Showing posts with label Carolyn Belefski. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carolyn Belefski. Show all posts

Thursday, May 23, 2013

PR: The Comic Arts Festival is only days away!

Local cartoonists appearing include Carolyn Belefski, Donna Lewis and Barbara Dale...


Dan Piraro from Bizarro Quick-Draw Jam Session just released! Get your tickets! Space is limited!
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The ToonSeum

The Comic Arts Festival
is this Sunday! 

May 26th, 2013 Cartoonist Appearances from 10am-5pm. Street Festival begins at Noon! 

Hundreds of cartoonists are descending on downtown Pittsburgh as the city plays host to the National Cartoonists Society Conference. It is the first time the prestigious organization has been to Pittsburgh in its almost 70 year history.
In conjunction with the conference, The ToonSeum will be hosting the very first Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival on May 26th from 10am to 5pm. *Street Festival begins at noon. 
The festival will feature autograph and sketch sessions with over 60 of the nations top comic artist and cartoonists including such luminaries as: Partrick McDonnell of Mutts, Lynn Johnston of For Better or Worse, Tom Richmond of MAD Magazine, Brian Walker of Beetle Bailey, Dan Piraro of Bizarro and many more.
The 900 Block of Liberty Avenue downtown will become a veritable living funny pages block party with visits from Betty Boop, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Dennis the Menace, and the Care Bears. Fun vendors, art activities, chalk artists and caricaturists and will round out the festivities and help to literally draw a crowd!

10:00am-11:00am at Toonseum

Jan Eliot- Stone Soup
Patrick McDonnell- Mutts
Brian Walker- Hi & Lois
11:00am-12:00pm at August Wilson Center
Brian Crane- Pickles
Greg Evans- Luann
Rob Rogers- Pittsburgh Post Gazette
John Rose- Barney Google and Snuffy Smith 
John Stevens- Caricatoonist
Carolyn Belefski- Curls
12:00pm-1:00pm at August Wilson Center
Paul Fell- Paul Fell Cartoons
Jeff Keane- Family Circus
Bunny Hoest- The Lockhorns, Laugh Parade, Howard Huge
Bill Morrison- Simpsons Comics
Laurie Triefeldt- World of Wonder
Sandra Bell-Lundy- Between Friends
1:00pm-2:00pm at August Wilson Center
Donna Lewis- Reply All Comic
Tom Richmond- Mad Magazine
Mark Tatulli- Lio 
Jerry Van Amerongen- Ballad Street
Greg Walker- Beetle Bailey
1:15pm-2:15pm at Bricolage Women in Cartooning Panel
Cathy Guisewite- Cathy 
Lynn Johnston- For Better or Worse
Terri Libenson- The Pajama Diaries
Hilary Price- Rhymes with Orange
Jen Sorensen- Slowpoke
2:00pm-3:00pm at August Wilson Center 
Jason Chatfield- Ginger Meggs
Barbara Dale- Dale Cards
Jeff Knurek- Jumble "That Scrambled Word Game"
Mo Willems- Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus 
NEW EVENT! Just Added!
3:15pm-4:15pm at Bricolage
Dan Piraro- Bizarro Quick-Draw Jam Session! 
3:00pm-4:00m at August Wilson Center
Daryll Collins- Scholastic, Highlights and Boys Life
Paul Combs- Drawn by Fire
John Hambrock- The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee- King Features
Bill Holbrook- On the Fast Track 
Jim Horwitz- Watson
Rick Kirkman- Baby Blues
5:00pm-6:00pm- at August Wilson Center 
Andrew Farago- Curator, Cartoon Art Museum
Michael Jantze- The Norm
Mahendra Shah- "I Said it Too"
Rick Stromoski- Soup to Nutz
Go to http://pghcomicartsfest.com for more info! 

Women in Cartooning Panel

As part of the celebration "Rhymes with Orange" cartoonist Hilary Price has brought together a panel of some of the nation's best known women cartoonists including:
Cathy Guisewite, Cathy
Lynn Johnston, For Better or Worse
Terri Libenson, Pajama Diaries
and
Jen Sorenson, Slowpoke
1:15-2:15pm at Bricolage

VIP Comic Arts Festival Pass

With your special VIP pass you are able to attend two private parties with nationally syndicated cartoonists, reserved seating for panels and much, autographed merchandise and much more!
 
http://comicvip
.eventbrite.com

Dan Piraro Quick-Draw Jam Session

The Toonseum has one more trick up their sleeve with this last minute Quick-Draw Jam Session with none other then Dan Piraro! Piraro is the mastermind behind syndicated comic strip Bizarro. Watch Piraro fight against time as he creates original art right before your very eyes.
3:15pm-4:15pm at Bricolage

http://piraroquickdraw
.eventbrite.com

            

With Special Thanks to
Jean Shulz



65 Years of Legends Exhibit at the Toonseum

The ToonSeum, Pittsburgh's Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art will be exhibiting seven decades' worth of original art  from cartooning's highest honor, The Reuben Award. 

This is the first time in the organization's history that original art from these legendary artists has been assembled in one exhibition. Rare works seldom seen by the public from artists such as Gary Larson of Far Side, Charles M. Schulz of Peanuts and many more will be displayed.

The exhibit will open at 10am at the Toonseum on May 26th. Admission will is $5.00 for adults. $1.00 for children. Free under 6. 





Monday, April 22, 2013

Awesome Con - a couple or three Sunday pictures

101_5545 Phil LaMarr Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo

Phil LaMarr, Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo.

101_5543 Cuddles and Rage aka Liz and Jimmy Reed

Cuddles and Rage webcomickers, aka Liz and Jimmy Reed.

101_5544 Phil LaMarr talking to Carolyn Belefski

Animation voice actor Phil LaMarr talking to Carolyn Belefski.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Awesome Con day 1 is a success

101_5541 District Comics panelist
District Comics panelists - Art Haupt, Rafer Roberts, Mike Cowgill, Andrew Cohen, Jacob Warrenfeltz, Mike Rhode, Carolyn Belefski and Troy-Jeffrey Allen.

The Con sold out of tickets by about 3 pm on Saturday. They had a good mix of people, and it was bustling. Lots of cartoonists tell me they did well. Nick Galifianakis sold out of his book. Dan Nokes made his table money back in an hour. John Gallagher and Steve Conley were always busy. Bill McKay's commission list went into tomorrow. Shannon Gallant seemed to stay busy with commissions too. Troy-Jeffrey Allen and Jay Payne launched Bamn #4. Carolyn Belefski was interviewed by Comic Riffs today too.

The District Comics panel had about 40 people in it, despite being opposite the costume judging contest. I think this has the potential to be similar to Baltimore CC in a few years.

BTW, New Jerseyan Jeff Shultz is selling his Archie pages for $20 each. I bought a nice volleyball page.

Here's some pictures.

101_5538 Chris Flick
Chris "Capes and Babes" Flick.


101_5537 Dan Nokes
Dan Nokes has a new compilation book debuting at the show.

101_5536 Nick Galifianakis
Nick Galifianakis on the way to selling out of his book.

101_5535 Bill McKay
Bill McKay.

101_5534 Dalek vs Dr Who
A good looking Dalek vs Dr. Who. I thought Daleks were upside-down trashcans on wheels?

101_5532 Starro the Conqueror
Starro the Conqueror - I loved this costume.

101_5531 Big Planet Comics
Big Planet Comics et al.

101_5530 Steve Conley
Steve Conley drawing Bloop in a Tardis.

101_5529 Jason Axtell
Jason Axtell.

Monday, April 08, 2013

PR: Awesome Con DC Newsletter - Programming Schedule is Complete!

I'll be moderating the District Comics panel on Saturday. Stop by and get a book and get it signed. 4 other creators will be speaking with me and Curls Studio and Big Planet Comics will both have copies for sale. This book sold out at SPX.

Room 102B – EXCLUSIVE TO AWESOME CON: DISTRICT COMICS!
Chronicling the unconventional history of our nation’s capital, District Comics has won numerous awards and has received critical acclaim across the U.S. Join the writers and artist who came together to honor our favorite city during this Q and A panel moderated by ComicsDC’s Mike Rhode.

Awesome Con DC is April 20-21, 2013!
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Important Info:

April 20-21, 2013
Saturday 10-7
Sunday 10-5

BUY TICKETS HERE
Single Day Ticket - $15
Two Day Ticket - $25
VIP Pass - $75
Kids <11 - FREE

Washington Convention Center

Washington, DC 20001
Mt. Vernon Square Metro station (Green/Yellow lines)
Text/call (240)346-0399 for more info

We encourage you to buy tickets early. Lines are expected. If you've already bought your tickets, you'll get in a lot faster. 

We've got the whole schedule right here!  

Awesome Con DC is less than two weeks away, so you better start planning! Besides having a fantastic guest list (Nicholas Brendon, Ernie Hudson, Phil LaMarr, Billy West, Theo Crane, Larry Hama, Herb Trimpe, Ben Templesmith, Justin Jordan, and dozens more!), Awesome Con has a whole slew of activities, panels, presentations, screenings, and more. There should be something for everyone.

Here's the full schedule. Check out our website for more details on each event.


SATURDAY SCHEDULE
Room 102A
12PM Identity Comics
1PM Star Trek vs. Star Wars Debate
2PM Dr. Sketchy's DC: Anti-Art School, Life Drawing with a Twist!
3PM Sci-Fi Speed Dating

Room 102B
11AM Welcome to the Asylum
12PM Billy West Q&A
1PM Gearing Up. Presented by Steampunk Family!
2PM Phil LaMarr Q&A
3PM District Comics!
4PM Proper Pitching and Promoting Yourself
5PM Hip Hop/Comics
6PM Pro Wrestling Today: How We'd Book It
7PM Harry Potter and the Ten Years Later

Room 103A
11AM 5 Things I'd Do Differently If I Started My Webcomic NOW...
12PM Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse 101
1PM Nicholas Brendon Q&A
2PM Blood/CLAN: Prelude to Vengeance
3PM Costume Contest
5PM Super Art Fight
7PM Awesome Con-cert
(3 music acts followed by 7 comedians!)

SUNDAY SCHEDULE
Room 102A
11AM The Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter
12PM Writing Fantasy: Novels and Comics
1PM Talking with a Scurvy Dog
2PM The Carolyn and Joe Show Live Podcast Recording
3PM Art with Greg LaRocque

Room 102B
11AM Futurama with Billy West and Phil LaMarr            
12PM GI Joe Comics with Larry Hama & S.L. Gallant
1PM Ernie Hudson Q&A

2PM Broken Continent  Film Screening
3PM Ninjas vs. Monsters Film Screening

Room 103A
11AM Flying V Theatre Presents "Incurable"
12PM Nerdpocalypse Podcast Recording!
1PM TREKOFF Podcast Recording
2PM Comic Book Digital Colors Workshop
3PM Group Costume Contest 

KIDS ARE AWESOME!

ALL DAY ART STATIONS – Coloring books, crayons, paper, pencils, etc., available all day Saturday and Sunday for kids to work on their art skills! 
 

SATURDAY

1pm – Children's Book Reading
2pm – Kids' Costume Contest
3pm – Creating a Superhero
4pm – Art Show

SUNDAY

12pm – Doodle! Scribble! Draw

1pm – Kids' Costume Contest
2pm – Art Show

Mind Of The Geek Game Room

Two days. Ten tables. All-­out mayhem.
Awesome Con DC has partnered with MindOfTheGeek.com to bring you The Mind Of The Geek™ Game Room! Check out the GAME ROOM website to get all the details and the full schedule. There's just too much going on to post it all. This is a taste of what you can expect:
Warhammer & Warhammer 40K demos, X-­‐Wing Miniatures tournament, The Geeks of ComedyHeroClix tournament, plus you can reserve tables to play your own games! 


Monday, January 28, 2013

May 11: ANS Con includes Frank Cho and other local cartoonists

LEGENDARY COMICS CREATOR TO HEADLINE

THE SECOND ANNUAL ANS SCI-FI & COMIC CON


On May 11, 2013, the ANS Sci-Fi & Comic Con returns to Archbishop Neale School in La Plata, Maryland for their Second Annual benefit event!

Headlining a stellar variety of vendors and artists is legendary comic creator, writer and artist
FRANK CHO!

The ANS Sci-Fi & Comic Con is proud to host the amazing Frank Cho! As the creator of the groundbreaking newspaper strip Liberty Meadows, Cho is well known for his incredible artistry and story writing talent.  Cho is currently the writer and artist behind Marvel Comics' hot, brand new title – "Savage Wolverine" – that debuted in January 2013.

The ANS Sci-Fi & Comic Con is an ALL AGES fan and collector event benefiting Archbishop Neale School in La Plata, Maryland.  This year's event promises to be one of the most exciting and memorable events ever with an amazing array of vendors selling vintage and modern comics, collectible cards, sci-fi and pop culture toys and much more.

In addition to Cho, area artists working in a wide range of mediums will be represented including sculptors, pyro-artists, independent and online comic artists, writers and publishers. 

The Second Annual ANS Sci-Fi & Comic Con is a fun-filled full day event for the whole family.  Art contests and prizes will keep kids entertained as well as plenty of playground space for them to have fun!  A charity Silent Auction with loads of collectibles and autographed items will keep parents and collectors on the edges of their seats!  There will also be panels, presentations and a unique film festival showing rare and unique films for sci-fi and comic fans!

The Second Annual ANS Sci-Fi & Comic Con is Saturday, May 11, 2013, from 10-3pm. 
For more information, please visit anscomiccon.com  Contact event organizer Tom Boone at info@anscomiccon.com  And for more information about the school, visit archbishopnealeschool.org

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Carolyn Belfeski panel at New York Comic Con

The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators at NYCC 2011



Time



Friday, October 14 · 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Location
Jacob K. Javits Center / Location: 1B03
655 West 34th Street
New York, New York

Created By

More Info
The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators
Date: Friday, October 14
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: 1B03

Creating your product is only half the work it takes to succeed in the comics industry. What about the other half that we don't see as clearly after the product is released to the world? This panel will explore what it is like to be on the other side of the table, as a creator. We will discuss what it takes to exhibit at conventions, promote yourself, and gain a loyal audience – from the POV of professionals already behind the table. Join creators Raina Telgemeier (Smile, The Baby-Sitters Club), David Gallaher (High Moon, Box 13) Reilly Brown (Amazing Spider-Man, Power Play) and Carolyn Belefski (Curls, The Legettes) in this conversation, moderated by Joe Carabeo.

http://nycc11.mapyourshow.com/5_0/sessions/sessiondetails.cfm?ScheduledSessionID=18ACC6

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

DC Conspiracy’s SPX plans


I was able to check in with members of the co-op DC Conspiracy about their SPX plans - the biggest of which is debuting the free newspaper tabloid comic Magic Bullet #3.

 

Carolyn Belefski says Curls Studio will be at SPX - Table F3B.

 

CDC: Can you tell us a little about your books that you'll have with you at SPX?

 

CB: Curls Studio will have some of the latest Curls comic strips and new prints. In addition, we will have our comic books Kid Roxy, Black Magic Tales, and The Legettes available for purchase. We have a Black Magic Tales story in the free issue of Magic Bullet #3, which will be premiering at SPX and I will be doing sketch commissions.

 

CDC: You've attended the Small Press Expo in the past - do you have any thoughts about your experience?

 

CB: I've been attending SXP since 2004 and Curls Studio has been exhibiting since 2006. SPX is always a great gathering of folks interested in discovering new stories. There are books available at SPX that you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. Some are rare, some are limited edition, and others are so fringe that they may not be available at mainstream bookstores. The beauty of SPX is exploring the show floor and finding books that interest you. SPX shows people there's a comic out there for everyone.

 

CDC: What are you looking forward to buying or seeing or doing for this year's event? Or who do you want to see, to catch up on old times, or to have a fangirl experience?

 

CB: I am looking forward to hanging out at the table with Jim Coon and Joe Carabeo and saying hi to Raina Telgemeier, Katie Omberg, and the DC Conspiracy group. Most of all I am excited about the chocolate fountain after the Ignatz Awards.

 

Andrew Cohen writes in, "I'll be at SPX this year (table W7), with three new books:

 

- Dr. W #1 and #2, continuing the formalist anarchy

- Porter Black: Murder Under Midnight Suns, a satirical crime comic written by Art Haupt

- Surrealia: Chapter One, a kids' book for adults, written by writer/composer Billy Lopez.

 

"Every year, I always think about how I'd like to take a break from the table to go and see some of the panels and discussions, and every year I fail to find a spare hour or two to do so.  I hope I can change that track record, this year!"

 

R.M. Rhodes says, "I will be at SPX."

 

CDC: Can you tell us a little about your books that you'll have with you at SPX?

 

RMR: I've got the two new graphic novels in the Oceanus Procellarum series this year - Books 4 & 5. The whole series allowed me to do make a large-scale structure. Book 1 was the prequel. Book 2 was the main book. Book 3 was the sequel. Book 4 is the anthology of short stories based on the characters we've met so far. Book 5 is the apocrypha.

 

Artwise, these two books are just as experimental as the rest of the series. I had a different artist for each of the stories in Book 4, so the art looks more uniform from story to story than in previous books.
 

I even put together a sampler for the series that I'll be selling for a much lower price as a "gateway comic." If you like the sampler, you'll probably like the series as a whole. If not, then you're only out a few dollars.

 

CDC: You've attended the Small Press Expo in the past - do you have any thoughts about your experience?

 

RMR: SPX is a fantastic event. The staff is great to work with and the audience is always enthusiastic. The creative energy in the room from all of the passionate creators is very refreshing and almost tangible. It's the local show for those of us who live in the DC metro area and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

 

CDC: What are you looking forward to buying or seeing or doing for this year's event? Or who do you want to see, to catch up on old times, or to have a fanboy experience?

 

RMR: I always enjoy browsing the Fantagraphics table, even though they take all of my money. I enjoy catching up with the Trees and Hills group from Vermont - Dan Barlow and I always end up having really interesting conversations. I've gotten to know some other creators over the years - SPX is where I first met the Timony brothers, for example. I'm also going to try and catch up with some of the people I talk to online - Darryl Ayo is at the top of my list. And there are some people from the DC Conspiracy that I really only see at shows when we're working - John Bintz and his fiancee Meredith, for example.

 

Jamie Noguchi also answered my interview questions –

 

CDC: Can you tell us a little about your books that you'll have with you at SPX?

 

JN: I'm debuting my first book, Back to the Grind: A Yellow Peril Collection.  It collects the first year of the web comic along with some bonus strip commentary.  And anyone who picks it up at the show will get a QR code that will give them access to digital versions of the book which includes a detailed explanation of how I did the cover painting.

 

CDC: If you've attended the Small Press Expo in the past - do you have any thoughts about your experience? 

 

JN: Last year was the first time exhibiting at the show and I had a blast. Since I didn't have my book ready, I borrowed an iPad to show off my comics.  Got a lot of people to come by and swipe through and actually had some pretty good conversations about digital comics.  The show also convinced me that I needed to work my butt off to get my first book ready for this year.

 

CDC: What are you looking forward to buying or seeing or doing for this year's event? Or who do you want to see, to catch up on old times, or to have a fanboy experience?

 

JN: I'm pretty excited because this year, Super Art Fight has been booked to perform after the Ignatz awards!  We're all huge comic nerds and to get the chance to participate in SPX as part of programming is just too cool.  I've also never experienced the famed Chocolate Fountain so I'm looking forward to that.

 

From Evan Keeling, we find out, "The books I'm premiering at the show are…

 

Nancy Boy - 12 page preview - If Veronica Mars is a teenage Sam Spade, Nancy Boyle is the teenage version of Richard Stark's Parker. One girl.  One hockey stick.   Nine circles of suburban hell.

 

Everything sucks for Nancy.  Parents suck.  High school sucks. This town sucks.  So when the only person in her life ever to show her kindness is attacked and robbed, Nancy does the one thing she knows how to do: Fight back.

 

Nancy punches her way through an opulent but disturbed gated community as she searches for a stolen crystal owl. On her quest, she'll get a few bruises, but give out many more to the people who piss her off. 

 

And God help you if you piss off Nancy Boyle.

 

Fifinella Color Special - This is a collection of the 3 strips I've done for the Magic Bullet newspaper presented in color and oversized.

 

Tales from the District - A collection of the web comic I used to do for Brightest Young Things with the writer of Nancy Boy Jason Griffenhagen, about real life stories of people in DC

 

Early Adaptors Case Files: D-Bags of Ill-Repute - A slightly beefed up version of the Chester Gould influenced drawings that I premiered last year.

 

I will also have CrumbSnatchers and am waiting on reprint copies of the DCC anthologies and maybe some other random goodies.

 

This is my 6th year tabling at SPX and probably my 12th year going to SPX (maybe more). I have a great time at the show and love picking up new comics and roaming the aisles to see what people are doing.

 

I always like catching up with folks that I have met at other shows or previous SPXs and it's always good to hang around with the rest of the DCC crew. The main thing I'm excited for is finding new work that I haven't seen before and hopefully introducing my work to some folks who haven't seen it before.

 

Matt Dembicki answered my questions too:

 

CDC: Can you tell us a little about your books that you'll have with you at SPX?

 

MD: I will have the Eisner-nominated Trickster, Brewmaster's Castle (a favorite among D.C.-area historians) and Xoc, which are the last of the minis before Oni publishes the book next summer. My son, Adam (6), will have two new mini-comics—Jailbreak! and The Never-Ending War.

 

CDC: You've attended the Small Press Expo in the past - do you have any thoughts about your experience?

 

MD: I've attended since 2002 as an exhibitor. SPX offers a wonderfully creative and inspiring atmosphere. Besides picking up some wonderful books, I get to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

 

CDC: What are you looking forward to buying or seeing or doing for this year's event? Or who do you want to see, to catch up on old times, or to have a fanboy experience?

 

MD: I'm always drawn toward the Top Shelf and AdHouse tables for bigger ticket items. For minis and self-published works, I enjoy strolling around and see what catches my eye. There are always a ton of goodies. The Ignatz Awards nominees are always a good place to start.  

 

Rafer Roberts speaks for the DC Conspiracy as a whole before concentrating on his books:

 

Things we will be debuting at SPX this year:

 

Magic Bullet #3 - Magic Bullet is a free semi-annually published comic newspaper focused on presenting the work of independent and underground cartoonists, with a bias towards DC artists. Each artist is encouraged to take advantage of the larger canvas to cut loose and experiment and to push themselves and the medium.

 

Contributors:

 

Bill Ellis, Matt Dembicki, Dominic Vivona, Kevin Czapiewski, Danielle Corsetto, Jonathan Case, Kevin Panetta & Mike Short, Matt Sheean, Rafer Roberts, RM Rhodes & Evan Keeling, Jake Warrenfeltz, Art Hondros, Art Haupt & Andrew Cohen, Adam Dembicki, Joe Carabeo & Carolyn Belefski, Eric Gordon, Jeff McClelland & Jeff McComsey, Scott White, Dale Rawlings, David W. Ryan, Troy Jeffrey-Allen, David Dean & Jay Payne, Adam Umak & Michael J. Auger,  JT Wilkins, Michael Brace, Kyle Kaczmarczyk & Helaine Crawford, Michael May & Jason Copland

 

Plastic Farm #20 - This issue includes:

Chapter 28: Oh, Injury. Art by Mal Jones. The most heart-wrenching love story ever told by one of the stranded travellers.

Chapter 29: Some Other Shit That Happened During Freshman Year. Written and drawn by Rafer Roberts. Chester Carter's tales of his freshman year in college get closer to concluding and a long-absent fan-favorite makes its return.

Chapter 30: People's Choice (part 5). Art by Matt Dembicki. The cannibal farmers raise the stakes.

 

Written and (mostly) drawn by Rafer Roberts, Plastic Farm follows the life of a man named Chester and his slow descent into complete insanity and chronicles how that madness reshapes the world around him. Chester has had a rough childhood, has a magic cowboy that rides a dinosaur living inside of his head, and is now, late in life, sitting in a nameless airport bar during a blizzard telling his life story to a group of people who really couldn't care less.

 

Thoughts about SPX:

 

This will be my 9th time exhibiting at SPX and it seems to get better every year. This year it seems like the organizers have doubled their efforts in terms of promoting the event and in making the event itself as cool as possible. Personally I'm excited by the fact that I will be receiving a Nerdlinger Award at Atomic Books' pre-SPX extravaganza on the Friday night before the show, and I look forward to showing that sucker off all weekend.

 

Mostly, SPX is the most social of the comic shows I go to. In addition to being able to hing out with my local friends that I don't see enough of in the first place, it is also great to see all of my out-of-town friends as well. The central location of the after-parties, and the fact that most of the exhibitors stay in the same hotel, makes SPX as much a party as book selling event.

 

Troy Allen also sent in answers  to my questions:

 

CDC: Can you tell us a little about your books that you'll have with you at SPX?

 

TA: Yep. Bamn #3, the third installment of our nerds vs. jocks battle royale, will be making its appearance at the Small Press Expo.

 

Also, the Magic Bullet newspaper (which is very free) will be available to the public starting with SPX. It features a ton of local artist doing single-page comics, including Boogie Monster by David Dean and myself. It's a running conversation between two hipsters inside a comic shop, essentially. Hopefully, it will offend someone.

 

CDC:  If you've attended the Small Press Expo in the past - do you have any thoughts about your experience?  If you haven't, what're you expecting? What are you looking forward to buying or seeing or doing for this year's event? Or who do you want to see, to catch up on old times, or to have a fanboy/girl experience?

 

TA: I had a back and forth on my podcast about whether or not being a geek/fanboy is cool and acceptable. We disagreed on most of it but the one thing we did agree on is that it has to be fringe to remain cool. To me, that's what SPX is. It's fringe, it's the bad kid who smokes in the school bathroom, it's where comic books become grunge or punk. it is French New Wave. It is the cool kids club. Hollywood can pick up the superheroes --- I think that's good for the industry --- but indie comics and indie creators need to exist as our connection to what made comics great in the first place: their odd, outsider status. SPX embodies that and I look forward to being reminded of that every year in Bethesda.

 

Dale Rawlings surprises me by noting, "I have not been interviewed for City Paper (I'm fixing that – MR) and I'll be at SPX with the DC Conspiracy crew."

 

I'll have my mini comic Skidoo with me, Issues 1-3 of of Down And Out On Planet Earth, my 4 issue series, Liquid Revolver, a graphic novel written by Matt Dembicki and I illustrated a chapter, and the newest issue of Magic Bullet.

 

I was at the very first SPX in 1994 and each year I'm always surprised at how much SPX has grown since its start. I'm looking forward to meeting Chester Brown at this year's SPX as his Ed the Happy Clown was a big influence on me in the 90's.

 

My best fanboy experience was meeting Will Eisner in a hallway at SPX in 2000 and giving him a copy of my comic. Another great SPX experience was around 97 or 98 where I was in Connie's suite ( Quentin Tarrantino's mom who came out to SPX several years in a row in the early years) with a bunch of the artists after the Ignatz. Ivan Brunetti was passing around a sketchbook that he carried to collect portraits of himself from the other artists. And it comes around to me so I start sketching. And Ivan Brunetti... Now you've seen his work, right? The guy who does cartoons like Schizo and Haw. Horrible Horrible Cartoons  is watching over my shoulder and recoils in horror and starts laughing going "oh my god!" at my portrait of him. I was immensely proud to elicit that response from him.