Octocon

Team Hi-Ex headed off to Octocon, The National Irish Science Fiction convention, we are very honoured to have been asked back to be guests at this great event. Not only are we comic event organisers but comic creators ourselves, we feel very lucky to get to experience the industry from these different angles. We try to keep in touch with as many of the other related events across the UK as possible. When Hi-Ex started in 2008 there was only 4 or 5 comic events, I think there are more than a dozen now! One of the things that draws us to comics is how friendly and inclusive it is. Sci-Fi or 'speculative fiction' is similarly friendly and welcoming. This is why we love Octocon in Dublin.  We don't see other events as competition, but colleagues all working together to promote the medium of comics and genres within Speculative Fiction.

The event embraces; sci-fi, fantasy, comics, steam punk, horror and pretty much whatever else you can think of. Hi-Ex goers would have recognised many of the guests, and possibly not us as we would have looked a lot more relaxed compared to how you see us in Inverness!  We both had the opportunity to talk on various discussion panels and Vicky ran a workshop on 'How to draw Monsters and Demons'.  Some of the discussions were really thought provoking, raising questions such as why women are more reluctant to join in panel discussions than men and how event organisers can redress the gender balance?   We also have some more very entertaining guests lined up and ideas for activities after the weekend.

We'd like to thank the Octocon team for their supreme efforts to pull together a deliciously smooth and enjoyable weekend.

Hi-Ex's Richmond on a panel with Hi-Ex regular guests, Micheal Carroll, Sally Hurst and John Higgins.

Guest of Honour John Higgins- Currently working on Judge Dredd, gives a talk about his career in Art.

Ian Sharman, Rich, and Alan Nolan discuss humour in comics.

Alan takes part in the 'Exquisite corpse' a live comic jam in front of an audience.

Rich talks with Eoin and Ciaran from a new Irish Comic anthology 'Lightning Strike' and Artist Barry Keegan, on making comics for beginners.

If any of you get the chance to go to Octocon we thoroughly recommend it!  Meanwhile bear with us while work on a new Hi-Ex website is on-going and we work away behind the scenes to bring you a brilliant event in Inverness next spring.

remember we are also on twitter = @HiExComicCon and

 Facebook = www.facebook.com/HiExComicCon