If you’re in the Brighton area in May during the Open Arts Festival, then be sure to take a look inside the new Comic Pop Up store which will be running in Hanover Pub and Restaurant on May 13th. It’s a great event being put together by Simon Russell as his way to try and get new fans into the world of indie comics and will include work from a host of great creators for sale, as well as artists on hand during the day.
We asked Simon what the idea was behind the Brighton Comic Pop Up and he told us, “This is a pilot project to see if we can find ways for comic artists to sell their work outside of the usual cons – where they have to travel, book a table, give up a whole day and sell mostly to other comic artists…

We are hoping to get a sizeable number of families trekking round Brighton looking to buy arts and crafts and probably despairing of the venues that ask £250 for a picture of a beach hut made out of lollipop sticks, and I think a good comic priced between £3 and £15 should be a welcome purchase for this audience!”

The event will be free to enter and as well as a great selection of indie and small press books available, there will also be artists Inko Ai Takita and Zara Slattery on site during the day doing sketches and manga portraits of visitors. Simon is also working with a local teenage comic reader who has learning difficulties, to help him turn his proto-comic into a reality, which will be given away with other purchases on the day.

There will be no tables, so people can come along and get involved, and there will be an area put aside for meet-and-greets as well. He also reiterates that is being held in a pub, in case that is reason enough for people to come along!

Artists so far confirmed as being involved include:

• Rachael Ball (http://rachaelball.tumblr.com)
• Andrew Barron (http://andyillustrates.com)
• Tim Bird (http://www.timothybird.co.uk)
• Katriona Chapman (http://katrionachapman.com)
• Bounce Comics (http://bouncecomics.co.uk)
• Warwick Johnson Cadwell (http://warwickjohnsoncadwell.blogspot.co.uk)
• Richy K. Chandler (http://www.tempolush.com)
• Dead Canary Comics (http://www.deadcanarycomics.com)
• Dirty Rotten Comics (http://dirtyrottencomics.co.uk)
• Joe Decie (http://www.joedecie.com)
• Rosa Devine (http://rosadevine.com)
• Barry Flynn (http://biggreenbin.tumblr.com)
• Fraser Geesin (http://www.frasergeesin.com)
• Rozi Hathaway (http://rozihathaway.com)
• Lucy Hallam (http://laslan.tumblr.com)
• Jaime Huxtable (http://jaimehuxtable.com)
• Marc Jackson (http://www.creativehero.co.uk)
• Rob Jackson (http://www.robjacksoncomics.com)
• Mad Robot Comics (Matt Hardy and Ed Bentley – http://www.madrobotcomics.com)
• Michi Mathias (http://www.michimathias.com)
• Sarah Millman (http://www.heartoftime.co.uk)
• Ioan Morris (http://ioanmorris.com)
• Van Nim (http://hellohowareyounews.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/hero.html)
• Paul O’Connell (@SodPaul)
• James Parsons (http://www.crazycomicclub.co.uk)
• Ed Pinsent (http://comics.edpinsent.com)
• Paul Rainey (http://pbrainey.blogspot.co.uk)
• Ken Reynolds/Sam Bentley (http://cognitioncomic.bigcartel.com/products)
• Karen Rubins (http://karenrubins.com/)
• Simon Russell (http://boinggraphics.co.uk/projects/illustration)
• Hannah Kate Sckett (https://hannahkatesackett.co.uk)
• Paul Shinn (http://www.paulshinndraws.com)
• Martin Simpson (http://martinsillustration.com)
• Zara Slattery (http://www.zaraslatteryillustration.com/welcome)
• Inko Ai Takita (http://dokoteiinko.wixsite.com/inkoredible)
• Natalie Kay-Thatcher (http://nataliekaythatcher.com)
• Myfanwy Tristram (https://myfanwytristram.com)
• Ian Williams ‘The Bad Doctor’ (http://www.thebaddr.com)
• Lydia Wysocki (http://www.comicsy.co.uk/hellolyd/)

For more information on the Brighton Comic Pop Up then visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/comicpopup and if you’re a creator looking to be involved then contact Simon on comicpopup@boinggraphics.co.uk