Hi-Ex

Last year, when I took the might Murky Depths machine to Inverness for the second Hi-Ex, I travelled by train and took limited stock . . . but that’s another story. However, it did convince me that I would attend this year’s event and that I needed to take more Murky Depths as we virtually sold out, making the journey home in ’09 much more pleasant! So I decided to drive the 490 miles in my little Suzuki Ignis – which I love by the way – and take shit loads. Liz was not keen on me driving all the way in one hit but I left at 5.30 am on Friday and arrived just after 3 pm and settled into the same b&b I’d stayed at the year before.
Now, Hi-Ex is a great little comic con, and far more cosy than any other convention I’ve been to and I’d come away last year not only surprised with the excellent sales but also with some new (physical as opposed to online) friends. Most of them were there again this year but I also made some new acquaintances and had promises of artwork and stories from some surprising quarters – watch this space!
Head down at 3 am on the Friday “evening” (or it could have been later) meant a bleary-eyed breakfast, but copious cups of coffee saw me refreshed.
I was apprehensive though. Sods law dictated that I’d sell less than last year despite bringing more. I needn’t have worried. Not long after the doors opened at 11 on Saturday morning a guy came up to the table, said he’d bought Issues #2 and #3 last year and proceeded to buy the remaining nine issues!
Saturday night meant a Chinese meal with the other 60 guests and friends – most of whom were camped in the Ramada – at the same restaurant as last year and the heads-down at 2 am suddenly became 3 am as the clocks went forward, so despite having the same amount of sleep I actually felt more alive on the Sunday, which was a quieter day but we still took reasonable sales.
Vicky Stonebridge and Richmond Clemence are not only excellent hosts but great organisers and I really want to be a part of it again next year.