TF Nation 2018: a fantastic event!

Photo by Stuart Webb.

It's been my good fortune and privilege to be a guest at many great conventions over the years, and TF Nation 2018 was exceptionally brilliant!

One of the best events it's been my pleasure to attend, TF Nation 2018 took place over the last weekend at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, near Birmingham International Airport. The last time I was at that hotel was in 1979, which was the very first comics convention I went to as a fan. Returning there 39 years later as a guest brought back a lot of happy memories, and certainly provided new experiences that I'll always remember with fondness.

The organisation of the show by Billy Edwards and his team was top class, and they looked after the guests very well. The show was incredibly busy, with people asking for autographs and sketches as soon as we entered the hall.

I knew the show would be good, but I wasn't sure how many would remember (or care about) my contributions to Transformers history. After all, Robo-Capers and Combat Colin were a separate entity to the Hasbro universe, as comic relief in the old Marvel UK comics, but I need not have worried. I was amazed and quite touched by how many remembered my strips from the 1980s and how much they had meant to them. It was a pleasure to talk with the readers and to sketch for such a nice friendly crowd. I'd taken along a couple of stacks of Combat Colin comics, and a few of my other comics too. By the end of the show I'd completely sold out! That has never happened before.

It was also great to catch up with some fellow creators too of course, and hang out with John-Paul Bove, Jessica Bradley-Bove, Jack Lawrence, Simon Williams, Jason Cardy, Paul Goodenough, Mike Collins, Bernadette, and not forgetting Barry the Dog!

My thanks to Billy, Kathryn, and the whole team for an unforgettable weekend!
https://tfnation.com/2018/

Here's a bunch of photos from the weekend. Some I took, some are screen grabs from Twitter etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWH5mR9bwjY

Actor André Sogliuzzo being interviewed.

Shortfuse the Cybernik (a character I created for Sonic the Comic).

A highlight was meeting Thew Adams, as I was friends with his late father in the 1990s.

The next convention I'll be at will be NICE CON 2018, on September 1st and 2nd in Bedford. More info here:
https://nicecon.co.uk