Showing posts with label SPX. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SPX. Show all posts

Monday, November 21, 2016

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Lenora Yerkes

by Mike Rhode

I met Lenora Yerkes recently at a local art book festival where she was selling two minicomics.


What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I write stories inspired by my life--you might call it personal or observational narrative drawing. 

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I'm all analog--pens and paper and nothing fancier than a nice Japanese pen and a kinda busted scanner. 

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

My favorite Dolly Parton song (9 to 5) was a Billboard #1 hit the year I was born--in Los Angeles, CA. 

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

This is my tenth year in DC and my seventh in Bloomingdale. I came for graduate school and stayed for love--of this weird place and its weird people.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning? 

Twenty Six Days
In cartooning? None at all. My drawing has always been narrative and it's always told stories. I've drawn comics over the years, along with big narrative drawings and prints, but recently I'm devoting more time to this "comix" format that brings writing and drawing together into more literal narratives. 

Who are your influences?

Lynda Barry, for sure, but also Vanessa Davis and Evan Dorkin and Kathe Kollwitz (OG narrative printmaker!) and the surrealist painters Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I would have worked more. There's always room for more work. 

What work are you best-known for?

This season, I shared a lot of a mini-comic I made called "Hibakusha." An interesting thing happened in sharing that book that I didn't expect--a lot of young people were interested because of the ostensible subject, but a lot of older folks were drawn in by the title, which is a word not that commonly used anymore. Response to that story has been great. 

What work are you most proud of? 

"Twenty Six Days" turned out beautifully and was a bear to compose. The process of writing that one is something I hope to improve on and then bottle. 

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

Longer works! I'm a long-winded, round-about lover of analogies and metaphors, so I work a lot on making complex ideas concise. I'd love to build the patience to compose and draw a longer story. 

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

Twenty Six Days page
These days, I go for a swim. My father-in-law tells me we get more ideas when we're in the water. 

What do you think will be the future of your field?

Comics or narrative drawing or cartooning--whatever you call it--can be used to tell any kind of story. We're situated to redefine what people think when they hear these words and move these kinds of drawings into every field. 

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

I tabled at SPX this year for the first time and was lucky enough to participate in the first ever DC Art Book Fair. It's a huge, diverse community of a lot of artists doing different things. 

What's your favorite thing about DC?

Hibakusha detail

DC is like no where else and every where else, all at once. 

Least favorite?

Rent

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

Actually, the view from the top of the 13th Street hill is one of my faves right now. 

How about a favorite local restaurant?

Meats & Foods at 247 Florida Ave NW--a beautiful simple store making great food. 

Do you have a website or blog?

The best place to see my work is Instagram @lenorayerkes, but you can also see it at lenorayerkes.tumblr.com









Thursday, August 04, 2016

PR: SPX 2016 Announces International Guests Tom Gauld, Cyril Pedrosa, Aimée de Jongh and Pascal Girard





For Immediate Release
Contact: Warren Bernard
Email: warren@spxpo.com

Small Press Expo Announces International Special Guests Tom Gauld, Cyril Pedrosa, Aimée de Jongh and Pascal Girard for SPX 2016

Bethesda, Maryland; August 4, 2016
Media Release - Small Press Expo is proud to announce Tom Gauld, Cyril Pedrosa, Aimée de Jongh,  and Pascal Girard as Special Guests for SPX 2016.

Small Press Expo is honored that all of these international creators are appearing at the festival for the very first time,

This is in additon to previously announced special guests Daniel Clowes, Lisa Hanawalt, Jeffrey Brown, Trina Robbins, Charles Burns, Jaime & Gilbert Hernandez, Sarah Glidden Carol Tyler, Jim Woodring, Drew Friedman, Ed Piskor, and a rare festival appearance by Joe Sacco.

Tom Gauld is reknown comic creator, designer and illiustrator. He has weekly comic strips in The Guardian and New Scientist, as well as having his work published in The New York Times and The Believer. In addition to his graphic novels Goliath and You're All Just Jealous of My Jetpack, he has designed a number of book covers, as well as a can for Diet Coke. This fall he releases Mooncop from Drawn & Quarterly. Gauld lives and works in London.

Cyril Pedrosa studied animation design at the Gobelins, a Parisian school dedicated to careers in the moving image. He went on to work on Disney animated feature films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules. A rising star in graphic storytelling, his unique work is a product of his animation background combined with his literary influences of Borges, Marquez and Tolkien. His moving journal of going back to his family roots, Portugal, is a bestseller. NBM will release Pedrosa's latest, Equinox  this September.

Aimée de Jongh is an award-winning animator, comic artist, and illustrator from the Netherlands. She has since created work for children's books, TV shows, music videos, and art installations, alongside numerous comic book series. Her animated film Aurora was screened widely in the Netherlands and Janus, a video installation she created with the L.A.-based artist Miljohn Ruperto, was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art. The Return of the Honey Buzzard, her first graphic novel, won the Prix Saint-Michel and is published in English by SelfMadeHero.

Pascal Girard was born in Jonquière, Quebec, Canada, in 1981. He began filling his notebook with drawings on his very first day of school and never stopped. Since he was unable to rid himself of this habit, he naturally decided to make it his career. Girard is the award-winning author of Nicolas, Bigfoot, Reunion, and Petty Theft. He lives in Montreal. In September 2016, Girard is releasing an expanded hardcover edition of his first book Nicholas published by Drawn & Quarterly.

In the next few weeks, SPX will announce more guests, the 2016 Ignatz nominees and a full slate of programming.

SPX 2016 takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 17-18, and will have over 650 creators, 280 exhibitor tables and 22 programming slots to entertain, enlighten and introduce attendees to the amazing world of independent and small press comics.

Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together more than 650 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The expo includes a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests.

The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show.

As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, which funds graphic novel purchases for public and academic libraries, as well as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), which protects the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, visit their website at http://www.cbldf.org. For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.smallpressexpo.com.

Monday, May 09, 2016

Joe Procopio on Small Press Expo in 2000

Thanks to Joe Procopio of Lost Art Books for providing the scans and letting us reprint this article.

Procopio, Joseph .  2000.
The Greatly Exaggerated Death of Comic Books: NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND at the Small Press Expo 2000.
Snap Pop! 2 (5; December / January): 8-10.
online at http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2016/05/joe-procopio-on-small-press-expo-in-2000.html



Sunday, September 14, 2014

SPX day 2 photos

I had a good time again today, and took a few more shots. All the pictures can be seen at my Flickr site. I think people probably did well, on both sides of the table, but I'm sure the main news sites will cover that. I saw Tom "Comics Reporter" Spurgeon and Heidi "the Beat" MacDonald in passing today.

James Kochalka
Rob Ullman, the former Washington City Paper's Savage Love illustrator

SPX day 1 photos


Ellen Lindner
Day one of SPX seemed like a success to me. It didn't feel as crowded as last year, but there was a good flow of people around. Even at opening, the aisles got busy fast.

Here's a link to more SPX photos I took yesterday. They're mostly DC-area creators. Also included is Jules Feiffer at Politics and Prose on Friday.
Jules Feiffer
Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman

Dean Haspiel and Christa Cassano

Carolyn Belefski

Thursday, September 11, 2014

PR: NBM HEADS TO SPX 2014

NBM HEADS TO SPX 2014
Patrick Atangan's Invincible Days Makes It's Debut
http://www.spxpo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/SPX_Poster_Gif1.gif

On September 13-14th, you can find some of the most prestigious names in comics at the 2014 Small Press Expo (aka SPX).

Unlike many conventions that are geared toward pop culture or corporately owned comics, SPX was created in 1994 to promote artists and publishers who produce independent comics. SPX hosts an annual festival that provides a forum for artists, writers and publishers of comic art in its various forms to present to the public comic art not normally accessible through normal commercial channels.

This weekend, you can find NBM at Table F1-F2, where we'll have our latest book on hand, Invincible Days.

http://www.nbmpub.com/fairytales/atangan/invincible_cover300.jpg
By the author of the Yellow Jar and Silk Tapestry, this collection of short stories forms a singular narrative that reveals the tiny moments when you realize you are at the precious end-days of youth.  Atangan creates an intricate mosaic from his own childhood memories as well as those gathered from friends and family. Bittersweet, joyful and reflective, these are the type of marking moments that best define us as adults. 

Unfortunately, creator Patrick Atangan cannot be there, but we'll have some of his original art that's we'll be raffling off.  Purchase any of his books to enter to win.
In addition, we'll have some previews of our upcoming books including Jude Nude by Etienne DavodeauDungeon: Twilight, Volume 4, as well as our special accordion book, Pascal RabatéStreet View, it needs to be seen to be believed!


We'll also have a fashionably EARLY preview of a book that will have everyone talking come SPRING 2015, Annie Goetzinger’s Girl in Dior
We’ll also be offering all of our latest titles and prints are available for free with any $30 purchase, with a signed version free with a $50 purchase.

Throughout SPX, NBM can be found at tables F1-F2.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Porcellino documentary to debut at SPX

'Root Hog or Die,' a documentary on influential cartoonist John Porcellino (King-Cat Comics), is expected to debut at the Small Press Expo in September. Click here to see trailer.

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

Meet a Baltimore Cartoonist: A Chat with Spaghetti Kiss's Michael Bracco


Michael Bracco is a Baltimore-area cartoonist who often attends Washington's comics shows. He's frequently identified by his studio's nom-de-plume, Spaghetti Kiss. His comic Creators is debuting as a webcomic next month, but you can buy it in print now.
 
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Michael Bracco: I’m a science fiction geek and most of what I write and draw falls into that genre.  I love drawing robots and monsters and the work revolves around that type of character design.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I am a very analog artist.  I do all of my comic work in sketchbooks so that I can keep the work portable. I work in pen and ink with Zebra brush pens and Microns to do the paneling, drawing and lettering.  I do scan them and use the computer for color but tend to scan tons of watercolor washes and cut them up in Photoshop to make it feel a bit more hand done.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
1979.  It actually makes me sound younger to say the year than just the decade.
You attend events in Washington, but don't live here.  What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I am in Baltimore City actually and have lived there for 14 years. I moved here in '97 to go to college and never left.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I went to Maryland Institute College of Art and received a BFA in illustration in 2001 and a Masters in Art Education in 2002.  Other than that my education in comics comes from years of reading them.
Who are your influences?

I do have some comic artists who are huge influences but really I am most inspired by movies.  The greatest challenge to me is to create comics that have the same sense of pacing as my favorite movies.  Movies like The Professional, Alien, 12 Monkeys, Star Wars and so many more have been my biggest sources of inspiration.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
Part of me wishes I had got the ball rolling on my career earlier but the 6 years I spent not really getting my work out there in my twenties were the years I cut my teeth and learned the most.  I guess I wouldn’t change much of anything.  All the tough times and challenges, even the really brow beating and ego killing moments are really what ended up defining me and giving me the work ethic I needed to be successful at all.
What work are you best-known for?
Probably my Apparel line and not my comics at all.  I have a very awesome and loyal fan base for the books but the clothing line, Spaghetti Kiss gets all the attention.
What work are you most proud of?
The Novo series.  I spent almost a decade building that world and developing the story and the characters into a 6 graphic novel series.  It was the first thing I published and it will always be my baby even though it has been finished for almost 4 years. 
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I have been working on a book for the past 2 years called The Creators and have recently decided that I am going to put it out as a web comic.  Up to this point I have always exclusively done print comics and I am really excited to start this new endeavor.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I just try and keep writing until I break through it.  Bad art/writing is just a necessary step in getting to good art/writing.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
I think the independent market will really open up.  The non-superhero book has risen so high in the past decade and I think creators keep bringing new ideas to the table.
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
 
TONS!  I vend at SPX, Baltimore Comic Con, MagFest, Awesome Con, Smudge, Katsucon, Anime USA, Annapolis Con, Collectors Con, Baltimore Tattoo Con to name a few. I also do a lot of craft shows like Pile of Craft, Holiday Heap, Merry Mart, Honfest, Artscape and Crafty Bastards
 
What's your favorite thing about DC?
 
The food.  There are so many great places to get a good drink and a good meal.
 
Least favorite?

On the surface, most of DC’s culture is based around politics and I am not a big fan of that.  It takes a while to go deeper and find the local culture of the city but when you do you get to see what makes DC really great.
 
What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
 
I don’t know if this counts, but I love the Cherry Blossom festival. 
 
Do you have a website or blog?
 
My site is spaghettikiss.com and you can find me on twitter, instagram, facebook and tumblr under spaghettikiss too!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

SPX lottery opens Jan. 24


The lottery for exhibitor tables at the Small Press Expo 2014 opens on Jan. 24. If you’re considering putting your name in the hat, SPX recommend you take a few moments to read its lottery FAQs.

Image: SPX

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

2013 SPX video interviews

A new batch of 2013 Small Press Expo video interviews with creators at the show. This is a great annual tradition started by local comics/zinefest/videocast creators Joe Mochove and Rusty Rowley. Below is one of the videos that includes part of the SPX crew, including Warren Bernard, Sam Marx and MDT.

Tuesday, September 03, 2013

DC Public Library as the 2013 Recipient of the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program




Small Press Expo Announces the District of Columbia Public Library as the 2013 Recipient of the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program


For Immediate Release             Contact: Warren Bernard
                                                   Phone: 301-537-4615
                                                   E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com

Bethesda, Maryland; September 3, 2013 - The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce that the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) is the 2013 recipient of the Small Press Expo Library Gift Program.

This program is an outright gift of graphic novels to the library as selected by the library's Collections Specialist, who selected 63 titles comprising 251 individual books. These books will be distributed to the Rosedale and William O. Lockridge/Bellevue branches.

Today there was a formal presentation of the books to the the library by Small Press Expo Executive Director Warren Bernard. The event was held at the  Rosedale Neighborhood Library.

"The library takes pride in offering the books that people want at their library," said Ginnie Cooper, chief librarian for the DC Public Library. "With the growing popularity of graphic novels, this gift allows District residents the opportunity to discover new titles and characters at their Library.  We cannot thank the Small Book Expo enough for this donation."

"It is with pleasure that Small Press Expo adds to the graphic novel collection of the DC Public Library," said Warren Bernard, Executive Director of the Small Press Expo. "We are thrilled at the selections made by their collections staff and we know that the readers will enjoy them. We are especially proud that these books will find their way the readers of all ages who normally would not have a chance to see this great work being done in the graphic novel field."


Left to right: Elissa Miller - Associate Director Collections, Linnea Hegarty - Executive Director DC Public Library Foundation, Warren Bernard - Executive Director Small Press Expo, Wendy Lukehart - Collections Coordinator, Ginnie Cooper - Chief Librarian DC Public Library


The books were selected by the library's collection staff from the offerings of publishers Fantagraphics, Top Shelf, Drawn & Quarterly, Adhouse Books and Koyama Press, all of whom support this program.

Artist and illustrator Kali Ciesemier designed a special bookplate that has been placed in all of the books donated by SPX. To see the book plate and for more information on the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, go to http://www.spxpo.com/graphic-novel-gift-program.

SPX's Graphic Novel Gift Program is an expansion of the philanthropic and charitable endeavors that are part of its corporate charter, and is in addition to SPX's annual support to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The targets of this program are public and academic library systems in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area as selected by the Small Press Expo.

The goals of this program are:

- Facilitate the availability of graphic novels to readers of all ages utilizing public and school libraries.
- Promote learning and literacy through the availability of graphic novels at local libraries.
- Provide library systems with additional resources by which they can purchase graphic novels and comics.

SPX will be held Saturday, September 14 from 11am-7pm and Sunday, September 15, 12-6pm at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in North Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days.
For further information on the Small Press Expo Graphic Novel Gift Program, please contact Catherine Fraas at catherine@spxpo.com.

For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.spxpo.com.
Copyright © 2013 Small Press Expo, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this e-mail as a result of your being on our long standing press release list.

Our mailing address is:
Small Press Expo
P.O. Box 447
McLean, VA 22101




Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Small Press Expo Announces Dates for SPX 2011 and 2nd Annual Small Press Expo Animation Showcase


Small Press Expo Announces Dates for SPX 2011 and 2nd Annual Small Press Expo Animation Showcase

For Immediate Release                              Contact: Warren Bernard


                                                                          E-Mail: warren@spxpo.com


Bethesda, Maryland, November 3, 2010 - Small Press Expo, t

he preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce that 

SPX 2011 will be held
 Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 11AM to 7PM, and Sunday September 11, 2011 from 
noon-6PM
. Admission will be $10 for a single day and $15 for both days. 

Applications for Exhibitor tables can be submitted as of January 1, 2011 via our website at
 
http://www.spxpo.com. Early bird table prices will be $300 until February 28, 2011, after March 1, 2011 they will be $370.

We are also pleased to announce the return of the Small Press Expo Animation Showcase, which features the best in juried animation. Call for submissions will run from January 1, 2011 to May 1, 2011.

Stay tuned for more details on SPX 2011.

SPX is a registered 501(c)3 which brings together more than 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. 

As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals.  For more information on the CBLDF, go to their website at http://www.cbldf.org/.