Mark Millar Launches Kapow! Comic-Con in London

Just as the first issue of his new comics anthology CLINT sells out, writer Mark Millar (Ultimates, Kick-Ass) has announced an expansion of his comics entrepreneurship in the form of Kapow!, a new convention that he promises will bring the San Diego Comic-Con experience to London. In a video message announcing the endeavor, Millar explains that it makes sense to host a Britain-based companion to the San Diego show given the nation's population of venerable comics creators, not to mention the local presence of America's major film studios. The event will be held at the London Business Design Centre from April 9-10 in 2011.

Much more information plus Millar's filmed announcement after the jump.

Name-checked in the video announcement -- which also includes filmed endorsements from Dave Gibbons, Frank Quitely and Leinil Francis Yu -- as attendees are Andy Diggle, Jock, Steve Dillon, Duncan Fregredo, Kevin O'Niel, Adi Granov, Pat Mills, Paul Cornell, David Hine, Brendan McCarthy, Simon Furman, John Romita, Jr., David Lloyd, Olivier Coipel, Kieron Gillen, Bryan Hitch, John McCrea, among others. Representatives from the film industry are to be announced February 14.

Millar, a master of the hard sell, made a point of saying that Kapow! is ideally scheduled to take advantage of 2011 and 2012's motion picture lineups, which are heavy with comic book and genre movies including Thor, The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Dredd, a Star Trek sequel and a Spider-Man reboot. The convention will be held in April, giving promoters a chance to show their wares to a European audience about two months before Comic-Con in San Diego.

Additionally, Kapow! will host the Stan Lee Awards, a new initiative to celebrate comic book creators and their work. According to the official website, the inaugural nominee list is being compiled by staffers of such magazines, websites, stores and other comics-related outlets as Empire, Front, SciFiNow, Comic Heroes, News of the World, IGN, Comic Book Resources and Forbidden Planet, as well as UK comedian Al Murray and Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof. Nominees for categories such as Best Writer, Best Artist, Best Superhero or SciFi Movie, Best Trade, Man or Woman of the Year, etc. will be announced at the end of January.

Tickets to Kapow! can be purchased now through the convention website, a fact that has already taken some prestige away from the mighty San Diego show.

[Via Robot 6]