United Kingdom Comic Art Convention

The United Kingdom Comic Art Convention (UKCAC) was a British comic book convention which was held between 1985 and 1998.

Most editions of the UKCAC took place in September, over two days, usually on a Saturday and Sunday. The convention featured floorspace for exhibitors, including comic book dealers and collectibles merchants. Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, one of the highlights of Comicon was the Saturday all-night film show, as well as regular events like quizzes and a fancy dress contest. The show included an autograph area, as well as a so-called "Artists' Alley" where comics artists signed autographs and sold or did free sketches.

History
UKCAC was a successor to the British Comic Art Convention (commonly known as "Comicon,") which ran, mostly in London, from 1968–1981. UKCAC was organised by Frank Plowright and Hassan Yussuf via their company Rusty Staples starting in 1984. Many others contributed either for a few years or on the convention days themselves (most prominent was Richard Barker, between 1986 and 1990). The initial show attracted about 500 attendees. The 1989 convention was co-sponsored by Marvel Comics, Neptune Comic Distributors, and 2000 AD.

Attendance at the 1990 show was around 5,000 people. The growing popularity of the UKCAC lead Rusty Staples to organize the Glasgow-based Glasgow Comic Art Convention, or the GlasCAC; which was held annually (generally in the spring) from 1990 to 1995.

The UKCAC was held in London until 1997, and in Manchester in its final iteration in 1998.

Legacy
UKCAC was succeeded by Comic Festival, run in Bristol from 1999-2004; and then by Comic Expo, also in Bristol, which began in 2005.