Thrill power overload!
Posted 23 March 09 by Scott AndrewsTo the Big Smoke on Saturday for a 2000AD signing event at Forbidden Planet. Partly I was there as an Abaddon writer (Rebellion is the parent company of both Abaddon and 2000AD) hoping to blag work on 2000AD, and partly as research for a series of articles I’ve been commissioned to write for a big website, more of which when I can talk about it.
Everyone was lovely, as they always are at these things – writers and artists slave away in darkened rooms, so any chance for them to emerge, blinking, into the sunlight and face hordes of adoring fans who make them feel like rock stars is more than welcome, and they descend, pallid of skin, eyes white like Morlocks, breath rank and steaming from a thousand home-delivered pizzas, to bask in the adulation. I know whereof I speak, for I am one of their unholy number – it’s only thanks to the ongoing efforts of my wife that I have any vitamin D in my body at all.
I had a top time with m’colleagues Keith Richardson, who told me exciting tales and bought me beers; Al Ewing, who has the most resonant voice since James Earl Jones and whose Afterblight book has the best cover ever – man punching Grizzly bear; Si Spurrier, who had a snazzy hat but couldn’t remember anything useful about his Afterblight book, damn his eyes; David Bishop, who had flown down from the heights of Scotland for the day to tell tales of John Wagner and mock me for reading Victor comic when I was a bairn; Tony Lee, who is the luckiest sod on God’s green Earth (he’s landed the ongoing DW monthly comic, not to mention he let slip that he’s soon to be writing my own personal comics holy grail, the writers of which can number only one) and a proper gent with eerily familiar dress sense; James Swallow, who reassured me over my recent self-immolation on the Tie-In Writers mailing list, shared some scoops and revealed that we’re in direct competition for at least two in-development jobs, which has led me to secure the services of Britain’s top hitman – you’re a dead man, Swallow… Amanda shall be mine!
Cardiff’s Gary Russell also put in a special guest appearance, but I was running for my train when he turned up and could do little but wave and gibber nonsense. What do you mean, “nothing new”?
Of course, I didn’t manage to corner the editor of 2000AD, who was my prime target, but there were always at least two beers between me and him, so what could I do?
