Review: Interview and Signing with Transformers' Simon Furman and Geoff Senior

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I was able to attend Forbidden Planet's store in Wolverhampton to take part in a live Q&A and signing with Simon Furman and Geoff Senior, the writer and artist for Transformers UK comics in the 1980s.

I have a video of part of the interview, which you can see here; I also took some notes of the interview.

Geoff Senior was originally approached by Ian Rimmer to draw for the Transformers, and initially thought it was drawing electric power components, like those you'd find in Scalextric (my parents and grandparents also made that assumption when I explained I liked Transformers). The art, Geoff explained, is very stylised - all artists have their own styles, based on their own influences. Originally done on card (which he had to cut to size), things are now very different, with the art for "To The Death" - their latest work - done on screen.

Geoff explained that as a child, he was mostly interested in TV, and this was before VHS, leading to the inevitable problem of missing his favourite shows. Comics don't have this problem - once you've bought them, you can read and re-read them at your leisure. The first comic he read was Countdown with the artwork especially. He remembered reaching the time when you grow up and start actually noting who wrote and who drew it, and the introduction of the credits box helped with this.

Simon Furman added at this point that it was a requirement from DC Thompson comics that you must not sign your work even though this was the only way they could get known. Transformers has always had the credits box (or similar) near the start of each issue. Simon grew up with the Marvel: Vision series of comics, and the Hulk. Geoff, in addition to Countdown, also read Beezer, Topper, and TV action comics, but was not attracted to Marvel/DC.

Simon commented also that he enjoyed meeting fans and doing signings, and as he explained, it's great to see a ragged and worn copy of a Transformers issue being presented for signing - "That's a well-loved comic."

Both Geoff and Simon posed for photos, signed anything and everything we put in front of them, and were both warm and enthusiastic about Transformers and Transformers fans. If you ever get chance to see them, meet them and talk to them, I can strongly recommend it!

Christmas Fairs

Christmas Fairs are a great place to pick up stocking fillers, support local charities and local craft artists.  And they're great fun.  Here's a list of upcoming Christmas fairs around the Stoke and Newcastle area, and further afield.

Saturday 23 Nov
Fegg Hayes Methodist Church Christmas Fayre
11-2

Saturday 23 Nov
St Giles Christmas Fayre, Newcastle Under Lyme
11-3

Sat 30 Nov
Bradwell Lodge Christmas Fayre
2-4

Sat 30 Nov
Mossley Village Hall Christmas Fair
http://www.congletonteamparish.co.uk/Events/EventsEn.asp

Saturday 7 December
Christmas Bazaar, Audley Methodist Church
10:30-1

Wednesday 11 December
Ormiston Horizon Academy Christmas Fayre
5-7pm

Review: Heroes and Foes, Mander Centre, Wolverhampton

I attended the Heroes and Foes event at the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton on 9 November, and it was an event which was very different from any other convention I've been to.  It was approximately the same size and scale as Nanocon in Nantwich, with approximately 15-20 traders, and five celebrities from the world of sci-fi TV and film.  Okay, so far so typical, but the main difference is that it was actually held in the middle of a bustling shoping centre.  This had some significant advantages, and is definitely a good move for a smaller-scale convention (passing customers; reduced costs; free admission; and a central location for a start).

I visited the event on my way from Wolverhampton railway station through to Forbidden Planet for their event with Simon Furman and Geoff Senior (more on this in a separate post) and I was very, very pleasantly surprised at the event.

The atmosphere was warm and friendly (compared to the dark and wet early-November conditions outside).  The traders were enthusiastic and engaging, and there was the added attraction of a wide range of people in cosplay - I spotted the Riddler, a few Disney princesses and other villains on my wander around the tables.  

The stalls covered a diverse range of merchandise - I spotted some Star Trek replica models that I'd not seen before, a comic book stall from Oxfordshire with a wide range of comics and the best selection of Transformers comics I've ever seen; and around half of the stalls selling various assortments of Funko Pop vinyls (they're becoming ubiquitous).  Most of the stalls had multiple tables, and the total floor area was around 40 metres long by 20 metres wide (at a guess) - there was plenty of space to move around, and being in a two-storey open area in the middle of the shopping centre meant that there was no over-crowding or having to jostle to reach the best stalls.

I've already mentioned the friendly atmosphere, and a prime example of this happened while I was taking photos of some of the stalls on my SLR.  One of the event crew (I'm not sure if he was part of the Heroes and Foes event, or part of the Mander Centre staff) came to me to ask if I'd lost a part of the eyepiece of my camera.  Staff had found an eyepiece cover on the floor earlier and he was going around checking with SLR photographers to ask them each if it belonged to them  Like I said, this was a nice touch of above-and-beyond service (even though the part in question wasn't mine).

The list of celebrities wasn't long, and didn't appeal to me personally, but it was a good cross-section of well-known stars - Gareth David-Lloyd from Torchwood; recent Doctor Who villain Sam Oatley; Mickey Lewis from Star Wars Rogue One; Simon Fisher-Becker from Harry Potter and comic book artist Grant Perkins (I was on my way to see another comic book artist, as I mentioned).  And let's not forget that there was no entrance fee, either, so no complaints from me at all - well done to the organisers for arranging an event on a limited budget with no ticket sales to rely on. 

This was a rare occasion of a Day Out By Myself - the journey to Wolverhampton was a bit of a stretch for Daddy to take the kids, and I think I judged it correctly.  There wasn't as much to see or do as some of the other conventions, especially not for younger convention-goers, and it was 30 minutes on the train for me.  If I was more local,- I'd have definitely gone and taken the kids for a great morning or afternoon out.  The date for the next Heroes and Foes day has been set for 2-3 May 2020, and I shall certainly be looking into visiting again!