This year’s Comic Con essential event is the ‘Summer Variant’ – there’s True Believers’ in August, but first it’s the turn of the International Comic Expo (ICE) and their Brighton event on June 10th. So if you’re heading to the coast that weekend and fancy heading to a convention featuring some of the biggest names in British comics alongside a plethora of indie and small press stars then be sure to pop along to ICE Brighton – Summer Special

The ICE Summer Special is hosted at the Hilton Metropole (on the seafront) on July 10th.

Tickets are available from the  ICE website and include weekend passes and even VIP tickets to an exclusive Friday night launch party with the guests.

The names appearing are a veritable who’s who from the world of British comics, and also British comic stars plying their trade for the Big Two. Names include…

• Hannah Berry – Artist And Writer
• Joe Decie – Artist And Writer
• Dave Gibbons – Artist And Writer
• David Hine – Writer And Artist
• Matt Hollingsworth – Colour Artist
• Clint Langley – Artist
• Tanino Liberatore – Artist
• Ollie Masters – Writer
• Pat Mills – Writer
• Bob Molesworth – Artist
• Simon Myers – Artist
• Ben Oliver – Artist
• Tim Pilcher – Editor
• David Roach – Artist
• Dez Skinn – Publisher & Editor
• Des Taylor – Artist And TV Host
• Dylan Teague – Artist
• Alessandro Vitti – Artist
• Chris Weston – Artist
• Rob Williams – Writer
• David Leach – Writer, Editor And Artist
• Jessica Martin – Writer, Artist And Actress
• Gary Spencer Millidge – Writer And Artist
• Cam Smith – Inker
• Mark Stafford – Writer And Artist
• Lew Stringer – Writer

There will be a host of great panels throughout the weekend featuring many of these great names including How Comics Work with Dave Gibbons, Colouring Comics with Dylan Teague, and Mills Gets Grilled an interview with Pat Mills about his new book Serial Killer and also his time on 2000 AD – which is hosted by our very own Olly MacNamee and so between them we doubt there will be many awkward silences!!

There’s also a great selection of indie and small press creators exhibiting such as:

• David Lloyd’s Aces Weekly
• Avery Hill Publishing – small press publishers of Ghost Etc., Deep Space Canine and many more!
• Brian ‘Clank’ Bennett, a comic book artist, electronic music producer and graphic novelist who is the creator of ‘Cogs & Claws’, ‘FishTank’ and ‘A Bridge Over Clouds’.
• Shaman Kane and Martello’s David Broughton
• The Etherington Brothers, creators of Monkey Nuts, Long Gone Don and Stranski
• Melissa Delteil, creator of The Green Ferret
• Galaxafreaks – Andrew Pawley and his eye-popping creations
• The Kill Screen and Samurai Slasher creator Mike Garley
• Kevin Gunstone, writer of Planet of Daemons and Future Primitive
• Mad Robot Comics – creators of Cadavers and fresh of the successful funding of Last Exit to Brighton
• Mike Medaglia, comics artist, illustrator and Zen Buddhist, author of the One Year Wiser
• Sarah Millman creator of Heart of Time and NPC-Tea
• Grayham Puttock, creator of acclaimed mini series ‘Love & Ammunition’ and the 2016 graphic novel ‘Closely’.
• Richard J Smith at Red Fox Comix who writes, draws, and self publishes comics featuring Redmond J. Fox
• Steve Tanner and Timebomb Comcs, creator of 18th century adventure Flintlock

You can find out more at the Brighton Comics Expo website, on their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

Comics Pop Up Pops Up Again

After a hugely successful debut at the recent Brighton Arts Festival, Simon Russell’s  Indie Comics Pop Up will also be there. As well as manning the Aces Weekly table, Simon will have some of the remaining titles that were made available as part of the Comics Pop Up event and you can order them from him there.
You can check out the full catalogue of titles available here!