Surviving World Horror Con…

I got back from a thoroughly enjoyable World Horror Con late on Sunday night.  I would have posted about my trip earlier but I’ve been spending the past couple of days recovering from far too many late nights drinking and chatting.  Now that I freelance full-time, I’ve become a bit of a hermit, slaving away on my own in my home-studio, so it was a shock to the system to suddenly have a few hundred people to talk to!  So after one of the most fun weekends I’ve had in a while, I’ve only now just about regained the ability to form coherent thoughts and string sentences together…

I arrived in Brighton Thursday evening and had the chance to settle in, catch up with others and make some new acquaintances.  I was delighted to see many of the FantasyCon mob there – usually to be spotted in the vicinity of the nearest bar!  I’ve made many good friends at FantasyCon over the years so it was great to see them all again.  Amongst the new friends I made were fellow artist Peter Hollinghurst whom I enjoyed speaking with about all things arty (you can check out his wonderfully surreal imagery at his website) and writer Louise Morgan, whom I chatted to about anything and everything into the early hours.  Louise has had stories published in several magazines and you can read some of her writing at her blog or website where you can find an intriguing short story about a card game with a demonic twist…

On Friday, after putting up my Art Show display I ventured out into Brighton.  It was my first visit so I took the opportunity to see some sights and take a few photos (more of which you’ll be able to see later).  In the evening was a rather entertaining party thrown by author Heather Graham, during which my good friend Rio Youers took to the stage with Heather and her band for an impromptu punk rock performance  – not only a talented writer but a budding rock star too!

Saturday was my book launch and the Art Show reception.  I was over the moon by the positive response to my art book and managed to sell some copies.  The Art Show featured some brilliant work and I got the chance to meet Dominic Harman and Bob Eggleton for the first time, whose fantastic work I’ve been admiring on book covers over the years.  A big thank you must go out to Stephen Jones and all the other organizers for all their hard work in bringing together such a fantastic show.

By Sunday the non-stop socializing had taken its toll and I was reduced to a walking zombie.  I did manage to make it through my panel – an interesting discussion about digital versus traditional art, which threw up some food for thought and strong views on either side of the debate.  After that it was just a matter of saying my farewells, hanging on till my train and surviving the grueling five and a half hour journey back home, which brings this little Con adventure to an end.

I’d definitely recommend artists or writers to go to conventions like this.  It’s a great place to connect with others with similar interests and meet people you can be inspired by or have always admired.  For writers and us artists who are so used to working in isolation, it’s a great reminder that there are others out there like us, and an opportunity to get some face-to-face feedback and appreciation for our work, which helps to remind us of why we do what we do.

I for one can’t wait to do it all again at FantasyCon this September!