Showing posts with label Storybox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Storybox. Show all posts

Thursday, June 26, 2025

June 27-29: STORYBOX Comics Fair Program Schedule


STORYBOX Comics Fair Brings Local Comics Creators Together for a Third Year
[ 
Dwightmess & Third Hill Brewing Co. in Silver Spring Hosts Mini-Expo for Indie Comics, Beer Lovers ]

SILVER SPRING, MD— DWIGHTMESS Cartooning & Comic Arts, a gallery and arts compound devoted to experimental and cutting-edge independent comics and illustration, is proud to announce the 2025 STORYBOX Comics Fair, now in its third year of convening of capital-area comic creators & beyond. Events will take place on Friday, June 20th, 6-8pm at Mojomala Books, Records & Cool Stuff (free admission), Friday, June 27th, 6-8pm, June 28th, and 29th 12-5pm at Dwightmess compound (Suggested donation $10), and on Sunday, June 29th 125-5pm at Third Hill Brewing Co. (Admission $10).

This year, STORYBOX is partnering with AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center for two events; On Saturday, June 29th at 7:00pm, Halcyon Scene, the 80's vintage boutique located inside Dwightmess compound, will conduct an 80's cosplay contest along with a screening of Donnie Darko and at 9:30pm STORYBOX Comics Fair will co-present an AFI After Hours event featuring The People's Joker, directed by Vera Drew.

Highlights include DC-based autobio comics collective JAM//Index, composed of Max Barnewitz, John Borstel & Athena Naylor, who will open a new exhibition, ULTIMATE JAM! run a workshop and an artist talk. Special Guests Shannon Spence (NYC) and Marta Syrup (Philadelphia, PA) will lead an artist talk on their exhibit currently in our gallery, Trash and Other Filth. Author RM Rhodes will lead a discussion on Heavy Metal Magazine based on his forthcoming book on the storied publication and its sequential art.  

Exhibitor List (Saturday 6/28 at DWIGHTMESS): Emily Ettlinger, Alex Lupp, Fantom Comics, Jacob Warrenfeltz, Pan Gea, Small Press Expo & Will Towles.

The second day of the fair is a comics mini-expo taking place at Third Hill Brewing Co. in downtown Silver Spring. Featuring 11 DMV-region cartoonists, illustrators and makers, with book signings by our special guests and a workshop led by JESS JESS PRESS, a Baltimore-based printing studio devoted to uplifting queer and fem artists and artists of color..

Special Guests: Olivier Ballou, Max Barnewitz, John Borstel, Athena Naylor, Shannon Spence, Marta Syrup.
Exhibitor List (Sunday 6/29): Yuki Clarke, Ban Claassen III, Tom Pescatore, Nami Oshiro.


Schedule of Programming : 


 
Friday June 20th, 6-8pm
Consign 'n Swap Hosted by Olivier Ballou!
@ Mojomala Books, Records & Cool Stuff, 8401 Colesville Rd. #140, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Creators are encouraged to bring their small press publications for consideration to consign by the shop and also a tote bag of their own comix to swap with friends!

Friday, June 27th, 7-9pm
Trashy Trailer Night @ DWIGHTMESS compound - In concert with our current exhibition "Trash & Other Filth," Trash Palace will present a reel of cult and b-movie trailers. Popcorn and light beverages provided. Free!

Saturday, June 28th, 12-5pm 
@ DWIGHTMESS, 805 Silver Spring Ave, Silver Spring MD 20910 
Trash & Other Filth Exhibition, Main gallery.
JAM//Index Collective Exhibition, ULTIMATE JAM! Common room gallery.
Comics/Artist Exhibitors tabling throughout compound.*
12:30pm Workshop with JAM//Index Collective.
1pm: Archivist, historian and critic RM Rhodes will discuss Heavy Metal Magazine.
2pm: JAM//Index Collective Final Presentation and Exhibition Artist Talk.
 Suggested donation: $10.
*Exhibitors will continue to table at compound on June 29th from 12-5pm.

VICE-OUT!, 7pm
@ AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring 20910
Join Halcyon Scene, the vintage 80's boutique hosted in DWIGHTMESS compound for a screening of Donnie Darko and an 80's cosplay contest! Arrive 20 minutes early in your raddest duds to enter; First Prize is a $100 gift certificate to Halcyon Scene, 2nd Prize is a tchotchke from the shop's collection, & Third Prize is a pair of free tickets to screening at AFI! Try our themed cocktail from the Cafe, "The Sparkle Motion!" General Admission:$13.

AFI After Hours: The People's Joker, 9:30pm
THE PEOPLE'S JOKER is an inventive take on the superhero genre, torching all preconceived notions audiences — and publishers — have about Batman's rogues gallery, reinterpreting it to tell a funny yet poignant queer coming-of-age tale, co-starring alt-comedy legends Maria Bamford, Tim Heidecker, Scott Aukerman and Bob Odenkirk. Directed by Vera Drew. Tickets $8!


Sunday, June 23rd, 12-5pm
@ Third Hill Brewing Co, 8216 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring MD 20910 
1pm: Make 8-page mini zines and talk about indie publishing with JESS JESS PRESS! Materials provided!
2pm Special Guests Book Signings.
3pm: Artist Talk: Trash & Other Filth with Special Guests Marta Syrup & Shannon Spence.
*$10 Admission.

Event Locations: DWIGHTMESS, 805 Silver Spring Ave, Silver Spring MD 20910, Third Hill Brewing Co, 8216 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring MD 20910,  Mojomala Books, Records & Cool Stuff, 8401 Colesville Rd. #140, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Public Transit & Travel: 
1) Silver Spring Metro Station on the Red Line or D60 Bus from Washington DC.
2) Uber / Lyft / Taxi / Carpool! Paid Hourly Parking is available at the Fenton Street Village Garage (8110 Fenton St) or the Bonifant-Dixon Garage (1101 Bonifant St). 

Sponsored by: Third Hill Brewing Co., DWIGHTMESS, People's Book Takoma, Trash Palace, Mojomala Books, Records & Cool Stuff


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Sunday, June 23, 2024

Storybox Comics Fair day 2 pictures

 It was a mighty hot day in DC, but you could get a cold beer with your indy comics at Storybox's day 2. I don't drink beer, but I did chat with cartoonists. Unfortunately I hadn't realized that exhibitors on day 1 would not be at day 2, so I missed all of them. 

Pictures below the PR. 

 From the press release:

The second day of the fair is a comics mini-expo taking place at Third Hill Brewing Co. in downtown Silver Spring. Featuring 19 DMV-region cartoonists,illustrators and makers, with book signings by our special guests and workshops led by DC-based autobio-cartoonist Athena Naylor, Washington Post comics editor Hannah Good, and Ray Orr, Former Design and Comics Editor of The Lily for the Washington Post Style Section. Special Guests: Sierra Barnes, Ben Claassen III, Dana Jeri Maier 

Exhibitor List (Sunday 6/23): All the Old Posions, Carolyn Belefski, Kat Brenowitz, Hannah Good, Hobbes Holluck, Art Hondros, Paul Hostetler, Erin Lissette, Alex Lupp, Athena Naylor, Ray Orr, Nami Oshiro, Karly Perez, Perilous Adventure Studios, Dale Rawlings, Christine Skelly, Shannon Spence.   

 Sunday, June 23rd, 12-4pm Third Hill Brewing Co, 8216 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring MD 20910 (closest to Bonifant-Dixon Garage) 

1pm: Make a Collage Comic w/ Hannah Good and Rachel Orr 

2pm: “Main Character Energy” Workshop with Athena Naylor 

3pm Special Guests Book Signings 

*$10 Admission. 


Dale Rawlings

Art Hondros

The floor

Also the floor

Joe Carabeo of Curls Studio

Alex Lupp

Perilous Adventure Studios

Dana Jeri Maier

Paul Hostetler

Ben Claassen III

Erin Lissette

People's Book table


Kat Brenowitz

Athena Naylor

Karly Perez

Hannah Good

Kat Brenowitz

Shannon Spence

Ray Orr

Hobbes Holluck

Athena Naylor



Saturday, June 22, 2024

Storybox Comics Fair day 1 pictures

 I missed getting Sierra Barnes using a washing machine as a podium, but she was commanding while doing so. I'm afraid I also missed the cartoonists set up with booths. Tomorrow!

 Here's the press release with my photos below:

STORYBOX Comics Fair Brings Local Comics Creators Together for a Second Year


SILVER SPRING, MD— DWIGHTMESS Cartooning & Comic Arts, a gallery and arts compound devoted to experimental and cutting-edge independent comics and illustration, is proud to announce the 2024 STORYBOX Comics Fair, now in its second year of convening of capital-area comic creators. Events will take place on  Saturday, June 22nd at Dwightmess, and on Sunday, June 23rd at Third Hill Brewing Co. from 12-4pm. Admission to Saturday’s event is free. 
Admission to the expo at the brewery on Sunday is $10.

 
The first day of events will be led by our Special Guests; DC-based artist Sierra Barnes, author of “Hans Vogel is Dead,” released by Dark Horse Comics; DC-based Dana Jeri Maier, New Yorker Shouts artist and author of “Skip to the Fun Parts: Cartoons and Complaint About the Creative Process” and Baltimore-based artist Ben Claassen III, former Washington City Paper cartoonist of the long-running comic, “Dirt Farm.”
 
Visitors can expect to encounter a selection of exhibitors showcasing their self-published comics, illustrations and swag, and participate in discussions and workshops surrounding the craft of making comics. Events include a show of Dana Jeri Maier’s illustration in our secret tiny gallery, an opening reception & BBQ for SWAMP MESS, the gallery’s annual DC-comics creator summer show, featuring artwork by Ben Claassen III, Andrew Cohen, Chris Combs, Liam Crooks, Brandon Geurts, Art Hondros, Marcie-Wolf Hubbard, John Kinhart, and Dale Rawlings, plus an opening reception for Halcyon Scene, our vintage boutique offering sleek 1980’s furniture and decor. (IG: @_halcyon_scene_)
 


Ben Claassen III













 

Ben Claassen III & Adam Griffiths

 

  

Adam showing the layout sheet he uses, which he got from Paul Karasik.


The non-Claassen parts of the exhibit:

 






Marcie-Wolf Hubbard










Dana Jeri Maier's chat with Adam:




Dana and Adam went to MICA at the same time, and Believe it or not, neither of them studied sequential or comic art!