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).

Join us on Monday 28 October when some of Brighton's finest comic artists, illustrators and writers get together to discuss their contributions to this amazing new collection of graphic stories about Brighton's most quirky, fantastical and dubious past. Mentored by Tim Pilcher and Paul Collicutt, with a cover and preface by Bryan Talbot, Brighton: The Graphic Novel gave the opportunity for new teams of artists and writers to collaborate: we'll ask them how they found the process. Brighton: The Graphic Novel is published by Queenspark. We meet at The Cricketers, Black Lion Street, Brighton from 6pm until late: interviews by Resonance FM comics journalist Alex Fitch start at 7.30pm.

We have two great guests for your entertainment this coming Monday - Hannah Eaton, whose debut graphic novel Naming Monsters has just been published by Myriad Editions, and the venerable Glenn Fabry, who can now reveal all about Mute, the graphic novel he is working on with film director Duncan Jones for Dark Horse.

So please join us on Monday evening from 6pm until late - interviews from 7.30pm, at the Cricketers, Black Lion Street, Brighton BN1 1ND. Sandwiches on us, and open to all.

‘A confident and assured debut graphic novel from Eaton, hugely enjoyable’ Richard Bruton, Forbidden Planet International
More about Naming Monsters here

Join our next Cartoon County session on Monday 3 June for a peek behind the doors of Montague Terrace - the 'completely demented' graphic novel by Warren & Gary Pleece (or so Rachel Cooke described it as her Observer Book of the Month). Alex Fitch will be on the sofa, asking the two Brighton-based brothers how they go about their business.

We're meeting on Monday 3 June because the last Monday of May (our usual date) is a bank holiday. Venue, as ever, is upstairs at The Cricketers, Black Lion Street, Brighton, BN1 1ND, from 6pm until late, with the interview starting at 7.30, surrounded by plenty of comics chat and fuelled by sandwiches courtesy of your hosts. Cartoon County is a cartoonist-led network, and our meetings are open to anyone with an interest in comics and cartoons: all are welcome. Hope to see you there!

Cartoonist and consultant geriatrician Dr Muna Al-Jawad will be our guest interviewee on Monday 28th January, upstairs at the Cricketers, Black Lion Street, Brighton. Muna is one of three coordinators of the Graphic Medicine conference taking place in Brighton in July this year, and will be talking about ways that local cartoonists can get involved, showcasing their work and making presentations. Muna will also be talking about her own comics: sharp, funny and spot on about the attitudes of medical colleagues from other disciplines towards geriatric medicine and the complex, yet sometimes all too simple, needs of elderly patients. Come and join us from 6pm until late - Muna will be speaking at 7pm.