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Who's Who in the CBU 1674AD

A writer for over twenty years, Tony spent over ten years working internationally for a variety of television, radio and magazines as a feature and script writer, winning several awards doing so.

In 2003 he returned to comic writing, and since then has written for Marvel Comics, Walker Books, AAM/Markosia Entertainment, Panini Comics and Titan Publishing, for properties such as X-Men, Amazing Fantasy, Doctor Who, Starship Troopers, Wallace & Gromit and Shrek. With 'Two Drunk Guys In A Bar' partner Dan Boultwood he has created The Gloom for APC and in 2006 he adapted G.P. Taylor's The Tizzle Sisters and Eric and the bestselling children's book Shadowmancer. His creator owned book, Midnight Kiss, was nominated for an Eagle award in 2006.

His upcoming work includes Hope Falls for AAM/Markosia (again with Dan Boultwood), Dodge & Twist for AiT/PlanetLar, Warrior Nun Areala: Excommunicated for Antarctic Press, Robin Hood: Outlaw's Pride and the comic adaption of Anthony Horowitz's Raven's Gate series, both by Walker Books. He's also the writer of the new IDW series Doctor Who: The Forgotten with Pia Guerra on art.

Con-Tested...

By Tony Lee

So. I'm writing this on my trusty old HTC because my laptop can't get wifi unless I pay a small child for it, and there are none to hand... And as such this won't be the longest column I've done, mainly as this takes twice as long as any other medium to type. Which is usually fine but it's the final day of the New York convention and I have a hundred and one things still to do. And Comics Bulletin head honcho Keith Dallas has just bumped into me and I told him that I was almost done. Like a writer ever tells the truth on a deadline!

Currently? I'm in the professionals area of the convention, a cordoned off area of the convention floor where people with the relevant pass can enter, eat free popcorn, drink free coke and breathe free oxygen. No, I shit you not. They have an oxygen bar here—you place these plastic tubes up your nose and breathe deep a variety of flavoured, well, smells, looking like an intensive care victim as you do so. Apparently because it's pure oxygen? It heightens your senses, makes you more alert. In reality? You spend a few minutes going 'wow, I'm breathing oxygen' and then like an ADD child with a remote control you're bored and off on the next thing.

Molly Crabapple has just come by telling me just how much she loves interacting with the fans. If you see her at a convention? Go give her a hug. She loves it.

New York, New York. How I love you so, you skyscraper-laden temptress of a city. And how you have looked after me this last week. For those of you out there who don't know what happened to me over the last few days? It's been a ride. I landed Tuesday afternoon and by random luck and pure chance managed to arrive at immigration directly before two similar flights, which meant that we got through within ten minutes rather than two hours. Because of this I was able to check in, shower and then get out to Comic Book Club live, where I was a special guest with Robbi Rodriguez and Christos Gage. Unfortunately I was taken there by Kevin Colden and Neil Kleid who decided to do it via a bar, and thus my downfall was orchestrated. And from there it was to the CBLDF party in downtown Manhattan where I got to see a whole truckload of Indie darling celebrity friends including Liz Genco and Leland Purvis, NYC's tag team of sex - Dean Haspiel and Dan Goldman, Greg Thompson and his wife Jen, Brendan Deneen and Rich Emms, Heidi MacDonald and Ivan Brandon... Hmm. I've been told I'm not allowed to namedrop this column and this is going to be a problem, as well a convention like this? It's eighty percent meeting and hanging out with people, and if I can't name and shame them... I'll just have to do it in photos.

Tony Lee, Dean Haspiel, Neil Kleid, alcohol. Picture by Heidi MacDonald

To cut a long story short I managed to hang out with a lot of great people and catch up with fellow Brits Jamie 'future of comics' McKelvie and Ben McCool, while also seeing Simon Fraser, our well travelled ex-pat. I also got to meet Molly Crabapple for the first time and Warren Ellis is right – she is tiny, and she smiles and looks all innocent – but you know that secretly? She's killing you. With her mind rays.

Wednesday was a fun day as I managed to electrocute myself on a dodgy power socket and in doing so get an upgrade to an executive suite. And that has been a godsend because hotel rooms in NYC? They ain't that big, guys. And so for the last week I've had a room with a sofa and two adjoining bedrooms where I've lived the celebrity lifestyle. Well, until every twenty minutes where the massive vent/fan outside my window goes off and nobody can hear a thing for about a minute.

On Wednesday I also managed to blag my way into a Mets game with comics chum Sean Dulaney – we had these passes that pretty much allowed us anywhere, me being the jolly old British press, what, and I managed to hang out by the dugout during batting practice. Don't believe me? Read and weep, sucker.

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Jet lag kicks in at the Mets – Tony by the Mets Dugout, Shea Stadium

And of course the game was great. I've been a Mets fan for five years now, ever since seeing them for the first time in 2003, and not only was I able to see a game, not only is there a TV station in NYC dedicated to the Mets, but they had a winning streak that pretty much covered the entire time I was here. Go Mets.

Wednesday was also the start of my week of work, and I was able to get to the DC offices to catch up with a couple of editor friends – well when I say that, they couldn't really not let me in as I was gripping their legs and sobbing as they walked through the entrance. But after a couple of hours seeing things that are coming up including some incredible Billy Tucci art for Sgt Rock and extolling the joys of old 80's British Anti-smoking Superman villain 'Nick O'Teen' I left, but not before being dragged to the third floor for some NYCC free ice cream. Yummy.

Thursday was 'tourist day' and I did the only tourist thing of the entire week – I went to the Empire State Building with Sean, a country mouse in a big city. Personally I'm 'meh' with the building, it's a lot of queuing and I'm not great in queues at the best of times, but I managed to keep it together and only killed a couple of children. Then it was to the Javits centre to start helping set up the Markosia booth – I wasn't really there much with Markosia this year, having paid my own way – but Harry's a mate and he really was up against the wire here with a ton of stock and a small amount of space to place it in. And with NYCC charging your first born child for everything, ensuring that when you arrive there's no table, chairs or even carpet, there was a lot of running around. But I still managed to say hi to a couple of guys which was good and in the evening made it to the Captain Action after party where I met Ed Catto and Joe Ahearne, two guys who have taken their love for a sixties figure and breathed new life into it. Also there was Rich Emms, whose Flash Gordon comic pretty much blew everyone away all weekend.

Sean Dulaney, Bart Thompson, Tony Lee – hung over, tired, Sunday.

And then we hit Friday, and the convention itself. And to be honest? As all conventions do at this point? It gets very hazy. Third 'roomie' Bart Thompson arrived. I was introduced to the joys of the Landsdown Rd bar, where pretty much the entire British contingent had managed to discover and at points it felt more like a Bristol con than a US one. Highlights included Al Ewing explaining why Batman 'doesn't hug unless he means it' and the DC creative staff getting jerseys for drinking fifty shots or something. Apparently it took them almost a year. It would take Dan Boultwood a night. I went to the Chesterfest/Marvel party and learned old war stories of William Christiensen. Mike Oeming gave me the original page of Powers v2 #17 where he drew me as a short lived barman. I gave him cooties in return. I felt it was a fair trade. He tried to out 'shirt and tie' me on the Saturday. He failed. Josh Fialkov took me to lunch with Marc Bernardin as a thank you for me bringing him a box of forty rolls of sugar light wine gums. I am the sweeties pusher of the West Coast. It was good to see both of these guys, and I didn't get to spend enough time with them over the weekend. San Diego, guys. San Diego. I met Melody Anderson, the real Dale Arden. I learned the truth about TNA wrestlers. I got to sit down albeit it briefly with old friend and rock god Jazan Wild and his gorgeous wife Sharon.

That was surreal. I'm writing this at the convention? And I've just signed a book for a fan called Bill who loves this column. And as he's probably the only one of you who does read this? Here's to you, Bill.

Tony meets Bill, who reads this column. Everyone say hi to Bill.

Of course, one of the big things about NYCC is 'how much work did you get? ' Well, I can't answer that, but what I can say is that I've done far better than I ever considered, considering that I actually wasn't here to pitch and the next year could be very interesting. I'm looking at the opportunity of doing something with a character that I've spent my whole life loving, and that alone made the convention for me before the bloody thing had even started. In addition I have a couple of opportunities and the one I can say I'm doing is that I'm writing a Captain Action one shot spin off starring newly created female character Lady Action for Moonstone, shown below played by the lovely Nikki. Although she's a new character she's rich in story – and is going to be very much a Black Widow meets Emma Peel type character. I've already discussed some ideas and I'm looking forwards to kicking it off this week. Did I mention how totally into it Joe and Ed are? It's actually refreshing to see comics coming out that people are really passionate about. And of course they hired Mark Sparacio which means they obviously know what they're doing.

Lady Action and British Fop ready for duty, Sah!

And so tomorrow we fly home, but not before one last party, the post con bash at the Irish Rogue. And tearful farewells and clasped hands. But unlike San Diego, where you know that most likely you won't see these guys until the following year? I have Bristol in three weeks and many of these guys will be there, and in a couple of months it's San Diego, and we start this rollercoaster all over again.

And on that note I must go now, as the con is closing and I'd promised I'd go for a drink with David Gallaher. And he'll cry if I don't. They all do, you know. I'm the ultimate Brit accessory...

Toodle pip, old chaps until next week...

ENDNOTE: It's lunchtime on the Monday and I'm uploading this in a bar. I've just had a pleasant end to the weekend with a media lunch with Marc Bernardin on the EW bill and that sits fine and dandy with me, kiddies. It's great to be doing the things that five years ago I only dreamed of, lunch around the corner from 1700 Broadway, emailing publishers while I do so. Of course the emails are from an anonymous account and are screaming 'I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE' and suchlike, but whatever works, right? And I have to end this with something I haven't really mentioned – that I love New York. I feel at home here, everyone's been incredibly friendly and I have fallen in love again with this city. I will be back – and next time, it'll be for more than just a convention. And then I might even understand how the money works, what with tips and taxes and suchlike...