Had a lovely evening recently, at the Smithfield Market comic book store, Coffee And Heroes. The artist Clay Mann was over to do a signing for Alan, the owner of this amazing store. Not only a very atmospheric store but one that smelled of damn fine coffee, to paraphrase Dale Cooper of the FPI.
Clay Mann is a fantasticly gifted artist and a very handsome fellow indeed. I felt like Worzel Gummidge standing next to a young Robert Redford. He has, apparently, a twin brother....I know, the mind boogles. He was wonderfully candid talking about his career and his aspirations and Alan drew a very engaging pre-signing interview from him, even though Alan expressed nervousness at talking in front of an audience, he did so with aplomb and we, the audience, felt at ease listening to the casuality he exuded. He was funny and insightful and transformed a very rainy dark Belfast night into one to remember.