Mike Conroy (writer)
{{short description|Writer}}
Mike Conroy is a British pop culture writer and former comic book retailer. He is best known for co-creating the long-running industry award, the Eagle Awards. He was an editor for the trade journal Comics International from 1997 to 2010, with the title of editor-in-chief from 2006 to 2010.
Conroy has written for Borderline, Panini Group, Eaglemoss, and SFX among others, primarily as a comics historian. He has written three books on comics history.
Career
Conroy managed the Eagle Awards from 1977 to 2014, with some significant hiatuses. He co-created the awards with Richard Burton in 1976,Burton, Richard "'The Eagles' are launched!" in Burton (ed.) Comic Media News #30 (Mar-Apr 1977), p. 11. and the Eagles were presented annually at the British Comic Art Convention in the period 1977–1981, and then the United Kingdom Comic Art Convention in the period 1987–1990, as well as select other conventions in the years in-between.
In 1978, Conroy took over management of the London Comic Mart from Nick Landau, putting on four editions of the "New Original Comic Mart" that year, all held at the Royal Horticultural Society's Old Hall.Sallis, Ted. "Fan-Things," BEM #17 (Feb. 1978), p. 5.New Original Comic Mart advertisement, BEM Comic News #20 (Aug. 1978), p. 6. Landau and his company Titan Distributors took back the Mart from Conroy in 1979."Comic Mart: Britain's Largest Comic Fan Gathering" advertisement, Comicon '79 program booklet.
The Eagle Awards took a hiatus for much of the 1990s as Conroy concentrated on his freelance writing. (The Eagles were replaced in the interim by the UK Comic Art Award and then the National Comics Awards.) He became a contributor to Comics International early on its existence, and his "Frame to Frame" column was a long-running featuring discussing the interaction between movies and comics. In 1997, he became news editor of Comics International (replacing Phill Hall in that position).
In 2000, Conroy revived the Eagles; they were presented at Comic Festival in 2000 and 2002, and then at Comic Expo in the years 2004 and 2006–2008.
Meanwhile, Comics International changed hands in 2006,Voulieris, John. [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/rage/116635027376152.htm "All the Rage: A Little Rage Under The Tree,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102093846/http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/rage/116635027376152.htm |date=2007-01-02 }} Silver Bullet Comics (Dec. 17, 2006). and Conroy was promoted to editor-in-chief.[http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2007/under-new-management-fpi-speaks-to-mike-conroy-new-editor-of-comics-international/ "‘Under new management’ – FPI speaks to Mike Conroy, new editor of Comics International,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214002004/http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2007/under-new-management-fpi-speaks-to-mike-conroy-new-editor-of-comics-international/ |date=2012-02-14 }} Forbidden Planet International (Feb. 27, 2007). Under Conroy's direction, however, the magazine only published eight regular issues (and a few specials) in three years, before shutting down.Freeman, John. [http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.com/2010/05/comics-international-publisher-company.html "Comics International publisher company dissolved,"] DownTheTubes (May 21, 2010).
After leaving Comics International, Conroy became a columnist for the online publication World of Superheroes.[http://www.worldofsuperheroes.com/category/columnists/mike-conroy/ Conroy's columns page], World of Superheroes. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110309151926/http://www.worldofsuperheroes.com/category/columnists/mike-conroy/ Archived at the WayBack Machine].{{dead|date=December 2020}}
Conroy transferred the management of the Eagle Awards to his teenage daughter Cassandra in 2009 (although Mike stayed on as advisor).MacDonald, Heidi. [https://www.comicsbeat.com/eagle-awards-and-more-british-comics-stuff/ "Eagle Awards and more British comics stuff,"] The Beat (May 8, 2009). The 2009 Awards were canceled, however, due to a "lack of nominations."Carter, Glenn. "News," Eagle Awards website. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100528180430/http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/News.aspx#id2 Archived] at the Wayback Machine. Accessed Jan. 15, 2020. The 2010–2012 awards were presented at the London MCM Expo, but a rift between MCM and the Conroys caused no Eagles to be awarded in 2013.[https://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/31/thursday-runaround-when-eagles-cry/ "When Eagles Cry"] at Bleedingcool.com, 31 May 2012 The Conroys decided to continue the awards separate from MCM, and in April 2014 it was announced that the award would be presented at the London Film and Comic Con (LFCC) and be renamed: first "The Stan Lee Eagle Award"[https://downthetubes.net/?p=15011 "Stan Lee Backs Revived Eagle Awards"] at Downthetubes.net, 25 April 2014 and then the "True Believer Comic Awards."[http://www.digitalspy.com/comics/news/a576811/true-believers-comic-awards-replaces-eagle-awards/ "True Believers Comic Awards replaces Eagle Awards?"] by Hugh Armitage, at Digital Spy, 10 June 2014[https://downthetubes.net/?p=15542 "True Believers Awards Launched as Revamped 'Eagle Award' Site Vanishes"], by John Freeman, at Downthetubes.net, 9 June 2014 The inaugural True Believer Comics Awards were presented July 12, 2014,[https://www.cbr.com/true-believers-comic-awards-announce-2014-winners/ "True Believers Comic Awards announce 2014 winners"] by Kevin Melrose, at CBR, 14 July 2014 at the London Film and Comic Con;Freeman, John. [https://downthetubes.net/?p=15999 "True Believer Awards: The Winners,"] DownTheTubes.net (JULY 13, 2014). they have not been awarded since.
Bibliography
- 500 Comicbook Action Heroes (Chrysalis/Collins & Brown, 2002) {{ISBN|9781844110049}}
- 500 Comicbook Villains (Chrysalis/Collins & Brown, 2004) {{ISBN|9781843402053}}
- War Stories: A Graphic History (ILEX Press/HarperCollins, 2009) {{ISBN|9780061731129}} — foreword by Garth Ennis
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)