Convention appearances autumn/winter 2024

Posted on by Dan Whitehead

Here’s a quick rundown of where you’ll be able to find me tabling at comic shows between now and 2025.

Sunday 27 October – Halloween Spooky Con, Urmston

On Sunday 27th October in conjunction with Trafford Libraries, I’ll be appearing at Halloween Spooky Con at Urmston Library. This is a free to enter event for the whole family with guests from film, TV and comics, plus traders. Things kick off at 11am and run through until 3.30pm. More details here.

Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 November – Thought Bubble, Harrogate

Thought Bubble is the biggest and best comics festival in the UK, attracting hundreds of comic creators from around the world. I’ll be there, as always, touting my wares. Taking place in Harrogate Convention Centre, with other events and exhibitions around the town, tickets are available now – but are selling fast. More details here.

Saturday 7 December – Sale Christmas Comic Con, Sale

One cheeky last show before the end of the year. This festive family show is free and will be taking over the Stanley Square shopping centre with special guests (including Dennis the Menace artist Nigel Parkinson) and cool activities (such as a life-sized Star Wars X-Wing). More details here.

Interview: Talking Terrahawks with Sequential 21

Posted on by Dan Whitehead

Just a quick update to point you in the direction of an interview I did with Gerry Anderson fansite Sequential 21, talking about writing the new Terrahawks comics for the Spectrum anthology.

I talk about my history with Gerry Anderson’s TV shows, my love of Terrahawks in particular and get into some non-spoilery nitty gritty about coming up with new stories for these beloved characters.

You can read the interview here: https://sequentialtwentyone.wordpress.com/2022/07/29/sequential-21-interviews-spectrums-dan-whitehead/

Out today: my Clockwork Orange cover feature for Big Issue North

Posted on by Dan Whitehead

This week’s edition of Big Issue North (#1442, 25 July) features my cover feature on Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange and the author’s complicated relationship with his best known work following Stanley Kubrick’s notorious movie adaptation.

Image

The article is based on original documents, letters and clippings from the Burgess Foundation, and includes a wonderful image of Burgess’ own paperback edition of Clockwork Orange from 1972, with the famous David Pelham minimalist cover, defaced by the author himself.

If you can buy a copy from a Big Issue North vendor, please do. Vendors are all homeless or vulnerably housed and every copy sold puts money directly in their pocket, and enables Big Life Trust to help them rebuild their lives. You can find your nearest vendor here.

However, the magazine is also available in select supermarkets such as Co-op, and digital copies are available direct from Issuu.

2022 Convention Appearances!

Posted on by Dan Whitehead

Would you like to see my face this year? My actual real life face? In actual real life? These are the currently confirmed conventions where you’ll be able to find me for the rest of 2022…

2 July
MaccPow
http://maccpow.co.uk/

30-31 July
MegaCon Manchester
https://megaconlive.com/manchester/

10 September
ICE Birmingham
https://internationlcomicexpo.wordpress.com/

29 October
Nottingham Comic Con
https://nottinghamcomiccon.co.uk/

12-13 November
Thought Bubble
https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/

Launching this week: Minecraft English workbooks with story material by me!

Posted on by Dan Whitehead

This is something I’ve been itching to share with the world. For the last year I’ve been working with renowned educational publisher Collins (part of HarperCollins) on a series of six official Minecraft workbooks for primary school children.

Each one features reading and writing tasks in line with the National Curriculum, aimed at ages 5 to 11. My contribution has been to weave an authentic Minecraft story through each book, incorporating these tasks, so kids feel like they’re joining our characters on an actual adventure rather than just doing homework.

Each book has been written in conjunction with Minecraft developer Mojang to ensure everything that happens makes sense within the world of the game, and as the books become more advanced so do the stories and adventures, culminating in a quest to defeat the mighty Ender Dragon.

The books are on sale from November 4th priced just £4.99. You can get them via Amazon or direct from Collins here.

Where to find me at Thought Bubble 2021

Posted on by Dan Whitehead

I’ll be attending the always-wonderful Thought Bubble comic convention on November 13th and 14th, where my new graphic novel Hex Loader will be making its public debut. I’ll also have copies of most of my other comics work for sale.

Thought Bubble takes place at the Harrogate Convention Centre and if you have tickets for last year’s cancelled event, it’s still valid this year. If not, you can buy tickets here.

I’ll be on Table 54 in the Comixology Originals hall. Hopefully I’ll see you there!

Hex Loader now funding on Kickstarter

Posted on by Dan Whitehead

You’ve still got a couple of weeks to back my new graphic novel, Hex Loader, on Kickstarter.

Hex Loader is a coming of age story about a young man, far outside his comfort zone and forced to define himself for the first time. It’s a rumination on practical magic, the messy nature of creativity and the compromises we make along the way. It’s a love letter to 1980s computer games, Vertigo comics and underground counter-culture.

And it’s a comic about old friends, new friends, occult code, skeleton monsters and an imaginary wombat with a really big machine gun.

Some of you may have seen the earlier issues of Hex Loader (three were published between 2016 and 2018) but this complete edition concludes the story with those three chapters plus over 60 more pages of new material.

As well as the 152-page book in physical or digital form, all backers will also receive a bonus retro ZX Spectrum game based on the story! This is an actual Spectrum game, and can only be played on an emulator (included with the game) or by copying it to audio tape and loading it on authentic Sinclair hardware like the old days!

The campaign has already met its funding target, the pages are all complete and being lettered, so it’s only a matter of time before it’s ready for your eager eyes.

My short story Root, Branch and Thorn is available now

Posted on by Dan Whitehead

Fantastic website Horrified has released a suitably autumnal anthology of folk horror tales, and I’m thrilled to say that one of mine – Root, Branch and Thorn – is one of them.

It’s an ebook, and can be purchased for £4.99 directly from Horrified’s online shop.

Here’s a taste of my story, in which a scheming politician’s high speed rail line comes up against the immovable forces of nature…