Tag Archives: Comic Arts Festivals

September 11, 2023 · 8:00 am

Small Press Expo 2023: Another Wonderful Show!

A day in the life of Small Press Expo. Sketch by Henry Chamberlain

There are a number of ways to experience Small Press Expo and the best is to be on the convention floor as much as possible. And, even better is to be an exhibitor and have your own table space. It can really be a lot fun. Sure, there’s a fair amount of waiting to see what will happen next but you just need to pace yourself. I kept telling myself I was on a mission that no one is going to appreciate better than me: “I am here to represent my new graphic novel, George’s Run, published by Rutgers University Press.” I had to convey that energy and determination. Each time I described my book, and gave my pitch, was a new opportunity. Each work of comics is an island unto itself which you are beckoning passersby to consider hopping upon.

In support of my new graphic novel, GEORGE’S RUN!

Proudly representing Rutgers University Press!

I feel that it’s essential to be in the moment, acknowledge your table-mates, get to know them if possible, acknowledge your environment and everyone passing by, and certainly acknowledge yourself and your own comfort and well-being. I like to sneak in some time to draw in my sketchbook and that’s not only therapeutic but people often are curious and it can help strike up a conversation. Either that or people know right away that you’re not just a rep but the cartoonist! So, without further ado, I want to take a moment to acknowledge a few of my fellow creators. There are plenty more that I can share with you. This is a quick moment in time . . .

In this photo, you will see the following creators and contact info:

Sneaker Ghost by Jackie DeVito. Find it here.

Orts by Barrett Stanley. Find it at Radiator Comics.

Bruce Fort: Professional Bully by Bread Tarleton. Find it at So-So Press.

Bubbles #17. Find it here.

What I’ve Loved: Chapter 11 by Pam Wye. Find it here.

Precinct X99, Episode 2: Soft Toys. by Wren McDonald. Find it here.

I Owe It to My Parents to NOT Come Out by Richard Mercado. Find it here.

Empty by Jared Throne. Find it here.

Nickelodeon Guts by Sean Michael Robinson. Find it here.

Moonray by Brandon Graham and Xurxo G. Penalta. Find it here.

My Body Unspooling by Leo Fox. Find it here.

A big highlight for me, as it was for all of us at Small Press Expo, was Deb JJ Lee winning an Ignatz Award for Promising New Talent. Of course, Lee has many fans and she’s been around for more than a minute but the honor is highly significant. In fact, Lee cried when she went up to accept the award. For those new to Lee, this is the time to check out her new graphic novel, In Limbo, published by First Second.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t bring to your attention one of the hottest graphic novel releases for 2023: Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman by Éloïse Marseille (out November 7, 2023). This graphic novel presents a raw, tongue-in-cheek and refreshing look at sexuality in an engaging and entertaining manner that mature readers will appreciate. It is published by Pow Pow Press. The French edition is highly popular and we will soon have the English translation.

There is so much more that I need to share with you and I promise to just keep doing what I’m doing. I do my own thing regarding creating comics and I do my own thing writing about comics. See you again with more very soon!!

“Each work of comics is an island unto itself which you are beckoning passersby to consider hopping upon.”

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September 1, 2021 · 3:35 pm

Small Press Expo: 2021 Ignatz Awards Nominees; SPX online kicks off September 18, 2021

The Ignatz Awards!

Bethesda, Maryland – The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce the 2021 nominees for the annual presentation of the Ignatz Awards, a celebration of outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning.
Presented virtually, SPX 2021 will feature a full slate of programming along with a livestream of the Ignatz Awards ceremony.
Once again the Ignatz jurors have selected an amazing slate of nominees that reflect the diverse voices comprising the SPX community. On behalf of the Executive Committee, we want to thank the jurors for all of their hard work, and to congratulate all of the creators for giving comics readers these incredible works during such trying times. Good luck to everyone!!!! – Warren Bernard Executive Director
The Ignatz Awards are a juried festival prize, the first of such in the United States comic book industry. Traditionally, the winners are determined by attendees of the in-person event. This year, as was the case in 2020, voting is open to all who register to receive a ballot.
Ignatz Awards nominees are determined by a panel of comics professionals. The 2021 Ignatz jurors are Sunmi, Nguyên Khôi Nguyễn, and Daniel Elkin.
The Ignatz Awards ceremony will be live-streamed via the SPX Youtube channel at 8PM on September 18.
Additional Information about the nominees can be found at www.smallpressexpo.com.

Outstanding Artist

Ashanti Fortson – Leaf Lace (Hiveworks)
Lee Lai – Stone Fruit (Fantagraphics)
Arantza Peña Popo – Lavender Scare (self-published)
Damien Roudeau – Crude (Graphic Mundi)
Karl Stevens – Penny (Chronicle)
Outstanding Anthology
A Queer Prisoner’s Anthology IV – ed. by Casper Cendre (ABO)
Bystander (Kadak Collective)
Confined Before Covid: A Pandemic Anthology by LGBTQ Prisoners (ABO)
First Wave: Comics from the Early Months of China’s Outbreak – ed. by Xinmei Liu (Paradise Systems)
Glaeolia 2 (Glacier Bay Books)
Outstanding Collection
Sami Alwani – The Pleasure of the Text (Conundrum Press)
Ancco – Nineteen (Drawn & Quarterly)
Abby Howard- The Crossroads at Midnight (Iron Circus Comics)
Tess Scilipoti – Do You Think I Look Like a Girl? (self-published)
Kuniko Tsurita – The Sky is Blue with a Single Cloud (Drawn & Quarterly)
Outstanding Comic
EA Bethea – Francis Bacon (Domino Books)
Ashanti Fortson – Leaf Lace (Hiveworks)
Maddi Gonzalez – Rhapsodie (Fantagraphics)
Adam Szym – A Cordial Invitation (Fantagraphics)
Dominique Duong – The Dog & The Cat (self-published)
Outstanding Graphic Novel
Alex Graham – Dog Biscuits (self-published)
Jim Terry – Come Home, Indio (Street Noise Books)
Lee Lai – Stone Fruit (Fantagraphics)
Sloane Leong – A Map to the Sun (First Second)
Nico Harriman – Mr. H: Portrait of a High School Art Teacher (self-published)
Outstanding Minicomic
Brendan Leach – Slum Clearance Symphony (Czap Books)
Casey Nowak – Bodyseed (Diskette Press)
Arantza Peña Popo – Lavender Scare (self-published)
Whit Taylor – Montana Diary (Silver Sprocket)
Leda Zawacki – The Drain Pipe (self-published)
Outstanding Online Comic
Michael DeForge – Birds of Maine
Ashanti Fortson-Leaf Lace (Hiveworks)
Shing Yin Khor – I Do Not Want to Write Today
Susannah Lohr – Shadows Become You
Alec Robbins – Mr. Boop
Outstanding Series
Ex.Mag (Peow Studios)
Malarkey – November Garcia (Birdcage Bottom Books)
Ley Lines – ed. by Kevin Czapiewski (Czap Books)
Tongues – Anders Nilsen(self-published)
A Queer Prisoner’s Anthology IV – ed. by Casper Cendre (ABO)
Outstanding Story
Raquelle Jac – Misguided Love from Now #9 (Fantagraphics)
Ancco – Nineteen (Drawn & Quarterly)
Yeong-shin Ma – Moms (Drawn & Quarterly)
Freddy Carrasco – Personal Companion from Ex.Mag #1 (Peow Studios)
Stan Stanley – The Hazards of Love (Simon & Schuster)
Promising New Talent
Royal Dunlap
Nico Harriman
Zoe Maeve
Pa-Luis
Tess Scilipoti
The Ignatz Awards ceremony will be live-streamed on the SPX Youtube channel. Further details on presenters will be given at a later date.

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December 9, 2020 · 11:00 am

Comic Arts Festivals: Exterminator City (Dec 10-13, 2020)

Comic arts festivals are the backbone of a lot of indie comics activity. During Covid-19, we’ve seen many of these events converting to online versions. Welcome to Exterminator City (part of Push/Pull co-operative), the 10th edition of this Seattle indie and small press festival. Beginning on Thursday, December 10th, you can enjoy programming and events during this 4-day event.

Sample video: Julia Wald chats about  her new work, Suspension of Disbelief, with special guest Vladimir Verano of Vert Volta Press and Maxx Follis-Goodkind:

At 12:00 pm on December 10th all artist tables go live. Artist tables are pages on the Exterminator City website that include artist video introductions, their products, and information about them and how to follow them online. You can purchase directly off their tables – it is the next best thing to being with them in-person!

So, check it all out at Exterminator City right here.

There will be a wide selection of video content from online tutorials to interview panels. Here is the full lineup:

December 10th, Thursday – all events are live at 6pm PST

David Lasky speaks with John Porcellino of King-Cat Comics about making the King-Cat series for 30 years, the political nature of zines, and creating in 2020.

Maxx Follis-Goodkind interviews Craig van den Bosch and Marty Gordon of Microverse Press – a conversation about collage & collaboration.

Sarah Maloney teaches you how to make a mini zine of your own!

December 11th, Friday: 

7:30pm– Catch special events over at VeraTV! veratv.org Friday only.

Featured events include:

Abridged interviews with Julia Wald and Jose Alaniz about their 2020 book releases.

A panel of zine experts – Maxx FG, Anne Bean, and Sarah Maloney  will be giving you their best tips for zine newbies

Plus a tutorial from Maxx FG explaining what is saddle stitch and showing you two ways to do it

December 12th, Saturday – all events are live at 6pm PST

Sarah Maloney interviews Nicole Georges of Invincible Summer about changes and creating during the covid-19 pandemic

Plus! a full interview with Julia Wald about her latest release Suspension of Disbelief, with special guest Vladimir Verano of Vert Volta Press

And zine experts – Maxx FG, Anne Bean (Emerald Comics Distro), and Sarah Maloney – are back with their full list of things you should know before making your first zine.

December 13th, Sunday – all events are live at 6pm PST

A full interview with Jose Alaniz about his latest release, The Phantom Zone, a collection of works from the 90s through recent creations.

Seth Goodkind gets a lesson on the history of Seattle’s underground comics with artist Pat Moriarity and discusses what Pat is up to now.

Cheryl Chudyk invites you to participate in her surrealist poetry zine. And T. Pratt teaches you the secrets behind his pop-up zines.

“Exterminator City is about connecting our community to people self-publishing zines and comics. When we realized that the current pandemic meant all of the in-person shows for the year would be cancelled we felt it was our responsibility to step in. Our hope is that you learn about people creating, connect with someone new, and get some inside information from our panels and interviews. And of course enjoy yourself!”

—Maxx FG

Visit the festival and explore December 10th – 13th at exterminatorcity.com

And visit Push/Pull, in Seattle, throughout the year.

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July 12, 2020 · 2:15 pm

L.A. Zine Fest 2020: A Few Observations and Updates

 

L.A. Zine Fest took place this year as a virtual series of events in May, an exciting alternative to connect zinesters, attendees, and other people who usually go to the fest. Let this serve as a friendly and helpful model for similar events that might still be grappling with what to do in 2020 and beyond. COVID-19 isn’t going to just disappear but we can remain vigilant and creative. From the comfort of my home in Seattle, I got to check out L.A. Zine Fest and I have some items to share with you from my connecting remotely with LAZF.

CDMX by Chynna Monforte

Here is a zine by Chynna Monforte which shares with the reader a recent visit to Mexico City. Chynna put on an excellent workshop as part of the schedule of events during LAZF this year. During her workshop, Chynna shared her techniques for putting together a zine which included a look at her own vast collection as well as some tips on laying out your zine in inDesign. Be sure to visit Chynna for all your design needs, particularly with print and web design.

Pages from CDMX

The robust colors just blow my mind. With her zine, CDMX, Chynna Monoforte demonstrates that there are no limits to what you can do with a zine. You can really put together a zine that is just as vibrant and professional as anything you’d find in a mainstream magazine.

Zines by Stainperfect

And here is a zine from Haruka Tanabe, an artist that goes by the name, Stainperfect, based in Tokyo and Osaka. This is an amazing artist and I am curious to learn more. Her work is very much in the autobio tradition of indie comics and it appears that autobio work comes naturally to her. For a long time, she had misgivings about her art but she finally took the plunge after finally gaining just the right support from a friend. Her earliest effort was the little zine, It’s Okay, which is an affirmation she makes to herself and shares with the reader. This led to deeper exploration, as in Midnight Drumbeat, a poetic look at a trip to Mozambique where she was a volunteer. More recent work includes, Loving More Freely: Exploring Polyamory, which explores relationships within polyamory and provides essential insight.

Page from Loving More Freely: Exploring Polyamory

L.A. Zine Fest curated readings, workshops, and discussion panels via Zoom that connected zinesters, creators, comix artists, and illustrators with each other and the general public. Workshops and panels  included everything from how to draw people who are different than you are to an exercise in making comics and “stream-of-consciousness sketching” in quarantine times.

L.A. Zine Fest 2019

LAZF teamed up with some of its 2020 exhibitors to create a select number of digital events and fun stuff for 2020. I look forward to what LAZF does for 2021, whether in person or virtual. Let’s all keep doing great work supporting the arts through the pandemic. Keep in touch with LAZF!

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October 14, 2019 · 3:00 pm

Seattle Focus: Short Run Comix & Arts Festival on 9 November 2019

SHORT RUN 2019

Some events take on a life of their own and so it is with Short Run, the annual comic arts festival in Seattle. No matter who is in charge, what keeps this gathering alive is a core group of young people who have faith in comics and zines. No matter who is found to be a star attraction, no matter what the list of new titles known by the experts, it is the rush of young people seeking to connect with art and the zeitgeist who give this annual gathering its energy.

Special Guest Marc Bell

That said, much is put into organizing this event, lots of love and care. There are numerous workshops to enjoy. And this year’s special guest is renowned Canadian cartoonist Marc Bell, known as much for his comics and zines as his paintings. Many cities have at least one sort of arts festival such as this and Short Run is part of the Seattle landscape. It’s a combination of the aspirations of the show’s organizers and the zeal of its audience, the will of the people, that makes this possible year after year. If you are in Seattle, and especially if comic arts festivals are new to you, do make sure to pay a visit to Seattle Center, Saturday, Nov. 9th, 2019, 11 am-6 pm.

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October 19, 2018 · 8:15 pm

Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) this weekend 10/20-21

MICE 2018

The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) is this weekend October 20-21, 2018 in Cambridge, MA.

The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo is a free weekend event showcasing the best in new and local comics!

For more details, visit MICE right here.

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November 6, 2016 · 10:00 am

Short Run 2016: The Big in the Small

Short Run 2016

Short Run 2016

I picked up some fine comics at Seattle’s Short Run Comix & Arts Festival. Short Run is one in a growing number of comic arts festivals in recent years in the spirit of the Small Press Expo (SPX) which was created in 1994 to promote artists and publishers who produce independent comics. The prime objective of SPX, and other comic arts festivals, is its main annual event, a place to showcase artists, writers and publishers primarily of comic art in its various forms to the general public. We are dealing here with a decidedly small demographic but a very important one. Short Run organizers Eroyn Franklin and Kelly Froh have done an admirable job of putting together a comic arts festival that resonates with this niche audience. They have found the big in the small.

Short Run Comix Fest 2016

Short Run Comix Fest 2016

This year’s Short Run at Fisher Pavilion in Seattle Center saw a steady flow of attendees. You could clearly see an impassioned interest for the hand-made. In spite of our jittery digital world, it seems that a lot of people are attracted to something more basic, something stapled or stitched together that’s printed on paper. And for the actual participants, the various writers, artists, and cartoonists at their tables, the sense of community alone is quite gratifying.

Here are a few nibbles of observations in no particular order. It was nice to stop by and chat with cartoonist Tom Van Deusen. He tells me that he’s thinking about having a new book out in the next year or so. Pat Moriarity has some similar plans. He sees a new book in the future as well as an animated treat down the line. I’ll see about letting folks know about it when it comes out. Pat, by the way, has created some of the most gorgeous prints through the Vera Project press. Noel Franklin has had quite a good year as she has the distinction of having won all three major grants in Seattle. Always good to see Vanessa Davis and Trevor Alixopulos. I had to pick up the new edition of Spaniel Rage, which won’t officially be out until February, from Drawn & Quarterly! Megan Kelso recently created a special collaboration with her 10-year-old daughter, Virginia, which is a lot of fun. While Short Run fell right on Halloween last year, this year it fell within the specter of the most crazed presidential election ever. I asked cartoonist and humorist extraordinaire Greg Stump for his thoughts. He said it felt like a perpetual loop where we never reach the actual day of the election as in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Betty Turbo's Portrait Machine!

Betty Turbo’s Portrait Machine!

And, by the way, if you did go to Short Run, did you get your face drawn at Betty Turbo’s Portrait Machine? Looks like a hoot. Visit Betty Turbo right here.

Short Run promo by Vanessa Davis

Short Run promo by Vanessa Davis

We’ll take a closer look at some of the comics I picked up this Saturday in the next few days. Some have a direct connection to Short Run and some don’t. In the end, it’s all about comics with that special touch. Call them comix, or call them alt-comics. They may appear at this or that comic arts fest or only online or even in an actual comic book shop. Whatever route you need to take, seek them out. And, if you’re in Seattle, be sure to visit Short Run right here.

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October 28, 2015 · 8:30 am

Short Run 2015: Debut of GEORGE’S RUN #1

First issue of George's Run to debut at Short Run

First issue of George’s Run to debut at Short Run

For all of us in the comics community, whether creators or fans, it is time once again for the Short Run Comix & Arts Festival. There’s a nice write-up about it in the local alt-weekly, The Stranger, that you can check out here. Among a splendid array of comics that you will have a chance to choose from, I humbly add something I am working on. This is the first installment to a full-length work. It’s called, “George’s Run,” and it’s about the life and times of science fiction writer George Clayton Johnson. I am still in the process of weaving the narrative but this is a perfect time to share some of what I’ve put together thus far. If you happen to go to Short Run, you’ll have a chance to buy a copy of this 24-page comic. You can find me at the Short Run tables under the name, Comics Grinder Press.

Short Run Comix & Arts Festival takes place this Halloween: Saturday, October 31, in Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center from 11 am to 6 pm.

For more details, be sure to visit our friends at Short Run right here.

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September 18, 2015 · 3:00 pm

Review: TITAN #1 & #2

Phoebe at rest, one of the Titan masses.

Phoebe at rest, one of the Titan masses.

François Vigneault is an impressive cartoonist and I am so glad to share his work with you here at Comics Grinder. Phoebe and João come from two extremes on the class spectrum but they can’t help but be attracted to each other in François Vigneault’s TITAN, a new quirky sci-fi comics series published by Study Group Comics as a webcomic and as printed issues too.

Phoebe and João in François Vigneault's TITAN, published by Study Group Comics

Phoebe and João in François Vigneault’s TITAN, published by Study Group Comics

You’ve heard of the One Percenters, right? And all the economic disparity? Ha, of course you have. Ah, yes, the haves vs. the have-nots theme. In TITAN, the haves are Terrans and the have-nots are Titans. Vigneault brings us aboard Homestead Station on the moon of Titan where we follow Manager João da Silva as he attempts to lessen tensions between the geneticly-engineered Titan workers and the Terran management. It turns out that the key to his problems lies with one voluptuous Titan worker, Phoebe.

The dynamics on Homestead Station is a lot of fun to see unfold in these first two issues. Far, far, away, in some distant future, you’ll find that crass youth haven’t really changed much at all. Slang, for instance, reflects the latest level of rage. Communication in general, particularly amongst the working class, has undergone a further breakdown in literacy as everyone speaks in choppy sentences. It’s a grim world just waiting to explode! Vigneault keeps our eyes moving with just the right touches of futuristic background and engaging facial expressions and body language. TITAN proves to be a comic in the best sci-fi tradition: a compelling exploration of the human psyche.

Phoebe can't help but tower over Joao.

Phoebe can’t help but tower over João.

The relationship between Phoebe and João is very intriguing. Vigneault does a great job in expressing the divide between rich and poor, the vulnerabilities on each side. Vigneault engages the reader with a love story every bit unlikely and yet most compelling. Phoebe, who would seem to have the disadvantage as a member of the working class, cannot help but tower over her would-be master, João. And João seems to like it.

Study-Group-Comics-Titan-2105

If you’re heading out to the Small Press Expo, taking place this weekend in Bethesda, Maryland, you’ll be seeing some of the best independent comics around. SPX is turning 21 this year, by the way, which makes her legal. Anyway, TITAN #2 will debut at SPX and is surely a comic you’ll want to pick up. Be sure to visit François Vigneault at the Floating World Comics/Study Group table, J8-9.

Small-Press-Expo-2015

For more on the Small Press Expo, visit right here. And keep up with TITAN and Study Group Comics right here.

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August 10, 2015 · 3:00 pm

SHORT RUN 2015: See You in Seattle on Halloween

Short Run poster by Jim Woodring

Short Run poster by Jim Woodring

I have the happy news to report that Comics Grinder Press has been selected as an exhibitor at this year’s Short Run Comix & Arts Festival on Saturday, October 31, 2015.

For those of you who follow the independent comics scene, you know that comic arts festivals are its lifeblood. And Short Run is essential. If you are in Seattle, come down to see Short Run at Fisher Pavilion in Seattle Center on Halloween. The event is free and runs from 11 am -6 pm.

Be sure to keep up with Short Run as they will have other events planned beginning on Wednesday, October 28th. And, keep in mind that since this is taking place on Halloween, there will be plenty of treats for the kids.

I am thrilled to be a part of Short Run and I am excited to join in on all the fun. There will be more updates as we get closer to the main event and there will be a recap once the festivities have wrapped up for another year. For now, mark your calendar and plan on joining us at Short Run.

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