In one two post posts. Not four, unlike the last show. Can’t guarantee to be short, though… so that’ll be like last time.

So, we came (again), we saw (again), we conquered (well that might be debatable but we certainly seemed to do alright, thank you). Another Comic Expo has come and gone. Let’s talk about it, shall we? Okay. With pictures? Oh alright then.

A little bit of history

This was the fourth year we attended Bristol’s Comic Expo ‘officially’, but it felt like the second ‘proper’ year to me.

Reason is, in 2005 we were just finding our feet (in fact I believe it was our first show, ever) and got stuck in the ‘satellite hotel’ rather than having a stand in the main hall. In 2006 I missed the show, due to it being at the same time as E3. In 2007 though I was back, and we were in the main exhibition hall, so I got to experience Comic Expo ‘proper’. This year, mostly, was more of the same.

Comic Expo is what I’d call a real British comics show. It doesn’t desperately want to be anything else. While the organisers want it to attract more people year-on-year, and want it to have a decent profile, at the same time it is at its best when it’s simple: when it’s just people getting together who love comics. Who love to talk comics, look at comics, buy comics, get comic sketches, and just generally geek out about comics.

You can see why I like being there.

We started to attend because we felt like we’d probably have a decent crossover between our core gaming audience and comics fans, and generally we’ve found that is the case. In addition, the concept of Draw the World Together probably fits in better there than at any other show… people at a comics show want sketches. Often quite badly. So the fact that we’re offering them, and the money you pay for one goes to charity… well, that works out quite nice.

Thinking small

Now you know why we go, let’s talk about this year’s show. Let’s wind back to Friday, our ‘Day Zero’ – when we travel to the venue.

It was supposed to be small. Heck, it is small, in comparison to the Memorabilias of this world; not nearly as much planning or staffing. It was just three of us in one van with a bunch of games to sell and some artists. Easy right?

Of course not. First thing we realised as we started to pack the van on Friday was that compared to last year… we have a lot more stuff. We have several more boxes to sell (Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa and the new Lineage II CE, for three) and we also have quite a big range of official merchandise. Once we’d filled half the van with ‘stuff’ and still hadn’t packed any of our PCs or actual games to sell, I started to mutter darkly.

In the end, the ‘executive decision’ was made to leave some of our merchandise behind. Games are the core business, and I didn’t think we’d sell quite that much merch. We managed to fit everything in the van, and were on the road at midday, almost to the minute.

“At the exit, keep roiight.”

With Mat’s new TomTom giving us directions in a comedy Australian accent, we made good time down the M4 and were in Bristol by about 3:30pm. We’d made the smart decision to sign up all three of us as drivers, so we could switch and keep relatively fresh, but I was behind the wheel as we rolled into the car park and began the unloading process.

I kept thinking about last year, and how similar this all felt, but at the same time, so different. It was the same hall. The same location for the stand. The same sense of an easy going show. The same exhibitors, the same setup…

… but I had two different people with me. Was driving a different vehicle. Most different of all was the feeling of organisation, of being part of… well, a coordinated team. Chris, Mat and I have done a lot of shows together, and several when the three of us have been the entire team – so we know what we’re doing, and more importantly, we know how each of us works. As a result unloading, getting the stand set-up and going through the usual motions felt familiar, easy and sort of re-assuring. Everything went A-OK.

We were out of the hall and checked into the hotel by 7pm or so. Next: dinner, which I’d planned to be Mexican. Unfortunately, the restaurant we’d eaten at in 2007 had been shut down, so we ended up after some Google Mapping in a pretty decent Chinese place.

Half-way through the meal, hearing American accents, I realised we were a table away from a collection of comics pros, some of whom I even recognised. Mat and I managed to restrain ourselves from jumping up and getting autographs, but it was still a nice reminder of what we were there for.

‘Mishearing’ my drinks order is not funny

After dinner, it was back to the hotel to meet up with two of our guests; Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, both jumping in at the deep end as colourists for Draw the World Together. We hung around in the bar, enduring terrible ‘comedy moments’ from our waiter, and letting Jason and Kat get some food in them as well.

As we talked, a storm rolled in; the kind of sudden, sharp downpour with accompanying sound effects and light show that you’re always glad to be out of. As the bar had one wall essentially made of glass, we got a great view of the few poor sods who did get caught in it, trudging past in squelchy shoes.

Naturally talk turned to Draw the World Together, and as is often the case… well, when I’m around anyway, we brainstormed a bit on ‘new ideas’ on how to enhance the experience, or more precisely, part people from their money in more effective ways! It’s remarkable how raising charity money can make you infinitely more mercenary, really.

Eventually everyone faded to bed, and I spent a restless night – despite a large, comfy bed – waking early and dehydrated. Day One. Bring it on, baby.

Read Part 2!