Small Press Expo '13

So Baltimore Comic-Con was fun, but the real action came a week later in DC with the Small Press Expo.  If you are into comics, or just art in general this was the place to find every indie or underground comic creator you wish you've heard of. This expo is one of my favorite times of the year, made apparent by how I spent way too much money on art and comics.  So as with Baltimore, I thought I would put a page of SPX sketches together in a way that seemed appropriate.

SPX Haul, 2011

Mesomorph & Instances by Tom Galambos
Ganges #4 by Kevin Huizenga
Uptight #3 & #4 by Jordan Crane
Ben Died of a Train by Box Brown
The Gremlin Movie Incident by Cara Bean
Big Questions poster & cards by Anders Nilsen
Any Empire by Nate Powell
Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton
Wandering Son by Shimura Takako
I Will Bite You, Tantrum, & Early by Joseph Lambert
Optic Nerve #12 by Adrian Tomine
Super Baby Jesus #2 & #3, and Helium vs. Hydrogen #2 by Adam Aylard
Gaylord Phoenix by Edie Fake
Show Off by Mark Burrier
Little Garden by Darryl Ayo

SPX Haul, 2010

My haul from SPX.
Shawn Cheng
Jim Rugg
Polly Guo
Michael Cho
Anders Nilsen
Kate Beaton
Sam Sharpe
Paping by John Mejias
Liz Prince
Matt Wiegle
Sally Bloodbath
Kevin Huizenga
Mandy Dunn
Maré Odomo
Joseph Lambert

(click the pic to see notes on book titles)

SPX Haul, 2009

Kevin Huizenga's Ganges #3

Matthew Swanson & Robbi Behr's Ten Thousand Stories

Theo Ellsworth's Sleeper Car & Capacity

Justin Madson's Birch vols. 1-3

Nate Doyle's Crooked Teeth #4

Bill Kelter & Wayne Shellabarger's Veeps

Ivan Brunetti's Ho! The Morally Questionable Cartoons

A collection of Greg Lendeck prints of his amazing Wax Paper cut-outs.

S's (daughter of Greg) The Zoo

C's (son of Greg) Future Seas

Sean Ford's Only Skin #4

Tom Galambos's print of a geriatric JLA & JSA

Ethan Rilly's Pope Hats

JP Coovert's Insides

Paul Karasik's second collection of Fletcher Hanks comics- You Shall Die By Your Own Evil Creations!

Ken Dahl's Monsters

Erika Moen's DAR: A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary

Alexis Frederick-Frost's Ship

Joseph Lambert's Untitled (Dinosaur)

Kevin Panetta & Andy Kettler's Super Wrestle

and

Kevin Panetta & Mike Short's Monster Fight!

Matt Kindt's 3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man

Sammy Harkham's Crickets

James McShane's Archaeology

The Book

So I settled on "On Sight" [sic] as my title. And here is the final product I sold this weekend at the Small Press Expo.

I managed to put together 10 books, 5 of which actually sold. TO REAL FRICKIN' PEOPLE nonetheless!
It was pretty sweet.

Granted one of them was sort of a pity-buy by a friend (though he kindly denies it) but I'll take it anyway. My table was shared with two friends, and talented artist both, Greg Lendeck and Tom Galambos. Our table space was a little smaller than anticipated so only two of us could fit back there at a time.

I have to admit I felt a bit of frustration for the first... oh, 12 hours of the combined two day (14 hour total) event. Not because I wasn't having fun talking to people and seeing *coughbuyingcough* a whole lotta beautiful books other people and publishers brought, but I had really hoped to sell at least one copy to someone I didn't know. So when Greg was behind the table and somehow tricked a very kind gentleman to buy a copy I was pretty happy and suprised. The next 3 sales were all just as unexpected. Especially the lovely girl who came running to our table as we were clearing it off to leave SPX until next year. So thank you Greg for pushing my books and making those sales.

It was a great weekend and all the better for having Greg, Tom and Matt (said kind pity-buyer) around to enjoy it with. I look forward to being even more prepared for SPX next year.

On Sight [sic]

The Small Press Expo is this weekend in Bethesda MD, as while usually I am happy to be one of the many spectators and consumers of the great art and Indie Comics to be found there, this year I'll be sharing a table with Greg & Tom trying to hock a few copies of a book I made by hand. It's nothing too fancy, just a collection of drawings I've made in the last couple of years. No superheroes or hipster narratives about my childhood. Just pictures of buildings and stuff. I haven't got them totally finished quite yet, but by this evening I should have 10-15 copies and I will post them when I have something concrete to share.

P.S. While some copies are too far finished to change the title, I am planning on scrapping "Looking Around" from my covers... I took me too long to think of anything decent to call my book!

SPX Haul, 2008

My reapings from another fun SPX:

Skim by Mariko & Jillian Tamaki (signed by both!)

Swallow Me Whole by Nate Powell (signed)

I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets! : The Comics of Fletcher Hanks (signed by the editor)

Burma Chronicles by Guy Delisle (didn't buy it there, but I like to emphasise how much I dig Delisle)

Or Else #5 & Fight or Run by Kevin Huizenga

09/27/08 by James McShane (signed)- the small yellow hand made book between Skim & Swallow Me Whole...

I Will Bite You by Joseph Lambert (signed)

Birds in Black by Zach Huelsing

Fleep by Jason Shiga

Comics from Mars by Paul Pope

Afrodisiac #1 by Jim Rugg (signed) and that nifty print to the left...

Robot Bath print (to the right) by Joe Quinones

Only Skin #1-3 by Sean Ford (signed)

& The Long book to the left is Leo Geo by Jon Chad