New comic creator hub set to open in Kirkcaldy

Barry Lumsden, founder of Iron Dynasty Comics, is launching the new comic creator hub which opens its doors on Saturday. Pic: Fife Photo Agency.

A comic creator hub is set to open its doors in Kirkcaldy this weekend.

Iron Dynasty Comics creator hub in the town’s Olympia Arcade will be welcoming those with a passion for comics from Saturday, May 13.

The hub will be run by local man, Barry Lumsden, who is the founder of independent comic publisher Iron Dynasty, and is a place where aspiring artists and writers can learn, gain confidence and socialise with like minded people.

To kick off its opening, the hub will host three talks and workshops on Saturday – and everyone’s invited to come along.

Barry, 43, said: “I’m opening the hub not only to get my name out there, but because I’d also like to encourage others to be creative. The hub is open not only for people who aspire to give the comic business a go, but also for those interested in the genre who desire to connect.”

Barry founded Iron Dynasty Comics in 2018. The stories they produce are a mix of sci-fi, sword and sorcery and martial arts adventures set in an original world. Barry’s interest in publishing comics came about as having a creative mind he thought that comics would be a good vehicle to get his ideas out there. Among his work are the Iron Wolf and Rona series.

At Saturday’s opening, Barry will host a talk going through basic story telling techniques and how to structure a script at 11am in the first session of the day.

Kirkcaldy’s own Michael Philp, a well established creator on the independent scene and an artist for Esport games, will go through pencil, ink and colour artwork in a session at 1pm. Michael has also produced artwork for Lovecraft’s Dogon graphic novel and was an official artist for Scotland’s Euro 2020 campaign.

The third talk of the day will be on story boarding at 3pm when current Commando writer Colin Maxwell will take the lead.

Entry to each session is £10, however anyone attending more than one session will have their second or third session cost reduced to £5 each. People are advised to book their spaces in advance to avoid disappointment by emailing [email protected].

Following Saturday’s opening, the hub will be open from Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Second hand comics will also be on sale at the hub, and anyone looking to hand in their old comics are also welcome.

To find out more visit www.irondynastycomics.com