Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: All right, Rowan here from Geeky Brummy, as per usual, I'm with the fantastic, the amazing guest, Mr. Ollie McNamee. You might remember from podcast previous, you have been a guest on the show a few times.
[00:00:10] Speaker B: I have, yes.
[00:00:11] Speaker A: Many, many moons away.
[00:00:12] Speaker B: Many moons away. That's why we're catching up now, I suspect.
[00:00:16] Speaker A: But. So you are one of the co founders and creators of hi Viz Festival, which has been a great street festival of art as we can see previously in and around Digworth as well. But you're putting on your first Comic Con this year. So do you want to tell us all about it?
[00:00:30] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. Well, I was first introduced into hi vis back in 2018, our first one as the comics guy. And in 2019 we did have a little pop up comic convention in the Custard factory. Well, obviously we've grown since then. And going back to my first love of comics, thanks to a little bit of funding that we've been able to achieve from Birmingham Council as well as the Enterprise Zone, we were able to have put on two events. Our first event was in September, which was our traditional graffiti festival, which we've been doing for eight years now.
And our sort of back end of that event to celebrate the summer, to celebrate Kings Heath and to encourage more visual artists to come into Kings Heath, more tourism to come in. In Kings Heath, we're putting on our first comic book convention which is rather different. It's happening at several venues which we'll see later on, I dare say, and visit, but also it's happening outside in the open public facing. And thanks to that public funding, we're doing it all for free this year.
[00:01:28] Speaker A: And that's one of the fantastic things about this, having a free Comic Con event. I mean, everybody knows about the big comic cons that you get at the NEC and those events like that. It can be prohibitively expensive to get to doing that. Hey, you got the opportunity to meet some fantastic comic creators who will come onto in a little bit. But these people, you never usually get to see them for free. You never really get to see them at any kind of convention. So it's having this free event. It's got some great partners in Birmingham City Council, King's Heath Bid Time Bomb Comics, who are a brilliant local comic creator. Any other partners you want to?
[00:02:00] Speaker B: Well, it's thanks to Emma Properties we were able to do this and the mural around the side on Institute Road that has absolutely transformed Kings E. These aren't my words. This is the community. We've done a lot of focus grouping. To continue in that vein. We don't want to lose the street art. We'll always have our street art festival, but we want to now do a Comic Con. And so on the day, the 21st of June, we're going to have a huge mural, 2,000 AD characters celebrating British comics. And we've got Snub 23, a world renowned art artist who's going to be giving us his time, his effort. But I do want to pick up on the freedom of it being costing nothing. We started High vis as a free event, we continue to start High vis as a free event and we want to continue that way because of cost of living, because of all of these, as you say, ridiculous prices that some comic cons do charge that do make it prohibitive.
[00:02:56] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:02:57] Speaker B: So that's why we're trying to put on as much as we can for free. Zone A. The All Saints Community center is free. The artwork here, of course is free. We're going to have workshops, majority of those are free.
In fact, the only thing you're going to be paying for is one workshop and cosmic rays, who are charity gig for the Birmingham Kings Heath Food Bank.
[00:03:16] Speaker A: I'm going to say even the thing that's paid for is still supporting Kings Heath Food Bank. Fantastic charity as well. So as people probably realize from the accent, you're not really that much of a local boy originally, but you've been based in Birmingham for a while. So why is Kings Heath so important to you?
[00:03:30] Speaker B: Kings Heath was something I fell in love when I first moved here 21 years ago. Kings Heath is where my daughter was born. She's a bor bed Brummie. I would like to think I'm adopted, Brummy, having lived here further and longer than anywhere else I've lived. But as my co Partner Panda from Graffiti.com always says, Sometimes it takes a loudmouth northerner to come down to tell the modest Birmingham people what a great city they've had. And so the convention, the festival, our drink and draw, the pop ups that we've done with people like the Hare and hounds with the Duke Bar, with the station, all of these, all of these things show exactly. Whilst I'm plowing efforts into this community because they've done nothing or give things back to me.
[00:04:12] Speaker A: And that's the other thing about Birmingham which I don't think people realize. Such a fantastic community spirit. And usually when you ask people if they want to get involved, the first thing you say is, how can I help? How can I get involved? What Can I do to support and seeing this coming together is really great to see. I mean the street art personal love of mine from the film festival, which we also do separately, but having the opportunity to bring some, as you said, world renowned street artists in with local artists and getting to mix as well, getting them to have that opportunity to have a conversation. That's the thing that conventions always, I think really love those because it gives you the opportunity for creators who will never meet outside the convention usually agree, conversation, get involved.
[00:04:51] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:04:51] Speaker A: And you get some amazing stuff off the back of a convention. I mean, I know certain artists have worked together with certain writers, et cetera. You've had books borne out, meeting each other at conventions.
[00:05:02] Speaker B: There's lots and lots of crossover between street art and comics. I don't know why it's never been done before, but we're groundbreaking in that way. Groundbreaking in trying to get it out onto the street so everyone can enjoy it. Family friendly cosplayers the lot. And we've been blessed this year with a 501 UK garrison who are also making an appearance. So plenty of opportunities to be scared by stormtroopers or voguing with Vapes leader if you want me.
[00:05:27] Speaker A: That's the thing as well. It's great for independent art, it's great for those kind of franchises, you know, and love. We're in 2000 AD, getting those guys down. Amazing. Some of the, some of the artists and writers who got involved with that.
So really looking forward to the event. When is it?
[00:05:44] Speaker B: Saturday, June 21st. It opens up at All Saints Community center at 10 o' clock, 12 o' clock. It then opens up on York Road, which is another zone, and then at the library and the station where we'll have artists workshops. And of course the station is where we're going to be having our mini anime festival, courtesy of a certain someone called Ryan Parish.
[00:06:05] Speaker A: Well, Birmingham Anime Film Festival. So we've got some fantastic partners with Birmingham Anime Film Festival, the Mockingbird and the Mac. Again, keeping that independent, keeping that community building in spirit. So we're looking forward to giving you a couple of film screenings. Details to be announced very shortly. We've got some fantastic pair of titles I really want to get people to come in view. Yeah, One of the titles especially is one that I really love because it gets people completely sideswiped by this art style, the cleanness of the lines. It's got a really big kind of attention back to graffiti style. So I think that will really fit in nicely with the film.
[00:06:39] Speaker B: Yeah, I've seen the trailer. So I know even though we're not talking about it yet, I've seen the trailer. It really does fit in. I think it's going to be a really aced addition to the show if people still use the word ace.
[00:06:49] Speaker A: I do, but. So four fantastic venues. You've got All Saints Community Centre, York Road with Hare and Hounds moving further down. You've got the Kings Heath Library and the station. So it's pretty much from the top of the high street all the way down.
[00:07:00] Speaker B: All the way down. And the high street is only a 5 minute, 10 minute walk at most. So it's not like you're gonna have miles to go. And the whole point is it's to celebrate and enjoy Kings east, the independent businesses. York Road in the summertime is like any beautiful boulevard in any part of the world. So we're hoping people don't just come for the con but stay for the the after party from 8 o' clock onwards in the station.
[00:07:24] Speaker A: Yep. So some fantastic things coming up. We're going to take you around the venues now so you can see where things are going to be, who's going to be based where, and we'll catch you back shortly. Right, Ollie, we are here at the All Saints Centre in Kings Heath, one of the venues for High Viscon.
Tell us about who's going to be here and what's going to be going on at this place.
[00:07:42] Speaker B: Well, this is the interesting place. So All Saints Community centre opens at 10 o' clock on the morning. It's the only venue that's going to be open up at 10 o' clock.
That means we'll have Charlie Adlard here, the artist on the Walking Dead, who's later playing at the Hare and Hounds in his band Cosmic Rays. That's why he's doing early signing. We're going to have albino artists here, Laura Howe, Hunt Emerson and Kevin F. Sutherland.
Laura and Kevin are both doing workshops so tickets will be available quite soon, so be quick because they're free and I know tickets go quickly and we've also got Sonya Long, our manga artist will be doing a workshop and on top of that, and for the first time announcing it today, we're going to have our Traders hall which on here on in is going to be called the Quantum Traders hall after our good friends at Time Bomb Comics.
[00:08:33] Speaker A: Yeah, so Steve Tanner we've interviewed previously on Geeky Brittany. You probably know him from episodes past, Timecom Bomb Comics, Amazing local independent producer comics, Flintlock series, loads of other things. But Quantum's there kind of magazine that.
[00:08:47] Speaker B: You can pick up comes their magazine. You can pick up. It used to be you could pick it up in WH Smiths, but I do know it's still on subscription. It's still worth looking at. It's still worth picking up. Supporting the local scene. And of course, there's no better place to support that local scene on 21 June. Coming here, picking up a comic and maybe even getting some of them signed by some of our great creators.
[00:09:08] Speaker A: Yeah. And the Trader hall is going to be a great opportunity to find some of those up and coming artists you might not have heard of. Really good opportunity to come and see some great independent comics. Independent art that you wouldn't see anywhere else.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: We've got some great traders. We've got Keith Hoffel, who's also a graffiti artist with his comic. I think third issue's out now.
We've also got scratch comics here that just put out Jimmy Broxton's Fully Loaded.
[00:09:32] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:34] Speaker B: Dracula series as well. White Worm with the grandson of Bram Stoker. So, you know, it's going to be a small Traders hall in our first year, but I think the quality is going to speak for itself.
Big names, big ideas. And like you said, why not find the next creator, the next comic you're gonna love.
[00:09:53] Speaker A: I mean, having a comics laureate as well in the world, Charlie Adlard, former comics laureate, as we know, Walking Dead, Such a fantastic series which then went on amazingly in film, tv, gaming, et cetera. So having Charlie here is a great win for you for the first year.
[00:10:09] Speaker B: Huge win. We were really, really, really pleased. Even more pleased to know and announce that he's playing at the Hare and Hounds because all of the proceed tickets and this is thanks to Charlie and the band agreeing on this. All those proceeds are going to our registered charity, which is the King's Heath Food bank, which we've been working for for the last 12 months.
[00:10:29] Speaker A: So some fantastic partners. Fantastic way to get some charity on. And Cosmic Rays as well. Some of their music's absolutely fantastic. Definitely worth going to have a listen. I believe they're on bandcamp. I'll pop the description in the below. So if you want to have a preview of what's going to come up. Hay on Hounds. Always a great place for a gig.
[00:10:45] Speaker B: Yeah. And I dare say I can pass you the barcode for the tickets if you can bang that up as well.
[00:10:49] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:10:49] Speaker B: And it makes it easier for people to just get them whilst they still can.
[00:10:52] Speaker A: Yep. So all of it will be in the Description. So Ollie and I have had a quick sit down here at the Duke on York Road. So York Road, great little independent street for lots of.
[00:11:02] Speaker B: Lots of food, amazing eateries, food, vinyl, music venue. You've got Polar Bear Records that always have the great vinyl in. They'll always get something for you. And a lot of the shops on this road are independent. And of course, a big part of this is supporting independent business by trying to get a boost in that economy at a time when businesses are suffering from higher costs in all sorts of areas.
[00:11:27] Speaker A: Yeah. So King York Road, ltn, which is great because it means that people can actually sit outside. One of the things that started off a few years ago, which everybody knows about, but they've decided to keep it here, allows people to come out, sit down, enjoy the road, not be afraid of traffic and those things. That's going to be a boon to the Comic Con as well, because it gives you a chance to get a couple of gazebos out.
[00:11:47] Speaker B: Huge boon. Like you said, it's lower traffic network, which means cars aren't allowed up here during the day unless they're picking up things.
It does come alive. There's so many eateries. Every eatery, every bar has got its own little area. It's vibrant, it's lively. So we were looking for places to start our Comic Con. It was York Road that was the impetus and everything grew out of that. So we are going to have gazebos up one end to protect our creators and also to allow an easier access for fans to walk up and down.
[00:12:20] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:20] Speaker B: And also maybe stop off at a drink like in the Duke. In Fletches are also supporting us by offering us a free room for the day and the evening. So if you don't want to rock on down to our after party, there's quite a venue, the Green Room at Fletcher's, which is our alternative venue. I know a lot of creators are going there in the evening.
[00:12:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:40] Speaker B: And of course we've got the herring hounds that have been supporting us from day one, offering us their facilities, which is where we can get Charlie Adlard Cosmic Rays, as we previously mentioned. Yeah, as we previously mentioned. But what I didn't mention is doors are on at 3:30, Cosmic Rays are on at 4, and they're closing down the daytime festival for 5 o' clock before we move to Fletcher's and the station in the evening.
[00:13:05] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm supporting as well, King's Heath Food Bank Charity, as we mentioned as well. But great way to get an opportunity to come and see, see some Comic writers doing a bit of music.
[00:13:15] Speaker B: Well, listen, I mentioned Charlie Adlard earlier and I know he's a big pull for comic fans, but the amount of local people talking about John Wagner, the creator of Judge Dredd, yeah, I think he's in for a big surprise. I think he's going to be treated like the king of comics. He deserves to be treated as. So the closer I get to it, the more excited I am just listening to people in my community, in the comic book community and even further afield because we've been greatly supported through all of this by Worlds Apart in Birmingham and Forbidden Planet in Wolverhampton. And again, without them putting out that organic messaging and without people like yourselves, I'd always worry people aren't going to come. You still worry people aren't going to come because it's free. But I've got a good vibe about this one and hopefully that good vibe will be here on the 21st of June with the sunny weather.
[00:14:03] Speaker A: And the amazing team from Worlds Apart are also doing one of the trading stalls as well.
[00:14:06] Speaker B: They are doing one of the trading stores. So luckily they're going to come up, they're going to be selling back issues. If they're clever enough, they're going to be selling comic books. And don't forget we have got Oxfam and on King's E they've got a lot of 2000 AD and they've got a lot of Walking Dead in because they know we're doing the comic convention. So if you haven't got anything to sign and again, go watch Oxfam. It's all about supporting charity, supporting local community events, supporting artists. Yeah, and supporting the, you know, the industry I love, which is comics.
[00:14:36] Speaker A: Yeah. And again, supporting independence as well.
[00:14:38] Speaker B: Yeah, man.
[00:14:40] Speaker A: It's one of those things that doesn't get shouted out enough is the great independent scene in Birmingham in a place like the Duke where you can come and listen to some great music.
They're doing tacos at the moment. I'm hoping they're still doing tacos with the comic consultant.
[00:14:52] Speaker B: Well, the great thing about the Duke is they have pop up menus every weekend they've got someone different. The station's got a currently and we'll talk about it later, a burger place which is popping up for the next three months and by sheer coincidence they're shutting down on the weekend we're shutting down and so they've promised us a very special superhero themed menu on the day.
[00:15:14] Speaker A: Even better. What more can you ask for? But yeah, hopefully the weather's going to be as beautiful it is today. We are basking.
[00:15:21] Speaker B: It never rains on high vis Famous last words.
[00:15:24] Speaker A: But we are basking in the sun here on York Road. It's such a great venue. It's one of those places to come even if the Comic Con's mansion's not on. Just come down and enjoy the vibe.
[00:15:33] Speaker B: Even if it rains, We've got backup plans. We've got the Duke, we've got Fletcher's, we've got Haringhams, we've got the station, we've got the library, we've got. It might be a tight squeeze, but we've got a backup plan. Yeah.
[00:15:44] Speaker A: So regardless of what you want to do, plenty to come here and see.
[00:15:47] Speaker B: Plenty.
[00:15:48] Speaker A: Kings Heath Public Library, venue number three.
Amazing building, amazing local resource for the community.
So quickly tell us what's going on here.
[00:15:56] Speaker B: All you need to know is we've got John Wagner, creator of Judge Dredd here. That's all you need to know. We've got a couple more 2000 AD artists, but those will be a bit of a surprise. Come on down, join the show.
[00:16:06] Speaker A: So it's 2000 AD kind of special.
[00:16:08] Speaker B: 2000 AD signing hall we're gonna grandiosely call it.
[00:16:12] Speaker A: Right, We've got out the sun because it is a baking day.
[00:16:15] Speaker B: It is hot. It is hot.
[00:16:16] Speaker A: It's a beautiful day, but it's baking day. So we've come for some liquid refreshments here at the wonderful station, which is venue number four, which is where the rat part is going to be and a few other events you can tell us about now.
[00:16:27] Speaker B: Yes. So we've got music during the day in here, in the station, in this room, as you can see. See, that's being done by a local friend of mine who's doing Refreshed, which is a kind of homage to Mosley Dance Centre. He's doing that with another friend who's got a regular night here. Stay weird. That's in the daytime. And then we move the party into the back beer garden in the evening and where Revolution Sound System will be playing for free.
Supporting the Birmingham Food bank with a live art auction.
Our artists, our creators are donating sketches, they're donating sign books, signed comics.
And so the last time we did an art auction, we, we got 500 quid.
I'm open for a thousand this time around because some of the prizes are pretty, pretty unique.
[00:17:19] Speaker A: You've got some fantastic creators who we've.
[00:17:21] Speaker B: Already talked about, great creators. I know John Wagner's come forward to support us. Will Potter's come back forward to support us, who's got a great comic called Geezer and also he's one part of the band called. He'll be doing a record sign as well as a comic book signing.
And we've still got more to come. Yeah, but the only place you're going to be able to get it is if you're here in person supporting the cause and, of course, supporting a great local boozer.
[00:17:44] Speaker A: Yeah.
So, wrapping up for today, but where can you find information about Hive is if you've not already found it? We'll put the links down below, but.
[00:17:53] Speaker B: Well, Instagram's the obvious one. We've got hi Vis Festival. We've also got a new Instagram account, hi viscomicom. You can find us on Facebook very easily. Hi Vis Festival. And by the time this goes out, our brand new website should be live, and that is hiveiscomiccon.com hyphen between the comic and the com.
[00:18:16] Speaker A: Cool. And we'll put again that link in the description so you can look at it. All right.
If you're listening to it, it'll be in the podcast description or on the geekybrummer.com. ollie, thank you very much. Looking so much forward to this.
[00:18:27] Speaker B: So am I, but thank you for your time as well.
[00:18:29] Speaker A: Right, no worries. And we shall see you soon.
[00:18:30] Speaker B: Yeah, cheers.
