Well, that was a bit good. Thought Bubble has always been a personal favourite for me. I first attended back in 2009 so this was my sixth time behind a table there. This year we were in the New Dock, and as you came through the doors we were in the top left corner (the actual top left was Dave Broughton with his astoundingly prolific selection) meaning that the good folk had to make it past a lot of high quality product to make it to the FQP table.
The new comics all went down well, with Something Wicked 10 selling almost as many as Zarjaz & Dogbreath (I actually only made it back with 5 Zarjaz left out of the stock I took) which was a very nice surprise.
The Saturday part of the weekend was very possibly the busiest single day we have ever had, and so the Saturday night was very much looked forward to.
The trip to the all you can eat Chinese we have visited for the last 3-4 years has now been dubbed the FQP Christmas party, and this year saw the birth of the five plate challenge, which saw two victors (you know who you are) eat their way to everlasting glory (and a full belly). After that we headed off to meet up with the conventions premier cosplay for a drink before intending to gatecrash the convention party.
Sunday is always a time for reflection at a convention- what did I Eat/Drink/Dance to, etc as well as the opportunity for many of the stallholders to actually take a walk around and pick up the comics they came for.
I, personally wanted to collect copies of Cross, Daves new book, and a replacement for my Dredd sticker that lives on my ‘phone. I also picked up Wisher from Cinebooks, a copy of Cindy & Biscuit and finally I managed to get a copy of Hellraisers after seeing a copy two years ago.
Sales on a Sunday are normally only half of a Saturday, so we were settled in for a quieter day, allowing for more time to catch up with friends and to admire the entries for the annual 2000 AD art comp (congratulations to all who entered, and to the winner Daniel Dwyer) before a last meal with friends and the drive back to FQP towers.
Overall the weekend was a massive success. New friends were made, old friends were hugged and several new artists were encouraged to get in touch for scripts to work for us.
Thought Bubble is a definite for me for next year, and massive thanks are due to the small army of ‘red-shirts’ that were on hand all weekend. These folks work all weekend for nothing, deal with everything that is thrown at them by exhibitors, public and guests alike, yet they are always pleasant to speak to and eager to help in anyway. It is a testament to this that I fully intend to get both my youngsters to volunteer one day.
Next we return to the usual pimpery and previews as 2014 comes to a close. Stay tuned for the first chances to see the strips that will be in FQP titles next year.
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