ComicCamp 11

 

 

GFF11 brings you ComicCamp 11: Comics, Gaming and the Film Industry, a two-part event exploring comics, animation, gaming and film, and the increasing blurring of the boundaries between these practices. The first session (11.00–13.30) focuses on emerging innovation, giving the floor to those working within these fields to present current projects or exciting new aspects of their work. The afternoon session (14.00–15.30) is a round table discussion featuring big hitters from comics, gaming and film speaking about crossovers between the three mediums and tackling the questions: What works and what doesn’t? Is this a golden age for film adaptations of comics and games? Can increased collaboration create new opportunities and ideas?

Aimed at freelancers, creatives and those working (or studying) in the wider gaming, publishing and moving image industries, ComicCamp is an event inspired by the spirit of BarCamp (www.barcamp.org) – a free, ‘un-conference’ designed to facilitate the sharing of ideas in an open environment. The event will end with an opportunity for networking and refreshments.

Registration is now closed.

Programme

Morning Session: programme still to be confirmed, check back for updates...

Afternoon Session: Round table discussion panel

Giles Richards: Giles Richards is Video Games Editor for The Observer. He first fell in with this pixellated bad lot clutching 10p pieces and playing Space Invaders  in smokey arcades during 1977. He misses not being able to smoke indoors. He fell in love with comics a few years later with 2000AD and cried big, fat, salty tears on the first reading of Valerie's letter in V for Vendetta in 1988. Seduced by Star Wars, he also has a life-long love of film. He will take serious issue with anyone who denies that Blade Runner is the greatest movie ever made. Despite all this evidence to the contrary, there's a relatively rounded human being hiding in there somewhere. He is also the Extra Time Editor on The Observer Sports desk and played bass in a Joy Division covers band. Sadly he never grew up into Peter Hook but, his colleagues assure him, these days he has at least managed an impressively portly look.

GFF Ambassador Mark Millar: Multi-award-winning writer Mark Millar has revamped the X-Men, re-launched Spider-Man, brought Captain America into the 21st Century and made Superman a communist. He is also the writer of the US industry's biggest-selling comic book of the past decade, Marvel's Civil War, published in 2007. His Wanted comic series was the industry's biggest-selling creator-owned book of the last ten years until he smashed his own record with Kick-Ass. Both properties were sold as movies before the first issue hit the stands and everything Millar has ever created is in various stages of theatrical development. Outside comics, Millar has been praised by Marvel Studios and screenwriter Zak Penn for creating the template for their 2008-2012 movies with his Ultimates monthly series. He and artist Bryan Hitch cast Samuel L Jackson as the leader of this super-team and their influence extends into every Marvel movie on their upcoming slate. Although busy creating his own movies and comic-books now at Millarworld, Millar remains under contract at Marvel to write some of their most high-profile projects.

Dave Gibbons: Dave Gibbons has been playing a major role in the world of comics for over 30 years now. He began his comics career in 1973, when he started to contribute to the magazine 2000. Since then he has drawn and written for all the major publishers in North America and his home country Great Britain. His work has been and still is published all over the world. He has depicted the adventures of Superman, Batman, Dr. Who, and Green Lantern, amongst many many others, and co-created the long running Rogue Trooper for 2000 A.D. Real big success came when he collaborated with Alan Moore on the famous Watchmen for D.C. comics in 1986/87, for which he got a Hugo award. Among his other works are the award-winning saga of Martha Washington, written by Frank Miller, writing Batman vs. Predator, illustrated by Andy Kubert, World’s Finest, illustrated by Steve Rude, and collaborated with Stan Lee on DC's Just Imagine series. He has done work with electronic media designing worlds, characters, and backgrounds used in various games. In 2004, he released his graphic novel THE ORIGINALS, which he both wrote and illustrated.

Paul Gravet: Paul Gravett is a London-based freelance journalist, curator, lecturer, writer and broadcaster, who has worked in comics publishing and promotion since 1981. He has curated numerous exhibitions of comic art in Britain and in Europe, and as Project Director of The Cartoon Art Trust in London, he worked on tributes to Carl Giles, Charles Schulz, and The 100 British Cartoonists of the Century. Since 2003, Paul has been the director of Comica, London's International Comics Festival at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Paul is the co-author, with Peter Stanbury, of numerous books covering many aspects of comics, and on television he has been a consultant and interview subject. He continues to write about comics for various periodicals, including The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Comics Journal, Time Out, and many others.

Pete Shea: Pete Shea designed and created his first video game at the age of 11 and hasn’t let go of those childhood joys. He is the Creative Director at Firebrand Games, and an honors graduate of the University of Glasgow (MA Film & Television Studies). Previously, he’s been involved with such groups as DC Studios UK, VIS Entertainment, and Central Action CVS Media. As a professional game designer for over 13 years, he’s worked with DS, Wii, N64, PS1, PS2, and Xbox. AS Project Manager/Game Designer on Race Driver: GRID DS, he was awarded Winner of IGN Best DS Racing/Driving game 2008.

Iain Lowson: Iain Lowson is a freelance writer whose work ranges from books to scripts, role-playing games to comics. Currently working on Dark Harvest: Legacy of Frankenstien, his past work has seen him collaborating with such companies as Continuo Creative Ltd., Relentless Software, and Good Cat/Bad Cat. A recent graduate of the University of Glasgow with an MA in Ancient Studies, he’s also 'been known to do Star Wars stuff. Often.'