5 NON-SUPERHERO COMICS YOU NEED TO READ

Kids with antlers, space operas, undead teenagers and an Irish punk vampire. There is far more to comic books than Marvel and DC. Here are 5 graphic novels that aren't about superheroes and you need to read them.

Comic's are often the last bastion of nerdom for the casual geek. Superhero movies have been plentiful on the big screen for well over 10 years now, and we have a lot more to come . . . A LOT more. To be exact, there are 32 slated between now and 2020. This reflects a huge shift in pop culture coolness. You can find superhero and sci-fi apparel in Topshop and it's now boastful for a casual movie-goer to be into comic book characters. So why is it that so many people will see the movie and buy the t-shirts, but not walk into comic shop and pick up a graphic novel? Is just too geeky? Is it lazy? I'd argue that it's a misconception that comics are for kids. Wrong, here are some choice R-rated graphic novels that I believe will get any lover of fiction into reading comics. Often, the medium lends itself to non linear storytelling, adult themes and out right, bat-shit crazy tales. Here are 6 books that I'd recommend, with no caped crusaders.

City Guide: Amsterdam

I can't believe it's taken me 28 years to visit Amsterdam. It's actually closer and somewhat cheaper than booking a weekend away than some UK cities I've visited. As usual this was a relatively spontaneous booking. A deal for three nights in a CitizenM hotel popped up with flights for a ludicrously cheap price, so I pounced on it. I've been meaning to visit for years as I love design, architecture, coffee, art and history, to which there's an abundance of these things in Amsterdam.
As a man, it seems that any time you say to anyone "I'm going to Amsterdam", you get the same raised eyebrow response as if the assumption is you're going there to smoke weed and hit up the red light district. I hope this guide shows quite clearly that neither of these things truly make up the cities charm, culture and bohemianism. Although, both are signs of the countries liberal attitude and project it's cultural identity as place for freedom of expression.

LONDON AREA GUIDE: LORDSHIP LANE, DULWICH

For me, Sundays are for two things; waking up whenever the hell you like and taking leisurely strolls around South London. If that isn't how you spend yours, then I strongly recommend you give it go. East Dulwich's Lordship Lane is yet another little gem in the south eastern crown. It's home to a string of pubs, independent stores and eclectic modern eateries. In comparison to Brixton, Peckham and Lewisham, it really hasn't changed a great deal since I was a kid. It's retained it's sense of community despite the inevitable gentrification and has always been a road for great fresh food.
Usually, my posts will have some interior and food shots, but this was a fleeting visit and I haven't posted anything for 2 months. I'm really happy with how these photos came out though, I hope it gives you a good idea of what Lordship Lane has to offer.

London area guide: Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace is a personal favourite hangout of mine. It's local, I grew up in the area & it's a microcosm of independence in an otherwise busy & cluttered South East London. When you tell people you love Crystal Palace, they assume you mean the football team, whose ground is around 2 miles away from what I'm intending to profess my love me for. I'm talking about "The Triangle", a trio of streets that are home to an abundance of coffee shops, artisan cafe's, restaurants & antique/reclamation stores. All of which are independent might I add.

http://westowhouse.com/

Underground Film Club: Die Hard

LG & the Rooftop Film Club have teamed up & taken over the inside of a disused railway arch tucked behind Waterloos Lower Marsh. It's been kitted out with a couple of cocktail bars, a mini golf course and a few street food vendors. Way more reasons to get to a film early than an Odeon or Vue cinema will ever give you. I fully recommend taking the time to have a couple of cocktails, a mulled wine or grub from Roller Dogs. Perfect pre movie munch.

Leeds: Thought Bubble Festival 2015

There has been a monumental rise in the popularity of comic-cons in the last decade & we can quite confidently put that down to the phenomenal success of superhero movies & boxset TV culture. This is fantastic news for the majority (including myself), but what about the passionate comic book fans? Those who dedicated their life to giving the source material of today's most popular movies & shows are owed far more than the tiny corner of comic-cons that they've been shuffled in to. It's bizarre that at a COMIC-con, you can barley find the item they were built on . . . comics. 

This is where Thought Bubble Festival stands out, it has gone back to basics and hedged it's bets on their still being an audience who wish to flick through pages of art & stories. Their bet's pay off; this convention celebrates art, free thinking, writing & independence. From hosting The British Comic Awards to celebrating LGBT comics with the LGBTQ Comic Book Club, this really is a hive of creativity. This was my first year at the festival & I loved the feeling of discovery I got from the festival. I now have a reading list as long as my arm. 

Maltby Street Market: Ropewalk SE1

I've lived in South East London my entire life, I know the SE postcode's pretty well. So I'm slightly ashamed to admit that the first of all the SE postcodes (SE1) had been an area that's alluded my step for 27 years as a Londoner. So a couple of Saturdays ago I'd woken up with no plans & decided I needed to try the famous Monty's Deli salt beef & pastrami sandwich. 

That's where my day of wondering began; under the railway arches of of Druid Street, Bermondsey.