Any UK guys going to Kapow?

[Eyemelt]

Myself and a bunch of likeminded individuals will be there. We're resigned to the fact that if it does turn out to be crappy, at least there are plenty of bars nearby.

[Ez Sapien]

Chaos City customers will be there in force.  Just let me know where the free hooch is going to be!

[elemental]

Not going to be able to make it now, having had my job made redundant today (bloody economy) so I just don't have the money to go (or spend at the show) if anyone was thinking of going and hasn't got a ticket let me know and you can have mine.

[Michael2402]

Not going to be able to make it now, having had my job made redundant today (bloody economy) so I just don't have the money to go (or spend at the show) if anyone was thinking of going and hasn't got a ticket let me know and you can have mine.

That's bad news mate. I'm really sorry to hear that.

[Bookbag]

I was at the center at lunchtime.  There is a pub at the right near it called the Steam Passage - looks OK, anyone fancy it, or does anyone else know of a decent pub?

[Ez Sapien]

KAPOW was a real triumph. At last the UK has a good and most importantly proffessionally organised Comic Convention that we have been missing since UKCAC in the 1980s.

Pop over to my blog at Never Iron Anything for some photos and reports.

http://neverironanything.blogspot.com/

[templar]

It was epic!

[Eyemelt]

It was epic indeed! I admit I had my doubts, and lots of people had written it off before it had even happened, but every dealer I spoke to was in high spirits and it was a great weekend.

[Michael2402]

I loved it. I'm so glad I went. I also go a lovely Sean Philips Harley Quinn Sketch too. I'm just about to book MCM Expo now. I think the bug may have bitten me. 

[Michael2402]

I would post a picture of the Sean Philips piece on here but for some reason it won't let me. Did anyone get anything they were pleased with from the con?

As well as the Sean Philips piece I got a copy of Lost Girls signed by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie sketched in it for me. I managed to pick up the Kabuki Skin Deep HC for £20 - I've been looking for this HC forever and the only copy I could find was one on Amazon for £1200! I managed to get some indie stuff and one kind con goer gave me 3 copies of 2000AD from his bag because I was at the 2000AD booth and confessed that I haven't read any of it.

[Twenty7]

Kapow was my first comic con experience (but I've been to various other expos in a professional role before), and I was somewhat disappointed. Perhaps, this is due to having too high expectations regarding size. A big problem were the long queues for practically anything. Does anyone who was at Kapow also have experience with US comic cons? How does it compare?  Is it normal at cons to spent a majority of your time queuing?

It was great though to actually see and listen to the artists and writers that I otherwise only know through their work.

[Michael2402]

Whilst I was queuing for my Sean Phillips sketch, I got talking to an Irish Guy who said he goes to San Diego and had to start waiting in line for a panel that started at 11am at 6:30am. I didn't go to any panels so the only queuing I did was for the sketch. Had the queues not been there then I may have had a look. I was also surprised at how small the con was and was glad that i only went for one day because I think I would have been bored by day two.

[Twenty7]

Whilst I was queuing for my Sean Phillips sketch, I got talking to an Irish Guy who said he goes to San Diego and had to start waiting in line for a panel that started at 11am at 6:30am.

That's scary!

I didn't go to any panels so the only queuing I did was for the sketch. Had the queues not been there then I may have had a look.

More parallel events would cerrtainly have helped. I don't have a problem with queues for vastly popular panels, and don't mind choosing a less prolific event instead. But at Kapow there was no choice.

I was also surprised at how small the con was and was glad that i only went for one day because I think I would have been bored by day two.

I was only there Sunday, and left before closing having seen everything I was interested in. Hopefully the next Kapow will be bigger.

Having said all that, it's great to see that much interest in comics in the UK!

[Michael2402]

That's scary!

More parallel events would cerrtainly have helped. I don't have a problem with queues for vastly popular panels, and don't mind choosing a less prolific event instead. But at Kapow there was no choice.

I was only there Sunday, and left before closing having seen everything I was interested in. Hopefully the next Kapow will be bigger.

Having said all that, it's great to see that much interest in comics in the UK!

I agree with all of what you've said. One thing I really enjoyed was meeting the indie creators. It was great to see such passion and enthusiasm. I may go to MCM next month to get a look at some more indie stuff. I hope Kapow gets bigger too. I would be interested to hear Millar's plans.

[Wood]

KAPOW was a real triumph. At last the UK has a good and most importantly proffessionally organised Comic Convention that we have been missing since UKCAC in the 1980s.

Pop over to my blog at Never Iron Anything for some photos and reports.

http://neverironanything.blogspot.com/

[darker_nite]

A big problem were the long queues for practically anything. Does anyone who was at Kapow also have experience with US comic cons? How does it compare?  Is it normal at cons to spent a majority of your time queuing?

It was great though to actually see and listen to the artists and writers that I otherwise only know through their work.

I went to San Diego last year and found for all but the biggest events quing wasn't anywhere near as bad as Kapow. I was disapointed with Kapow, It didn't seem to have much going on and what was going on wasn't very significant and was disorganised for example Millar had been touting for months he would reveal what he and Gibbons were working on. The floor layout was horrible and hard to navigate and why were the bigger and more popular pannels in the smaller of the two rooms. On the bright side the retailers made the most of it and I came away with some pretty ood bargins and back issues I wanted.

Kapow was my first comic con experience (but I've been to various other expos in a professional role before), and I was somewhat disappointed. Perhaps, this is due to having too high expectations regarding size. A big problem were the long queues for practically anything. Does anyone who was at Kapow also have experience with US comic cons? How does it compare?  Is it normal at cons to spent a majority of your time queuing?

It was great though to actually see and listen to the artists and writers that I otherwise only know through their work.

[elemental]

Shame I had to miss out due to my employment issues but my ticket was donated to a forum member so all is good.  

[Dom Sutton]

yeah, I was there with Eyemelt. What a great time! Our bonkers pal, Dave, won the cosplay contest. He was Bane and did nearly 200 backbreakers for the cameras over the course of the two days! I think he's in hospital now. I took some snaps on my phone and bunged them on my blog. You can check them out

here: http://londonlovescomics.blogspot.com/2011/04/kapow-day-two.html

and here: http://londonlovescomics.blogspot.com/2011/04/kapow-day-one.html

I told Leinil Yu that we like to eat kebabs after 10 pints at about 1am, not at 10am in the morning. He was a very nice chap, though. Got to love Chris Weston's shirt.

Oh, and I got a Shaky Kane Unforgiving Eye sketch for NOTHING! 

[Michael2402]

The cosplay was fun and I'm glad your friend won. But Black cat. Oh my 

[Dom Sutton]

yeah. She was fit.