Manchester G-Mex Collectormania

[Guest]

[Roz]

Ha ha - best pack the Bleathman ones then GeekBoy Now THERE's someone I'd like to see in more sketch sets, but he loves his T-birds.

CI just packed up a little early at the last Memo and the organisers have got the ump over it show politics

[Geek Boy]

Ha ha - best pack the Bleathman ones then GeekBoy Now THERE's someone I'd like to see in more sketch sets, but he loves his T-birds.

Well I've got plenty of those too!  I think I might have the single biggest collection of Tbirds sketch cards.  Over 90 at last count 

[Roz]

ooh I don't know - That Graham Bleathman has a stunning collection himself. He's a big fan as well as really one of the main t-birds artists. He was talking about whether it would be worth him getting a stall at Memorabilia (he's actually been to Memo a few times as a guest), he had a stall at the Bristol Comic Expo - great chap, but then again it's local to him. stunning artwork, and whilst we were having a chatter he drew the most amazing A4 picture ( I daren't call it a sketch in case they get me under the descriptions act ) of Thunderbird 2 for me.... what a guy *

Maybe it doesn't count as a colllection if you can draw them yourself but it was very awesome to see



*Red Dwarf Quote Alert

[m.o.b.]

New guests announced yesterday:-

Ian Somerhalder, Boone - Lost

Robert Llewellyn, Kryten - Red Dwarf

Julie Caitlin Brown - Na'Toth, Babylon 5 (hopefully this means she will have to stay in one place and not be prowling around terrorizing the paying public)

Kenneth Cope, Marty Hopkirk - Randel & Hopkirk Deceased

John Reppion and Leah Moore - Albion Comic Writers

[Roz]

Boone?? How cool is that? Thanks for letting us know.

[m.o.b.]

Here is the full guest list so far


PAUL DARROW   Blakes 7
IAN SOMERHALDER   Boone - Lost
JULIE CAITLIN BROWN   Na'Toth, Babylon 5
KENNETH COPE   Marty Hopkirk - Randel & Hopkirk Deceased

DANNY JOHN JULES   Cat - Red Dwarf, Asad - Blade II
ROBERT LLEWELLYN   Kryten - Red Dwarf

TOLGA SAFER   HP & The Goblet of Fire
MATTHEW LEWIS   Harry Potter movies
STANISLAV IANEVSKI   Viktor - Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
ROBERT PATTINSON   Cedric - Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire

KATEE SACKHOFF   Starbuck- Battlestar Galactica
JAMES CALLIS   Gaius Baltar - Battlestar Galactica

MICHAEL SHANKS   Daniel Jackson - Stargate SG-1
CHRIS JUDGE   Teal'C - Stargate: SG1   His only U.K. appearance for 2006

RAY PARK   Darth Maul - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Toad - X-Men
DAVE PROWSE   Star Wars IV-VI
KENNY BAKER   Star Wars I-VI
JAY LAGA'AIA   Star Wars II-III

JOHN RHYS DAVIES   Gimli - Lord of the Rings trilogy, Salah - Indiana Jones trilogy, Prof. Arturo - Sliders, Pushkin - James Bond: The Living Daylights
ANDY SERKIS   Kong and Lumpy the Cook - King Kong, Gollum - Lord of the Rings
SALA BAKER   Sauron / Uruk Hai - Lord of the Rings trilogy, Centaur - Chronicles of Narnia
SHANE RANGI   General Otman - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Harad Leader, Witch King of Agmar - Lord of the Rings

ANNALISE MORRIS   Boggle - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
REUBEN DEJONG   Giant - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
SEAN FRANCIS   Cyclops - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

MICHAEL DORN   Star Trek: DS9 / TNG, CHiPS
AVERY BROOKS   Star Trek: DS9 / TNG, American History X

WALTER HOWARTH   Annual cover artist Signing at the Pure Nostalgia stand
JOHN REPPION and LEAH MOORE   Albion Comic Writers

for further updates click
http://showmastersonline.com/forums/index.php?showforum=57

[CC]

Hello everyone,
I just wanted to introduce myself here. I'm Cynthia Cummens and will be attending Collectormania in February along with fellow artist Randy Martinez.  For those who don't know, we are both approved Star Wars illustrators and have been busy throughout 2004 and 2005 working on various sketch card sets such as:

Topps: Star Wars Heritage
Topps: Star Wars Revenge of the Sith
Topps: The Lord of the Rings Evolution (we are currently sketching madly away at these!)

I also worked on Breygent Three Stooges and John Wayne sketch cards and am about to begin working on 3 more sets to released in early 2006 (for Rittenhouse, Inkworks & Artbox). I  can't mention them just yet but I promise you they're VERY cool! I know you all are saving your money for those yummy autographs (Boone -whoa!:) but we will be taking orders for sketch cards and commissions all weekend! I've heard lots of great things about UK shows and I'm really excited to be attending especially since this is my first trip to England. So stop by our table and introduce yourselves!

Happy Autograph-Getting,
Cynthia & Randy
http://www.cynthiacummensart.com
http://www.randymartinez.net

[RupT]

Fantastic news Cynthia. I look forward to seeing you both there!!!

Better start exercising those sketching wrists 

[RupT]

not long to go now.......

[CC]

I cannot believe how quickly time has flown! Hope to see many of you there:)

Cynthia

[m.o.b.]

New guest and one for the HP fans

Katie Leung   Cho Chang

[Geek Boy]

Has the Yak Shak got a table?

[Sharon]

Not an official table although there will be some Shackers there.  Bogleg will be wandering around with an impossible shopping list (I usually give this to him the day before just to keep him busy  ).  Chris Chidgey (Gimli) usually has a table at the shows and has lovely cards as does Richard (Card Vault).  Hammer (from Card Talk) and Rupt will also be going 

[Bogleg]

Ian Somerhalder - Boone in Lost has jumped ship until the next Collectormania in Milton Keynes but they have managed to get Jorge Garcia - Hurley in his place 

[Geek Boy]

Not an official table although there will be some Shackers there.  Bogleg will be wandering around with an impossible shopping list (I usually give this to him the day before just to keep him busy  ).  Chris Chidgey (Gimli) usually has a table at the shows and has lovely cards as does Richard (Card Vault).  Hammer (from Card Talk) and Rupt will also be going 

Well I'll be after a couple of the Transformers Cybertron 12" figures and a few cards I need to plug some gaps.

Control, control, I must learn control!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RupT]

See y'all there chaps... can't wait!! Hope the show is as good as i'm hyping it up in my mind to be

[RupT]

PS: I don't know what any of you chaps look like, but if you know me then say "Hi' if you see me 

[Bogleg]

PS: I don't know what any of you chaps look like, but if you know me then say "Hi' if you see me 

Beware anyone looking for Rup - that is not his picture in the avatar 

[Geek Boy]

So did anyone go then?  I went for about 3 hours today.  I thought it was a little disappointing.  They make such a song and dance about the shows in the south but Manchester was a lot smaller than I expected.  Memorabilia seems much bigger.  I made a point of saying hello to Cynthia Cummens though, she was very nice and her artwork is stunning.  The LOTR Evolution sketches were wonderful, I shall definitely be keeping an eye out for those.

It was hard to see some of the guests who attended, they were all across the back of the hall with the queues in front.  But I saw Michael Shanks, Brent Spiner, Jorge Garcia, Roger Lloyd Pack, Avery Brooks and a few others.

Bought a few bits and pieces, plugged some gaps.  Got some more ideas for card framing.  There were one or two stalls with similar items to the ones I had done but a bit more intricate.  No Transformers Cybertron though.  Sniff.

Roll on the next Memo at the end of March then 

[m.o.b.]

I went to G-Mex today (Sunday) and I have to say it was a lot quieter than the Milton Keynes and London shows. Chatting to a couple of dealers, and overhearing a few conversations while browsing, I got the impression that quite a few found the show poor. I thought there were a few more card dealers than usual for a Showmasters event but the lack of any big release (ie a Buffy or Stargate set) this side of the new year meant the only cards I picked up were a couple of Stargate Season 8 promos.

As for the guests when you say you saw them do you mean you paid for the autographs or were you just wishing to catch a glimpse of them? I ask because the layout is designed for the paying punter and I have to say it worked very well. I got Michael Shank, Chris Judge, James Callis and Andy Serkis autographs and  posed photographs with ease.

And if you want more from the event may I suggest you try the guest talks. I never bothered with them before but attended the Battlestar Galactica (James Callis and Katee Sackhoff) and the Andy Serkis talks. Both were very entertaining and informative and made me regret not going before.

I would agree that Memorabilia is bigger but I would suggest Collectormania is aimed at a slightly different market. When I go to this type of event I am primarily attracted by the guest signings and the stalls are almost there for something to do while waiting for my ticket number to come up. However when I attend Memorabilia, usually in November, I go for the stalls.
I think you will have to give this event time to ‘bed down’, the first London show Showmasters did is supposed to have made a hefty loss and Collectormania did not really take off until the fourth show.