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