On 31^st March and 1^st April 2012, Eden Court Theatre will see the return of Hi-Ex! The Highlands International Comic Expo.

There will be the usual array of guests from the world of comics, including the return of Gary Erskine (Dan Dare, Transformers, Spider-man), Michael Carroll (Judge Dredd, The Quantum Prophecy) and Al Ewing (Zombo, Judge Dredd, Jennifer’s Body), as well as new guests such as Irish comic writer Maura McHugh and award winning artist Al Nolan.

There will be a wide range of workshops and panels during the weekend. These will include discussions on Celtic comics and on the influence of Scottish and Irish culture on comics and how they can be used to explore traditional subjects and Celtic languages.

Comics in education with Dr Chris Murray, who runs a comics course at Dundee University, will explore the increase of academic courses on the subject, how they are being taken more seriously and are being used as an educational tool.

Also, in conjunction with Renegade Arts Entertainment, there will be a panel on breaking into and working in the comics industry, which will include a portfolio review session in which artists can have their work critiqued by the professionals.

New Hi-Ex! Guest, Irish film maker John Vaughan will be bringing his unique take on the world of B-movies with his Video Vault of Horror. “This highly entertaining, hilarious and interactive event should not be missed,” said co-organiser Richmond Clements, “but the audience really needs to be prepared to join in! John is a force of nature and you will join in!”

Artist John Higgins (Watchmen, Judge Dredd, Jonah Hex), will also be taking us on a tour of the world of Razorjack, his multi-media creation which spans novels, comics, music and even animation.

And as well as all these new events, Hi-Ex! will also feature Manga and comic art classes with artists such as Nigel Dobbyn (The Beano, 2000AD) and Manga artists Inko and Chie.

In addition, there will be a costume life drawing session, where cosplayers will get the chance to model and be drawn in their costume.

One other popular event will also make a return – the Hi-Ex! auction with all proceeds going to Children 1^st. Hi-Ex! co-organiser Vicky Stonebridge said, “We’re delighted to continue to support the important work that Children 1^st do. We hope that the comics community will once again will be very generous in donating fantastic items to the auction. We are still looking for donations for the auction and would be delighted to receive any contributions, big or small. We can be contacted through the Hi-Ex! website.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now from Eden Court box office or from http://www.hi-ex.co.uk/, where you can also keep track of the very latest news on the weekend.

Source: Hi-Ex!