Hastings Comic Con reveals comic artists line-up

There’s only one month to go until the White Rock Theatre opens its doors for its first ever comic con – Hastings Comic Con – for a spectacular comic extravaganza on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June. From the Guildhall Trust, the producers of Portsmouth Comic Con, the two day event will be packed full of activities and attractions for grown-up geeks and kids of all ages.

With Portsmouth Comic Con known for the calibre of the comic guests it attracts, the Guildhall Trust is looking to bring the same standard of artists and writers from across the industry to be part of Hastings Comic Con’s Artists Alley line-up. Artists Alley gives fans the chance to delve behind the scenes and meet the creators of some of their favourite works.

Andy Fanton is a writer and cartoonist based in Portsmouth. He has worked with The Beano, The Dandy, Viz, Private Eye, BBC radio and Cosgrove Hall Films, doing everything from writing scripts to drawing comics and performing in his own comedy skit. Andy currently writes the strips for some of The Beano’s most iconic characters every week, including Minnie the Minx, The Bash Street Kids and Roger the Dodger. He is also writing a book for children.

Paul Fry is a UK-based comic book artist who has worked for DC, Heavy Metal Magazine, Marvel Comics and Image Comics. He contributed to the Star Wars universe with titles such as Star Wars: Life Day, Han Solo and Chewbacca, Star Wars Revelations, and The Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary one-shot Max Rebo. Paul’s recent projects include the Darth Vader series and the upcoming Blood Squad Seven series for Image Comics.

Colleen Douglas is a 2023 Ringo Award nominee and a comic book creator, editor, and writer. She served as Editor-in-Chief for Amigo Comics and is the Curation Editor for SHOOK! Vol. 2: Songs of the Dark Sirens, the sequel to the groundbreaking SHOOK! A Black Horror Anthology from Second Sight Publishing and Dark Horse Comics. She is the first Black woman to be published by Caliber Comics in its 35 year history. Her editing credits are vast, and include titles for Amigo Comics, Scout Comics, and the AFROFUTURES magazine. As a writer, her published works include TITAN, GARGANTUAN (which reached the Top 500 Comics list), The Apocalypse Girl Vol. 2, Carmine, and various shorts for anthologies like Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Blood, Cthulhu Invades Wonderland, and Holiday Spirits. She is a passionate advocate for diversity and representation in comics, and continues her creative work as Collection Editor for SHOOK! Songs of the Dark Sirens and developing Shakespeare’s Vampires for FairSquare Graphics.

Mike Collins is one of the most important comic book artists currently working in the UK, with almost every publisher of the last forty years appearing on his CV, including DC, Marvel, 2000 AD, Self Made Hero, Doctor Who Magazine and IDW. Mike is also a writer, having scripted the adventures of the 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th and 12th Doctors for DWM, and a very fondly remembered Spider-Man in Britain story for Marvel UK.

Ant Williams grew up obsessively reading comic books and drawing endlessly, which happily led to a successful 35+ year career as an artist. He’s lived the dream and illustrated a who’s who of characters for Marvel, DC and many other comic-book publishers. His work has featured prominently in exhibitions of comic book art.

Dennis Menheere is a Ringo-nominated comic book artist from the Netherlands, known for his distinctive style and ethereal use of colour. Dennis first broke into the comic industry in 2023 with his work on the one-shot Etheres, and is currently working on Little Nightmares for Titan Comics. Previous works include covers and interiors for a variety of publishers, including Image Comics, Vault Comics, Massive and a host of indies.

Karrie Fransman’s comics have been published by the United Nations, The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, the BBC, the Arts Council and the British Red Cross. She has published four books: Gender Swapped Fairy Tales (2020) and Gender Swapped Greek Myths (2023), both co-created with Jonathan Plackett, and two graphic novels: The House That Groaned (2012), and the award-winning Death of the Artist (2015). She is Creative Director at PositiveNegatives.org, which uses comics and animation to amplify academic research. She is a founding member of The Comics Cultural Impact Collective (CCIC), which aims to raise awareness of the value of comics in the UK.

Alongside Artists Alley, there will also be a range of panels and workshops, offering interactive sessions with the comic guests, covering a range of pop culture topics, plus comic drawing workshops – ideal for budding artists. More details on these will be added to the website here in due course.

Tickets are on sale now, priced between £1 and £14, with concession tickets also available. Each day features timed entry sessions to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience for all.

For tickets and more information, visit hastingscomiccon.com.