Things to do in London in October 2019… if you like comics, of course. Exhibitions followed by events… let us know if we missed any.
Exhibitions:
In Focus: Arts Foundation Futures Award, October 18th to December 1st. Esther McManus, Danny Noble, Zara Slattery and Jess Taylor have been selected from a longlist of nominated comics artists as finalists for the first AFFA in Comics. The recipient of the £10,000 award will be announced at the Arts Foundation Futures Awards on the 27th January at the ICA where all runners-up will also receive £1,000 awards towards their practice. The four finalists will be celebrated at the Cartoon Museum as The AFFA in Comics 2020 will take over the 'In-Focus' section of the gallery from the 18th Oct – 1st Dec featuring both original and printed work.
Comic Tendencies at the Eve Leibe Gallery. A group featuring for the first time in London, Samantha Rosenwald, Oda Iselin Sønderland and Maurizio Bongiovanni. The works in the exhibition challenge the social expectations of masculine behaviours, defying rigid gender categories in an amusing light. Eve Leibe Gallery, 30 Elizabeth Street London, Belgravia. 9th-19th October.
Super Fu*@!ng Gay – the superhero pop culture stylings of Villain. A unique exhibition of LGBTQIA art produced through a silver-age comic book lens. s Intended to be is a celebration of the gay code-language of Polari, developed over the road in Soho, and playfully subverting pop art and the comic book genre, asking us to imagine a past where homosexuality was never criminalised. Including a team of fictional LGBTQ superheroes, including Captain Pride, Lady Violet and Flamingo. 9th of October to the 24th, Orbital Comics.
Philip Bond Retrospective Exhibition, 26th October until 27th November. Orbital Comics.
In Focus – Jessica Martin Life Drawing: Life Under Lights, Jessica has recently published her graphic memoir Life Drawing: Life Under Lights that takes you on a journey from her early life though her career and how she ended up making her way in the world of Graphic Novels. The display is made up of her original drawings from Life Under Lights as well as ephemera from thought out her life. Cartoon Museum, until October 13th.
The Cartoon Museum – Drawing Life. A new display showcasing the very best of the Cartoon Museums collection of cartoon art, curated by Cartoonist and Cartoon Museum Trustee Steve Bell. Until December 31st.
Jack Lawrence exhibition of artwork, covering his work so far on Sonic the Hedgehog, Transformers and more. With the rare opportunity to purchase original art pages, cover art, sketches, and a selection of high quality prints on offer. Orbital Comics until Oct 8th.
Sketchy B*tches Burton V Blake . To mark the start of Inktober, this time around we're drawing on inspiration from two of our favourite ink-loving illustrators: Tim Burton and Sir Quentin Blake. Cartoon Museum, Wells St, 6.30-9.30pm.
Thursday, October 3rd
Troopers, Guest Invites only.
Pan Macmillan Double Launch party. Creators of two new kids books from Pan Macmillan, Sharon King-Chai launching Starbird, Elli Woollard and Marta Altés launching Aesops Fables, 7-9 pm, Gosh Comics.
FREE Event for adults: Drawing Breath. A unique, interactive talk and workshop exploring the relationships between breathing and creativity, meditation and drawing, and relaxation and wellbeing with award-winning author/illustrator Tom Granger. 6.30-8.30pm. Cartoon Museum, Wells St.
Friday, October 4th
Avery Hill Book Launch; The Tower in the Sea and Walking Distance. B. Mure's The Tower in the Sea is the third in his series of Ismyre books, which we absolutely devour on release. These tales of urban life and magic are unique in their feel and look, and each is accessible to new readers in its own right. Lizzy Stewart's new book, Walking Distance, looks to be a fascinating mix of autobiography, philosophy and reportage. Ample copies of both plus the creator's other works available on the night. Gosh Comics, 7-9pm.
Sunday, October 6th
Life Drawing at the Cartoon Museum AMC and Jessica Martin. Art Model Collective's partnership with the Cartoon Museum continues with a session inspired by the current In Focus capsule exhibit. This time the limelight is on Jessica Martin's new book, Life Drawing: A Life Under Lights. The model will be taking inspiration from Jessica's work and stories. Join us for this fun theatrical bohemian Sunday session! 1-2pm, Cartoon Museum, Wells St
When the Rain Comes – A Presentation of the new graphic novel by Bryan and Mary Talbot, 'Rain' is a complete departure from their previous biographical and historical collaborations. It deals instead with the here and now of environmental degradation that threatens us all. The story follows the everyday experiences of ordinary people, while engaging with pollution, climate change, moorland mismanagement and the disruption, misery and loss that these things bring. The characters are fictitious: what's happening around them is shockingly real.6.30-8.30pm. Cartoon Museum, Wells St
Private View: Comic Tendencies at the Eve Leibe Gallery. A group featuring for the first time in London, Samantha Rosenwald, Oda Iselin Sønderland and Maurizio Bongiovanni. The works in the exhibition challenge the social expectations of masculine behaviours, defying rigid gender categories in an amusing light. Eve Leibe Galler, 30 Elizabeth Street London, Belgravia. 5-8pm.
Inktober. Our latest collaboration with Sketchy B*tches. More details coming soon! 6:3-9:30pm, Cartoon Museum, Wells St.
London Laydeez Do Comics – 2019 LDC Award shortlisted artist, Sophia Luu, and Taina Hakala who will be coming all the way from Finland to tell us about her fascinating work. The Cartoon Museum, 63 Wells Street, 6-8pm.
Friday, October 11th
Portfolio Consultation with Jonathan Cape. In small group of 8 you will share your portfolio in a supportive, intimate, and collaborative environment. This session is recommended specifically to Illustrators who wish to showcase and develop their work in Comics and Graphic Narratives. This event is curated to make sure that the group is comprised with creatives showing clear interest and skillset in developing their work in Comics or Graphic Novels. We want to ensure that those selected will benefit most from the session. Tickets are priced at £25. Open to AOI Members ONLY. Hoxton Arches, Arch 402 Cremer Street, 1-3pm.
Saturday, October 12th
Gallery tour with Lizzy Vartanian Collier: Comic Tendencies at the Eve Leibe Gallery. A group featuring for the first time in London, Samantha Rosenwald, Oda Iselin Sønderland and Maurizio Bongiovanni. The works in the exhibition challenge the social expectations of masculine behaviours, defying rigid gender categories in an amusing light. Eve Leibe Galler, 30 Elizabeth Street London, Belgravia. 3-4pm.
Children's Superhero Comic Workshop with Salmagundi Films. There are some mysterious forces operating in our universe… What kind of SUPERHERO will save our planet? Could it be you? Come along to our SUPERHERO comic book workshop and explore your superhuman potential … all you need is the power of your imagination! North Woolwich Library, 5 Pier Road, 1-2pm.
WIP (Work In Progress Comics), a short drawing exercise to get our creative juices flowing, followed by a roundtable show-and-tell where those who want to can share their work and give a progress update or seek any advice they're after. Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, 11.30am-3.30pm
Visual Storytelling Studies, a monthly meetup of comic-makers and visual storytellers studying the craft of drawn narratives, graphic novels, and comics. Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, 10am – 11am
Sketchy B*tches: Cruella V Catwoman, It's going to be pencils at dawn at the third of our Sketchy B*tches specials at The Cartoon Museum, as we draw inspiration from the awesome antiheroine Catwoman – and the world's most stylish supervillain, Cruella de Ville! Cartoon Musuem, Wells St. 6.30-9.30pm.
Thursday, October 17th
Barbican Comics Forum, Barbican Centre. 5.30pm-7pm. A fun and informal book group dedicated to the understanding and enjoyment of the multifaceted medium of comic books and graphic novels.
Visions From The Upside-Down signing with Freya Betts, Mark Borgions, Adam Cockerton, Jason Davies, Sam Gilbey, Tony Hodgkinson, Rian Hughes, Bernie Jezowski, Jemma Klein, Sandra (Kamenz) Kluth, Mark Levy, Sam Mayle, Ian MacDougall, Murugiah, Lucas Peverill, Guy Stauber, R H Stewart, Glen Stone Adam Stothard. Forbidden Planet Megastore 1 – 2pm.
Laydeez Do Comics: Professional Workshops: How to Pitch your Comics and Graphic Novels to Editors & Publishers with Karrie Fransman, The John Harvard Library, 211 Borough High St, 11.30am-1.30pm
Laydeez Do Comics: Professional Workshops: How to Promote Your Comic or Graphic Novel and Sell it with Hannah Berry, The John Harvard Library, 211 Borough High St, 2.30-4.30pm
Talk with Hannah Berry and Finalists of the AFFA Award for Comics 2020. Esther McManus, Danny Noble, Zara Slattery and Jess Taylor have been selected from a longlist of nominated comics artists as finalists for the first AFFA in Comics. The recipient of the £10,000 award will be announced at the Arts Foundation Futures Awards on the 27th January at the ICA where all runners-up will also receive £1,000 awards towards their practice. The award was judged by three revered comics artists Woodrow Phoenix, Hannah Berry and John Allison who said; "The four finalists all draw from different schools of cartooning, but each exemplifies the greatest strength of good comics – the easy communication of complex ideas." Cartoon Museum, Wells St, Noon-1.30pm.
Followed by a free after-hours party running late into the evening. DJs, drinks and all manner of Black Crown swag. The party also doubles as launch night for a very special Philip Bond Retrospective Exhibition in the Orbital Gallery until 27 November. Orbital Comics.
Laydeez Do Comics: Professional Workshops: How to find and develop creative ideas for a picture book for young readers. with Emily Haworth-Booth. Westminster Reference Library, Upstairs, 35 St. Martins St, 2.30-4.30pm.
Jean Baptiste Bourgois signing Behold The Paper Peril.In a whimsical world of sinuous shapes and scribbly ink lines, an aspiring artist embarks on a perilous quest to experience the exhilaration and chaos of the creative process. Prints for sale. At Orbital Comics, 5-7pm.
Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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