Christmas at the Black Box

Double event this time. The Black Market is, as ever, on the first Sunday of the month, which is 5 December. And, for one month only, Black Books, the specialist book market, returns on Sunday 19 December. Both at the Black Box on Hill Street from 12 to 5 pm. Visit the Belfast Comics Blog for more events of interest.

Almost a year!

While the Black Market continues at the 'Box, the final Irish comix stall is November 7th. We're likely to have a few new items from the upcoming 24 hour comics day. That date also marks the end of our first year running. Thanks to Trans, The Black Box, our great cartoonists and customers for making it a year to remember. Do join us for some birthday celebrations. You never know who might show up!

Chilli Fest.. Coming soon..

Wherein The Black Panel will blow your mind RED HOT. Click through above for more info.

August 1st Black Market - Andy's Sale Starts Tomorrow!

I've not had a new booklet out since March and thought I should replenish my stock. However, the purchase of a dodgy printer cartridge means a lot of my stock has come out not as clear as I'd like it. The reproductions are readable, but more lo-fi than usual. To that end, tomorrow's Black Panel will feature a number of discounted works. Previously on sale in Belfast in short supply, each is printed on green, blue, pink or yellow paper. You will be able to pick up these comics for 50p or less!


Optimus and Me
14-year old Andy Luke returns from delivering the East Belfast Herald and Post to find his friend, the transforming leader of the heroic autobots waiting for a chat.

Crush (aka Transformers 2)
In the far-flung future, the Free Presbyterians are boycotting the cinema release of Transformers 2. In the past, the 18-year old Andy is in love for the first time. Faced with a rock, Optimus helps him find balance among his shaken beliefs, in a very special visit to Cybertron. This edition has a new final page which makes it's print debut.

The A-Team : Playing with a full Decker
Military Police Colonel Roderick Decker must catch the A-Team at all costs. His mother sees more important things in life, such as a balanced diet. Will Colonel Decker be able to find them? Will no-one else help?

Doors open 12pm-5pm: The Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA‎

Black Books, 18 July 2010

It's Black Books this Sunday, and Andy and I will be there with our usual selection of the finest comics created in Ireland, north and south - plus two new ones!

One thing that comes up a lot is we don't have many comics for younger readers. Hopefully we can remedy that, as we now have the first three issues of The Wren, a teen superhero book by Jason Connor, Mark Kirwan and Phil Roe.

As well as that, we have the brand new third issue of my own iron age epic serial, The Cattle Raid of Cooley!

Hope to see yez all there!

Coming soon

Sunday 4 July: The Black Box, 12-5pm
Sunday 18 July: The Black Box, 12-5pm
Saturday 24 July: Temple Bar, Dublin, 12-5pm
Sunday 1 August: The Black Box, 12-5pm
Sunday 5 September: The Black Box, 12-5pm
Saturday 11 - Sunday 12 September: Chilli Fest, Black Market Marquee, times TBA.

To learn how we got on with our June dates, check the Black Panel Diaries tab at the top of the page.

Black Books this Sunday

Sunday 16 March is Black Books, the regular book fair at the Black Box. Starts at 12 lasts til 5, as usual. Andy and I will be there manning our stall as ever, and we will, post office willing, have a restock from Paddy Lynch, including his brand new comic Last Bus #2! He launched it at a big party in Dublin a couple of weeks ago - here's the graphic for it, which is the only online represantation of the book I've been able to find:

Paddy's a tremendous talent - I named his comic In the Aquarium one of the two best Irish comics of 2009 on Paul Gravett's blog. He has a marvellously loose, agitated line and his comics are contemporary character pieces for the most part, often quite dark, always very perceptive. He's also one half (with his partner Katie Blackwood) of micropublisher Cardboard Press, and one third, with Katie and fellow Black Panel stalwart Phil Barrett, of small press/artist's book promotion thing Edition Book Arts.

And speaking of Phil Barrett, Andy's done an interview with him over at his regular "Comicking" blog at Alltern8. Have a read and maybe find out why his books sell so well at The Black Panel!

We'll also have a special free preview issue of Róisín Dubh, a forthcoming horror comic set in 19th-century Ireland written by Rob Curley and Maura McHugh and drawn by Stephen Daly, which looks gorgeous:

Coming soon...

There should be a piece in the Irish Times on Saturday about the comics scene in Ireland - I did a brief interview with the writer about The Black Panel and the Irish Comics wiki during the week.

The first weekend in June is the 2D Festival ("tuppence" as I like to call it, because I'm that old) in Derry-stroke-Londonderry. Free entry, lots of talented people attending, and a fun, family-friendly atmosphere - easily the most welcoming comics show I've ever been to. Guests that I'm excited about, according to the Facebook Group, include Pat Mills (Pat Mills!) and Colin MacNeill from 2000AD, and Emma Vieceli, who did "Violet" in The DFC.

Weekend after that is the Point Village Comics Festival in Dublin, a big market with loads of talented people shilling their wares, and presumably workshops and panel discussions and the usual kind of thing. Hilary Lawler of Longstone Comics is organising it and she's cool, so it'll be great.

And, at some unspecified point in the next few months, when it's finished... The Cattle Raid of Cooley issue 3!