Have you been out today?

So, in something of a change of pace from the more usual state of things (as indicated by this blog's title) I have been not merely out of the house but off and away to Inverness for the very splendid Hi-Ex comics expo. I was there last year in a very low key kind of way (with nothing to sell or plug I just wandered about a bit and appeared, rather farcically, on a couple of panels). This year, with a book to flog and a table to sit behind, and alongside fellow DFC alumni (on my left) Jim Medway, (to my right and round the corner) Sarah McIntyre and (over there) Gary Northfield, I was rather more obviously present. Indeed I was flanked by Bergman and McBoo themselves (only the latter in this pic - stolen from the Forbidden Planet blog, hope they don't mind - but take my word for it, Bergman was there on the other side).



I sold some books, sketched and signed and, in quiet moments, brought down the general level of the jam comics that the DFC crowd were putting together for fun (I'm not sure what happened to those strips - I think they may have been auctioned off - so I can't show you them. But perhaps they'll emerge on t'internet somewhere in due course. I'll keep an eye out).

Lovely, as ever, to meet a few people who were fans of The DFC. It's always the same: those that read it express their dismay at its demise and say how good it was. If only it had had longer to build up its audience. If only more people had known of its existence. But they're glad too to know that some of the material is finding new life in the DFC Library titles. And it's not impossible that The DFC itself might even reappear one day and this time find the audience it always deserved.

As noted some time ago, Hi-Ex's brilliant organisers, Vicky and Rich, had created one of those "poke your head through the picture to have your photo taken" things (for which there must surely be a proper term but I just don't know it) of Bergman and McBoo so naturally we all had to have a go.

Here's me and Gentleman Jim Medway...




Here's Sarah McIntyre and husband Stuart (but not in that order)...




And Gary Northfield and Lauren O'Farrell (whom I think I may well have called Laura all weekend - apologies if so)...




Even though I was never exactly rushed off my feet I did feel duty-bound to stay at my table for most of the time so hardly saw what else was on offer from other creators and barely even managed to chat to old mate Charlie Adlard for more than a couple of minutes. But I was never less than content sat in DFC Corner, watching Jim draw countless wonderful sketches with appalling ease. His zombie cat sketches - there were a lot of zombies knocking about, it seemed like a good commercial venture - were a particular artistic triumph. The happy giggling of children creating at the activity tables that Sarah had organised also helped keep me smiling (as did the fruits of their labours - a succession of monsters and aliens as well as the occasional Wanted poster - my own paltry contribution to the endeavour).

The event as a whole was, it seemed to me, a great success. Bigger, better and better attended than last year's and a real credit to Vicky and Rich's incredible hard work. It's still a low key kind of affair compared to some other comics events around the country but it's warm and welcoming, very family-friendly and, hey, it's in the highlands of Scotland so you'll never get a better view out of your train window travelling to any other con.

[EDIT: See more, and better, words and pictures about Hi-Ex at Sarah's blog (which you should be reading anyway!) here].