Tripping: Thought Bubble and Belfast!
A week across the pond
As mentioned on our last installment, I spent the last week in England and (Northern) Ireland, and it was the trip of a lifetime. The first days of international travel are always a bit of a blur, honestly. It doesn’t hurt that coming from Los Angeles to the U.K. is roughly a 10 hour air journey, usually overnight. I end up in the dark, at a time I can’t quite define but is solidly in the middle of the night, over some icy part of the North Atlantic, trying to sleep in a freezing, fast-moving sky tube. So I arrive a little…wan.
But oh boy was this a lovely trip.
Our first stop was Harrogate for Thought Bubble, which was exactly as incredible as everyone says. The city is straight out of a Christmas card in the English countryside, and the con itself is so well run. Everyone who attends is in love with comics, the panels are all great, the venue is lovely, the fans are eager to chat. It’s only two days, but it’s two packed days where you’re there start to finish, because there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.
At 5PM Sunday, when the show floor closes, everyone stands up and applauds - for the Redshirt volunteers, for ourselves, for the guests who came to attend. It’s the most positive con experience I think I’ve ever had.
I’ve heard tales of the legendary Thought Bubble Mid-Con Party, but jet lag walloped me hard and I was in bed by 10 every night. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy the city. Every night in Harrogate, Blake and I bundled up and walked the city’s stone streets until we found exactly the right takeaway that suited us. Despite Harrogate being a small city, it sometimes took us an hour or two. It’s just fun to explore in a new city, new country, and the brisk air and lovely buildings were the perfect compliment to a convention day.
Another really nice thing about Thought Bubble is breakfast. I’m not usually a ‘get breakfast out at cons’ kind of girl. I’m more of a ‘what’s on the way to my first panel/signing that I can shove in my stomach before I dump four espresso shots on top.’ But U.K. hotels often come with breakfast - or it can be added to your room for a very reasonable charge - and it’s typically a nice, big buffet. I do love a breakfast buffet, and jet lag had Blake and I up a little earlier than we usually find ourselves, so breakfast was key. At around 8AM or so, the little breakfast hall would fill up with comic creators sitting at tables, often with their families, and we’d get to spend time together before the convention day, rather than after.
I prefer coffee to beers, so this was ideal for me. (Even though the coffee over there is…weak, and they put skim milk in it?) Getting to start the day with my pals over breakfast was a huge delight, and set every day up with the nicest vibes. I may, and don’t hold me to this, have to become a breakfast-at-cons person.
(If you’re already a breakfast-at-cons person, and you’re an aspiring comic creator, I suggest following my friend and great artist Robert Wilson IV - he often hosts New Creator Breakfast meetups at big conventions like NYCC and ECCC!)
Other highlights included Saturday’s Queer Horror panel, Sunday’s spotlight panel where
joined us for a writing chat, and of course, meeting some of you fine readers for the first time.
After Thought Bubble, we boarded a flight from Leeds to Belfast in Northern Ireland for a scheduled signing at Coffee and Heroes. Belfast is a city with a heady history, one I was eager to explore, but what I didn’t expect was how incredible the community was. While there I got to see my friend Bianca Xunise’s show at the Naughton Gallery, Joyful Resistance, in a beautiful university hundreds of years old.
The City Hall Christmas Market was open every single night, looking like something out of a fairy tale, gingerbread houses come alive, with the best hot chocolate I’ve ever, ever had. We walked for miles, from the Opera House and Crown Liquor Saloon down to the Ulster Museum and Botanical Gardens, taking in Belfast’s legendary street art. From its beautiful war memorials to its punk rock murals, Belfast loves peace, and that makes it feel so progressive and cool.
Unsurprisingly considering Belfast’s history, there was a lot of featured street art speaking up for Palestine, a beautiful and powerful thing to see. It was a diverse city center, queer people were everywhere and thriving (lovely to see in what is often a very Catholic place), and I kind of didn’t want to come back to the States.
Don’t get me wrong! I love Los Angeles - and I moved here feeling the same way. But can you blame me? Everyone I met in Belfast was charitable, friendly, cool, and kind. Every plate I got at every pub warmed me from the inside out. And the folks at Coffee and Heroes were incredible hosts. Alan and Keith and I became fast friends after I appeared on their podcast, and they were kind enough to offer to extend our trip in the U.K. if Blake and I were willing to come by and sign some comics. Which, of course we were.
The signing was a blast - the shop has great coffee and Vicki, Alan’s wife, is a professional chef and blast to talk to who makes incredible ham and cheese toasties. The shop has a cool group of regulars who are creatives in their own right, like Leda here, who drew us this sick ass bit of Gotham War fanart. (
look, there’s Jason and Rose!)
We even got to contribute to Coffee and Heroes incredible themed art wall - comics characters drinking coffee - and they wouldn’t let us being writers discourage them. I’ll leave Blake to post his own contribution on his ‘Stack, but I couldn’t help but do a bit of political cartooning. (No one puts full fat milk in their coffee over there and it kills me. Apparently you know it in the shop by the blue cap.)
HARLEY QUINN Vol 2: EYE DON’T LIKE ME TPB - 11.19.24
CREEPSHOW 2024 HOLIDAY SPECIAL - 12.18.24
CATWOMAN: NINE LIVES TPB - 12.03.24
HARLEY QUINN Vol 3: CLOWN ABOUT TOWN - 03.25.25
Hey look at that! Volume 2 of
and I’s acclaimed run on Harley Quinn is out now! It’s called EYE DON’T LIKE ME and that’s funnier if you read the book, so go read it.And if you’re looking for a signed copy, perhaps as a holiday gift…
THE TINIHOWARD.COM SHOP RE-OPENS TOMORROW!
Starting tomorrow, and for the rest of the holiday season, you can select from literally hundreds of options at my webstore. Signed comics of Punchline, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Raven, Assassinistas, Rick and Morty, and more. Variants and trades make awesome holiday gifts, and I’m more than happy to personalize anything with a name or a message to you or your gift recipient of choice.
I’m even offering gift wrap. That’s right - my love for wrapping presents knows no bounds, and I love to play Santa. You can select the Gift Wrap option at checkout and input your desired message and shipping address to have your purchase sent directly to whoever you choose. The perfect way to send a gift to your best friend back home, or your gaming buddy across the country.
More details tomorrow but for now - all subscribers to The Scorpio Room will receive a special coupon code to save 10% - but paid subscribers get a lil’ more. Sign up now and it’ll drop tomorrow, we’ll be adding more inventory as the season goes on!
(If in the process of me getting my shop open you happen to make an order today, that’s none of my business, but if you’re reading this now, waiting til tomorrow gets you 10% off with a code!)
Now back to inventory, to get these comics out!
Stay weird, talk soon -
-TH 11.24.2024 16:02 PST
Yes! Love it.
It was lovely to meet you! So glad you both enjoyed the show and had proper time to explore Harrogate and Belfast :)