Custer

Barbarella

Congratulations to sandman1 for winning... oh, wait...

The website page at http://londoncomicmart.co.uk/ will probably have these dates up by the time you read this - a freesheet at today's event revealed all: 2014: 16th FEBRUARY - changed from a week earlier 30th MARCH 4th MAY 1st JUNE 29th JUNE 20th JULY 21st SEPTEMBER ........................... - 19th October event has been cancelled 16th NOVEMBER 7th DECEMBER As usual, admission to these Sunday events is free, and the doors open at the Royal National Hotel at noon. The 9th February show incorporates the "Comics Empire" event, dedicated to British comics, magazines, pulps, and other interesting items. To avoid the worst of the winter weather we as usual skip January, and take a bit of a break in the height of summer, but otherwise, with a full ten events scheduled, we're looking good...

Still on, as far as I'm aware, so I'm getting my stuff sorted out ready. Russell Square tube station is pretty convenient; like most tube stations it should have a map in the booking hall, but it's just a matter of turning left out of the station, then turning right (to head north) at the main road, crossing over, and after a few yards you'll see the way into the Royal National Hotel's central courtyard. The hotel entrance you want is on the north side; if you turn up before noon you should see people in the foyer waiting to get into the Galleon Suite, or after noon the open doors will draw you into the, I hope, newly refurbished splendour... :)

The website page londoncomicmart.co.uk has got the dates for 2013 up, now changed from the original listing: 2013: 3rd FEB 3rd MARCH 7th APRIL 5th MAY 2rd JUNE 4th AUG -- now CANCELLED due to the hotel deciding to get the decorators in 15th SEPT - two weeks later than previously scheduled, to avoid clashing with another event 20th OCT - also two weeks later than previously announced, to avoid another clash 3rd NOV 1st DEC Let's hope the refurbishment of the Galleon Suite doesn't take too long, but it leaves us with quite a gap this summer...

I'm glad to see that the listing on the website has been updated, even if the first post in this thread is, thus far, unchanged. So it's confirmed that our April date is Sunday 29th - to turn up at the Royal National Hotel on April 1st would be, um, foolish...

I see you are still displaying the 2012 dates online for the London Comic Marts as: 2012 Sunday 5th February Sunday 4th March Sunday 1st April Sunday 20th May Sunday 10th June Sunday 15th July Sunday 2nd September However, the freesheet given out today at the mart was different: Sunday 5th February Sunday 4th March Sunday 29th April Sunday 10th June Sunday 15th July Sunday 2nd September Sunday 7th October Sunday 4th November Sunday 2nd December Getting the final three dates for the year is good, but scrapping the 1st April and 20th May ones in favour of a single date in between does complicate matters...

I've certainly never seen any evidence of the hotel having any sort of stage they can roll in - the venue is used for dancing/entertainment events in the evenings, and that wooden wall you see in the photograph can be pulled back, as can one other, so that the three rooms can be turned into one big room. There is a fourth room which can be used for co-events - Paul Gravett organized a rather good one featuring UK alternative comics not too long ago, and we've sometimes had the "ABC" people there, with their British comics and related items, hosted by Geoff West, giving people two events for the (free) price of one. I remember some photographer enterprisingly had a "table" at a mart or two, selling your chance to pose with Lady Death or some other Chaos Comics characters, which certainly added to the variety... I think they dragged in a sofa from outside, to replace the usual dealer table.

I try to alternate science fiction and fantasy, and this time fantasy is in the driving seat, with Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David. It's interesting to have as hero/narrator a not very heroic character - Peter David makes it all fun, though. On the audiobook front, I picked up a cheap cassette copy of Agatha Christie's Murder at the Vicarage from the Harrow pound shop a few weeks ago - the first Miss Marple tale, apparently. Quite a good listen...

There are tables that sell current film magazines, mainly the imported ones, along with books and other tie-in materials - and there are plenty of tables selling the occasional dvd now. Come along to a mart one Sunday after an early lunch and check things out before committing yourself; I'm sure that, if they aren't busy, dealers will be happy to chat. Other Showmasters events may be more movie and tv oriented, but they may be less frequent, perhaps less conveniently situated, and very possibly more expensive per table...

I finally watched the first three episodes, as they were about to expire on iPlayer, and was quite pleasantly surprised - I can't claim to have been a regular Torchwood viewer, but it was good to see Captain Jack again, and the basic idea of it all is intriguing, with the "morphic field". Quite a new angle on "Nobody dies today!" Everyone else is immortal, but the poor Captain suddenly finds he isn't... US budgets and production values make a different kind of show, though the much-hyped use of helicopters didn't really amount to much.

If people ask me about selling comics, I do suggest that they take their stash along to the comicbook marketplace at the Royal National - or if there are too many to carry, make a careful list, including condition, and bring a few samples along. There are stalls that sell British weekly comics, and annuals, so presumably they'd be up for buying some. Most dealers go for the US comics, of course. The first thing, anyway, would be to browse around the tables - if you see the comics you want to sell in everyone's "25p" boxes, the chances are that you won't be offered a fortune, but if you see them carefully displayed on the wall with nice chunky prices, then you may have better luck. You always would have the option of booking a table for yourself, and selling direct to the public - best to do a reconnaissance trip to a mart first before doing that. The bonus is that then you can get in early... the downside though is it means you may have to get up rather early on that Sunday morning too!

Yes, you do see film magazines on some tables, as well as film stills, posters, and minor movie-related items. There were a few fairly recent back issues of SFX going for 50p from one dealer, but he relies, for that sort of thing, on what his friendly wholesaler is selling off cheap to make room for new stock...

There certainly are a number of tables at the London comic marts selling trading cards, either by the box or by the set, or with expensive chase cards - you will also find books old and new, maybe even pulp magazines from 1930-1960, T-shirts, comics supplies like bags, boxes and boards (usually rather cheaper than in the shops), film stills and magazines, action figures, heroclix, dvds, old radio shows on CD, maybe a pokemon card or two... just bring along plenty of cash, and wander around!

One thing that does slightly worry me is that the council next door, Westminster, is apparently going to introduce Sunday parking charges before Christmas this year, starting at 1:00pm... and when they see all the extra revenue Westminster is raking in, can Camden avoid the temptation to follow suit in 2012? Parking meters are expensive to feed in London now, and it could make things awkward for the dealers, and make the place busier with customers early on, but then quickly falling off after 1:00pm. Perhaps some special rate in the Royal National Hotel's own car park could be negotiated, if necessary...

Usually only three of the four available rooms have been used in recent years, leaving the fourth room free for "team-ups", such as bringing "The ABC Show" in with their range of British comics, annuals, and paperbacks etc... and there was a fun co-event with some alternative UK comics creators a few months back. There are quite often a few up-and-coming artists and publishers with tables, so while the main emphasis is on the dealers and their tables of goodies, it's quite a diverse bunch you'll find. Russell Square tube station is close by, which is handy.