Angouleme 2011

This year's Angouleme Festival was very nearly a no-go for me due to various dramas in my life and financial difficulties. However, after selling some choice comics on ebay and having Sean Azzopardi step up to help me out, I joined him, Francesca Cassavetti, Dan Lester, Sally-Anne Hickman and the mighty Rob Jackson for another four days of comicy goodness. I'm not going to ramble on here about how awe-inspiring the whole Angouleme experience is and how it's worlds apart from any other comics festival I've ever been to and how everyone should go and exhibit there. Last year's report has all of that and I'd just end up repeating myself...

Team B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S: Rob Jackson, Dan Lester, Francesca Cassavetti,
Sean Azzopardi, Sally-Anne Hickman and myself (Picture by Carmila Barboza)

                                        

                                      
...Anyway, everyone knows that Comic conventions aren't about the comics, it's about the people and the networking and good company. Great to see Lancel Xavier, Tim Fish, Abbey Denson and the LGBT crew again. We were also lucky enough to have table neighbours who not only put up with our slightly insane banter but actively joined in - Christian G. Marra and Adriano Barone of Passenger Press, who's table was covered in beautiful comic books by artists from all over the world. I picked up an art book by Yan Wei from them, containing some of the most stunning pictures my eyes ever did see. 

SCARCE Magazine editor Lancel Xavier.

Tim Fish.

Karrie Fransman remains vigilant.

Sally-Anne Hickman with Christian G. Marra
and Adriano Barone.

Francesca Follini 

Forbidden Planet's Wim Lockefeer and Gary Northfield

Christian drew this on the floor of our tent on the final day.
This is apparently his girlfriend's beloved dog who also makes an
appearance on his Curtis & Terrorist guest cover,
seen at the bottom of this post... 

Sorry, Sean.

As usual, I spent most of my time behind our table, drawing covers for Curtis & Terrorist. Realising I was surrounded by some of the greatest comic book artists in Europe, I quickly dispatched a few blank C&T covers. So here's some new guest cover contributions from Sally-Anne Hickman, Rob Jackson, a new one from Dan Lester as well as Christian G. Marra's cover (which perhaps explains the origins of Terrorist's missing eye) and one from the ridiculously talented Francesca Follini. And they're all miiineeee!! :D

Sally-Anne Hickman

Rob Jackson

Dan Lester

Christian G. Marra

Francesca Follini