Archives for “awesome”

Whoa, what a weekend!

So, if y’all didn’t know, I recently attended the first-ever Minneapolis Indie Expo (MIX), and boy-howdy was it a totally great time!
It was my first-ever tabling experience, too, so I guess it was a double-trouble good place to go. I couldn’t have asked for better table-mates, too, what with Ben Bertin and Lale Westvind being so great and talented and all!

I think it went pretty well. While I don’t have any prior experience with tabling, so I don’t have any experience to base it on, I feel totally satisfied with how it went. I sold a slew of Low Sparks, at least one of every other book I had for sale, then made some phat trades, met some phat people, had a phat time! It was great. I’m sure I’ll post some of the photos I find around soon. I’ll let you know.

But now! Here are some of the far-out books I got! (I also got a T-shirt from Jeremy Tinder,) but I don’t have a picture of it, cha).

So, here goes:

Jin & Jan No. 1 by Hellen Jo.

I seem to be the only person who hadn’t read this one already, but I’m sure glad I have now! I traded a Low Spark (and a Cyber Winter, too, I think) with a fellow at Sparkplug Books for this gem, a most far-out trade if you ask me.

Oh Boy, Comics! by Neil Brideau.
A new compilation by Neil, a fine chap, who was on the megabus back with all of us (and also Sam Sharpe and Aaron Reiner, no less!) This is a fine-looking book with a great cover, and a trade I made that’s worth it for the “Laundry” comic within by faar. Check it out sometime!

Poo and These Yams Are Delicious by Sam Sharpe.
A one-two punch of great comics here from Sam Sharpe, another stellar guy (Man, maybe every comics artist is stellar. Or maybe I’m good at meeting the stellar ones?). Poo has a slew of great gag comics, and Yams is a really great and funny sci-fi story. Totally great!

Errand Service by Will Dinski.
This one is put together so well, and has such a great story! This might be my fave acquisition (Ferengi much?) from the day. It was so good I went and gave him a Low Spark in thanks. He’s also really nice. (duh).

These are all pretty meager descriptions of some fine work all around. I’m just still very excited by how great the whole weekend went, really. I think I’m definitely going to make the ‘con circuit next year, I felt so great about the whole experience. See you then!

P.S. Oh, and Minneapolis, WAY TO GO for being such a great town filled with lovely people!

Hey everyone! Fantastic news. I’m going to be involved in a panel discussion at the upcoming Chicago Comics Symposium! Whoa! SYMPOSIUM. Anyways, here’s the scoop on that:

The stubborn work ethic of Chicago’s comic scene will be explored in the first ever Chicago Comics Symposium, hosted by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) on March 11th and 12th 2010. Through panel discussions with over fifteen local comic makers, the Symposium will investigate the city’s influence on the comic making process, tackling the sad, serious, and silly topics that reign supreme in the realm of sequential art. All events are free and open to the public.

CCS will be comprised of four separate panel discussions with multiple artists on each and will be moderated by some of Chicago’s greatest thinkers, critics and (of course) readers of comics. The questions posed to the Windy City makers will address many issues including: the tasks of self-publication, the changing cultural status of comics and the difficulty of representing identity. The queries will oscillate between common knowledge and the complexity of the nitty-gritty details, giving equal enjoyment opportunity to new readers as well as true-blue comic connoisseurs.

Comics are infiltrating movie-theaters and chain book stores, sustaining independent comic shops and edging their way into academia. Comics are made any and every where, but Chicago has a distinct community of hard working doers, makers and shakers. The event will attempt to unite and uncover the inner workings of Chicago’s comics.

Attracting artists who currently live and work in the city, as well as former Chicago residents, the Symposium will bring together the old, new, big and small. Attendees include: Sarah Becan, Jeffrey Brown, Christa Donner, Surabhi Ghosh, Beth Hetland, Nicole Hollander, Paul Hornschemeier, Joey Jacks, Lucy Knisley, Ian McDuffie, Bernie McGovern, Anders Nilsen, Laura Park, John Porcellino, and Jeremy Tinder.

The Chicago Comics Symposium
Hosted by The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Thursday-Friday, March 11-12, 4:30-7pm
SAIC Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Free
Email: chicagocomicssymposium@gmail.com

They’ve also a website at chicagocomicssymposium.tumblr.com

Look at that list of names! Anyways, hope to see you all thurr!