The date of our next meeting is Monday 2 June, when we will be delighted to welcome Adrian Edwards, curator at the British Library, who will present some of the cartoons in the collection that have formed part of the fabulous Comics Unmasked exhibition, currently on at the British Library. Join us from 6pm, with a talk starting 7-7.30, upstairs at The Cricketers, Black Lion Street, Brighton. The exhibition, co-curated by Adrian Edwards, Paul Gravett and John Dunning, has a series of associated events, so check out the website quickly - some are already sold out. Appearances by and artwork from some of our best-loved Sussex cartoonist members...including our honorary chairman Steve Bell. And no show would be without its 'V' masks, already on display in the special comics shop...based on the original image by Cartoon County coordinator David Lloyd.

The winner of Brighton publisher Myriad Editions' First Graphic Novel Competition will be unmasked at The First Graphic Novel Award event at the Library on Friday 23rd May, where the judges, including Nicola Streeten, Woodrow Phoenix, Andy Oliver and Meg Rosoff, will discuss what guided their selection, and the shortlisted authors will be invited to show their work. The shortlisted entrants are Henny Beaumont, Jessica Martin, Jade Sarson, Francesca Cassavetti, Robert Wells and Wallis Eates. Come and cheer them along! The prize is publication by Myriad Editions and a week in a writer's retreat in France.

And that leads us up Graphic Brighton, the very next day, on 24 May, at the University of Brighton, Grand Parade. A host of local comics folks will be taking part in panels, workshops and interviews, co-curated by Alex Fitch. David Lloyd, Joe Decie, Nye Wright, Hannah Berry, Dan Locke and many other Cartoon County regulars will be there. So do click on the link now to get your tickets in advance - none for sale on the day.

Come and join us on Monday 31st March where we're in for graphic entertainment by Richy K. Chandler, creator of Lucy the Octopus and co-creator of Rosie and Jacinda. The town: Brighton; the venue: upstairs at The Cricketers, Black Lion Street; the time: 6pm onwards, with interview at 7.30pm.
Richy has written for the Wallace & Gromit newspaper strip plus Almost Naked Animals and Adventure Time comics.
As well as contributing to anthologies like Score & Script, The Girly Comic and Wu Wei, he is the originator / editor of WASP (Webcomic Artist Swap Project).
He also teaches comic creation to children and adults.
http://www.tempolush.com/
http://lucytheoctopus.net/

Our next session on Monday 24 February features the highly talented London-based artist and blogger Isobel Williams, who will be talking us through her work drawing in the UK Supreme Court - with the court’s permission (as seen on http://isobelwilliams.blogspot.co.uk/ and http://ukscblog.com ). Isobel came to this position via her drawings of the Occupy camps. Her personal blog, about drawing in society, is appropriately called ‘Drawing from an uncomfortable position’. Drawings and the lowdown on the law at 7pm, Monday, 24 February upstairs at the Cricketers, Black Lion Street, Brighton - open to all cartoonists and comics-minded folk.

Gareth Brookes and ILYA are our special guests at the 20th anniversary meeting of Cartoon County on Monday 2nd December. Gareth Brookes was winner of the inaugural 2012 First Graphic Novel Competition, and his book, The Black Project, was published in September by Myriad Editions. ILYA, the pen-name of Ed Hillyer, is the author of the graphic novel ROOM, just published by SelfMade Hero. Gareth will be interviewed by Fraser Geesin for podcast by Mindless Ones, and ILYA by Alex Fitch for broadcast by Resonance FM.

Cartoon County was the inspiration of comics fan David Edgar-Booth, who saw that Sussex was a creative hub of cartooning and wanted to create a network for local cartoonists. Coordinated by David Lloyd and Corinne Pearlman, with Fraser Geesin, Alex Fitch and a regular band of supporters, it meets (usually!) on the last Monday of every month, save Bank Holidays, away days and special occasions like this. Join us upstairs at The Cricketers, 15 Black Lion Street, Brighton, BN1 1ND from 6pm (interviews start 7pm).