‘Multi-layered, beautiful, heartfelt and cool…Everyone really ought to have that assortment in their lives.’ Wallis Eates, LDComics. An extract from Jenny Robins's Biscuits won the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition 2018, and was also shortlisted for the LDComics Award. Published in November 2020, it's a reminder of London life outside lockdown, how our lives once intersected in the city streets and at live events, and above all, of our friendships. Jenny will be in conversation with Alex Fitch, comics broadcaster at Resonance FM, and host of the Cartoon County monthly interviews, now, for the first time, brought to you online, in association with – and the kind assistance of – LDComics. Free, but please register here.

Teddy Jamieson at Herald Scotland described Biscuits as: ‘An epic story full of short, sharp scenes and quiet moments, with such a huge ensemble cast. The result is immersive, funny and hugely affecting.’ Want to get the insider info before the session? You can read more about this delicious book and/or purchase at a discounted price by following the link here.

Our first guests of the new decade will be John Charles and Barry May – authors of the cyberpunk detective drama TechnoFreak, which is distributed via their own company, Sunday Lunch Comics. John's work includes colouring Judge Dredd and Sinister Dexter for 2000AD, and, as a team, they've produced Spider-Man stories for Marvel UK. Come along and hear all about them! And NB it's Monday February 3rd (once again moving from the last Monday of the month – our usual slot – to the first Monday. Join us at The Southern Belle, 4, Waterloo St, Hove, from 6.30 onward, official chat beginning at 7-7.30.

Forget the last Monday in the month, we're going for a middle Tuesday! At our final meet-up of the decade we're delighted to welcome as guest Meg-John Barker, co-author (with Jules Scheele) of Queer: A Graphic History and the new Gender: A Graphic Guide. Anyone who witnessed Meg-John's keynote speech at the Graphic Medicine conference in Brighton in July will surely beat a path to the backroom of the Southern Belle, 4, Waterloo St, Hove, this Tuesday, 17th December, from 6.30pm, with chat from 7-730pm. Alex Fitch of Resonance FM will once again be our skilful interviewer, and the conversation recorded for future podcast. Be sure to join us, but if you can't, then here's happy seasonals to you and hope to see you in the new year!

Brighton cartoonist and Cartoon County habitué Zara Slattery will be talking about her work-in-progress Coma Comic at our next meeting on Monday 25 November. Join us from 6.30pm at The Southern Belle, 3 Waterloo Street, Brighton BN3 1AQ. Zara will be in conversation with Resonance FM's Alex Fitch from 7.30pm.

Coma Comic is the story of Zara’s 15-day drug-induced coma, in which she battles to protect her three children against the forces of evil that threaten to engulf her. Meanwhile, husband Dan tries to keep family life going as he faces the most difficult task of all: preparing the children for the likely loss of their mother. His diary, and that of the nurses in the Intensive Care Unit, who kept of record of Zara’s illness, interweave to make a powerful graphic memoir.

An extract from Coma Comic was shortlisted for the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition 2018 and longlisted for the Laydeez Do Comics Awards 2019. Myriad will publish Coma Comic in January 2021. Follow Zara on twitter @inksplattery and on instagram @zaraslattery

Join us on Monday 2nd September from 6.30 on for an interview with Lindsay Pollock, scriptwriter and artist on a new graphic novel, co-authored with Benjamin Dix of Positives Negatives, on whose experiences and research it is based, about families caught up in the Sri Lankan civil war. As Pipedream Comics says in an early review: ‘While the Sri Lankan civil war may not be a conflict on everyone’s radar Vanni is the kind of graphic novel which brings attention to it in a very accessible and impactful way. It is more than just a book about Sri Lanka, it’s about the horrors and futility of war in the modern age, and the devastating effect that is has on a native population. This could be applied to any modern conflict and is a reminder that even in a civilised world we are still a barbaric species, capable of horrific things. But also [a reminder] of surviving those atrocities, stronger and wiser for it. A thought-provoking and beautifully told story, this is an extraordinary piece of work that deserves the utmost praisel.’
Lindsay Pollock will be interviewed by Alex Fitch at approx 7.30pm. The venue is The Southern Belle, 4 Waterloo St, Hove, where we'll be from 6.30pm. Open to all, it's sure to be a fascinating evening.