Kapow! Shrewsbury Comics Salopia a hit with fans

The first ever Comics Salopia included various themed events all over the town, among them a zombie walk, drawing workshops and interviews with big comic book names.

Organisers said there had been a few setbacks including a crowd of zombies not showing up for an 'un-life drawing' session, and some of those hoping to enter a free event at the Dana Prison being charged.

But co-director Shane Chebsey said that those who missed out would be compensated, and that overall the feedback to today's events had been positive.

The attendees from as far as Scotland and Southampton were attracted by some of the big names who gave talks and hosted panels at the University Centre Shrewsbury in the Guildhall.

They included American Eric Stephenson, Ben Stenbeck from New Zealand and Charlie Adlard, The Walking Dead artist and Shrewsbury resident.

Beano artist Nigel Parkinson kicked things off with a workshop for kids at the town's library, and one of his biggest fans was seven-year-old Eva-Mai Doody from Welshpool.

Eva-Mai came with her family and took home her own comic strips to customise featuring her favourite character Rubi.

Of the workshop she said: "I loved it". Her mother Christine said she plans to use her experiences at the workshop for a show and tell in school next week.

Eva-Mai's aunt Becky said: "It's quite amazing what's going on, they seem to have really filled the two days with events."

Christine also watched the zombie walk, which saw about two dozen people in face-paint and with appropriate gaits stagger from the castle grounds down Pride Hill to the town square.

She said: "They had some very good-looking face paint, some of them were very convincing.

"It's a shame they didn't get more people."

Louise Chadwick runs the Button & Bear Bookshop, which is hosting cartoonist Marc Jackson and children's illustrator and writer Sarah McIntyre this weekend.

Louise said: "Very often some of the festivals happen at the showground or in the Quarry which can take people out of the town centre. It's brilliant that this is happening all over the town.

"It's brought a lot of people, not just the artists, illustrators and comic producers, but lots of fans into the town.

"It's a really great festival feeling. We've had people in who have never been to Shrewsbury."

Cosplayer Megan McKissick ran a stall at the castle grounds, and said it was a refreshing change to dress up in her hometown and not have to travel to a city for a convention.

She said: "I heard about it through my college, it was advertised there.

"This was perfect for me because it was just down the road for me. Being able to see the local nerd community is great."

One of the organisers, Shane Chebsey, said that because a number of the people who were due to pose as subjects for a zombie life drawing session hadn't showed up, the session had been cancelled and those who had bought tickets offered entry onto a later session.

He also said those who couldn't attend the later session would be refunded.

He said: "It's been fantastic. We have had international artists from all over the world.

"You always get little hitches, you're not going to make everybody happy. But for the most part the feedback from people visiting the town has been very positive.

"People get to visit the whole town, it supports the local economy.

"Now we've got to do it all again for tomorrow."

He said that some people being charged for entry to a supposedly free Judge Dredd vs The Walking Dead event at the Dana Prison had been down to a miscommunication, and that the organisers were still working with the prison staff to correct the problem.

Shrewsbury's homegrown singer-songwriter Dan Owen topped off the first day with a show at the Buttermarket in the evening.

Tomorrow's events include an interview with Japanese artist Eldu Yoshimizu and a signing with Charlie Adlard at the Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.