The Erotic News of SPACE BABE 113

Space Babe's Convention Appearances and Other News Stuff

• Just heard that Space Babe 113 has a small-press table at the new London Super Comic Convention, 25th-26th February 2012.
  This is a new convention, taking place at the Excel Centre in Docklands (same place as the London MCM). I'm looking forward to finding out what it is like and...
  
  ...Stan Lee is on the guest list!
  
  
• I enrolled the Space Babe 113 e-books in the Amazon KDP Select program which allowed them to have the special offer price of 0.00 over Christmas and Boxing Day.
  If you were amongst the many people who took advantage of this (or purchased them before or after), I hope you enjoyed them!
  
  This free promotion generated a significantly larger number of sales (in line with the reported findings of other KDP Select authors) and also appears to have enticed the first Italian and French Space Babe 113 e-book customers.
  
  
• Both Space Babe 113 e-books are now available from the amazon.it Kindle Store and the amazon.es Tienda Kindle as well as the UK, US, German and French Kindle shops.
  
  
• The second Space Babe 113 e-book is now available from the Amazon. Unleashed almost a year to the day after the first, this one is a completely revised, reformatted and remastered version of the first Space Babe 113 print comic.
  
  
• Space Babe 113 exhibited at the end-of-year conventions - strange how they cluster around late October and early-mid November.
  
  First up was the The MCM Expo 29th-30th October at the Excel Centre in London. We were in the Comics Village.
  As expected, there was some serious cosplay.
  
  Notable costumes included Yuna from Final Fantasy X-2, a pre-Samuel L Jackson Nick Fury and a group of cat-girls who were photographed being petted by group of StormTroopers.
  
  The MCM layout was a little different this time, with the Comic Village being both sides of the main path through the hall(s). Space Babe 113 was privileged to have a particularly good spot, next to the entrance to the memoribillia section (it got a bit crowded at times but never unpleasantly so).
  
  Knockabout Comics had the table next to us which was manned by Tony Bennet and Hunt Emerson, who were charming neighbours. Hunt drew an excellent caricature of Siobhan to advertise his willingness to do drawings of the MCM visitors (and he very kindly let us keep it!).
  
  
  This year's November Comica Comiket (part of the Comica Festival) was held on the 12th November 2011 at the Great Hall at Bishopsgate Institute, London - alongside Liverpool Street Station and over the road.
  
  This was a great venue - congratulations to the organisers!
  
  Apart from some great and varied comics (including some visiting Latvian creators) the Comiket also featured a Drawing Parade where the audieence were able to see some famous artists at work. Video of the artists drawing was projected onto an impressively large screen. First up was Posy Simmonds, the show ending with Roger Langridge with plenty in between.
  
  There was a little cosplay, but this is not a major feature of the Comiket...
  
  
  The final convention of 2011 for Space Babe 113 was Thought Bubble - 19th-20th November 2011 in Leeds.
  
  This year it expanded to two days and two buildings. Due to unexpected circumstances, the organisers very kindly allowed us to experience both halls. On Saturday we were in Saviles Hall - very large with subdued lighting. On Sunday we switched to The Royal Armouries Hall - bright and airy. Hope you found us! There seemed to be a huge amount of exhibitors this year. Amongst the comics I picked up were the latest issue of Square Eyed Stories and Terry Wiley's Verity Fair - both very enjoyable!
  
  There was quite a bit of cosplay (though not by MCM standards). Also a group of young women roller skaters in gold hot-pants were in evidence, announcing the panels etc.
  
  
  
• The Space Babe 113 e-book is now available from the amazon.fr Boutique Kindle - this joins the UK, US and German Kindle shops.
  
  
• Facebook have changed things again, so there is a new Space Babe 113 Facebook page, the old one will be going away, apparently.
  
  
• Sadly, it seems that there won't be a London Comic & Small Press Expo in 2012. The organisers decided to cancel it due to a date-clash with another event. Shame, as the 2011 was very enjoyable.
  
  They are still organising the Bristol Expo, though.
  
  
• This year, the Birmingham International Comics Show was replaced by a one-day event 2011 BC, on 27th August 2011 at The Holiday Inn (conveniently situated a few minutes walk from the station - which was lucky as our train was a little delayed). Despite being a smaller, shorter event, we actually had better sales than last year - mainly due to a number of people buying the complete set of Space Babe 113 issues. Normally we take stands, a digital photo-frame and stuff with us but this time we went for a more minimalist table layout - maybe this helped as well?
  
  A couple of month back, we attended the one-day Comics Launchpad event by the same organisers. This event had a number of interesting panels and discussions. There was considerable talk about digital comics including an excellent overview and look to the future by Danial Merlin Goodbrey (http://e-merl.com/)
  
  
• The Caption Convention (6-7th August 2011, at the East Oxford Community Centre, Oxford, UK) was, as usual a fun event. This year's theme was austerity - there was a hilarious panel led by Paul Rainey on how to legally read mainstream comics on a limited budget. I also attended a masterclass on minimalism by Al Davison (during which he demonstrated his ability to draw with both hands simultaneously!).
  
  
• Loved the Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo (14th-15th May 2011). As in previous years, the venue was the Mercure Bristol Holland House Hotel and Spa, which proved as nice as usual. This year there were considerably more exhibitors and attendees than last year.
  
  Met John Freeman who told me about the latest at ROK comics and chatted to the people behind YURI's DAY The Road To The Stars - a graphic novel about Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. The comic is apparently contraversial in Russia and tells the amazing story behind this historic space mission.
  
  I also attended a rather interesting panel held by J. Wallis Martin who had much to say about publishing in general and why e-books are changing the world. She is now a bestselling crime author, but before that she was a Commissioning Editor for Hodder & Stoughton so obviously knows what she is talking about.
  
  The Ramada Hotel was the venue for the more mainstream comics and I was able to get there to see Sydney Jordan (the artist behind the excellent Jeff Hawke SF newspaper strip). I've always liked the strip (see here and here) with its mixture of realistic space hardware, astronomical scenes and wierd aliens. You can trace the evolution of space vehicle concepts of the 1950's, 60's and 70's by looking at the art. I bought a piece of the original art for an early Hawke strip - it pre-dates manned space flight and shows astronauts on the moon wearing hard space suits (looking somewhat like Bender in Futurama). Later strips showed Hawke wearing more modern NASA suits and featured NASA designs for Mars landers etc.
  
  Sadly, the days of daily adventure strips in newpapers seems to have passed, though Tim Keable (artist on the great small-press western comic West) pointed out that the Mirror is reprinting some Frank Bellamy Garth stories.
  
  Next year, the Bristol convention is in a single venue back in the Engineers Shed - looking forward to it!
  
  
• Space Babe 113 was one of many independent publications on show at the first London Comic & Small Press Expo on March 12th 2011. Billed as "The Capital's Bohemian Comic Show", it took place at the Goldsmith's University in New Cross.
  
  Space Babe's ninth episode also made it's debut.
  
  The day started off slowly, but picked up after lunch and we chatted to quite a few people.
  
  The venue was rather nice, bright and airy with art deco decor. The Expo's organisers had gone for a table-layout remarkably reminiscent of The Thing of fond memory, however the larger size of the Goldsmith's hall ment the aisles were wider than usual...
  Siobhan again showed off Space Babe's Kindle comic. Interestingly, many more people recognised the Kindle this time - one couple even had one with them and downloaded the Space Babe 113 e-comic's preview whilst we talked (one of our fellow exhibitors also downloaded it onto their iPad...)!
  
  Definitely a fun first convention of 2011 (for us) and a good start for the new London convention.
  
  
• The Comic Book Alliance has auctioned comics and related items for charity on eBay. Plenty of goodies were available, inclucing a signed full set (issues 1-8) of Space Babe 113.
  
  
• We've booked a table for Bristol 2011.
  
  
• We went to Leeds for the Thought Bubble Festival. As with previous Though Bubble events, it had a great atmosphere and lots of fun. There were people in costumes as usual - Darth Vader shook hands with me! (He remembered me from BICS - I believe he is part of an organisation that raises money for charity by appearing in costumes at such events).
  
  Siobhan got a lot of interest showing off the new Space Babe 113 e-comic on her Kindle. The comic is available from Amazon UK and US. It is readable on the Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Android devices and so on.
  
  A couple of people interviewed and filmed us as well!
  
  
• After the MCM Expo, the Comica Comiket Independent Comics Fair was a somewhat smaller affair, but still a very enjoyable day.
  
  As well as being able to examine (and purchase) small-press comics, the visitors could also see artists such as Paul Grist, Hunt Emerson and Roger Langridge (to unfairly mention but a few) at work.
  
  Interestingly, one of the visitors collects comics with ancient Egyptian themes and he very kindly bought a couple of copies of Episode 5 (he has a friend with similar interests).
  In that issue, Space Babe 113 dreams she is Queen Cleopatra trying to seduce the Roman Emperor in what is probably the raunchiest episode of Space Babe 113 so far.
  The dream scene was inspired by what I'd seen in TV documentaries and read in newspapers about ancient Egypt. Their creation myths must be some of the wierdest in the history of the human race, not to mention their ideas on contraception...
  
  Thought Bubble is mere days away now - the last few months of the year are certainly well-endowed with Comic events...
  
  
• We attended the MCM Expo 29th-31st Oct 2010. Space Babe 113 didn't win the Eagle Award for Favourite British Black And White Comic, however it was great to be nominated (thanks to all who voted for Space Babe).
  Congratulations to Accent UK whose "Whatever Happened To The World's Fastest Man" was the winning comic.
  
  The cosplay at the MCM was as amazing as last time.
  
  The Space Babe 113 table was next to Chicken And Chips - an extremely well drawn and thoughtful strip about multiculturalism in a primary school setting.
  
  
• Just got back from BICS 2010. A strangely tiring but enjoyable two days. There were a number of people wandering around in costumes (though nothing like as many as at the MCM).
  We didn't get lost this time.
  Our table was next to Sgt Mike Battle (who has just unleashed a collection of the first 7 (IIRC) of his ludicrously OTT satirical issues) and Spandex - the fun and colourful gay superhero comic (also nominated for an Eagle Award).
  
  
• Just found out that there's going to be a new London comics event next year (March 12th 2011).
  This is The London Comic & Small Press Expo. It looks very like the sadly defunct Thing convention that used to be around that time.
  I used to enjoy The Thing and I'm really looking forward to this one. It's at the Goldsmith's University, the venue looks nice and has a snack shop! There will be a Space Babe 113 table, hope we will see you there.
  
  
  
• Space Babe 113 was one of the many exhibitors at the Comica Comiket at Pump House Gallery: Independent Comics Summer Fair on Sunday 22nd August 2010.
  It was a great day - nice venue (inside a tent outside the Pump House). If you visited it, I hope you enjoyed it too.
  The new edition of episode 1 made it's first public appearance.
  
  
  
• Went to see the Tate Britain's Rude Britannia: British Comic Art exhibition.
  
  It was extremely interesting - the exhibition features a lot of political and social commentary/satire and also examples of British bawdy humour. Most of this is in cartoon form with some videos. The material ranges from early 18th centuary stuff (which shows the excellent hatching skills of the engravers, not to mention the savagery of the times and the cartoonists) to modern publications.
  
  Cartoons of Mrs. T, John Major, Tony Blair etc. and original art by Leo Baxendale and Glen Baxter are on show. Viz also features prominantly, with Roger Mellie providing the captions for Hogarth's The Rake's Progress.
  
  Some surprising oil-paintings demonstrate that caricatures are nor a modern invention.
  
  One room of the exhibition is a "reading room" with chairs, sofas etc. where you can read books, comics and 'zines. There is a Space babe 113 comic along with a number of other "small press" publications. I noticed a Jimi Gherkin 'zine and My Cardboard Life, amongst others.
  
  The exhibition is on from 9th June to the 5th September 2010. Definitely worth a look, IMHO.
  
  
• Caption (31st July-1st August 2010) was a fun weekend, with (as usual) interesting and entertaining panels.
  
  
• Tate Britain were requesting comics, fanzines etc. for their Rude Britannia: British Comic Art exhibition, so I sent them a copy of Space Babe 113, issue 3 and they liked it! It'll be in the exhibition reading room.
  The exhibition is on from 9th June to the 5th September 2010. Hope you can get to see it, I haven't been to it yet but intend to soon.
  
  
• Voting has now finished for the 2010 Eagle Awards
  Thanks very much to everyonne who voted for us!
  
  
• Spent the weekend ( 29th-30th May 2010 ) at the MCM Expo.
  This was the first time Space Babe 113 had appeared at the MCM and it proved to be an interesting experience - easily the largest event Space Babe has exhibited at.
  As I had been advised beforehand, a lot of the visitors indulge in cosplay. The range and quality of the costumes was impressive, including some from the Ace Attorney series.
  
  Space Babe 113 was part of the comic village, which contained a lot of familiar faces.
  Overall it was fun and I'm glad we went. If you picked up some Space Babe comics there, I hope you enjoyed them and if it was the lure of "hot archaeological action" that drew you in, I trust Space Babe delivered...
  
  We sold the last of issue 1, I'm intending to do a second edition (I've learnt to draw a bit better since then...) - hopefully to be ready later this year.
  
  
• Heard today (24th May 2010) that Space babe 113 is a nominee for an Eagle Award!
  The competing comics are (as you would imagine) very strong contenders...
  I'm really stunned (and pleased!) - many thanks to everyone who voted for us in the nominations stage!
  
  
• Space Babe 113 exhibited at the Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo (22nd to 23rd May 2010).
  We were in the main room of the small-press area. If you were there, I hope you enjoyed it too.
  Next door to us, Paul Rainey had a new issue of There's No Time Like The Present (#12 - onnly one to go, appparently) - it was very good, I thought. Next to him was Andy Cheverton and Tim Keeble with West - the hardback collection is out ('ray!) - very nice.
  The small-press has up-ed its game lately, OmniVistaScope for example seems a stupendous production!.
  
  
• Sadly, The UK Web & Mini Comix Thing 2010 is destined to be the last Thing - Mr. Thing has announced he is calling it a day.
  Sorry to see it go. Let's hope someone else will start another London convention.
  
  
• The The UK Web & Mini Comix Thing 2010 27th March 2010 was it's usual enjoyable self.
  Thanks to everyone who dropped by. I Hope you enjoyed it too.
  Picked up the latest of Paul Rainey's There's No Time Like The Present and Andy Cheverton and Tim Keeble's latest episode of West and enjoyed them both.
  The Thing anthology (great value at only £2) contained some good stuff, including some stunning paintings of pre-historic life by Tim Keeble.
  Photo's on Space Babe's facebook fan page
  
  
• Earlier news...