At the beginning of the year, Big Punch Studios Jon Lock shared his frustrations at the world of independent comics with the world via an epic blog post. In it he called for a number of suggestions of how the indie comic scene could come together and make things better for itself, and one of those ideas was an event where creators could swap ideas outside of the traditional convention arena. Well, rather than rely on someone else to organise this event for him, he has decided to put it on himself and so the Comics Summit was created. It will be part of the the Comics Uncovered event in Birmingham this July and we’ll have loads of coverage of this amazing event leading up to the day. But for now, here’s a quick look at what’s in store.

Here’s how Jon summed up the day in a recent press release:

Outside of bigger publishers such as Marvel and DC, what are the realities of actually making comics?

The question will be explored at ‘The Comics Summit’, a brand-new event set up by creators, for creators, that will examine the joys and pitfalls of making comics on an independent level for professionals and amateurs alike.

Jon Lock, of the Cheltenham-based Big Punch Studios, which publishes well-known independent titles Afterlife Inc., 7STRING and Extraversal, has organised the event to address the challenges affecting an often under-represented industry.

“The Comics Summit is an opportunity for creators to come together, outside of a convention setting to share ideas, tips and tricks and to start a discussion about our community,” he explains. “We hope that the Comics Summit will be a chance for creators to talk in a relaxed setting and share good practice so that we can better do the things we love.”

The Summit will be held at Comics Uncovered, a not-for-profit event for aspiring and professional comic creators, featuring seminars, workshops and masterclasses from top creators at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre on 7-8 July.

For more information, visit https://comicssummit.wordpress.com.

 UPDATED: Jon posted this video explaining more about The Comics Summit whilst walking through some woodland in Cheltenham!