The Scottish Comic Book Apprciation Thread of EVERYTHING!

[The Riddle Factory]

As a Scotsman and someone who loves comic books I thought it would be good to start a thread to chat about, celebrate and discuss all the characters, artists, writers, conventions and basically anything in or to do with this gorgeous country.

This will be a constant work in progress so let me know if anything should be added to the this top thread and we can possibly build a reference page and one stop shop to discuss all of this.

After all Scotland is the home of the world’s first modern comic in ‘Glasgow Looking Glass’, which was first released in Glasgow in 1826.


Scottish Comic Book Characters:
Some of the comic book characters from Scotland who are best known are probably Moira MacTaggart, Proteus, Mirror Master (Evan McCulloch), Timesmasher and Bible John Carik but I will list them all as we go, if any are missing let me know.

Mirror Master (Evan McCulloch)


When it comes to writers and artists we have some of the best.

Scottish Comic Book Writers and Artists:
You will, I am sure of heard about a couple of guys called Grant Morrison , Mark Millar or Alan Grant?
What about the artists Jock (Mark Simpson), Gary Erskine or the phenomenal Frank Quitely?

Jock cover for Detective Comics 880


Again I will create a list on the top post as a kind of reference.

Conventions:
Scottish comic book conventions have been on an increase in popularity which is fantastic news and here are a list of them (let me know if I have missed any):

Glasgow Comic Com Glasgow Comic Con. Scotland's comic book Festival at the CCA Glasgow.
WEBSITE

Dee-Con (Dundee) Dee Con (previously known as DOJ-CON) is a free anime, comics, games and animation convention, held on all 5 floors of our famous University of Dundee Union. It’s a whole day of jolly good fun, featuring artists tables, film screenings, industry presentations, cosplaying, and a whole lot more! It is also the fundraiser for the animation Degree Show at DJCAD, Dundee.

Granite City Comic Con (Aberdeen) Aberdeen's first ever comic-con. GRANITE CITY COMIC-CON ANNOUNCED! APPROACHING YOUR SECTOR - MAY 2015 - GCCC is a pop culture event featuring special guests, art and writing workshops, children’s activities, cosplay, retailers and independent publishers. GCCC is set to be a great day out for die-hard fans and casual geeks alike.
WEBSITE

Edinburgh Comic Con (Hero Conventions) Edinburgh Comic Con is one of the many events run by Hero Conventions. The inaugural event took place on 12th & 13th April 2014, featuring a wide selection of guests from the world of comics, film & tv.
WEBSITE

MCM Scotland Comic Con The inaugural MCM Scotland Comic Con was the largest comic convention the country has ever seen – and this year’s event promises to be even bigger! Running across the whole weekend for the first time, Scotland Comic Con returns to Glasgow’s SECC for another instalment of geeky goodness on 6-7 September 2014.
WEBSITE

Publishers:
We also have some great Scottish comic book publishers like DC Thompson, Black Hearted Press and La Baguette Noir Press.

DC Thompson - Scottish publishing company based in Dundee, best known for producing The Dundee Courier, The Sunday Post, Oor Wullie, The Broons, The Beano, The Dandy and Commando comics.
WEBSITE

Black Hearted Press - Black Hearted Press is Scotland’s leading independent comic book publisher; promoting new, exciting and diverse creator owned, collaborative comic books.
WEBSITE

La Baguette Noir Press - Founded late 2011 by writer Chris Robertson and artist Greg Fisher, Baguette Noir initial focus was on our first publication - OLD WORLD ORDER. Since then we've produced three issues of that book, contributed work to other local publications and brought together Aberdeen's local scene of creators. In 2013 we started to bring our madness to masses at a number of events, included MCM Glasgow Comic Con and Hero Conventions. As an imprint our aim is to bring readers an original thrilling mix of Science Fiction, Adventure, and Horror comic, with a healthy dose of weirdness.
WEBSITE

Diamond Steel Comics - Diamondsteel Comics Limited is a graphic novel and comic book publisher based in Dundee Scotland. It is responsible for critically acclaimed graphic novel series "Saltire". The company is jointly owned by John Ferguson and Clare Ferguson and was setup in early 2013.
WEBSITE

Saltire
Saltire Invasion is the first in a series centring round Scotland’s first comic book superhero, the dark and gritty world of the main character is a pseudo-history of the country and its mythology. Set entirely in the landscape of Scotland during pivotal moments from the past the novel will be familiar to those who enjoy the rich legends and traditions of Scotland.
Saltire Invasion has been nominated for Best British Comic (colour) at the TrueBelievers Awards at London ComicCon (formerly Eagle Awards).
The follow up Saltire Annihilation is out in September. Also the Gaelic Edition of Saltire invasion is due out in August and is being launched at Edinburgh Literary Festival.

Other places worthy of a mention are:

Graphics Scotland - Graphic Scotland is an independent organisation aiming to bring together Scottish-based writers, artists and publishers in national and international collaborations to create diverse and innovative new graphic fiction.
We aim to support grassroots writers and visual artists who are creating comics in Scotland, and to encourage those who haven’t thought about it to throw away their preconceptions, and consider making comics in their own way.
WEBSITE

SICBA (Scottish Independent Comic Book Alliance) - S.I.C.B.A was founded by Sha Nazir and John Farman in April 2011, in response to the growing wealth of output from comic creators in the local scene. This response led to the inaugural S.I.C.B.A Comic Book Awards in partnership with the ‘Mackintosh Creative Design Award’ taking place at the Glasgow Comic Con 2011. This was followed by a ‘pop up’ indy comic shop and exhibition of all nominees.
In January 2014, S.I.C.B.A. formed a partnership with the Big Comic Page with the intention of expanding its reach and helping to further fulfil its aims and objectives.
S.I.C.B.A has taken small steps in growing the profile and prestige of the awards and its influence. S.I.C.B.A is a non-profit organisation, run by volunteers, dedicated to the promotion of local comic books, graphic novels and sequential art in its many forms, as well as comic creators; artists, writers, colourists, letterers, designers or editors.
WEBSITE

PLEASE READ HERE:
This is a thread in progress so if anything is wrong and needs edited or something should be removed/added please let me know and I will get it resolved.

List of Scottish Comic Book Characters:
Aberdeen Angus
Alistaire Stuart
Angus MacWhirter
Bible John
Bridgit Shane
Broons Family
Claymore
Cu Sith
Dark Mairi
Fiona McMurdo
Ghost Girl
Hot-Shot Hamish
Jonothon Cayre
Joseph MacTaggert
Kilgore Slaughter
Knight Templar
Korgo
Kylun
Louis*
McMurdo
Moira MacTaggart
Ocelot
Oor Wullie*
Perseus
Proteus
Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane
Reverend Craig
Scrooge McDuck
Shoulders McGill
Silver Death
Spoor
Squire
The Bogie Man
Timesmasher
Vulcan
Wild Child

List of Scottish Comic Book Writers:
Alan Grant
Craig Conlan
David A. McIntee
Denise Mina
Eddie Campbell
Gordon Rennie
Graham McNeill
Grant Morrison
Ian Rankin
John Wagner (Born USA, brought up in Scotland)
Mark Millar
R D Low
Sean Michael Wilson

List of Scottish Comic Cook Artists:
Craig Conlan
David Law
Eddie Campbell
Frank Quitely
Gary Erskine
Jim Petrie
Jock
Metaphrog
Scottish Cartoon Art Studio
Sydney Jordan
Tom Paterson

[Billy Batson]

I see someone left out John Wagner from the list of writers. Tsk tsk.

[Daryl]

If it's not Scottish, it's crap!

[The Riddle Factory]

I see someone left out John Wagner from the list of writers. Tsk tsk.

Fixed

He was born in the states and brought up in Scotland but he can get in there hahaha

[The Riddle Factory]

If it's not Scottish, it's crap!

That’s really not what the aim of the thread was for, it was meant as a place to speak about the latest cons, seeing some independent books and supporting local talent or seeing what people who lived in the same town as you are doing at major publishing companies if that’s the case.

Scotland is a small place and so I just thought it was a good idea, maybe I am wrong.
That’s really not what the aim of the thread was for, it was meant as a place to speak about the latest cons, seeing some independent books and supporting local talent or seeing what people who lived in the same town as you are doing at major publishing companies if that’s the case.

Scotland is a small place and so I just thought it was a good idea, maybe I am wrong.

[Daryl]

That’s really not what the aim of the thread was for, it was meant as a place to speak about the latest cons, seeing some independent books and supporting local talent or seeing what people who lived in the same town as you are doing at major publishing companies if that’s the case.

Scotland is a small place and so I just thought it was a good idea, maybe I am wrong.
That’s really not what the aim of the thread was for, it was meant as a place to speak about the latest cons, seeing some independent books and supporting local talent or seeing what people who lived in the same town as you are doing at major publishing companies if that’s the case.

Scotland is a small place and so I just thought it was a good idea, maybe I am wrong.

I may not be bridging the generation/and or cultural gap very well. That was from a Saturday Night Live skit from the late 80s/early 90s. Mike Myers was the curmudgeonly proprietor of a store (in the US) that sold "all things Scottish." That was his motto or catchphrase, if you will. I have no way to link to youtube or anything like that from here. I thought it was a funny sketch and he was actually a fan of Scotland. No disrespect meant.

[The Riddle Factory]

I may not be bridging the generation/and or cultural gap very well. That was from a Saturday Night Live skit from the late 80s/early 90s. Mike Myers was the curmudgeonly proprietor of a store (in the US) that sold "all things Scottish." That was his motto or catchphrase, if you will. I have no way to link to youtube or anything like that from here. I thought it was a funny sketch and he was actually a fan of Scotland. No disrespect meant.

I kind of had an inkling it was something like that as Kevin Bridges does a similar about everything getting “Scotch” to make it better like “Scotch” tape and “Scotch” eggs etc ect hahaha.

[king mob]

Scotland is a small place

It is and it isn't. Scotland has always overachieved in a number of fields, and the world of comics is just one example of it. However the Scottish comics scene is really based around the central belt, and mainly round Glasgow. Thanks to a small, but enthusiastic bunch of fans back in the 1970's and 80's a fandom was welded together, along with a number of fans crossing the line to become professionals thanks mainly to the frequent marts and signings at AKA a scene grew up from being small, to something much larger.

However because Glasgow is a Big Fish in a relatively small pond, it also acts like an echo chamber so it's actually easier to grab a media career in Glasgow, than say, London. It's one of the reasons why Glasgow is a such a hub for comics talent and another reason why the likes of Mark Millar ends up in the national press so often as Scottish articles are rehashed for a national audience.

So yes, Scotland is smallish.

[Charles RB]

Don't forget DC Thompson - they dominated UK comics for decades, and they're still one of our few domestic publishers.

[dupersuper]

[The Riddle Factory]

Don't forget DC Thompson - they dominated UK comics for decades, and they're still one of our few domestic publishers.

Added, must have been having an off day to forget this one hahaha

[TroubleWithTrebles]

There is another name/sprouting indie publisher to add here but they are guilty of neutering themselves a bit with "tall poppies syndrome" so we shall wait and see if they cease being Sluagh and start being Seelie.

[Mari]

I am not a fan of any of the comic book characters, but yay for Grant Morrison! It was his New X-Men story that got me interested and started with reading the X-Men

[TroubleWithTrebles]

Hopefully you have also read Arkham Asylum (first printing). It redefined graphnovs as much as Violent Cases.

[jimijokk]

List of Scottish Comic Book Characters:
Aberdeen Angus
Alistaire Stuart
Angus MacWhirter
Bible John
Bridgit Shane
Claymore
Cu Sith
Dark Mairi
Fiona McMurdo
Ghost Girl
Jonothon Cayre
Joseph MacTaggert
Kilgore Slaughter
Knight Templar
Korgo
Kylun
Louis*
McMurdo
Moira MacTaggart
Ocelot
Oor Wullie*
Perseus
Proteus
Reverend Craig
Scrooge McDuck
Shoulders McGill
Silver Death
Spoor
Squire
The Bogie Man
Timesmasher
Vulcan
Wild Child

Where's Hot-Shot Hamish??