Games Day 2009 - The Aftermath

For those of you who didn't know, yesterday was Games Day, and a very fine Games Day it was too. It started for me pulling up in the car park next to Rick and Lindsey Priestley, to find ace author James Swallow unfolding himself from their Mini. On the way into the NEC hall I happened to then meet up with Graham McNeill and got all the latest on his five week-old Mini-Me.

Next to join the ever-growing band was the very dapper Mathieu Saintout, French publisher of the Black Library books, and his aide Julien. I then bumped into Dan and Nik Abnett and managed to say 'Hi!' which was (unfortunately) all I managed all day.

The Black Library stand - busy as ever

So, then it was into the hall. I felt very privileged to meet the fan every author wants to meet, Lady Inquisitor Xhalax, although I'm told she was in fact dressed as a very specific character from the forthcoming Blood Pact by Dan Abnett.

Everyone's a critic...

I also caught up with my erstwhile editor Christian Dunn and had a very exciting chat with him, and editor-turned-author Nick Kyme, who was savouring a biscuit at the end of a long day when I caught up with him. I also got to admire Richard Williams' banner and book-stamp, admire Neil Roberts' cover artwork up close (big shout goes out to the Zoat!), said 'Hello!' to new(ish) editor Alex Davis and even caught Ben Counter entering the create a Chaos Champion competition.

'Just hang on a minute while I put my eyes in.'

I also got to meet the new enfant terrible of the Black Library, the very cool and double-barrelled Aaron Dembski-Bowden - who said some very kind things about my Black Templar Armageddon books - and his delightful girlfriend Katie. I'm only sorry I couldn't go back to Bugman's with them to share a pint only dad-duty called.

The astonishingly well-off author Aaron Dembski-Bowden and his gorgeous girlfriend Katie.

(Only one of these statements is true.)

Outside of the Black Library I got to catch up with ace artist Adrian Smith (whose painting of Gerhard Brennend adores my office wall) and salivate over his brilliant new Space Wolves artwork, and finally got to meet the legendary John Blanche, who reminisced with me about Fighting Fantasy and Sorcery! in particular.

Ace artist Adrian Smith

I think that's probably enough names dropped for now. The only thing I'll add is that I also had an amazing Friday and was somewhere where many FF fans would kill to be. Suffice to say I got to see an original copy of the very first White Dwarf magazine and the original flowchart for Deathtrap Dungeon. I'm not boasting or gloating, I'm just rather excited, that's all. ;-)