The Day Comics Came Home... To the Heart of Birmingham!

The weekend of the 9 -10th December 2006 proved to be a cold and wet one, but it did not dampen the spirits of several thousand comics fans. In fact their spirits were warmed by the roaring success of the debut of the Birmingham International Comics Show(BICS).

Martin Tierney took photographs of the show that are (c) and featured here. They include scenes from Phil Clarke's Phantom exhibition and celebratory paintings of the character by both famous and budding artists.

In keeping with the festive season, the goals of the show were to both celebrate the past and look forward to the future. The convention had the blessing of Phil Clarke, who organised the very first UK convention that took place in Birmingham back in 1968, and sagely noted back then to people involved with the organisation: "What's been done is great and this is just your first year!"

However, the show did not go without its problems. Aside from the weather, equipment hired for use in the theatre failed to turn up, and one American guest realised too late that he hadn't actually got a passport and couldn't make it! Despite this bad situations were turned into good and what could have been fiascos into what surprisingly turned into highlights of the weekend. The amount of smiling faces proved that Christmas had come early!

There were dealers of comics old and new, all-star international guests who made themselves completely accessible to the public, and special exhibitions including one for Midlands-based cartoonist Hunt Emerson whose work can be seen in the best-selling kid's weekly comic The Beano, and another featuring memorabilia for The Phantom newspaper strip that had featured in the local Birmingham Evening Mail for many years, plus a mural painted live by numerous artists to celebrate that character's 70th anniversary, the first interpretation being a stunning full-figure action painting by Staz Johnson who had also donated a cover featuring The Fantastic Four to BICS for a competition.

The local West Midlands' media responded to the show favourably, via features and coverage, a relationship that extended the following year. The international comics community via press and internet also responded warmly enough, but, even more so, the general public's interest in the show demonstrated that the show and comics as a medium still has genuine growth potential.

People remarked about the courteous security team, and everyone's favourite all-round nice guy over that first weekend was Britain's own Alan Davis. UK publishers Eaglemoss, America's Wild Card Ink, Wales' Slogger Records and Brum's Nostalgia & Comics donated prizes and giveaways, and expatriate, Wolverhampton-born, Mike Perkins graciously sent over signed comics and art to me that I was able to hand over as competition prizes for those events I was involved with to add to the special events that BICS had put on for the fans.

BICS 2006 was only a few years ago, but it also seems like another lifetime and it is wonderful that the show has developed and become an annual event.

For general information about the Birmingham International Comics Show (BICS) visit: www.thecomicsshow.co.uk