Thought Bubble Con 2009

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The Thought Bubble Con website has been updated.

This years con is going to be Novemeber 21st

Price is gonna be £8 compared to last years £6 still not gonna break the back.

Tickets go on sale on 5th April.

Not a lot on info yet but anyone in the Leeds area should check it out.

I will be there again this year for sure had a pretty good guest list last year

http://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/08home.asp

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Final got some guest on the website after 6 weeks of having tickets available.

Not a lot and pretty similar to last year but looks good so far

http://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/08guests.asp

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Just got by ticket booked
Looking pretty good again this year

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Well the guest list is getting slowly updated.

Getting excited already and its over 2 months away.

Hoping Staz Johnson is gonna be there again this year but hasn't been announced yet.

Got something lined up the Leigh Gallagher already and hoping to get something from Dave Golding as well

Can't wait

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Well got something lined up with Dave Golding now as well.
Hopefully getting a load of skecthes this time around.

I just need to be patient and wait in line.

But its so boring

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Guest list updated.
Looking forward to Staz Johnson and after seeing his website Esad Ribic

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So where to start?

I was so hyped for the con at the weekend and was determined to get loads of art and stuff signed and what a disappointment. I built it so should have guessed it would come crashing down.

So to start at the beginning the con was due to start at 10am and I arrived at about 9:45am to two queues. Not knowing which one to join I plucked for the longest one and was amazed I had picked the right one for pre-paid tickets.
When it got to about 9:55am they came along the queue and handed out tickets as last year it took longer for pre-paid ticket holders to get in than people paying on the day.
Doors didn’t open till 10:10 and both queues headed inside and again waiting for tickets to be checked the pre-paid line stalled so I didn’t get inside the con till 10:20.
I was desperate to get a sketch by Barry Kitson and Alex Maleev as I missed out last year so I headed straight to the artist area to find half of them weren’t there. There was no Doug Braithwaite, Peter Doherty, Adi Granov, Alex Maleev, Charlie Adlard, Jock, Esad Ribic and Frazer Irving.
So I joined the queue for Barry Kitson and got chatting to a couple of people in the queue and found out how out of touch I am with current comics. I was third in the queue and it took me an hour and 45 minutes to get to the front Barry offered to do a colour sketch but I just couldn’t be bothered with it at that point. The main reason for it is Barry is just a nice guy. The guy at the front of the queue asked for either Hellboy or Godzilla and Barry did both and painted it with watercolours. It looks fantastic but its way too much for a con sketch and when people start grumbling about the wait you know you need to get it done.
While I was waiting Doug Braithwaite turned up 50 minutes late so I got a BRB head sketch and a sketchbook to go along with my Thor head sketch I got last year. I also went and got some comics signed by Andy Diggle. Good guy to chat too and am really thinking about picking up Daredevil for his writing.
Alex Maleev turned up at 11:10 over and hour after the con started
So after my massive wait I went for a walk round to get out of the queues and pick up my pieces from Leigh Gallagher and David Golding and got some books signed by Graham McNeill and bought some more and got a couple of sketches from Staz Johnson and a load of comics signed by Wayne Reynolds and a copy of the Rainbow Orchid from Garen Ewing all really good guys to chat too and I was a lot more talkative than I usually am at cons.

So I needed more cash so I went to get some and a bit of food and heading back into the con at about 2:30pm. I had offered to pick up my bud Rocket’s commission from Charlie Adlard so headed straight back there to pick up. Another 2 hours later I get to the front of the queue and pick up Rod’s amazing commission. In the meantime Alex Maleev and Ben Templesmith had stopped sketching so I missed both of them
By then its 4:50pm and the con finishes in 10 mins so I shoot out of there to find its raining so I double bag Rod’s commission to keep it dry and head home.
My darling wife picked be up from the bus station and the first thing I did when I get in is check to make sure Rod’s piece is ok and to my horror I find that it got wet and some of the ink has run. I went mental. I don’t think Katie has ever heard me swear so much in all the time we have been together.
I feel so bad for letting Rod down and ruining such a good piece of art.

Overall an ok day but I got nowhere near as much stuff as I was after and felt all I did was queue.
I don’t know if it’s how things are done in the UK or just in Leeds as this is the only con I have been to here but even at SDCC I didn’t feel I was queuing as much for sketches and it seems a bit half arsed with artists turning up when they want cos they had a big drinking session the night before
I will be there again next year but I have learnt a lesson.
Get stuff arranged beforehand to pick up at the con and only try to get 1 or 2 of the bigger names cos you just aren’t gonna get anything else done.
Might try to get to BICS next year and see how that works out see. Will see if it’s just this con cos it’s relatively new or if it’s just how it’s done here.

Well its time to start saving for NYCC in October and hopefully will be a better experience.

Pics to follow (all of about 5 of them)

Again so so sorry to Rod for ruining the Adlard commission

[Wrothy]

Sorry to hear the con didn't quite match up to your expectations mate. Hopefully you'll have a better experience at your next con.

Now, where are those pics?

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He we go the pics

Here is the Punisher i got from Dave Golding. Got in touch before the con and let me pay cash for it there



Also a Dredd/Batman piece that Leigh Gallagher did for my that i was able to pick up as well a asked for either Dredd or Batman and ended up getting both



Now for the sketches

A spider-man from Barry Kiston
Really like it but not sure if it was worth the hour and 45 mins in the queue



A Beta Ray Bill i got off Doug Braithwaite to go with my Thor from him last year

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And finally

Two Face by Staz Johnson



I got a two pieces from Wynn Ryder a couple of days before the con so technically aren't con pick ups but here you go



and



There maybe one or two pieces more but i aren't showing them cos they are surprises for people and for the life of me i can't work out how to get photos off my iphone