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1 Sky Watchers of the Stone Age Dr Euan Mackie looks back to the days when standing stones, cairns and stone circles weren’t viewed as tourist attractions but state of the art astronomical observatories. Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, Glasgow, Thu 27 Jul.
3 The H Block Hunger Strike Irish and Scottish writers discuss the impact of the H Block hunger strike 25 years on, as part of the Irish community festival, Feile Scotland. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, Fri 28 Jul.
* Glasgow Evergreen What could be better for a summer's afternoon than taking in the sight and scents of hundreds of sweet peas (pictured), roses and carnations at the annual SNSPRCS show? Glasgow Botanic Gardens, 730 Great Western Road, Glasgow, Sat 29 8 Sun 30 Jul.
* Stockbrldge Saunter Discover the social and natural heritage of this beautiful part of the Water of Leith on this guided walk from Dean Bridge to Canonmills. Old Bell '3 Brae Bridge, Dean Village, Edinburgh, Sun 30 Jul.
THE BEST EVENTS, TALKS AND SPORT
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Whether you re 3 comics aficionado or a graphic novel virgin, Scotland’s latest comics mart has something for everyone, as Henry Northmore discovers.
ou can‘t lia\c miwcd thc glut ol comic book inxpircd iiio\ic\ hitting thc big \L‘I'L‘L‘ll oxcr tlic laxt lc\\ )c‘arx. Xulh'll. Spit/cr-lluii. l/u/k. \' Ii)!” li'm/t'llu. But/mm lit'ui/ix and Sir/Minion /\’clurii\ lia\ c tlll lk‘c‘li lllL‘l'ctllltl) \UL'L'L'\\l.Ul lll lc‘l'lll\ Ul- htl\ (llllL'C taking“ and critical acclaim. .-\iid thci'c'x no bcttcr ad\ci‘t l‘or tlic di\cr\it_\ that iiiodci‘ii coiiiicx and graphic Iltl\c‘l\ lia\c to till-Cl than thc dcptli and cmotioii ol' lcxx ob\ ioux. IltlllNthL‘l'llL‘l'tl. comic to lilm thlttplillltllh ll'roiii Sin (lit and l/l\lill'_\ of liu/t'ni't' to (film! lliu‘li/ and NIH“! Io I’vnlilnuil. But it _\ou \\;iiit to go to thc \ourcc matcrial. it can bc trick} to track do“ ii \tilllL‘ ol' thc lcl‘tlicld \llltlll pl‘c‘\\ and altcrnatixc titlcx. li\cn back isxucx l'i‘oiii tlic big lllllL‘l'\ l)(‘ and .\lar\cl arc bccoiiiiiig liardcr and liai'dcr to liiid in local coniicx \torcs. .-\iid this ix \\ lici‘c l’i‘cxttiiipaiidciiionium coiiics iii. 'Bc}oiid bciiig a \cr} clc\cr pla) oii \xordxf laughx orgaiiixci‘ Nigcl llai'kci' lpicturcdl. 'it'x L'\\L‘lllltlll_\ an indoor iiiarkct placc loi L‘tlllllc‘x \\ itli lotx ol dcalct'x. \Vc'w alxo got \iiiall pic“ gu_\\ coming in to \cll thcir book\ and ucic going to llrox idc a bit ol‘ cntci‘taiiiiiiciit l'oi' tlic kidxf Scottixh \xritcrx and ttl'll\l\ arc at tlic top ol’ tlic global comics gamc. (iraiit \lorrixon and Mark \lillar Aimtlc aloiigsidc hugc littlllc‘\ likc l-raiik ()uictl} and .-\|an (iraiit at l)(' and Mancl. In tact .\loi‘ri\oii and .\lillar arc currciitl} going licad to hcad \xith l)(”\ 52 tlllLl .\lttl’\c‘l'\ (illl/ llill' l‘L‘\|k‘cll\c‘l_\ l\\ti Hl lllL‘ biggcxt projcctx thc ri\al publixhing lltlltxcx hax c c\cr bccn imobcd in. l)c\pitc thi\. ax Barkcr c\plaiii\. 'thcrc isn‘t a comic mart in Scotland at thc moiiiciit and \\c \thlllc‘tl thcrc to bc an C\Clll. although \xc‘rc
taking a l'l\k liaxiiig il l’rcxtoiipaiix.‘ lawn \\Illltllll a coiiiicx man in llll\ couiitr} ltlic (ilaxgou comic mart L‘\[)ll'L‘tl \\llL‘ll ll\ \L'lttlL‘. lllL' llc'lll‘} \Vtiiitl lltlll c‘ltixctll. lhcrc hax. o\cr thc war» bccii a big iiici'caxc in tlic popular acccplancc ol comic» 'I‘hc b’llx am a \cmiiic \lllll iii licorich [M‘l'c‘c‘plltllh as l'l'ttllk .\lillcr'\ lln' [Mr/t King/ii Kiln/lit and .'\ltlll .\looi‘c'\ lliilt'limt'n aiid Sunni/i Ill/nu. opciicd pcoplc'x c_\ c\ to thc \L‘L‘lltlllgl} parado\ical idca ol inlclligcnl \upcrhcio comics. 'I uxcd to \xork at 'l itaii la publixliiiig ltott\c \pccialixing in graphic noxclxl in tlic Nllx and our big goal back tlicn \\;l\ to gct coiiiicx iiilo bookxhopx. Non bookshops arc l'ull ol comic book\ and thc amount ol \pacc gl\clt ti\ct' lt) L'iilltlc‘ biiiikx ltlxl kch iiici'caxing.‘ Rccciill}. ('hi'ix \Varc\ .linmit ('m'rigun \Hlll tlic (iuardiaii'x l'ii'st Book l’i'i/c. opciiiiig man} pcoplc\ c_\c\ to tlic qualit) and \ai‘ict) iiihcrciit in undcrground comicx. a \\t)l'ltl that has bccii llH’lHlig xiiicc Robcrt ('i'uiiib took up his pcii back in thc ()ll\.
.'\lltl llll\ l\ c\actl_\ \\llill l’rcstoiipaiidcmoiiitiiii ol’l‘cixt a cliaiicc l‘oi' collcctorx to grab thosc llll\\lltg back l\\tlc'\ or thc pcrlcct introduction into a ncu and \ ibraiit art l'orm l'oi‘ thoxc not _\cl iiiitiatcd iiilo thc jinx ol' coiiiicdoiii. 'I think it l\ quitc hard to bc a cotiiicx laii in Scotland il‘ _\ou likc thc altcriiatixc prcssf c\plaiii\ Barkcr. ‘l liiid that l lltlxx l\\t1C\ ol lJ/l't' A" Rm‘kt‘lx and l’ctcr Baggc c‘timlc‘x. \kltlc‘ll arc in} abwlutc laxouritc thingxf
Prestongrange Gothenburg, 227-229 High Street, Prestonpans, Sat 22 Jul, www.prestonpandemonium.com
2’} , , ’5 Am; 7/)", THE LIST 27