Some of my APE purchases

I probably spent more at the Alternative Press Expo this year than I have in previous years. It's probably my favorite show of the ones I've been hitting regularly since moving to California a few years back, if only because at just about every single table in the place you have the opportunity to discover a comic you've never seen before. Although living in the Bay Area I have access to shops that not only carry independent stuff, but in some cases also have minicomics, it's nice to have a venue like this where you can find such a wide range of books and talk to the creators directly.

So here's what I came home with ...

Heirophany by Rebecca "Bex" Freund: Bex is a student at the California College of Arts in San Francisco; her instructor, Matt Silady, introduced me to her. She has the distinction of being the first student at the school to have one of their comics appear in the school's literary journal, which she had on hand, along with a huge 11 by 17 version of the story that she was selling. It's a dreamlike, surreal horror story; one of the coolest sequences in the book has the main character getting yelled at by his boss, and the boss is represented by a body with a television for a head. Each panel featuring the TV has a different set of lips that appear to be yelling at the character, with no dialogue ... Bex is deaf, and Matt said that's what people look like to her when they're talking. Overall it's nicely done and kind of disturbing ... I hope to see more from her in the future.

Carnivale: A Kit Kaleidoscope Story by Nick Mullins: I bought all three of Nick Mullins' wordless mincomics set in New Orleans. I glanced at them as I was walking by his table and the art really jumped out at me. I haven't had a chance to dive into them yet, but you can check them out online.

Karaoke Comics #1 by Russ Kazmierczak: This is a really fun minicomic about the author's love of karaoke, which apparently came about after being bitten by a radioactive Michael Bolton CD (among other theories). It chronicles a couple of awkward moments he's experienced at karaoke bars. It's fairly short; the comics take up six pages, plus he reviews The Mint, a San Francisco karaoke bar. It's a fun concept that I bet he could do a lot more with, both in terms of fleshing out the two stories here and adding some others.

Whirlwind Wonderland by Rina Ayuyang: This one, I believe debuted at the show; published by Sparkplug and Tugboat Pres, it collects several stories that have appeared elsewhere. Another one I haven't had time to read yet, but I bought it based on Ayuyang's work in A Girls' Guide to Guy's Stuff.

Dog and Mouse by Marian Churchland: You might recognize Marian Churchland's name from the recent Elephantman arc she did, or from her upcoming graphic novel from Image, Beast, which I also picked up at the show. She only had 15 copies of Dog and Mouse, and each came wrapped in tissue paper for protection. I haven't actually gotten up the nerve to open it yet; it's very delicate, I guess is the right term, and I'm afraid of hurting it when I take it apart to get to the story. Soon, though, I'll work up to it.

North Country by Shane White: White was on hand mainly to sell his newest book, Things Undone by NBM, but he also had copies of North Country, which NBM published in 2005. I read Things Undone last Friday night and really dug it, so I added this one to my buy list when I realized he was going to be there. I haven't read North Country yet, but it looks like a very different book from Things Undone, at least in terms of artistic style. White said that the two books are part of a trilogy, with NC being the first book and Undone being the third, and both are based on his own personal experiences. He said the second part of the trilogy he's being very careful with, as it's about a time in his life and people he really respects, and he wants to make sure he gets them right.

Princess Witch Boy by Storm: I put this after my North Country write-up on purpose, as it shares a similar trait to White's Things Undone book -- both use the fantastic to tell very personal stories. In Things Undone, which a lot of people probably think is a zombie story based on the cover and the press leading up to it, White is telling a semi-autobiographical tale that uses a zombie metaphor to show how the main character is basically falling apart in both his work life and personal life. Princess Witch Boy, subtitled "A Fantasy Memoir," is about a boy who, at least in his head, can shape shift into various female forms -- a princess, a djinn, a supermodel sorceress -- to escape from the real world. This first minicomic is pretty much the set up, a glimpse at a bigger story; Storm said he plans to make the next issue longer than the 16 we have here. But he does some nice things here, particularly on the first page, which is a text piece called "Sissy" that lists "advice" on how to be more manly -- don't play with dolls, make a fist when you check your watch, etc. It does feel like we're only getting a small piece of what this will ultimately be, but I'm looking forward to seeing what it turns into.

Anthology Anthology by Jon Adams: Jon Adams is the mad genius behind Truth Serum, which you can read for free on the web. This is a collection of strips that appeared in various anthologies he's contributed to (hence the title). I find these all very funny ... my favorite in this collection is probably the one about two stormtroopers who discover Darth Vader's secret journal and read it in the breakroom over lunch.

Comic Diorama by Grant Reynolds: Another one I haven't had time to read yet; this one is a collection of short stories published by Top Shelf. I believe it comes out this Wednesday.

Dogtown, Book One by Brent Otey: Another one I haven't read yet; it's a mash-up of anthropomorphic animals, the Old West and science fiction, so you have a dog sheriff riding around on some sort of hoverbike. But a couple of things I like about it: first up, the art is really nice, esp. the full color cover, and second, it contains some fun "back matter" in the forms of classified ads and a map of the world where this is set. What I don't like is the printing; I don't know exactly what's off about it, but the word balloons are harder to read than they should be. But I won't let that stop me from reading it ...

Brandon Graham & Marian Churchland

• After a bout of torrential rains earlier in the week, San Francisco welcomed the Alternative Press Expo with sunshine and warm weather yesterday. APE is one of three shows put on by the folks at Comic Con International. There's San Diego every summer, of course, and San Francisco's WonderCon, which is usually in the winter/spring (next year it's the first weekend in April) and then in the fall comes APE. All the shows have their various charms ... San Diego is, well, San Diego. WonderCon offers a similar type of programming to San Diego without the chaos of being the mammoth event that SDCC is, while APE has a more laid back, intimate feel.

• I got there shortly after the doors opened, when the crowds were still pretty light. They'd grow as the day went on, so it was kind of nice to have a little elbow room. Most of the mainstays were in their regular places, with a few noticeable exceptions -- Fantagraphics, Top Shelf, Buenaventura, SLG, VIZ and Drawn & Quarterly were all where they usually are, but IDW, Oni and AiT/Planet Lar, who have been there in recent years, were missing. (Larry Young told me he wouldn't be there because he didn't want to be setting up for a show on his birthday, which was Friday ... happy belated birthday, Larry!) And while Image didn't have a table, they were represented by some of their creators, such as Richard Starkings, who had his own booth, and Brandon Graham and Marian Churchland, who were at the Neon Monster booth.

Dash Shaw

• In the words of Jeff Lester, I think I fractured my wallet yesterday. Usually there's a "book of the show" at APE, but I'm not quite sure what it would be yet. Jamaica Dyer's Weird Fishes seemed to be doing pretty well at the SLG table. They also had copies of Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer at the booth; Dan Vado said the orders on the book had been great. They also had a new printing of Street Angel, which is on a nicer paper stock than the previous version. Meanwhile, Dash Shaw was not just sketching, but actually painting on copies of his new book The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century A.D., which was fun to watch. They also had the third Ganges book, which I would have gotten if I hadn't already ordered it. Churchland had advanced copies of her Image graphic novel Beast, while VIZ had the sixth volume of Pluto available. I'm not as up on manga as most people, but this seemed to be a really big deal for fans of the book.

I picked up several minicomics as well, from folks like K.O. Comix, Jon Adams and Storm from the Writers Old Fashioned group. I'll do a separate post on all my various loot in the next day or so.

• As far as lines go, I don't think anybody beat Jeff Smith. It was also cool to see kids with plush Bones show up for his panel yesterday. Also, I caught the last half of the Batton Lash panel and wish I'd been there for the whole thing. Lash talked about his history in the comic industry, from being taught by folks like Will Eisner to working with Howard Chaykin to the legendary Archie vs. the Punisher one-shot he did.

• I had lunch with Matt Maxwell, David Brothers and Ana Hurka-Robles at the always awesome Holy Grill. I've eaten there at every APE, and it never fails to satisfy -- both in terms of food and company.

• More later ...

First up is Lee Post, an illustrator who is traveling down here to the Bay Area all the way from Anchorage, Alaska -- the land of "Sarah Palin, meth shacks, and aerial elk-massacres," he said in his email.

"My friend Pat Race and I will be coming down from Alaska to take part this year at booth #549," Post writes. "I've been down the last four years, hanging out with Jon Adams of Truth Serum fame, but I've finally made the jump to booth owner this year."

Post will be selling The Best of Your Square Life as well as a new mini-comic he did for 24 Hour Comics Day called In Alaska Everyone Has a Beard. He'll also have this APE-themed print:

Post says that Race is an illustrator from Juneau and is part of the collective Alaska Robotics, who do webcomics, T-shirts, and video shorts, one of which was recently featured on BoingBoing.

*****

Dogtown

Next up is Russ Kazmierczak, Jr. of K.O. Comix, who you can find at table 510. They'll have the self-published Dog Town by Brent Otey, a post-apocalyptic dogs vs. cats western sci-fi epic, and Karaoke Comics #1 by Kazmierczak, an anthology featuring fictional and biographical tales inspired by karaoke -- both hot off the press! Their usual assortment of superhero comics and fanzines will be available, too. Russ has more info on other stuff he'll have on hand at his blog.

*****

And finally, I mentioned the other day that Jamaica Dyer is a special guest and will be hanging out at the SLG table, but she sent over a few more details on what she'll be up to ...

I saw your post about APE, and wanted to say hi! I've been going to APE for about 7 years (a wee teenager when I started) sharing tables with friends to sell my mini-comics. This year is super exciting because my first graphic novel is coming out! I'll be at the Slave Labor booth signing copies of the book fresh-off-the-press and have some home-made wallets and art prints, I'm on a few panels, and I'm a special guest. Very exciting!

I think her email probably encapsulates everything I love about APE -- folks making comics with their friends who go on to be one of the show's special guests.

Here's the trailer for her new book, Weird Fishes, which you can buy at the show tomorrow:

MoCCA 2009

The Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art has announced that its annual MoCCA Art Festival has been moved from its usual summer-months perch in June to the weekend of April 10-11 for 2010. Founded in 2002, the Manhattan-based MoCCA (which, like Frankenstein's monster, has taken on the name of its creator in the popular parlance) quickly became one of the highlights of the alternative/indie/small press convention circuit, drawing on New York City's large number of local comics creators and thriving population of arts-interested consumers to cement its place alongside such venerable shows as SPX and APE.

Last summer's MoCCA spurred a host of complaints about the event's disorganization and the oppressive heat in its unairconditioned new venue, the 69th Regiment Armory at 68 Lexington Ave. A move to the comparatively temperate month of April, coupled with a year of Armory experience under the MoCCA organization's collective belt, could go a long way toward remedying those problems. (The cost of a table will likely remain a sore spot, though.) Moreover, given its location in the media capital of the world and its appeal for the graphic-novel wings of major New York publishers (heck, even DC's Vertigo imprint exhibits at the show), moving MoCCA out of the increasingly crowded and competitive summer-fall convention season makes may make it easier for the show to maintain an identity as a major-minor player in the con circuit vis a vis those exhibitors and audiences (although the spring is hardly less crowded at this point).

Meanwhile, the NYC small press scene's bustling Brooklyn-based subset now has a show to call its own: The Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Fest. Overseen by two of the Borough of Kings' altcomix anchors, retailer Desert Island and publisher PictureBox Inc., the con will take place on December 5th at Our Lady of Consolation Church (184 Metropolitan Ave.) in the decade-defining hipster enclave of Williamsburg. Charles Burns, Kim Deitch, Ben Katchor, Michael Kupperman, Gary Panter, Dash Shaw, Jillian Tamaki, Matthew Thurber, and Lauren Weinstein are listed as featured guests, and admission is free. With that December date, we're guessing a lack of air conditioning won't be an issue...

(Hat tips: Tom Spurgeon and Heidi MacDonald)

APE Aftermath

The Alternative Press Expo, or APE, will take place the weekend of Oct. 17-18 at The Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco. Next week I plan to put together a preview post or two, so if you're exhibiting, please feel free to send me information on your plans -- what you'll be selling, where you'll be ... that sort of stuff.

Also, if you're going to APE and looking for something to do before the show starts or after hours on Saturday, Isotope Comics on Fell Street has events planned both Friday and Saturday night. APE special guest Dean Haspiel will sign copies of the ACT-I-VATE Primer at the store on Friday, while Saturday brings the annual APE Aftermath party and the presentation of the Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics. Add'em to your calendar!

Today

Cleveland | Claudio Sanchez of the band Coheed and Cambria and writer of Amory Wars and the upcoming Kill Audio will sign at Carol & John’s Comic Book Shop from 2 to 3 p.m.

Los Angeles | Nick Simmons will sign copies of Incarnate #1 at Golden Apple Comics from 1 to 3 p.m.

Ojai, Calif. | Opening reception for the Sergio Aragones art exhibit at the Ojai Valley Museum. This event is sold out, but the art exhibit runs through Oct. 4.

Orlando | The Mini MegaCon kicks off at 10 .m. and runs through Sunday. Guests include Darwyn Cooke, Jeff Parker, Chuck Dixon, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Dick Giordano and many more.

Pittsfield, Mass. | The Storefront Artist Project hosts Todd Dezago from noon to 2 p.m. for a class on "Story Structure and the Language of Comics," followed by a signing at 3p.m. by Howard Cruse.

San Francisco | The San Francisco Zine Fest kicks off at 11 a.m. and runs through tomorrow at the County Fair Building.

Sunday

Atlanta | The Atlanta Comic Convention runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Marriott Atlanta Century Center. Guests include Heidi Arnhold, Bobby Nash and more.

Wednesday

San Jose, Calif. | A zombie crawl, art show and food drive kicks off at the SLG Art Boutiki at 577 S. Market Street and continues into the streets of San Jose.

More August

Aug. 28 | X-Men Misfits release party in Brooklyn

Aug. 28-30 | Fan Expo Canada in Toronto

September

Sept. 4-7 | AnimeFest in Dallas

Sept. 4-7 | Dragon*Con in Atlanta

Sept. 19 | Week Three Comics Fest in San Jose, Calif.

***

If you’d like to submit an event for inclusion, please email them directly to JK Parkin. Please include the venue, city and state, start time, event details and any related websites where we can send folks for more information. Virtual events, like online creator chats, are also welcome.

Friday, July 3

Bloomington, Minn | CONvergence -- "a celebration of the funny side of science fiction and fantasy" -- continues through Sunday and will have Dwayne McDuffie and the Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew as its special guests, among others. More details can be found here.

Brooklyn, NY | The comic shop Rocketship will host a release party for local artist Adam Suerte's latest comic, starting at 8 p.m. Details here.

White River Junction, Vermont | First Friday Book Release party, with four new books debuting by Colleen Frakes, Denis St. John, Morgan Pielli and Jen Vaughn at Revolution. Details here.

Wednesday, July 8

Chicago | Green Lantern inker Christian Alamy will sign at Challengers Comics. Details here.

New York | A "glittery, burlesque-inspired" launch party for Molly Crabapple and John Leavitt's Scarlett Takes Manhattan at the Slipper Room. It's a free event, but an RSVP is mandatory; details here.

More in July

July 10 | Michael Kupperman in Brooklyn

July 10 | Bay Area cartoonists art exhibit kicks off in San Francisco

July 10-12 | Screaming TikiCon in Cleveland

July 11 | The Asian American ComiCon in New York

July 11 | 100 Bullets event benefiting the Hero Initiative in Los Angeles

July 11 | Peter Bagge rocks Seattle

July 15 | Geoff Johns in Anaheim

July 16 | Dave McKean in Chicago

July 17-23 | Watchmen director's cut screenings in L.A., NYC, Dallas and Minneapolis

July 18 | March of Dimes Sketch Benefit in Puyallup, Wash.

July 18 | Keith Chow, Alex Tarampi, Jerry Ma and Larry Hama in Baltimore

July 18-19 | Frank Santoro teaches a class on line drawing and composition in New York

July 22 | Spider-Man #600 exhibit in San Francisco

July 23-26 | Comic-Con International in San Diego

SPACE

This coming weekend the Small Press & Alternative Comics Expo, or SPACE, blasts off at the Aladdin Shrine Complex in Columbus, Ohio. Admission is $5 a day or $8 for both Saturday and Sunday.

About 150 indie creators will be on hand to sell their comics and original art, including Eisner nominee Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), Ryan Claytor (And Then One Day), Jay Hosler (Optical Allusions) and Matt Feazell (Cynicalman). On Saturday, Carol Tyler (Late Bloomer, Weirdo) will display some of her work from her upcoming book You’ll Never Know Book One: A Good and Decent Man. The Ohio State University Cartoon Library and Museum will host a reception on Friday night to kick off the weekend and will feature original artwork from Bill Watterson, Jeff Smith and P. Craig Russell.

For more information on panels and other events related to th show, check out the official SPACE blog.