In response to the boom in comic book creators from Scotland making an impact on the world stage,
SICBA, along with Black Hearted Press and The Stirling Maxwell Centre, University of Glasgow, host
an open forum symposium which will, for the first time in Scotland’s history, bring together over 100
creators, retailers, publishers, reviewers and champions of the comic book industry.
1 theme, 6 questions, an open discussion led by a key panel including Dr Laurence Grove (Director of
the Stirling Maxwell Centre) and a comics-related audience, as together we develop our industry to
the world, with the aims of developing a sustainable industry and aspirations of creating a National
Comics Academy and Art Gallery in the unused McLellan Galleries.
“For the first time in Scotland’s history, we are all coming together for the greater good of our industry.
There has never been a gathering of the like with so many professional, semi-pro and aspiring comic
book artists, writers, creators along with publishers, small press makers, distributors, retailers and
critics, all in the same room… Ideas will be sparking” – Sha Nazir, Art Director & Publisher
“A National Comics Academy, our long term goal, would make Glasgow a current-day world leader in
an area where we have already led the world, from the world’s first comic—The Glasgow Looking
Glass—to Mark Millar and Grant Morrison’-Dr Laurence Grove, University of Glasgow
Hosted by Gareth K. Vile, the event will be in a ‘question time’ format, with everyone participating
including the question panel,
– Dr Laurence Grove, Director, the Stirling Maxwell Centre, University of Glasgow
– Chris Murray – Lecturer, The University of Dundee
– Sha Nazir – Art Director & Publisher, Black Hearted Press Ltd
– Jenny Niven – Portfolio Manager, Literature, Creative Scotland
– Kevin O’Donnell – Retail Manager, Forbidden Planet International
– Phillip Vaughn – Lecturer, Duncan of Jordanstone Collage of Art
– Maria Welch – Publisher (Children’s Entertainment), DC Thomson Ltd
Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA)
350 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow G2 3JD
Mon 17 March 2014, 7pm, CCA Theatre
FREE, booking advised
