Paul Gravett reminds us that Comica has a corker of an event coming up this month – the excellent Craig Thompson (who created one of my favourite comics works, Blankets) is in town to promote Habibi and will be giving an illustrated talk, then talking about his work with Marcel Theroux, to be followed by a book signing and sketching session organised the the good folks at Gosh. The event is in the Saint Albans Centre, Leigh Place, Baldwin Gardens, London (closest tube stations: Farringdon, Chancery Lane and Holborn) on Mondy January 23rd at 7pm. Space is limited and since Craig doesn’t get over here too often they’re expecting it to be pretty popular so you’d be best to book now; more details on Paul G’s site. I’m hoping for those of us nowhere near London that perhaps that man with the wandering microphone, Alex Fitch, will be there recording it…

In London tomorrow? You could do far worse than heading to the Comica Comiket.

Guests include Roger Langridge, Luke Pearson, Warren Pleece, James Jarvis, Savage Pencil, Eyeball, Frederik Peeters and Brecht Evens, and what are the odds that the great and the good of UK Comics (or at least London Comics) will be in attendance, along with several Brit companies: Accent, Blank Slate, DFC Library, Jonathan Cape, Knockabout, Myriad Editions, and Nobrow.

Full details at the Comica website.

London peeps, a must-have for your comics diary this month, a lovely part of the larger Comica festival – Comiket, in the Great Hall at the Bishopsgate Institute on Saturday 12th November. The guest list includes Roger Langridge, Luke Pearson, Warren Pleece, James Jarvis, Savage Pencil, Eyeball, Frederik Peeters and Brecht Evens, while the list of those who will be attending includes a veritable who’s who of British Indy comics such as Accent UK, Sean Azzopardi, Dan Berry, the Blank Slate Books posse will be there, the DFC Library crew too, Jonathan Cape, Howard Hardiman, Lizz Lunney, Knockabout Comics, Myriad Editions, Phillipa Rice, david O’Connell, Nobrow, Doug Noble, We Are Words + Pictures, Solipsistic Pop, Kevin Sutherland, Katie Greene and many more. Phew.

And on the subject of Comiket, the Comica site has posted up this video shot by Steve Poulacheris of last year’s Comiket Drawing Parade, featuring the likes of Charlie Adlard, Gary Nothfield, Paul Duffield and more drawing and being interviewed – we’re told a second part is in the works featuring Ellen Lindner, Hunt Emerson and more.

And I just have to post this lovely image up again – Isaac Lenkiewicz’s fabulous-looking poster for this year’s Comica, isn’t it brilliant?

This year’s Comica includes the now customary bevvy of wonderful comics events, including the one and only Warren Ellis in conversation, Laydeez Do Comics will be joining up with Comica to bring guests from the USA, Canada and Germany, Swiss comics creator Frederik Peeters (Sandcastle), launch parties for The Strumpet, Nobrow’s Klaus and Solipsistic Pop 4, talks, lectures, the Graphic Short Story Prize award and so much more – as we say in the trade, check the site for full details.

The Comica poster from Nobrow, art by Isaac Lenkiewicz.

This year’s Comica festival takes place across November with the usual impressive line-up of events, conversations and launches. This year’s festival is in association with Nobrow Press, who have several events, exhibitions and launches across the month. And they’ve also contributed rather an attractive (and very Nobrow styled) poster, with art by Isaac Lenkiewicz.

Much more at the Comica website, but here’s just a little of what’s going on….

The premiere of the Warren Ellis documentary Captured Ghosts, exhibition from Berlin based Biograftiktion collective, Nobrow launch parties for Nobrow 6 and Richard Short’s Klaus.

More Comica conversations – Laydeez Do Comics, Paul Gravett on superheroes, Nicole Rousmaniere discussing Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure.

The Observer/Cape Graphic Short Story Prize announced.

The return of the Comica Comiket, the alternative comics fair taking place this year on the 12th November.

BD Passion, a coming together of the best of Brit and European comics, all this weekend at the Institut Français in London, some seriously must-see writers and artists – if you’re in town then take advantage of it.

The 8th (nearly) annual Comica Festival, curated by Paul Gravett, returns to London in November. As usual, it promises to be an involving and informed mix of all the best in comics. Taking place between the 3rd and 25th of the month, the events list is shaping up nicely; a premiere of the Warren Ellis documentary Captured Ghosts, an exhibition from Berlin based Biograftiktion collective, Nobrow launch parties for Nobrow 6 and Richard Short’s Klaus, and more in their conversations series, this time round featuring Laydeez Do Comics, Paul Gravett on superheroes, and Nicole Rousmaniere discussing Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure. Full programme details, with promises of more announcements to come at the Comica site.

The annual Observer/Cape Graphic Short Story Prize will be announced during Comica, with the winner receiving £1000 and extensive coverage in the Observer. And this year sees the return, bigger (and hopefully better) than ever, of the Comica Comiket, the alternative comics fair taking place this year on the 12th November.

From the description:

“From Friday, October 7th to Sunday, October 9th 2011, the Institut Français will hold the first of its annual three day BD & Comics Passion long weekends! The graphic novel medium has grown over the years to become an increasingly important force in popular culture, dominating the film landscape and coming into its own as an explosive new literary genre. To celebrate this, as well as explore accepted ideas about the genre, we’ve invited some of the most celebrated British, French, Belgian and American creators to joins us here in London to discuss their work and share their love of graphic novels.

Over the course of three days, enthusiasts and beginners alike are invited to participate in this exciting array of events, including talks, parties, films and live drawing events! Participants include Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), China Miéville (Kraken), Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Travelerʼs Wife), Bryan Talbot (Grandville), Yves Sente and André Juillard (Blake and Mortimer), Jean-Claude Mézières (Valérian and Laureline), Benoît Sokal (Canardo), Catel&Bocquet (Kiki), Bastien Vivès (The Taste of Chlorine), comic critic, guru and author of 1001 Comic Books You Must Read Before You Die Paul Gravett, and many more!”

Sounds quite superb to me and what a great and varied line up of creators, one for your diaries! The  full details can be found on the Institut Français website.

Comics & Conflicts is a two day event, organised by Alex Fitch, Paul Gravett and Ariel Khan, held at London’s Imperial War Museum. Full details of various events during the two days at the website, but highlights include the academic conference on Friday 19th and an activities day on Saturday 20th.

The academic conference looks at the various representations of war and conflict in comics, whilst Saturday is jammed full of comic talks and workshops.