SPACE on Columbus Underground's Top 10 Best Art Shows of 2011!

Wooo!

http://www.columbusunderground.com/best-art-show-of-2011-urban-scrawl

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Lump of Coal #5 Now Available!

Ready for your holiday stocking stuffing! Lump of Coal #5! by the Art Explorer Post 407. Only $1.50. 16 page minicomic.

Available at Back Porch Comics

or at some of the finer comic & craft shops in the Columbus area namely

PackRat Comics

3864 Lattimer St., Hilliard OH 43026

The Laughing Ogre
4258 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43214

Wholly Craft

3169 North High Street, Columbus, OH

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Genghis Con November 26th, 2011 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland

The Small Press Comic Convention, Genghis Con, returns to Cleveland on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 26th, 2011, from noon to 6 pm at the Beachland Ballroom at 15711 Waterloo Road Cleveland, OH 44110. This is the third year for the convention, which will draw artists, writers, cartoonists, and many other independent comics champions from all over the Mid-West and beyond.

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Writers Talk with Max Ink, Dara Naraghi & Ken Eppstein

Interview with SPACE exhibitors Max Ink, Dara Naraghi & Ken Eppstein

It can also be heard on Monday, November 7, 7 pm on WCRS radio 98.3 & 102.1 FM and on
 Wednesday, November 9, 8:00 p.m. on WCBE radio central Ohio’s NPR station, 90.5 FM.

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Comic Book Fans and Artists Night Out!

This from organizer Molly Durst:

Attention Comic book fans, boys and girls, ladies and gents now presenting an adventure in geekdom at your favorite coffee shop - Kafe Kerouac! ::applause:: So you think you know all there is to know about comics? From Alan Moore to Warren Ellis? From Archie to Xenia? Prove it! We are going to have a trivia game where you can get to use that nerdy knowledge to win prizes provided by the ever popular comic book store on High Str...eet: Laughing Ogre. Is that not enough? We are also going to have a projector in the back room for another game in which we will have comic book panels with blank word bubbles where we let people make up their own witty captions. Show off that rapier wit in head to head competition! A huge community poster jam will be going on so that anyone can add in their own little drawings and jam with the indie artists who are at the show. Come out, have a cup of coffee or some brewskies and mingle with local creators and see their artwork featured on the walls and on the shelves. If you want in the artshow, please contact Molly Durst at symphonyoftheuniverse@gmail.com It's going to be a good time, we are hoping to see you soon! :D _

Art Spiegelman at Capital University

Thursday, October 27, from 7:30 to 9 pm, Capital University, Mees Hall


Capital University is proud to present one of the icons of the comics medium, the Pulitzer winning Art Spiegelman for its annual Gerhold Lecture in the Humanities. Art is on a publicity tour for MetaMaus, (a very special new edition packed full of extras to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his stunning work Maus) and is combining that with his lecture on the history of the medium entitled What the %&*! Happened to Comics?

More at http://sundaycomix.blogspot.com/2011/10/maus-in-haus.html


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Art Explorer Post 407 - Cans for Toons!

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PIX This Weekend

SPACE Exhibitors Ed Piskor, John Porcellino, Jim Rugg, Tom Scioli, M Young, Joel Jackson, James Moore, Todd Goodman, Marcel “M.L.” Walker, Andy Scott, Kevin Czapiewski, Bill Volk, Rafer Roberts, Nick Marino, Scott Hedlund, Dan and Kerry Tallarico & Bob Corby will be in attendence.

More info at http://homepage.mac.com/bem/PIX/index.html

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Matt Kish Book Release Event
Moby-Dick in Pictures: One Drawing for Every Page

Book signing and reception to follow

Tue, Oct 11, 2011 | 7:00PM
Wexner Center for the Arts

Columbus artist Matt Kish had an obsession: to create one drawing for every page of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, which depicts perhaps the most obsessive character in American literature.

Working with 552-page Signet Classics paperback edition, Kish started drawing and began posting his images online as a personal blog in 2009. As the drawings accumulated, he realized he had the makings of a stunning book. A self-taught artist, Kish uses a variety of low-tech materials to create his work, often incorporating images and text from found papers to great effect.

Matt will discuss the origin and execution of his epic project, followed by a signing and reception in the Wexner Center Store.
More info at http://www.wexarts.org/ed/index.php?eventid=5869#


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2011 SPACE Prize Entries are finally posted!

All the 2011 SPACE Prize Entries are posted at http://www.backporchcomics.com/space_prize.htm

From the books which were collected at SPACE 2011, we will be awarding the
2011 SPACE Prizes. The prizes will be presented in three categories-
General, Minicomic / Short Story and Webcomic.The winners will be picked from three voting bodies in each category.
Two rotating judges and the registered SPACE 2010 Exhibitors.

The winner of the General SPACE prize will win a cash prize of $300.00 and a plaque.
The winners of the Minicomic / Short Story and Webcomic categories will each win a $50.00 cash prize and a plaque.
The plaque presentation will be held during SPACE 2012 on April 21, 2012 at the
Ramada Plaza Hotel & Conference Center in Columbus.

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24 Hour Comics Day at Packrat Comics

24 Hour Comics Day at Packrat Comics

Packrat Comics

3864 Lattimer Street

Hilliard, OH

Here's your challenge...create an entire comic in 24 hours. Do you accept?
If so, join them on October 1 at noon and they will provide you with the necessary sustenance for the event and maybe even a few pillows!
Since they'll be open for 24 hours, they'll also have open gaming and movie night.
 https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=199807103416826

Find out more about 24 Hour Comics Day at http://www.24hourcomicsday.com/

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SPACE Site Update

The SPACE Site has been updated with the current exhibitor list for 2012, Exhibitor Table info, flyers and Hotel info.


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RIP Dylan

I was saddened to hear news that Dylan Williams passed away from cancer. Dylan was a part of Sparkplug Comics, a small publisher/distributor of many fine indie comics. Dylan tabled at the show and I believe was up for a Day Prize one year. One of the comments over at the Beat had a link to a nice write-up about Dylan. I personally enjoyed his Reporter comics. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

There is no doubt a slew of medical bills still. Please check out the benefit art auction.


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Back in the Saddle Again

SPACE 2012 will be held on April 21 & 22, 2012 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus Ohio. Keep up to date on all the news about SPACE, and SPACE Exhibitor Appearances and projects on Twitter, Facebook and Google +.

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BackPorchComics.com is 10 Years Old Today

Backporchcomics.com is 10 years old today, July 21!
To celebrate we're having a blow out sale! There are 10 great deals that will be good until August 1, 2011. Just go to http://backporchcomics.com/bac​k_porch_comics.htm

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Test! by Bob Corby now on Amazon

Math is nothing to fear...or is it? Follow the exploits of Prof. Strawhen and friends as they protect the world from math related disasters in this 112 page graphic novel. Humorous enough to also be enjoyed by the math challenged.

Test! is now available on Amazon at the the Back Porch Comics e-store .https://www.createspace.com/3600359
There is a downloadable preview at

https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1083051

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SPACE 2011 Finally Up!

Our own photos from SPACE 2011 are finally up on Flickr.

SPACE 2011 Set 1

SPACE 2011 Set 2

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Save the Signifiers!

Friday, June 3 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Wild Goose Creative
2491 Summit St.
Columbus, OH

Save the Signifiers! This Friday (June 3rd) at 7pm we need YOU to save the Signifiers.
What is the Signifiers? It's a critically acclaimed comic series by local hero Michael Neno. In order to get issue 2 printed, we need your pre-order before the end of the week! We're going to make it awesome for you by having Michael and an amazing assortment of local cartoonists gather at Wild Goose Creative bringing their wares to sell as well as items for a one of a kind silent auction. We'll top it all off with free food and music by DJ Geeky G!
So come on down, bring your friends, or pre-order online at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1317514173/the-signifiers-2


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Dick Tracy: Chester Gould's Blueprint Expressionism at Billy Ireland Library & Museum

Start Date:

May 2, 2011

Through:

August 19, 2011

Location:

Reading Room Gallery
27 West 17th Avenue Mall

This year marks the 80th anniversary of Chester Gould’s celebrated comic strip, Dick Tracy. From 1931 to 1977, Gould (1900-1985) wrote and drew the popular continuity strip about a tough, intelligent, and incorruptible police detective who battles a parade of increasingly strange and grotesque villains.
The items in the exhibition were chosen by artist and author Art Spiegelman, a Wexner Center Residency Award recipient, with Jenny Robb, curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. According to Spiegelman, Dick Tracy “brought the front-page violence of the prohibition-era tabloids to the back of the newspaper. In today’s blood-soaked entertainment culture it’s hard to realize just how extravagantly brutal the original Dick Tracy must have seemed to its tens of millions of daily readers in the 1930s and 40s. It was The Sopranos of its day, but without the moral ambiguity.”
Spiegelman’s selections highlight Gould’s unique graphic style. He explains that “Gould coupled the precision of blueprints to the emotional intensity of the German Expressionist art taking place on the other side of the Atlantic... and he created a kind of Blueprint Expressionism.”
Dick Tracy: Chester Gould’s Blueprint Expressionism is on display from May 2 – August 19, 2011 and includes original comic strip art from the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection and vintage newspaper pages and clippings from the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection. Examples of knock-offs, spoofs, and homages to Dick Tracy will also be featured including Al Capp’s character Fearless Fosdick, who appeared in L’il Abner.

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Art Spiegelman Residency Events at OSU Wexner Center

Art Spiegelman Residency Events


One of the world’s most influential and acclaimed cartoon artists, Art Spiegelman is also a 2010–11 Wexner Center Residency Award artist in film/video. Spiegelman, along with figures such as Robert Crumb and Bill Griffith, was one of the key artists of the American underground comics movement in the 1960s and 1970s. As part of his residency, Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly, his wife and another renowned authority on cartoon art, are presenting a series of lectures on a variety of topics related to Spiegelman’s work and the history of the genre.

Art Spiegelman
Dick Tracy, Chester Gould, and More

Thu, May 19, 2011
4:00PM

OSU Wexner Center Film/Video Theater

Art Spiegelman shares his appreciation for comics’ most famous police detective, Dick Tracy, as well as the art of the character’s creator, Chester Gould, who wrote and drew the strip for more than four decades in this lecture.
An expert on the history of his field, Spiegelman analyzes Gould’s work and places it within the greater context of comics’ history. His residency is a collaboration between the Wex and Ohio State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, and he intends to develop a new project based on research in the Cartoon Library & Museum’s collection.
While you are here, check out the exhibition Dick Tracy: Chester Gould's Blueprint Expressionism, on view May 2‒August 19 in the cartoon library and museum.
Presented in conjunction with Ohio State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Francoise Mouly
TOON Books and Young Readers

Fri, May 20, 2011
4:00PM

OSU Wexner Center Film/Video Theater

Francoise Mouly, the art editor at the New Yorker magazine since 1993, discusses her efforts to promote literacy in children through such efforts as founding TOON Books, a series of hardcover comic books for children.
Mouly has been a key figure in comics since the early 1980s, when she cofounded the alternative comics' magazine RAW, which featured the work of Charles Burns, Gary Panter, and Chris Ware, to name just a few. In 2008, she launched TOON Books,with projects drawn by such acclaimed artists as Jeff Smith, Jay Lynch, Art Spiegelman, and Nadja Spiegelman (Mouly and Art Spiegelman’s daughter). The line of books has been a huge success with libraries, educators, and, most importantly, young readers.
Presented in conjunction with Ohio State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Free Comicbook Day at Packrat Comics

Packrat Comics

3864 Lattimer St.

Hilliard OH

May 7, 2011

Free Comicbook Day 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Nerd Night 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM

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SPACE Exhibitor Interviews at UVN

SPACE Exhibitor Interviews at UVN

Episode 1- Eric Walkins, James Maddox, Morgan Pielli, Sara Lindo, Steve Seck and Molly Durst

Episode 2- R.J. Paré, Roger Price and Nathan Baker from Speakeasy Primates, Robyn Seale, Jordan Lowe, Zach Brooker, J. Barnes and the Boston Comics Roundtable

Episode 3- Ken Eppstein, Fate Spears, Todd Goodman and Ray Tomczak
 
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SPACE Reports, Blogs, Podcasts & Videos

Bruce Chrislip at Midnight Fiction Steve Willis Visits SPACE

Comic Related Related Recap #261


Comic Related The Final Gallery


Comic Related A Bit More from SPACE

UVN Webcomics Panel (new location)

Colin Upton SPACE Travel Dairy March 17 &18
Colin Upton SPACE Travel Dairy March 19
Colin Upton SPACE Travel Dairy March 20

Colin Upton SPACE Travel Dairy March 21


Art and Story Podcast The Big S.P.A.C.E.


Dan Taylor Photos at Poopsheet


Matt Tauber SPACE 2011 Report


John Porcellino MARCH TOUR DIARY, Part One: Columbus


Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 1
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 2
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 3
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 4
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 5
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 6
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 7
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 8
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 9
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 10
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 11
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 12
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 13
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 14
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 15
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 16
Morty the Dog SPACE Report Pt. 17


Josh Blair SPACE 2011 Recap

D.R. Croston  Back from S.P.A.C.E.

Kevin Czapiewski State of the Encyclopedia – March 2011
Kevin Czapiewski  at Comix Cube SPACE 2011

Matt Dembicki SPACE 2011 photos

Joe Foo S.P.A.C.E. 2011


Gutter Trash Episode 121: SPACE 2011

Siber Blog SPACE, Azalia Snail, Silbeer  

Spudd 64 S.P.A.C.E. 2011 photos

Timothy Lantz My First Trip to S.P.A.C.E.

Sara Lindo SPACE Re-cap Pt. 1 Sara Lindo SPACE Re-cap Pt. 2

Michael Neno SPACE 2011 Haul

Katie Omberg Random Drawings
Katie Omberg SPACE Re-cap

Beth Sparks SPACE 2011

Dan and Kerry Tallarico Video

Tom Williams Backdoor Man...
Tom Williams sitting in the waiting room...
 

Kevin Wolf SPACE!! The Ohio Frontier!

Talcott Starr Book Sale

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Minicomics Day

The first annual Minicomics Day was a major success at the Art Explorer Post 407. 8 minicomics were produced at the weekly meeting on April 9. There are a few more still in production. All the books are 8 page minicomics drawn at the final size. The minicomics will be available at Free Comicbook Day at Packrat Comics on May 7.


Completed minicomics:

A Day in the Life of Mello by Caithlih Rudecker (student)

Lens by Maya Jenkins (student)

Pencil Problems by Caitlin Rudecker (student)

Searching by Issy Kertis (student)

Shark! By Mariah (student)

How Computers Work by Jon Riddle (guest)

Pirate Moon Part 1 by John E. Rieske (advisor)

Small Collision by Bob Corby (advisor)

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Skyscrapers of the Midwest

For more info go to Skyscrapers of the Midwest 

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Are you doing Mini-Comics Day?

Create a mini-comic on April 9th on the 1st annual Mini-Comics Day. The premise sounds a lot like 24 hour comic book day, but minus the pressure of creating 24 pages in 24 hours. Sadly no events in Ohio. A-w-k-w-a-r-d. Think of it, 4 pages and you're done. I picture more of a party atmosphere than a bunch of folks locked in a room for 24 hours. Some people were seeing spots by the end the time I did it. Anyway, events going on around the country hosted by various shops. Doesn't mean you can't get a group together on your own and join in on the fun. In your home... with some beer or non-alcoholic beverage. Just don't get any guacamole on your pages, that's bad form.

(I found out about this too late to do anything official but we will be working on minicomics at the Art Explorer Post 407 weekly meeting Saturday, April 9 from Noon to 4:00 PM.  Anybody can join us at Circle Hall on  N.Grant Ave. on the CCAD Campus.   Bob C.)

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SPACE Coverage

The BEAT SPACE 2011: The Jam Show by Brady Russell

The Liberal Ohioian Messing with the American Corporatocracy by Emily Journey
 
UVN SPACE Episode 1 with interviews with First episode with spotlights on Eric Walkins and James Maddox,Morgan Pelli, Sara Lindo, Steve Seck and Molly Durst.

Comic Related
SPACE Photo Gallery 1
SPACE Photo Gallery 2
SPACE Photo Gallery 3
SPACE Photo Gallery 4

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Gem City April 3

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SPACE Programming Coverage

2010 SPACE Prize Presentations by UVN
"A Conversation with Steve Willis" Audio courtesy of Bruce Rosenberger
Webcomics Panel on UVN


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Sunday Comics Thanks All Who Contributed to Our Raffle to Benefit AFSP

This past Saturday, at S.P.A.C.E., I organized a raffle at the Sunday Comix table raffle to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The prize was a basket overflowing with comics and other items generously donated by exhibitors at the show. Selling tickets for $2, or 12 for $10, we were able to raise $168. To that, I added $32 out of my own pocket to make a donation of $200 to AFSP in memory of my nephew Steve Pisarchick, who took his own life in December of 2008.

I would like to thank everyone at the show who donated comics, all those who bought tickets, and, most of all, my fellow members of Sunday Comix, especially Canada Keck and Max Ink, for all their help and support. I could not have pulled this off without it.

You can find more information about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and make a donation on-line, at afsp.org.

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Thanks!

SPACE 2011 was an incredibly fun show. Thanks to everybody who turned out for it. Hope everybody had a safe trip home. See you next year on April 21 & 22 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus OH for SPACE 2012. Check back here soon for photos, videos and con reports of this years show not to mention all the 2011 SPACE Prize entries.

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SPACe Streaming Live at UVN

SPACE will be streaming live all weekend on the Underground Video Network. Just clip above.

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The Progam Covers are in

Great progam cover by Tom Williams.

The SPACE Program (of Weekend Events)

Friday, March 18, 2011

5:00PM-8:00PM (or later...) Pre-SPACE Get Together at Packrat Comics

Meet and talk to many of the SPACE exhibitors before the show. Pizza, soft drinks and free SPACE passes to the first 20 people through the door. While you're there check out Packrat's great collection of Small Press Comics.

Packrat Comics
3872 Lattimer Street
Hilliard, OH 43026
(614) 527-8450

Saturday, March 19- Panel Room 12:30 PM 2010 SPACE Prize Presentations Hosted by Bob Corby 2:00 PM "A Conversation with Steve Willis" Hosted by Bruce Chrislip. Bruce and Steve will discuss steve's cartooning career with focus on his Morty the Dog comix and the whole Pacific Northwest comix scene that Steve came out of. They will talk about people like Matt Groening, Jay Kennedy, Lynda Barry, and Bil Keane. 3:00 PM Cynicalman Movie Demo Reel with Matt Feazell, Jim Mackey, Suzanne Baumann, Michael Marcus, Sean Bieri and Aaron Trudgeon. Sunday, March 20 –Panel Room Noon -The Return of the SPACE Cartoon Carnival Kel Crum and Bob Corby are back after a 3 year hiatus (We think everybody forgot about the 2008 fiasco by now). Kel and Bob will be joined by Special Guest-Steve Willis, who will be performing some of his classics! 1:00 PM King-cat Classics with John Porcellino. John will present portions of his collection King-cat Classics. 2:00PM The Webcomics Review! Join webcomics creators Alex Heberling (Alex's Guide to a Well-lived Life), Chad Sell (Manta-Man), Denver Brubaker (Tales of a Checkered Man), Joe Foo (Desmond's Comic), and Richard Errington (InterVerse Comics) as they discuss their thoughts on the current climate of webcomics, new technologies, and all the hard-learned lessons they've experienced along the way. 3:00PM "BIKE TUNNELS' by Aaron Trudgeon Bike Tunnels is our BOLD vision of the future. Join us in a new and exciting economic and clean energy idea. Not only will we save paradise from becoming a parking lot. We will also get Americans working at jobs that do not SUCK! _

SPACE Programing is Up

Panels, presentations, video, readings- The the SPACE 2011 Programming is up at http://backporchcomics.com/program.htm

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forward it like it's hot...

The new poster for 2011. Enjoy and feel free to use this image to promote the show. Just don't link the image from here. Thanks gang.
Download at http://www.backporchcomics.com/MEDIAKIT.htm
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Return of the SPACE Bags!

Hand printed bags are back. They set drying in the lower level of BPC/SPACE world headquarters and will be available free to the first 250 attendies at SPACE.

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Carol Tyler nominated for LA Times Book Award

Carol Tyler's "You'll Never Know, Book Two: Collateral Damage" published by Fantagraphics has been nominated for LA Times Book Award http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/02/latimes-2010-book-prize-finalists.html
and she will be at SPACE on March 19 for one day only.

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Art Explorer Post 407 Chili Cook Off / Art Show

An Art Explorer Post and Hilliard Police and Fire Department Fundraiser
Benefiting the murals and design work in the Joint Safety Services Building
A FAMILY FRIENDLY CULINARY EVENT
For tickets and details contact Nikki Coleman nikitalc614@gmail.com
Advanced Sales tickets: Flyer Pizza & Subs, 5466 Roberts Road, Hilliard OH 43026 614-529-0123
Location: Norwich Township Joint Safety Services Building, 5171 Northwest Parkway , Hilliard, OH
Admission: $ 5.OO In Advance & $7.00.At The Door
March 5th, 2011 - 12 Noon -6 P.M.
Raffles - Fashion Show-Door Prizes - Caricatures and Portraits-Student Art Sale- Movies: Comedy Shorts- Comics- All Around Fun
ALL THE CHILI YOU CAN EAT, FROM MILD TO HOT
Hosted by The Art Explorer Post 407 And The Hilliard Police And Fire Departrnents

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Exhibitor: Nate Powell

Nate Powell is the author of Swallow Me Whole, the Will Eisner Award winner for Best New Graphic Novel in 2009. Swallow Me Whole was also nominated for a LA Times Book Prize, listed on the Young Adult Library Services Association's 2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens and has been released in French and Dutch.



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Exhibitor: Matt Dembicki

Matt Dembicki is a Washington, D.C.-area cartoonist whose works include 'Xoc,' 'Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection," and "The Brewmaster's Castle." He is a co-founder of the D.C. Conspiracy, a comics creators' collaborative in the District.



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Exhibitor: Tom Scioli

Tom Scioli is the co-creator of the Image Comics series, Gødland, and is the creator of Unmortals:The Myth of 8-Opus and the webcomic American Barbarian. He’s done artwork for the comics series Captain America, The Incredibles, Elephantmen, Freedom Force, and The Fantastic Four. He currently lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Erin.

Interview with Tom by the Art Explorer Post 407 from SPACE 2010



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SPACE Anthology 2011 up this Wednesday

The SPACE Anthology 2011 will be live here on Wednesday night and also available on Ipad through Cloud 9 Comix app. Here’s the lineup:

The Mole by Matt & Jeanie Bryan
RAWR by Ed Delaney
Star by Brian John Mitchell & Kurt Dinse
How to Train a Dog by Morgan Pielli
The Beer Barons of St. Louis by Kevin Wolf
This is Your Parents’ Bed by Kevin Czapiewski
Baby Chicks by Kel Crum
Super Haters Special SPACE 2011 Exclusive! By Nick Marino
Apartment 4H by Joe Medwid & Dave Rhodenbaugh
Writer’s Block by Katie Omberg
Coyote by Kim Long-Ewing & Rhea Ewing
Noble Cause by Steven Myers
Today We Visit Colin Upton Living Historian by Colin Upton
Vugz by Bob Corby
Call It a Wisdom bt Stacie Arellano
Goldgotha in Stain by Aaron James Ford
McFly Style by Jason Young

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Announcing the 2010 SPACE Prize Winners:

General Category:

1st Place(Tie):

Cragmore Book One
Pat N. Lewis
5326 5th Ave. #24
Pittsburgh PA
$6.00

1st Place(Tie):
Mirror Mind
Tory Woollcott
Mirrormind.ca
$12.00

3rd Place:
Trickster
Fulcrum Publishing
Editor: Matt Dembicki
3148 Hartwick LA.
Fairfax VA 22031
mattdembicki.blogspot.com
$23.00


Minicomic / Short Story Category:

1st Place:
Board of Superheroes #2
Not Available Comics
Matt Feazell
P.O.Box 12038
Hamtramck MI 48212
Cynicalman.com
$2.75

2nd Place:
Veggie Dog Saturn #4
Buyer Beware Comics
Jason Young
P.O.Box 20083
Dayton OH 45420
$3.00

3rd Place:
Ultimate Loss Kisses #11
Silber Media
Writer: Brian John Mitchell
Artist: Dave Sim
P.O.Box 18062
Raleigh NC 27619
Sibermedia.com
$1.00

Webcomic Category:

1st Place:
Champ 2010
Rutter Comics
Jed Collins
P.O.Box 5612
Athens OH 45701
Jedcollins.com/champ2010

2nd Place:
Pretty Jeff
Jeff Gibbons
1986 Cherrylawn Dr
Toledo OH 43614
prettyjeff.com


3rd Place:
Timeless
Satyr Play Productions
Mike Indovina
15301 Knox Ave. Apt. 14
Oak Forest IL 60452
http://www.satyrplayproductions.com/

More at SPACE Prize

New Flyer

Great new flyer by Tom Williams

Colin Upton

We would like to welcome Colin Upton to SPACE. The Canadian cartoonist and artist was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has been producing minicomics since the 80’s. In the 90’s he produced his Buddha on the Road Series for Aeon and Colin Upton’s Big Thing series for Starhead Comix and Fantagraphics books. He continues to produce comics in anthology collections such as "Exploded View" from Cloudscape Comics & Stories, and produces his own minicomics including Diabetes Funnies, a series about his recent bout with the disease. He is also co-host of the Inkstuds radio program, broadcast on CITR-FM at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The show is available as a podcast at http://podcast.com/show/16002/Inkstuds/
Check out Colin’s website at http://www.colinupton.com/index.html
Colin Upton interview http://www.youtube.com/user/suferable#p/a/u/0/x54IU3QVhNg

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John Porcellino Returns to SPACE!

John Porcellino returns to SPACE after a nine year absence. Here’s a short interview.




John at SPACE 2000










Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Chicago in 1968, and started making little drawings, stories and comics at an early age. As a teenager in the 1980's I began making zines, and soon discovered the world of small-press publishing, which felt like home. I've been involved in it ever since. I started King-Cat Comics in May of 1989, and soon realized that was the way I wanted to express myself as an artist, so I've kept at it, and it's evolved with me over the last 20 or so years.

Tell us about your comics.
My comics have almost always been about what I call "real life"; that is, I'm interested in the feeling of being alive, whatever it happens to be at any given moment. So, in addition to the extreme feelings of high and low we all have, I've become very inspired by the experiences we have that are so mundane or everyday that we take them for granted, or don't even notice they're happening. These kinds of experiences make up the bulk of our lives, and in them, like all experiences, there's a kind of beautiful mystery to me. Exploring that mystery has been my driving force as an artist and a person.

Who are your main artistic influences--both in and out of comics?
My two biggest influences as a cartoonist starting out were Lynda Barry and Matt Groening, who I discovered when I was in High School. They were the first ones that showed me that comics could be about anything, and could be very personal. Other big influences on me in terms of comics would be Jenny Zervakis who does a sporadic and beautiful zine called Strange Growths, and Jeff Zenick. Oustide comics I've been influenced a lot by the Beat writers (especially Kerouac), Haiku and Chinese poetry, punk rock, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, H.D. Thoreau, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, and Federico Fellini. I can get inspiration from almost any source.


























Is the “Map of My Heart” Tour Complete or are you still going?
I think it's pretty much complete. I'm tired, and I'm broke. I'll be doing some events this spring, but they won't be as extensive. Over the course of a year I managed to visit 42 states and three provinces. Now I'm looking forward to taking some time to draw again!
What’s the mileage so far?
I'm not 100% sure offhand, but I think it's about 20,000 miles.



















I noticed a lot of photos of buildings and landscapes on your blog. Is photography a passion or photo reference for future king-cat issues?
Oh, I just bought a digital camera so I could take pictures when I was on tour. I do like it, though I wouldn't call myself a photographer, they're just snapshots. I do occasionally take photos for reference, but not too often. Mostly for cover drawings.

We were lucky enough to have you come through Columbus on your “Map of my Heart Tour” will there be some new work at SPACE? King Cat #72?
I'm really hoping to have a new issue of King-Cat of some sort at SPACE, if I can afford to print it!

All of your work I’ve read is autobiographical. Have you ever done any fiction?
The early King-Cat stories were a mix of fiction and autobio, but even then the fiction was based on something that happened to me, or one of my friends, or something I read about in the paper etc. I've always been amazed at people who can dream up some intricate story with complex characters... that's never been something I had much skill at. I wouldn't even know how to go about it. I think what I do as a cartoonist is more filtering my own experience into a form that I can share with people.

You’ve been doing autobiographical work since the ‘80’s. How have you seen things change with respect to acceptance (enthusiasm) for that type of work?
Well, it's kind of strange how it's become its own little genre in comics! So obviously it's more accepted nowadays than ever. I think there are still some people who think autobio is a crutch, or it's boring, or solipsistic. Of course it can be those things if it's done poorly, just like any other subject, but when it's done well it's my favorite kind of work to read.

In what way(s) has your life changed since having King Cat Comix collected & published through Drawn & Quarterly (King Cat Classix and Map of My Heart)?
Well, it hasn't really changed that much! I suppose there are some people who were willing to take a chance on my work because it was published by D+Q, or had heard of it, but didn't have easy access to it until the book collections came out, so that's great... But I still look at what I do with comics the same, and my goals and aspirations are all still the same. The focus of what I do hasn't really changed.

What are you bringing new from Spit & a Half?
I'll have all or most of the stuff from the catalog at SPACE... recent arrivals include the new Crickets #3, self-published by Sammy Harkham... some new Noah Van Sciver stuff, probably some new McNinch, knowing how prolific she is!

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Steve Willis at SPACE!

We are proud to announce that Minicomics legend, Steve Willis, will be appearing at SPACE 2011! Steve's appearence is courtesy of Bruce Chrislip.

Steve Willis at SPACE!

Among the most prominent of minicomix creators, Steve Willis is a great cartoonist by any measure. In 1974, he enrolled at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and was soon drawing cartoons for the school newspaper, The Cooper Point Journal, under the encouragement of his friend (and newspaper editor) Matt Groening. Evergreen was a hotbed of alternative cartooning talent at that time. Steve soon met Lynda Barry, Charles Burns and Craig Bartlett (animator on “Pee Wee’s Playhouse” among other credits).

After graduating from Evergreen and a stint at the University of Washington (where he gained a degree in Library Sciences while drawing more cartoons for the school newspaper), Steve’s production of small press comix picked up. His Morty the Dog character took the minicomix world by storm in the 1980s. Soon other small press comix publishers were vying to chronicle the dog’s exploits.

Morty, that misanthropic anthropomorphic mutt, also started appearing in comic books published by companies like Eclipse, MU Press, Onward and Starhead.
The late Jay Kennedy was even trying to get the Dog into Esquire magazine. Did fame go to the Morty’s head? Not really. This career cynic preferred to spend his time hounding his erstwhile friend and drinking partner Arnie Wormwood down at their favorite seedy dive, The Glass Crutch.

Morty’s adventures originally appeared in Steve’s line of self-published photocopy comix in titles like Cranium Frenzy, Delayed Stress Syndrome Funnies, Dogtown Zoo, Fun in Acapulco, LimbOlympia and Retreads (reprint volumes collecting various small press appearances). These titles are all highly prized collector’s items today due to initial print runs in the 25-40 copy range.

The appeal of Steve Willis’ comix lies as much in the clever writing as in the artwork. His approach to wordplay is unique. Here’s the opening captions to “The Rise and Fall of Morty the Dog”:

In my first waking borning, flaking from the darkness to morning

…I was aware of the eyes,watching …

…And as the light blighted, more eyes appeared, peering …

…This was my introduction to the world.

Morty went in for a bit of culture in 1984-1985 when Steve published a five volume retelling of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet in comix form featuring Morty the Dog. It was called The Tragedy of Morty, Prince of Denmarke and also featured Fred Flinstone, Barney Rubble and Steve Lafler’s character Benb as co-stars. A character named Steve Willis also appeared in the comix (as Horatio).

Early in 1994, Steve took over publication of the City Limits Gazette. Along with ever-popular features like the “Bil Keane Watch” (where Steve and his readers delved into the deeper meanings of The Family Circus), there were also comix inserts with strange titles like How Two Ex-Presidents Went Up My Nose.

Over the years, Steve has put his library degree to good use. Not only has he made it his career, but he also cataloged and expanded upon the underground comix/minicomix collection at Washington State University. In his hometown of McCleary, Washington, Steve has been active with the McCleary Historical Society and cataloged the contents of the McCleary Museum.

Ramping up his civic involvement, Steve helped Morty the Dog run for mayor of McCleary in 1999 as a write-in candidate. A campaign pamphlet in minicomix form trumpeted Morty’s many qualifications: “Leadership! Vision! House-trained!”

In 2001, Willis wrote and illustrated a series of booklets called Bezango, WA 985 chronicling the inhabitants of a quirky small town in the Pacific Northwest. Last year, Steve moved his comix online in a big way. Many of Morty’s adventures (and other Willis comix) can now be found at http://www.mortydog.blogspot.com/. One look at the blogspot will give people an idea of just how prolific a cartoonist Willis is. There is also an interview with Steve, features on other minicomix artists, crazy cell phone photos and new things to look at every day.

Steve’s appearance at SPACE marks his first ever appearance at a comic book convention (of any type) outside of the Pacific Northwest. It will be a great weekend and I’m delighted to be a part of it.

-Bruce Chrislip

Steve form a recent interview.

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