and most importantly, get The Standard into the hands of a whole new bunch of readers.  See you again next year, Kapow!

I heart Kapow!

Kapow Con Update

Hey folks, got some bad news today.  I’ve found out that the previously-advertised #1-#3 graphic novel collections of The Standard won’t be ready in time for Kapow Con.  I’m disappointed to be letting people down.  However, I hope to instead debut the Standard trade at Glasgow Comic Con at the end of June.  More info on that later.

As for Kapow, I’ll still be there, as will The Standard.  I have a supply of issue #1, issue #2 and issue #3 (as well as a very limited stock of prints), and will be bringing those instead.  I’ll be sharing a table with Gordon McLean of no More Heroesfame, representing the Glasgow League of Writers.  For those attending the show, we’ll be at table 23.  Come and say hello, and pick up some awesome comics!

For more info on Kapow Con, visit the official site.

The Standard Coming to Kapow Comic Con!

On Saturday 19th May and Sunday 20th May, the Business Design Centre in Islington, London will host the 2nd annual Kapow  Comic Con.  In amongst the high-profile creators and the wide range of exhibitors in attendance, you’ll be able to pick up an exclusive graphic novel of The Standard, collecting the first 3 issues of the 6-part series!

This 92-page graphic novel will be debuting at the show, priced at £10, and I’ll be there in person to promote it.  I have a table on the show floor, under the banner of the Glasgow League of Writers.  We are a collective of Glasgow-based comic creators, and several of our members – including Gordon McLean, writer of the critically-acclaimed No More Heroes, and Colin Bell, writer of the super-cool cult webcomic Jonbot VS Martha, among others – will be in attendance at the show.  Be sure to come find us at Kapow Con: you’ll be able to pick up The Standard, Volume 1 and a range of other quality GLoW titles!

The Standard is a 6-issue comic book miniseries, the story of two different men from two different eras who share the same heroic legacy. But when a catastrophic event brings the two generations into collision, The Standard is forced to ask if superheroes still have a place in today’s cynical world.  The Standard #3 is published by ComixTribe.  The comic is written by me, John Lees, drawn by Jonathan Rector, colored by Mike Gagnon, lettered by Kel Nuttall and edited by Steven Forbes.

For more information on Kapow Con in London, and how you can get tickets, visit kapowcomicconvention.com.

Standard Fanart From Iain Laurie!

We have some more fanart, with today’s entry coming from an artist I’ve been a big fan of for a while now.  I first became aware of Edinburgh-based artist Iain Laurie through Roachwell, the macabre collection of shorts he worked on with writer Craig Collins.  A savage blend of Lynchian weirdness with non-sequitor titles such as “Chilled Monkey Brains” and “Be Still, My Twitching Lung”, Collins’ bizarre vision was perfectly complimented by Laurie’s art, which immediately became instantly recognisable to me.  Roachwell was actually nominated alongside The Standard in the Best Comic category at the SICBAs last year, and might just have been my pick to win it.  The comic is serialised online here, and I strongly recommend you all check it out.

Iain Laurie has other projects available for your online perusal, including Mothwicke – a darkly hilarious project he’s working on with Fraser Campbell – and his own solo project, an almost stream-of-consciousness slice of nightmarish superhero psychadelia called All the Dead Superheroes.  Other incredibly striking bits and pieces from Laurie can be found on his personal blog, Powwkipsie, which, I must warn you, is somewhat like stepping into the mouth of madness.

I think that’s enough pimping, so I now present to you the cracking drawing he did of our favourite hero, The Standard!

Nice, eh?  I’m pleased to report this isn’t my only experience working with Iain.  He’s done some work with the Glasgow League of Writers on our upcoming first anthology.  Plus, I’m very excited about an upcoming collaboration I’m working on with him, but that’s TOP SECRET, and I can’t give away anything about it yet.  Here’s a hint, though: be sure to follow the #Lazarus hashtag on Twitter for updates!

Glasgow Comic & Toy Fair Report

Setting up for the Glasgow Comic & Toy Fair

I don’t normally update this site on weekends, but I thought there was no time like the present for posting up a recap of today’s events.  Today, at the Queen Margaret Union at Glasgow University, I attended the Glasgow Comic & Toy Fair, selling the first two issues of The Standard.  I posted over on my personal blog about my first experience tabling as a pro last week.  That was a small event at the same venue, with no publicity, and so there wasn’t much of a turn-out.  Today’s fair was much more successful.  Even before the 12pm opening, there were early birds filtering in, and once it got going properly, things got really busy.

I was once again sat next to my Glasgow League of Writers compatriot Gary Chudleigh, who today was with his Obscure Reference Comics partner Graeme Kennedy.  They were selling the first issue of their comic, Villainous, another series which is certainly worth checking out.  I, meanwhile, had both The Standard #1 and The Standard #2 for sale, and I’m pleased to say there was a lot of interest in the series.  I had surpassed the sales I made over the whole day last week within the first hour, and things went up and up from there.  Some people had no awareness of The Standard until I pitched the comic to them.  Others had spotted the first issue in Glasgow comic shops and were interested in reading more.  And a few mentioned learning about the comic through this site, which made me happy!  Thanks again for checking out the site, guys.  I’m glad it made you interested to give the comic a try, and I hope the end product doesn’t disappoint you.  Whatever made you give the comic a try, a big thank you to everyone who picked up one or two issues of The Standard today!

Some of the GLoW Team: Me, Luke Halsall, Graeme Kennedy, Gary Chudleigh, Gordon Robertson

On another note, I was also incredibly pleased with the awareness we were able to build for the Glasgow League of Writers over the course of the day.  Gordon Robertson, writer of Arse Cancer, printed out a whole bunch of flyers for the event, and they were almost all gone by the end of the fair.  A whole lot of people had questions about GLoW, and were eager to find out more.  As it turns out, there seems to be a real demand – in Glasgow, at least – for a community where writers can get together and talk about making comics.  GLoW has most certainly been that community for me, and I can’t wait to see where that community goes next with all the potential new faces.

All in all, the Glasgow Comic & Toy Fair was a great day.  It’s the first time I’ve been to one of these fairs – which Glasgow Comic Con organisers Sha Nazir and John Farman run twice a year – and I’d definitely be up for going  again.  Thanks to Sha and John for a great event, and thanks again to everyone who came along and supported The Standard!

Me and my comics!