donalfall

Edition Book Arts

So, from listening to The Comic Cast - Ireland's number 1 comic book podcast - I discovered there was this comic & art book festival on in Dublin, in the Filmbase in Temple Bar. And it was falling on a Saturday I happened to have off. How could I not go? Especially now you can get from Galway to Dublin and back fast and cheap?

I'ld been in the Filmbase before, so I wandered straight there, getting in around one or so. There was a music and record fair on as well, so the place was a bit crowded, but there was a good atmosphere about. The free entry to Edition Book Arts was probably a fair draw for people, but there was plenty of good stuff to bring the punters in. There was a line of booths running up to the stairs, then the whole first floor was Comic and Artist's books. Mostly comics it has to be said, but there was some interesting showings in the Artist books categories as well.

The space pretty much suited the event - if there had been even a few more exhibitors, it would have been too small and a few less, too large - but it could have done with some more organisation. It's the pedant control freak part of me that was thinking about how I would have arranged it that was already talking in the back of my head when I walked up the stairs, but it was certainly no big detraction from the overall experience. There was also the Filmbase Cafe on this level, so really nice coffee was only a few steps away. I have no idea what the food was like, although it looked good. I guess it would probably be called gourmet or something similar. Another Galwegian, Diarmuid (apologies if you spell it one of the other million ways to spell it!) wandered past me with two thumbnail-sized cupcakes on a plate. Literally. Literally.

My aim was to spend my budget on Irish Comics, 1 from each table, or as close to as possible. And within the 2 hours I was there I had a decent wedge of Irish comics and books for 60-ish europes. I could easily have spent twice as much and come away with more whole series and been pretty happy with my wash. The exhibitors were generally cheery, professional and business-like, with only minor exceptions that again, were no great distraction from my time. All in all a very good day. I'ld highly recommend going to Edition Book Arts next time it rolls around. And if everything goes to plan, I'll have something there for sale.

Coming up - some quick reviews of the books I picked up, with some links to the creators.

donalfall.