creativity

Enniskillen Comics Fest

Andrew Leave a comment

I’ve told less than ten people this month, and now I can reveal I’ll be interviewing Alan Grant, the Guest of Honour at the first Enniskillen Comics Festival. Phew! Alan, is of course, a massive influence on comics, having co-written most classic Judge Dredd stories, thirty years, about ten years on the US Batman comics. He’s the author of some of my favourites: The Bogie Man; the House of Daemon, Manix and Doomlord for Eagle. He’s written Lobo and L.E.G.I.O.N. and JLA for DC, but it’s 2000AD for which he’s best known, on Strontium Dog, Ace Trucking, Robo Hunter and Judge Anderson.

Massive, massive honour. I expected to be the last person to be called on, never having been with the Class of ’77 hardcore 2000AD fans. The organisers, gods bless their mad, mad minds, think I’m a unique choice. Well, you could say that. I’m giving this my best and hope to do Alan and yourselves proud.

Closer to my comfort zone is the self-publishing panel I’ve been asked to host. I’ve been on ten of these and hosted a few. This time I’m putting together something with a lot of pizzazz and I’d really like attendees to put their heads through the door. I’m pleased to announce those joining me are Una Gallagher (Two Lives, Faust, Something in the Tae), Austin Flanagan (The Revenants), Jenika Ioffreda (Vampire Freestyle, Midnight Tea), Danny McLaughlin (Zombies Hi, Andrew’s Comic, Revolve Comics.) and…oh, I couldn’t possibly say. We’ll be talking about more than the boring copy-shop slog, we’ll be talking character and story, ghouls and tea. Please come by.

The Enniskillen Comics Fest is the first such event in the town. It’s a free event with an all-ages focus and a wise choice by the Arts Council funding body. It’s on May 6th-7th, at the McArthur Hall, Wesley Street, and Enniskillen Library on Halls Lane, just five minutes walk. Just look at who they’ve got:

All that linkage! No biggie, I had all the info to hand for posting to their Twitter account, which you can search for. My friends at The Comic City podcast are doing a feature on the Fest in the next few days so keep an eye out for that, or visit the #EknComicFest Facebook page for more details.

Friday

Map

Saturday

GAME: Facebeak Life rEinVENT

Andrew Leave a comment

When I create content, I affirm my right to share in the benefit from that content. I admit, ambition to leave Facebeak isn’t served by lighting my presence there:  Facebeak packs an internet-like experience into microcosm, trades you for livestock, and locks the door behind it. It won’t let you set your profile for a relationship with someone off-site,  it won’t let you change your gender, but it does let you change your date of birth. Twice, actually.

01 Facebook Game Born

This tickled, but it wasn’t readily apparent to me the size of scope of what I was doing. So it began as a time travel game.

My first attempt was to travel two days into the past of my “feed”, sometime in 2013.

08 Facebook DOB Game - Time Travel

I tried 2013 again, to 2013 two weeks prior. I linked in a friend, but didn’t tell him about it. With no thread, the entry got lost too. There are a several versions of the time travel variation and it’s great play and discovery. Anyway, back to my childhood. Duchamp’s “Fountain” debuted in 1917, carrying with it the assertion that “if it’s in a gallery, it must be art”.

04 Facebook DOB GameI don’t feel comfortable talking to strangers about my childhood and family.  Facebeak Life rEinVENT allows me to express this area.

05 Facebook DOB Game - World Warriors

Socio-political commentary there, without the thorns of modern embroilment!

So, in short, to play you need:facebeak date
Facebook account, spare time, imagination. Historical interest is optional.

1.  Re-set birthday (only 1-2 changes allowed)
2. Hit life event, and choose a category.
3. Choose type and add details (Pre-set event types may constrict in-game movement)

You can link your friends into the game, set them in any genre or time-frame, create one-off events, or arc stories, like I’ve shown here.

07 Facebook DOB Game - The Bloodsucker Gang

Ooh, add a photo!

I’d prefer you didn’t Facebeak friend me, but please comment, link to it and above all PLAY  and publish your game on the global free internet.