Full Frontal: Recent Episodes
Englishman In San Diego
'An Englishman In San Diego' - an unofficial fan site and news resource for the San Diego Comic-Con, also covering news, updates, reviews and commentary for Con-related pop culture – all from an Englishman’s perspective.
On Sunday, January 27th 2019 at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, the Pasadena Comic Con once again set up shop, bringing a whole raft of mainstream and independent comics talent and publishers to their con floor, to meet and greet with fans, new and old alike.
One such publisher who has been making incredible headway into establishing themselves as purveyors of incredible books is Fanbase Press - our man on the ground Dan Berry was lucky enough to spend a brief spell talking to co-CEO of Fanbase, Bryant Dillon, about what the publisher has been up to since we last caught up with them, what titles we can expect from Fanbase in the near future and the exciting news of accolades being heaped on their books.
Thanks to Bryant for his time during a very busy convention, and to dan for setting up and recording this interview.
DesignerCon 2018 - Camilla d'Errico in conversation with Dan Berry (17th November 2018)
DesignerCon 2018 has taken over the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend(16th-18th November 2018)with an expanded show, including a Preview Night on the Friday - this really has demonstrated the appeal and draw of this unique show, bringing together some of the countries most talented creatives, with artists, sculptors, innovators and storytellers showcasing their work.
One of these incredibly talented people is artist Camilla d'Errico who brought to the show her new book MERMAIDS AND OTHER SEA CREATURES, a wonderfully rendered all-ages book which has been a labour of love for a couple of years. Here, The Convention Collective's US Senior Contributor talks to Camilla about the inception of the book, along with updates on her latest projects.
Thanks to Camilla for her time during a busy DesignerCon, and to Delia Mendoza and Nicole Rodrigues of NRPR Group for arranging this conversation.
This is the audio version of the Talkin' Con A Cup O' Tea with An Englishman In San Diego podcast, the YouTube show broadcasting live every Sunday in which Leonard Sultana hosts a show celebrating the events and culture that make up the fandoms we love.
This is season 6 episode 11 broadcast on Sunday 4th November, one week after MCM London Comic Con and six days before the crucial San Diego Comic Con Open Online Badge Registration, basically the general sale and the last chance for anyone to land badges to next years event. As is our want, we split the show into to two, the latter half talking the badge sale, but for the start we bring on special guest CJ who is one of the host of the Live Stage at MCM.
It was great to talk to CJ as it gave a real perspective on how the show changed and evolved specifically over the past twelve months, under the auspices of ReedPOP. And we also have regular contributor Mark Searby chiming in as well - a fun show, this one.
If you do enjoy this hangout and want to hear more, you can support us by Liking, Subscribing and sharing our YouTube and Soundcloud and also by visiting our Patreon page - please head to patreon.com/EnglishmanSDCC to find out more!
Intro Music: 'Punky', bensounds.com
LACC 2018: Keith Giffen, In Conversation with Dan Berry (October 2018)
Over the course of the weekend of Saturday 27th-Sunday 28th October, Dan Berry served as our 'man on the ground' at Los Angeles Comic Con (formerly known as Stan Lee's Comikase), taking a load of photos, watching some incredible panels and interviewing a couple of the beautiful people, the great and the good, that had been invited as honoured guests.
Here, Dan speaks to one of those true legends of the comics industry, someone who carved out a very unique voice in comics with his work on books such as JUSTICE LEAGUE, JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL and the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES. His artwork on those books helped serve as a contrast to the 'dark and brooding' era of the late '80s, dominated by the success of WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Enjoy.
Intro Music: 'Punky', bensounds.com
The jewel in the crown of the MCM / ReedPOP convention schedule, The MCM London Comic Con - taking over the ExCel Centre in London's Docklands over the weekend of Friday 26th-Sunday 28th October - was truly a breaktaking collection of the world's best media creators, from the world of comics, to manga/anime, to film and television, to role-playing and beyond. It was truly a sight to behold.
And An Englishman In San Diego was part of it! Leonard Sultana hosted a number of panels and presentations at the show, both on the Comic Stage, the Centre Stage and also at a couple of satellite panels for invited VIP's - these are those recordings!
A true titan in the world of creative comic endeavours... but Chris Claremont was determined that, while we talked about his formative years in the industry and his many groundbreaking storylines as X-MEN writer over the years, we looked forward to his future output, not making this some kind of end-of-career Lifetime Achievement Panel! Here, Chris talks about his relationship with not only others in the industry but with the characters themselves, as he continues to play a role in their development and on-going legacy. And he spills the beans on a couple of storylines that could've been!! A cracking chat - enjoy!
Intro Music: 'Punky', bensounds.com
LACC 2018: Tom Bilyeu (Impact Theory Comics), In Conversation with Dan Berry (October 2018)
Over the course of the weekend of Saturday 27th-Sunday 28th October, Dan Berry served as our 'man on the ground' at Los Angeles Comic Con (formerly known as Stan Lee's Comikase), taking a load of photos, watching some incredible panels and interviewing a couple of the beautiful people, the great and the good, that had been invited as honoured guests.
One of those interviews was with Tom Bilyeu, co-founder of and creator for Impact Theory Comics, a new publisher making its mark on the landscape of independent produced comics - a bold thing to set out to do in 2018, when there are so many titles and publishers on the racks. Here, Tom explains what he feels makes Impact Theory stand out from the pack.
Find out more about Impact Theory Comics at their homepage (https://comics.impacttheory.com) and also their Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/itcomics/)
Over the course of the weekend of Saturday 27th-Sunday 28th October, Dan Berry served as our 'man on the ground' at Los Angeles Comic Con (formerly known as Stan Lee's Comikase), taking a load of photos, watching some incredible panels and interviewing a couple of the beautiful people, the great and the good, that had been invited as honoured guests.
One new company brought a whole bunch of guests with them, to interview on their own dedicated stage at the con: LEGION M, the world's first 'fan owned entertainment media company', an organisation we've been following for some time. We've spoken to a number of the main players in the company, along with several of the creative teams, but here, we felt it was time to talk to someone who is directly responsible for getting the message out there, Terri Lubaroff, who talks to Dan about where Legion M is at the moment and the brand new projects the company has coming down the pipe...
Intro Music: 'Jazzy', bensounds.com
Over the course of the weekend of Saturday 27th-Sunday 28th October, Dan Berry served as our 'man on the ground' at Los Angeles Comic Con (formerly known as Stan Lee's Comikase), taking a load of photos, watching some incredible panels and interviewing a couple of the beautiful people, the great and the good, that had been invited as honoured guests.
Here, Dan speaks to one of those true legends of the comics industry, someone who carved out a very unique voice in comics with his work on books such as JUSTICE LEAGUE, JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL and the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES. His artwork on those books helped serve as a contrast to the 'dark and brooding' era of the late '80s, dominated by the success of WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Enjoy.
Intro Music: 'Punky', bensounds.com
The jewel in the crown of the MCM / ReedPOP convention schedule, The MCM London Comic Con - taking over the ExCel Centre in London's Docklands over the weekend of Friday 26th-Sunday 28th October - was truly a breathtaking collection of the world's best media creators, from the world of comics, to manga/anime, to film and television, to role-playing and beyond. It was truly a sight to behold.
And An Englishman In San Diego was part of it! Leonard Sultana hosted a number of panels and presentations at the show, both on the Comic Stage, the Centre Stage and also at a couple of satellite panels for invited VIP's - these are those recordings!
The CBLDF (Comic Book Legal Defence Fund), represented by Alex Cox at the show, charged MCM to hold a roundtable discussion about the current state of comics coming from the US, taking on board recent arguments and conflicts within both fandoms, readership and creators themselves about diversity and representation, about the stemming of the tide of apparent falling sales and the landscape of comics, especially in regards to what are called the Big Two (Marvel & DC) and beyond.
It was a fascinating conversation, in which Leonard was joined by Tara Ferguson, who works within the US and direct market with many creatives, retailers and publishers, and Lauren Klasik, representing one of the most exciting independent publishers on the shelves today, Zenescope Entertainment. Enjoy!
Intro Music: 'Punky', bensounds.com
LICAF 2018: Comics Laureate Interviews (Charlie Adlard & Hannah Berry), Lakes International Comic Art Festival 15th October 2018
As part of the festival - held annually in the Lake District town of Kendal - a post has been created to advocate the art form of comics to the wider world: an esteemed postion which seeks to do so much good, not only for the medium but also for those that maybe haven't embraced it before. Two legends of the comics industry have held the two-year allocated position previously, first WATCHMEN artist Dave Gibbons from 2014-2016, and then in 2016 THE WALKING DEAD artist Charlie Adlard.
Now, for the 2018-2020 allocation of the role, the duty falls on the shoulders of Hannah Berry: a name that maybe not-as-well-known to the mainstream audience but for those who follow independent comics, are fully aware of her talent, her incredible and evocative output, her passion for the medium and her enthusiasm to spread the word far and wide, making her the perfect person for the job.
Here we speak to outgoing incumbent of the Comics Laureate role. Charlie Adlard, about what he feels he has achieved in the position - as well as imparting some words of wisdom for his successor - and Hannah Berry herself, speaking to what has inspired her since she was approached and who she hopes to reach during her time in the role.
Thanks to Charlie and hannah for their time on these interviews, and also to the organisers of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival for their generosity and access at the event.
Intro Music: 'Funky' (bensounds.com)
Comics Uncovered 2018 - What's Next? (In Conversation With Artist Ian Richardson) (Sunday 16th September 2018)
I was very lucky to be invited along to the ICE International Comic Expo in Birmingham this past September to host a couple of panels at the event, but it also gave me the opportunity to participate in the following days companion event, Comics Uncovered, a hands-on collection of demos, panels, reviews and workshop sessions for both aspiring and established comics creatives to fine-tune their skills and approaches under the watchful eye of some of the best in the business, including John McCrae, James Peaty, Tony Lee, Ian Richardson and Steve Tanner.
Speaking of Mr. Richardson, Ian spent a fair amount of time at the bar in the foyer of the Birmingham Conference and Exhibition Centre - not pouring drinks, although I can imagine he could knock up a half decent Singapore Sling if pushed! No, he was more looking over work of aspiring artists and giving some really practical advice where needed - he also presented a talk called What's Next, all about what happens once you've jumped that initial hurdle and get your foot in the door with your work. It's a great session in the company of someone who really knows what he's talking about - enjoy...
Intro Music: 'Punky', bensounds.com
Comics Uncovered 2018: In Conversation with Daniel Chabon (Dark Horse Comics) (Sunday 16th September 2018)
Leonard Sultana, An Englishman In San Diego: I was very lucky to be invited along to the ICE International Comic Expo in Birmingham this past September to host a couple of panels at the event, but it also gave me the opportunity to participate in the following days companion event, Comics Uncovered, a hands-on collection of demos, panels, reviews and workshop sessions for both aspiring and established comics creatives to fine-tune their skills and approaches under the watchful eye of some of the best in the business, including John McCrae, James Peaty, Tony Lee, Ian Richardson and Steve Tanner.
Also in attendance were colour artist John Paul Bove and Senior Editor for Dark Horse Comics Daniel Chabon who kicked off the day with a keynote session, in which Daniel gave his perspective on the industry today, what editors are looking for in contemporary comics and how to best get into making comics on a professional level. It was a fascinating session - enjoy...
Intro Music: 'Punky', bensounds.com
This is the audio version of the Talkin' Con A Cup O' Tea with An Englishman In San Diego podcast, the YouTube show broadcasting live every Sunday in which Leonard Sultana hosts a show celebrating the events and culture that make up the fandoms we love.
This is Season 6 Episode 7, broadcast on Sunday 30th September and on this week's show, we demonstrate our commitment to bringing you the very best guests from the world of comic cons - ahead of next weekend's epic New York Comic Con, we talk to Event Director Mike Armstrong and Marketing Manager Fallon Prinzivelli, putting forward questions from our live audience about what will make up this incredible show. From off-site activations, to panel announcements, to lottery systems and notifications to the nuts and bolts of the show that keep the whole thing running... we cover as much as we possibly can in this exclusive interview.
If you do enjoy this hangout and want to hear more, you can support us by Liking, Subscribing and sharing our YouTube and Soundcloud and also by visiting our Patreon page - please head to patreon.com/EnglishmanSDCC to find out more.
Bravo! You've found the audio version of the Talkin' Con A Cup O' Tea with An Englishman In San Diego podcast, the YouTube show broadcasting live every Sunday in which your host Leonard Sultana brings together a cracking bunch of people to talk about the amazing events at which we embrace the fandoms we love!
This is Season 6 Episode 6, broadcast on Sunday 23rd September, and this week's show is held in the atrium corridor of the Scotland Event Centre in Glasgow, host to the MCM Scotland event run by MCM and ReedPOP. Leonard was invited up, north of the Wall, to host the Comic Village panel featuring writers Donny Cates and Brian Azzarello and, while he was there, he took in the sights and sounds of the show - here he looks back at a packed weekend and analyses this shift in UK con priorities as MCM continues to ramp up its comics content at its shows.
If you do enjoy this hangout and want to hear more, you can support us by Liking, Subscribing and sharing our YouTube and Soundcloud and also by visiting our Patreon page - please head to patreon.com/EnglishmanSDCC to find out more.
Intro Music: 'Punky', bensounds.com
MCM Scotland 2018: In Conversation with Brian Azzarello & Donny Cates (22nd September 2018)
ICE 2018: A Conversation with Ian Edginton (ICE International Comic Expo, 16th September 2018)
Bravo! You've found the audio version of the Talkin' Con A Cup O' Tea with An Englishman In San Diego podcast, the YouTube show broadcasting live every Sunday in which your host Leonard Sultana brings together a cracking bunch of people to talk about the amazing events at which we embrace the fandoms we love.
This is season 6 episode 5, broadcast on Sunday 16th September, and on this week's show, we look forward to one of the major highlights of the UK comic convention calendar: the Thought Bubble Festival held in Leeds in the North of England next weekend. The Festival is in its second year in its new location, smack in the centre of the city with numerous tents and venues filled to the brim with the cream of international comic talent and also homegrown British small-press and independent creators.
One such creator is Ben Brown, the man behind comics such as BIGFOOT PHOTO, MAIDEN VOYAGE, DRIVEL and JUMP SCARE, the latest edition of which he'll be presenting at his table at the show - he's a local Leeds lad who has been going to Thought Bubble from its early years as both attendee and exhibitor so he gives us his take on this epic event.
At the other end of a more modest scale of convention, Leonard also brings his report on this past weekends ICE International Comics Expo held in Birmingham at which he presented a Q&A panel and got to meet some incredible creators - he also brings some of the headline of the week in con culture and much more. it's a packed show.
If you do enjoy this hangout and want to hear more, you can support us by visiting our Patreon page - please head to patreon.com/EnglishmanSDCC to find out more.
Intro music: 'Punky', bensound.com
Bravo! You've found the audio version of the Talkin' Con A Cup O' Tea with An Englishman In San Diego podcast, the YouTube show broadcasting live every Sunday in which your host Leonard Sultana brings together a cracking bunch of people to talk about the amazing events at which we embrace the fandoms we love.
This is season 6 episode 4 and this week, we're very lucky to get the chance to speak to Jeff Annison, co-creator and co-director of LEGION M, the exciting community-funded film company behind such movies as COLOSSAL, BAD SAMARITAN and the upcoming horror thriller MANDY, starring Nicolas Cage and Andrea Riceborough. The way Legion M gets these films made is entirely with the support of its fans, giving ownership back to the thousands of investors - to showcase this innovative approach, Legion M presented at San Diego Comic Con 2018 in an off-site based at Seaport Village. We talk to Jeff about how that went and what attending such conventions means to Legion M's relationship with its fans and supporters.
We also get a brief boots-on-the-ground report from Long Beach Comic Con from our correspondant Dan Berry, along with the latest updates from the world of comic cons. Enjoy.
If you do enjoy this hangout and want to hear more, you can support us by visiting our Patreon page - please head to patreon.com/EnglishmanSDCC to find out more.
Intro music: 'Punky', bensound.com
Join us for an impromptu chat with the Director Of Programming for this weekend's Long Beach Comic Con, Ivan Cohen. We'll be chatting about all of the exciting sights and sounds that fans can experience at the show, as well as what makes LBCC stand out for fans in today's busy convention calendar.
Find out more about Long Beach Comic Con at: http://longbeachcomiccon.com/
Intro music: 'Punky', bensounds.com
Bravo! You've found the audio version of the Talkin' Con A Cup O' Tea with An Englishman In San Diego podcast, a live YouTube show broadcasting every Sunday in which your host Leonard Sultana brings together a cracking bunch of people to talk about the amazing events at which we embrace the fandoms we love!
This is season 6 episode 3 and this week, we talk with Shane Chebsey, the organiser of the ICE International Comic Expo, soon to be held in Birmingham in the UK. In just a couple of weeks time, esteemed comics pros and thousands of eager comics fans will be decending on the city's Conference & Events Center and Shane talks us through what it's taken to get there, over the past four years, along with what the future could hold, not just for his show but for the UK comic convention landscape. It's a great chat - we hope you enjoy.
If you enjoy what you hear on the show and want to hear more, you can help us keep doing what we do by supporting us on our Patreon page - please head to patreon.com/EnglishmanSDCC to find out more.
Intro music: 'Punky', bensound.com