Today was a really fun day in Camden with a surprise visits from Dan Fish. Stall regular Ester dropped by, and also Francesca.
Sales were good, canvasses were painted and sketches sketched.
As Oliver would say, good times.

Well, it’s been a while since the last report. The stall continues to distribute the excellent comics that people have traveled from around the globe to purchase. Well, it is Camden, so this is an almost correct boast. There was a real peak of energy for No BarCodes, and since this landmark event for the stall, various people have been on holiday , or been engaged in other commitments, so there has been a more low key feel, a sort of summer sun bathing feeling. But, plans are being formed for the next show stopper.
In the meantime the photo gallery has been updated, and the sketchbook section is being slowly filled up, but there is a lot to catch up on. The plan is to collect these in a book form, some time later this year.
We would like to thank the regular visitors over the post No BarCodes weeks, your support, either side of the table, has been most welcome

The Camden stall set up for business at The Bristol expo. It was a hot sexy success. The table sold loads of comics, easily covering the cost. New friends were made, old friends were welcomed, people were interviewed, and in the sunny summer sun we drank and chatted and planned the future.



It felt so good, and if you were there, you will understand





* A big thank you to everyone who dropped by the table, and gave positive vibes towards this adventure.

London Underground Comics announces: No Barcodes 31st May 2008
As part of London Underground Comic’s campaign of bringing comics back to the underground by making small press cheap, cheerful and accessible, we are proud to announce our first mini-con: No Barcodes, the first of two events planned over the summer.

An indoor area of Camden Lock Market has been set aside for us and we plan to fill it with at least six or seven stalls. The whole event will work exactly as the stall does with groups of people on different tables splitting the £30 rent between them equally- the rest is theirs. The whole event will cost no more than £7 per person exhibiting, and the more people come the cheaper it will be.

We are looking for groups of people to man essentially themed tables, for example a web comics table, a caption table for oxford creators and, say, an autobiography table etc. Each table will be given a sketchbook at the beginning of the day to hopefully fill and at closing time each table’s book will be auctioned off to help pay for LUC’s expenses in printing banners, posters, fliers etc. any profit will be put towards the next mini-con.

Depending on how many creators wish to exhibit we also plan to put aside a separate table for visitors to sketch, as well as a rotating ‘featured artist’ who can charge for portraits.

The hall is situated in the heart of Camden amongst an indoor and outdoor market with a steady flow of tourists passing through. I’m sure I don’t need to state that entry to No Barcodes will be free. This means that not only will there be plenty of room in the outdoor seating area to catch up with fellow creators, but we will also be selling to the comics-virgin tourists of Camden who will be wondering what the event is all about. I’m not even going to touch on the quantities of food and alcohol outlets around the area, most providing discounts for stall-mannees.

Also, if you are lucky, once the market closes at six, we should have an entire pub laid on near Mornington Crescent tube station to host the after-con drinks.

LUC needs you:
We want small press creators of any sort to get in touch with us via the facebook group or by emailing camdencomics@hotmail.co.uk telling us that they wish to take part.
Bring your comics, a tablecloth and any kind of merchandise or posters you wish. LUC has some banners and posters but we want to display your work.
The market opens at ten so if you could arrive in the area before then to set up we would appreciate it.
The point of the event is an excuse to bring comic creators from around the country together to socialise and sell comics to an unsaturated market without huge expense. So most of all, we want you to have a good time and bring your mates!

Confirmed exhibitors so far…

On the stall this week Sean, Oli, Luke,Dan,Francessca, Phil, and flying visit from Karrie. The grey sky and freezing conditions continue to embrace the hardy souls who populate the table. Dan and Andy seem to be involved in some sort of competition to see how many comics they can publish each week. Both had two new issues available this week. Andy in particular seems to have turned his skills into being a self contained industry, writer, artist, publisher, reviewer, columnist and committee member. A very busy man. Also new on the table was Ed 4 by Sean. A busy late afternoon saw a flurry of selling, and the general consensus was that it was a good day. Everyone trudged back to Oli central, where a surprise visit by Alex Fitch completed another hectic day in Camden.

John Freeman has flagged up the current indy action in Camden.

It’s f*****g history!

This weekend saw the bold experiment off two tables back to back There was a healthy turnout of creators; Francesca, Oli, Oliver, Sean, Phil, Andy, Alex, Mitch and Jake. Fantastic sunny weather saw a good turn out of punters. Excellent work was produced in artists corner.

I’m Oli Smith…

Coats were discarded and a forest of pale nerd arms became exposed to the light. Phil resplendent in a red tie, with matching hipster belt was in lounge lizard mode whilst Oliver bleary eyed, stumbled through the morning, recovering from a night of Halo.Sales were good, easily covering the extra expense of a second table, new chair, and extra display stands.The addition of new people on the table changed the dynamic, in a positive way. All were agreed that it was very good day. The end saw a visit to the Oli pad for drinks, Halo and chitchat.

Fran and Oliver.

Just as it was breaking up, Oli received a call that Camden market was ablaze. Worried that the indoor market had been brought to it’s knees by Raveman’s decks generating too much heavy rotation rave heat, we quickly saddled up and waded through the crowds to witness the event. It was a hell of a blaze that was threatning the overheard rail line and also the Hawley arms. I can already see the charity gig being staged on the Hawley ashes, with such Camden has-beens Pete, Lily and Amy parachuted in too revive their bank balance with a lame gig.

Completely lifted from the Bugpowder website.

‘If you’ve spent more than five minutes NOT talking about Oli Smith and London Underground Comics then there is something wrong with you. To make amends please listen to Resonance FM or 104.4 FM in London from 5 until 6 on Thursday the 31st of January to hear an interview with Oli Smith and Oliver Lambden about how much they love being rude about small press comics: Interviewer Alex Fitch writes:

“The first of a two part look at new comic creators and how they distribute their work to the public, Alex Fitch talks to Oli Smith and Oliver (Tales from the Flat) Lambden about their small press titles and their customers at the Camden Market Comics Stall.”
If you miss that then you can download it at Panel Borders shortly after. See? No excuse.