Caption (comics convention)
Encyclopedia
CAPTION is an annual comic
convention
specialising in British small press comics
. It was first held in Oxford
in January 1992, subsequently being held in summer each year. Loosely based around a theme, each year's event offers panels and workshops related to small press comics along with the opportunity to buy and sell them. There is also a significant social aspect.
CAPTION has differed from other conventions by breaking down the distinction between named guests and other attendees, avoiding segregation or special treatment of guests. In addition it prioritizes the social interaction of attendees by encouraging comics creators to place their publications on the CAPTION stall, managed by a rota of volunteers.
by Adrian Cox, Damian Cugley, Jeremy Dennis, and Jenni Scott, CAPTION is currently the longest-running comic
convention
in Britain. It has undergone a number of changes of organizing committee during that time while continuing to be run by a core of Oxford-based comics creators, fans, and connoisseurs.
Between 1992
and 2003
CAPTION took place in the Oxford Union Society, subsequently moving to Wolfson College
for 2004
and 2005
. It is currently held at the East Oxford Community Centre.
Themes and guests for the individual years include:
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
convention
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
specialising in British small press comics
British small press comics
British small press comics, once known as stripzines, are comic books self-published by amateur cartoonists and comic book creators, usually in short print runs, in the UK. A "small press comic" is essentially a zine composed predominantly of comic strips. The term emerged in the early 1980s to...
. It was first held in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in January 1992, subsequently being held in summer each year. Loosely based around a theme, each year's event offers panels and workshops related to small press comics along with the opportunity to buy and sell them. There is also a significant social aspect.
CAPTION has differed from other conventions by breaking down the distinction between named guests and other attendees, avoiding segregation or special treatment of guests. In addition it prioritizes the social interaction of attendees by encouraging comics creators to place their publications on the CAPTION stall, managed by a rota of volunteers.
History
Founded in 19921992 in comics
-Year overall:* Image Comics explodes onto the scene, releasing eight ongoing and limited series, starting with Youngblood in April; followed by Spawn in May; Savage Dragon in July; and Brigade, Shadowhawk, and WildC.A.T.S. in August....
by Adrian Cox, Damian Cugley, Jeremy Dennis, and Jenni Scott, CAPTION is currently the longest-running comic
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
convention
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
in Britain. It has undergone a number of changes of organizing committee during that time while continuing to be run by a core of Oxford-based comics creators, fans, and connoisseurs.
Between 1992
1992 in comics
-Year overall:* Image Comics explodes onto the scene, releasing eight ongoing and limited series, starting with Youngblood in April; followed by Spawn in May; Savage Dragon in July; and Brigade, Shadowhawk, and WildC.A.T.S. in August....
and 2003
2003 in comics
-January:* January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.- April :* Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau...
CAPTION took place in the Oxford Union Society, subsequently moving to Wolfson College
Wolfson College, Oxford
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Located in north Oxford along the River Cherwell, Wolfson is an all-graduate college with over sixty governing body fellows, in addition to both research and junior research fellows. It caters to a wide range of...
for 2004
2004 in comics
-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
and 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
. It is currently held at the East Oxford Community Centre.
Themes and guests for the individual years include:
- 1992 No specific theme
- 1993 Comics: Art or Trash? Debating the status of comics within culture
- 1994 Sex & Drugs & Rock'n'Roll Including Hunt EmersonHunt EmersonHunt Emerson is a cartoonist living and working in Birmingham, England. He was closely involved with the Birmingham Arts Lab of the mid-to-late 1970s, and with the British underground comics scene of the 1970s and 1980s...
, Pete LovedayPete LovedayPete Loveday is a British underground cartoonist. He drew many comics charting the adventures of hippie character Russell including Big Bang Comics, Big Trip Travel Agency, Plain Rapper Comix printed by AK Press....
, Bryan TalbotBryan TalbotBryan Talbot is a British comic book artist and writer, born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1952. He is best known as the creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire.-Career:...
as guests - 1995
- 1996 Lazy CAPTION
- 1997 EuroCAPTION Including FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's David B, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's Max, and the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
' Maaike Hartjes as guests - 1998 The Death of CAPTION
- 1999 SpaceCAPTION1999 Including Bryan TalbotBryan TalbotBryan Talbot is a British comic book artist and writer, born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1952. He is best known as the creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire.-Career:...
as guest. - 2000 You cannot kill that which is already dead
- 2001 Love is ... CAPTION 2001
- 2002 CAPTION Noir
- 2003 CyberCAPTION Including Carla Speed McNeilCarla Speed McNeilCarla Speed McNeil born in Hammond, Louisiana, is an American sci-fi writer, cartoonist, and illustrator of comics, best known for the science fiction comic book series Finder.-Career:...
as guest - 2004 CAPTION is History Including Al Davison and Pat MillsPat MillsPat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
as guests - 2005 Bargain Basement CAPTION
- 2006 CAPTION Remix
- 2007 Dreams and Nightmares
- 2008 Timewarp CAPTION
- 2009 CAPTION is away with the fairies
Other associated British small press names
- Ed PinsentEd PinsentEd Pinsent is a British cartoonist, artist and writer born 1960 in Liverpool.-Biography:Pinsent has written and drawn his own small press comics since 1982, including characters such as Primitif, Henrietta and Windy Wilberforce...
was an early star of Caption conventions selling his Fast FictionFast FictionFast Fiction was a market stall, magazine, mail order distributor and news sheet that played a key role in the history of British small press comics...
on his stall. - In 1993 Andy Roberts moved to Oxford and was able to lend his considerable experience in art and design to the convention.
- In 1994 Peter Pavement started selling zines from around the world as well as repackaging other small press comics, and his zine Pavement Pizza became Ground Level.