Englishman In San Diego

Over the past few months, as part of our coverage of a number of conventions (such as Silicon Valley Comic Con and Wonder Con Anaheim), we have been lucky enough to have had the chance to participate in the promotion for the upcoming film BAD SAMARITAN, starring David Tennant (Cale) as a privileged and preening socialite with the darkest of secrets and Robert Sheenan as the restaurant valet who, through the act stealing from Cale, finds himself on a collision course of sheer will and violence. Directed by Dean Devlin and written by Brandon Boyce, we have been most intrigued by the funding and distribution of the film, based on the innovative model put forward by Legion M, a crowd-sourced collective in which the investors into the pot are all , effectively, the eventual producers of the final product and can claim ownership for the films existence - it's an exciting business model, allowing for films, TV series, comic books and all kinds of content to belong outside of the conventional Hollywood distribution

SVCC 2018: In Conversation with Fanbase Press (Bryant Dillon), Silicon Valley Comic Con April 2018 In the weekend of April 6th-8th in San Jose, Silicon Valley Comic Con took over the Convention Center of the city to bring a show that fuses both pop culture with the best of science and technology. Attending the show was our 'man on the ground', Dan Berry who got to speak to a host of incredible creatives and exhibitors. Here, Dan speaks to Top Cow Press' CCO Matt Hawkins about what makes Top Cow stand out from the herd in 2018, as well as his current line-up of book,s what Top Cow have got planned down the line, and what is in store for Matt as he takes Top Cow across the globe... Thanks to Matt for his time at the show, and thanks to Dylan Gray of Top Cow and to Dan for bringing us this interview.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - however, due to one or two quiet spells in attendance (ahh, lunchtime!), there were times that the panel format was abandoned for something a little more... informal! So, as Leonard and Rodney moved from the stage down into the seating area, this presentation became more of an intimate 'fireside chat' to talk about Rodney's career, his influences, his thoughts on the current landscape of comics illustration and where the industry could go to advance and progress. A cool talk... Thanks to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event, and to Rodney for allowing me to present this interview.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - here, graphic designer and multimedia conceptualist Emma Price gives a fascinating presentation on one element of comics which is often either ignored or forgotten: a books graphic design, the thing that ties a book into a cohesive whole. From logo, to cover layout, to interior design, it's what makes an incomplete book a total package. Emma talks about the strength of solid design techniques, how they have been applied to some of your favourite comic books - and how, sometimes, those techniques can be broken, to create something new! Thanks to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event, and to Emma for allowing me to present this presentation.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - here, Mike Conroy sits and chats with Lawrence Campbell about a whole host of topics, ranging from his initial start in comics, through his work with 2000AD, and what it is about the comics medium which continues to entice and enthrall him at this point in his career. It's a great chat, and I hope you enjoy Thanks to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event, and to Lawrence and Mike for allowing me to present this interview.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - panel host Olly Macnamee (thecomicon.com) and artist Emma Vieceli threw away the rulebook when it came to presenting on stage, got more comfortable and closer to the audience by setting up on the edge of the stage, and launched into this wonderful, exuberant and incredibly relaxed conversation about Emma's influences as a young comics and manga reader, about her eclectic career and how she feels about comics as the perfect storytelling medium. A marvellous chat. Thanks to Shane and his team for the putting on of the ICE Margate event, and to Emma and Olly for allowing me to record and present this interview here.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - however, away from the panel room, Leonard managed to sneak some time in with prolific writer Si Spurrier who has found himself with plenty on his plate in recent years, with many projects occupying his time. Two of which - ANGELIC, with Caspar Wijngaard, Jim Campbell and Emma Price for Image Comics and MOTHERLANDS with Rachael Stott for DC/ Vertigo - were the main topic of conversation here. As the conversation went on, however, talk went on to another exciting, ambitious and, yes, intimidating project that Si has barreling out the pipe - Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN, for which he is writing one of the first books under that umbrella, THE DREAMING. That conversation was a whole meal in itself and so, incl

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - however, away from the panel room, Leonard managed to sneak some time in with prolific writer Si Spurrier who has found himself with plenty on his plate in recent years, with many projects occupying his time. Two of which - ANGELIC, with Caspar Wijngaard, Jim Campbell and Emma Price for Image Comics and MOTHERLANDS with Rachael Stott for DC/ Vertigo - were the main topic of conversation here. As the conversation went on, however, talk went on to another exciting, ambitious and, yes, intimidating project that Si has barreling out the pipe - Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN, for which he is writing one of the first books under that umbrella, THE DREAMING. That conversation was a whole meal in itself and so, incl

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - here, he hosts one of the shows panels with legendary UK comics and long form writer, New York Times-bestseller Dan Abnett. In what starts as a look back at his incredible career, and his creative process, the panel also tackles the current state of the comics industry, predominantly the direct selling market and what Dan feels to evolve for comics to survive in the future. A fascinating chat. Thanks to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event, and for allowing me to present this interview

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - here, multi-title writer and creator Kieron Gillen talks to thecomicon.com's Olly McNamee about three properties in particular: UBER, DARTH VADER/STAR WARS and THE WICKED + THE DIVINE. Over the course of the panel, Kieron talks about the creative process of each of these vastly differing titles, about the working process with his artistic partners, and about how all have evolved over the years through to their eventual conclusions. Thanks to Kieron for his kind permission to record and present this panel, as well as to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - here, TRANSFORMERS and ROBOTECH writer Simon Furman talks about his career, the incredible body of work he's created, the relationship he has with these extraordinary characters and what could be next for them. Thanks to Simon for his kind permission to record and present this panel, as well as to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event.

This weekend, Shane Chebsey and his team have brought their not inconsiderable expertise of running the International Comic Expo shows for an inaugural event in the south-east coastal town of Margate in the UK. AEISD Leonard Sultana has been in attendance and has recorded the panels being held over the weekend - here, Mike Conroy moderates a collective of internationally well-known comics creatives that have made this area of the UK, and for some Margate in particular, their home. Kev Hopgood, Si Spurrier, Rufus Dayglo, and Kirsty Swan all talk about the way the area influences their work, their process and their interactions with other creatives, drawn to this localised hot-bed of talent. Thanks to the panelists for their kind permission to record and present this panel, as well as to Shane and his team for the putting on of the event.

SVCC 2018: In Conversation with Fanbase Press (Bryant Dillon), Silicon Valley Comic Con April 2018 This past weekend (April 6th-8th) in San Jose, Silicon Valley Comic Con took over the Convention Center of the city to bring a show that fuses both pop culture with the best of science and technology. Attending the show was our 'man on the ground', Dan Berry who got to speak to a host of incredible creatives and exhibitors. Here, Dan speaks to Fanbase Press' Bryant Dillon, who talks about the exciting projects that the organisation has spearheaded, as well as some of the new upcoming comics and publications... Thanks to Bryant for his time at the show, and thanks to Dan for bringing us this interview.

SVCC 2018: In Conversation With Trip Hunter (Silicon Valley Comic Con, Co-Founder / Chairman) In 2016, Trip Hunter and tech icon Steve Wozniak set out to create an event that stood apart from the herd of comic and pop culture conventions by designing a show that also showcased the brightest and best in science and technology. In the three years Silicon Valley Comic Con has been running, it has set out its stall as a unique and defining event, leading the charge for other shows to embrace the esoteric and the eclectic when it comes to its content. Here, AEISD Leonard Sultana takes time to talk to Trip about the shows history, its defining remit, the unique quality of its Special Guests and what makes SVCC stand out from other comic cons. We also talk about that very term - 'comic con' - and what it means, applied to SVCC, about what it takes to curate the guests for an event like SVCC in the broad, contemporary comic con landscape, and also where Special Guest Stan Lee sits in that guest pantheon, as well as

WonderCon 2018: Legion M (In Conversation with Paul Scanlan Legion M is one of the most exciting production ventures in recent years, taking the crowdsourcing model and applying it to mainstream multimedia projects, featuring some of the highest-profile names in the business. One of the first releases by Legion M is the thriller BAD SAMARITAN, starring David Tennant, Robert Sheehan, Kerry Condon, Jacqueline Byers, Carlito Olivero, and Lisa Brenner, scheduled for release on May 4th 2018. Here, at WonderCon Anaheim, AEISD Contributor Dan Berry got the opportunity to speak to Legion M co-founder Paul Scanlan to talk about what the fledgling start-up has coming up next... Thanks to Paul for his generous time, and to Dan for arranging his coverage of WonderCon and Legion M.

WonderCon 2018: Genesis II (In Conversation with Allen Ling) As part of his coverage of WonderCon 2018 in Anaheim recently, AEISD Contributor Dan Berry was lucky enough to take part in a number of interviews with some incredible creatives and artists behind some of the most exciting comics available today. In this conversation, Dan speaks to an ambitious creator that caught his eye on the WonderCon Exhibition Floor, helming a table with some impressive 3D machetes of the characters of his graphic novel, GENESIS II. Allen is a man with many varied interests but his main goal is to create and engage in many different fields - here, Allen talks to Dan about his lofty goals for GENESIS II and the incredible imagination at work from his entire creative team on the self-published book. Find out more about GENESIS II at their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/genesistwocomics Our thanks to the wonderful people at the Genesis II table at WonderCon for setting up this interview, and to Dan for bringing it to us.

WonderCon 2018: Tinseltown(In Conversation with K.J. Kaminski) As part of his coverage of WonderCon 2018 in Anaheim recently, AEISD Contributor Dan Berry was lucky enough to take part in a number of interviews with some incredible creatives and artists behind some of the most exciting comics available today. "Alterna Comics, known for their $1 and $1.50 titles, have two new books launching in March 2018. This includes Tinsel Town #1 by David Lucarelli and Henry Ponciano, the story of one of Hollywood’s first woman police officer in 1915 dealing with a very different beat. In 1915, Abigail Moore became one of the first female police officers in Hollywood. But beneath the glamorous surface of Tinseltown beats a rotten heart full of corruption, greed, and lies, and Abigail’s about to dive head-first into all of it. " Our thanks to the wonderful people at Creator's Edge Comics for setting up this interview, to David for taking the time out his busy con, and to Dan for bringing the interview to us.

WonderCon 2018: The Resistants(K.J. Kaminski) As part of his coverage of WonderCon 2018 in Anaheim recently, AEISD Contributor Dan Berry was lucky enough to take part in a number of interviews with some incredible creatives and artists behind some of the most exciting comics available today. In this conversation, Dan catches up briefly with creator K.J. Kaminski who give an update on THE RESISTANTS, a fantastic superhero comic from Big Blue Comics that tells the story of the Axairian soldier Interval, stranded on earth with no way to return home. Interval helps the down-trodden of this world the only way she knows how, through battle - a warrior looking for a war, she leads a small uncompromising strike force, known as THE RESISTANTS, against the oppressive Takeo Corporate-State and it’s leadership. Driven by the guilt that her actions marooned her fellow Axairians on earth, Interval needs to lose her self in the missions. She chooses the most nobel of conflicts, fighting for those that can’t fight for them

WonderCon 2018: Lindsey Sterling's Sparrow (In Conversation with Darick Robertson & R. Eric Lieb) As part of his coverage of WonderCon 2018 in Anaheim recently, AEISD Contributor Dan Berry was lucky enough to take part in a number of interviews with some incredible creatives and artists behind some of the most exciting comics available today. In this conversation, co-creators Darick Robertson and R. Eric Lieb talk about their collaboration with musician Lindsey Stirling to create a vibrant and powerful tale of self-discovery and adventure - SPARROW, which is published by Aspen Comics and Golden Apple Books. The title is just starting to hit its stride from its initial launch in November 2017 and the creative team talk about where the book can be heading and what readers can expect in the future. Our thanks to the wonderful people at Golden Apple Comics for setting up this interview, and to Dan for bringing it to us.

A chapter-by-chapter daily reading of Douglas Adams' seminal sci-fi comedy classic THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, adapted by Adams from his 1978 radio play and published as a novel, a year later. The book is one of my favourite creations by any of the carbon-based ape-descended lifeforms that have inhabited this planet - epic in its scope, bold in its imagination and scathing of its satire of human behaviour, corporations, social paranoia and indeed, life, the universe and everything. It's a masterpiece. In my attempt at trying to hone many of my skills, including public speaking and voice-over work, I've challenged myself to read and record a chapter a day of this brilliant book and post it online - enjoy it, critique it, rip me a new arsehole for my audacity and interpretations of the text, I don't mind. It's more for me but if you enjoy the ride along the way, that's even better. But yeah, any observations or suggestions on how I can improve, do let me know. And don't give me too much grief if I