Tuesday, March 26, 2013

SPACE Bits

A lot of stuff happening all at once here.

The SPACE Anthology 2013 hit its goal on Kickstarter last night and the printing is already in production.  The books should be here in plenty of time for SPACE. I'd like to publically thanks all the contributors for all the great strips and all the people who pledged on Kickstarter.

As you can see from Tom's post below the 2013 poster is in production and should actually be delivered today. Thanks to Tom Williams for another great looking poster and all the other SPACE graphics you see.

I working away at finalizing all the panels and programs and after hours events coming up. (Actually alot of other people are doing that and I'm just pestering them for updates) (Many thanks you's will be forthcoming). I hope to have all that info up on the site this week.

After battling with new photo sensitive chemicals I finally have a screen to produce this years new tee shirt also by Tom Williams.

I accidently had the wrong date in some of the exhibitor info I sent out for the SPACE Pre-Party but it is as it should be on Friday night April 12 the night before SPACE at the Laughing Ogre.

Ten more comics that will premiere at SPACE have been posted on the Premiere Comics pages.
http://backporchcomics.com/premierecomicsp2.htm


_

Monday, March 25, 2013

Off to the printer's...

as of last week and very soon circulating out into the world. Before you know it, it'll be SPACE weekend. Hope everyone's comics are coming along nicely. Cheers. TW



_

Monday, March 18, 2013

This weekend!!


 
This weekend the 4th stop on the Pre-SPACE Tour at Gem City Comic Con. Also SPACE exhibitors Andy Bennett, Eric Adams, Pat Baumgardner, Dan Taylor, Chad Lambert, Dara Naraghi, Dustin Carson, Todd Beistel, Brett Bowman, Canada Keck, Michael Carroll and Ray Tomzcak will be at Gem City Comic Con March 24 & 24, 2013.


Also this weekend Chili Cook Off sponsored by the Art Exploere post. Contact chilicookoff2013@hotmail.com for more info.
_

Sunday, March 17, 2013

SPACE Anthology 2013 is Up!

The SPACE Anthology 2013 is up as a digital down load.
There is also still a week to pledge at the Kickstarter campaign for the print version.
 
_

Exhibitor Bios Part 5


Terry Eisele:
Terry Eisele has taught English for twenty years in places as far flung as the Czech Republic, Switzerland, California, and Ohio. He is currently an assistant professor at Columbus State Community College. He received a master’s degree in comparative cultural studies from the Ohio State University. He reads comics, supports Arsenal Football Club, and writes in his spare time. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Michelle, and their two dogs. With Only Five Plums is his first graphic novel.



Ken Eppstein:
I began working on Nix Comics in late 2010, with issue #1 of Nix Comics Quarterly (NCQ) hitting the stands in January of 2011. Previous to that I spent most of my spare time hunting down and reselling used and collectible garage rock and punk vinyl, which was a blast for many years... But to paraphrase Tesco Vee of the Meatmen, retail work is kind of like beating an old man with a stick... fun for a while but eventually it stops movin' and shaking. I sold off a big chunk of my record business stock to fund that first issue.
Nix Comics Quarterly was (and is) meant to be a Rock 'n' Roll Horror anthology... One half inspired by trash literature Tales from the Crypt, Creepy and Punk magazine and one half inspired by the larger-than-life lives and machine gun paced records of my favorite musical artists... The Ramones, the Cramps, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Howlin' Wolf, The Kinks, the Sonics, the Fleshtones, Et. Al.


Eamon Espey:
Eamon Espey's comics have appeared in Galago, Bash Magazine, and The City Paper.  Some places he's been in art shows are Baltimore, New York and Istanbul. In 2008 Secret Acres published Eamon's first book, Wormdye. In the Fall of 2012 they published his second book, Songs of the Abyss. His dense black and white drawings tell stories of a grotesque spirituality from a distant past to a near future.



Matt Feazell:
Matt Feazell comics and spot illustrations have appeared in Disney Adventures and Nickleodeon Magazine. His regular weekly series, "The Amazing Cynicalman" appears in the Hamtramck Review and Flint Comix & Entertainment as well as at cynicalman.com. He's currently promoting his latest project, a 90-minute, live-action Cynicalman movie.


Andrew Fraser:
Andrew Fraser has been working in the field of Webcomics for thirteen years. Toc-tic (his third webcomic) launched last May. Andrew's work is a mash-up between old school and Modern anthropomorphs, with a healthy helping of Manga and Euro comics.


Fred Frances:
Fred Frances draws mostly pictures of himself and Mike Madsen for his website FRED FRANCES SUCKS. He is also a founding member of Cowboy House, and I'm pretty sure the name was his idea.


Sean Frost:
Sean, Co-founder of Hula Cat Comics, wrote the series Johnny Public: Out of the Wilderness, Furry Widdle Bunny (based on his webcomic of the same name), and the Billy and Dr. Gravely comics Dope Fiends of the Zombie Cafe! and Wild Women of the Kitty-Kat Galaxy! for Hula Cat. His work has appeared in Clipheart Press’s Photocopied Hearts and WaRP Graphics’ New Blood line.



Marnie Galloway:
Monkey-Rope Press was founded in 2009 and is run by Marnie Galloway, a print maker and alternative comic artist working out of Chicago, Illinois. She is a 10th generation Texan who grew up in small town apartment complexes across the great American south east, who spent the first two decades of her life escaping into books and drawing her way through boredom. She studied philosophy and symbolic logic at Smith College in Northampton, MA, and a year in the Book & Paper MFA program at Columbia College before leaving the program to pursue book work on her own.
She lives in a quiet building with her husband Tom, two monstrous cats and her beloved bicycle, Ed Jr.


Jeff Gibbons:
jeff Gibbons writes and draws Pretty Jeff, a comic about Jeff's alter ego Pretty Jeff. Adventures include a New Year's Eve party in Hell, getting frozen in a block of ice, and Pretty Jeff stressing out over the ghosts haunting his house. You can also find more of his stuff at Cowboy House.

Asif Gill:
Asif Gill is a software engineer and artist whose longtime passion for the Japanese language and culture was enhanced by a 48 day sojourn in Tokyo, Japan in 2009.  Armed with the luxury of free time, a sketchbook and pen, and his unique sense of humor and outlook on life, Asif spent his days and nights exploring the Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku sectors of Tokyo and has documented his experiences in a forthcoming unique graphic travelogue, 48 Days in Harajuku, Tokyo.  Asif’s sketches and stories bring to life the many odd encounters, unique discoveries and unexpected hilarity that he experienced as a foreigner trying to experience life as a local.  He also publishes a weekly webcomic illustrating anecdotes of Tokyo life from a foreigner's viewpoint. 

Sami Gyekye:
Lost in Amsterdam when he was 10. Lost in the desert in Saudi Arabia when he was 15. Lost a few times embarrassingly as an adult in various places across the USA, Sami Gyekye now finds himself employed within Art.com's Fitting Department in Columbus, Ohio.
Drawing inspiration from personal experience, Sami has put together two children's books; "South: Halo's Journey" and "North: Reunion." He has visited SPACE on a couple of occasions as a customer, this will be his first time on the other side of the table. Exciting!


 
_

Friday, March 15, 2013

SPACE Anthology 2013 Digital Version Up this Sunday Night

 
The digital version of SA2013 will be up at the Back Porch Comics / SPACE site on Sunday night. The Kickstarter was funded in 3 days.  You can still pledge until March  25. Here's the final line up: How'd He Do That by Matt ChicGeography in a Glass by Kyle Smith & Sarah MortonVugz by Bob CorbySecond Chance by Jason WalzThe Secret Origin of Cap'n Catnip by Tim FullerThoughts of a Hitler Cat by Kel CrumDeath by Michael Eshelman & Doug HuffordSilent Call by Brian John MitchellRoadside Attraction by EDCrimes Against Creation by Shawn Padraic Murphy & Crystal Ash
T
he Inquiring Minds in One Day on Moonstone Mountain by John SteventonOnce Upon A Platypus: Morning Routine! by Ron BraunCosmos by Seth by Christina WaldBamn Rob's Adventure by Troy-Jeffrey Allen & Jay PayneEnd of the Rainbow by Michael CarrollOne Scoop of Justice: Mystery of the Mailbox Monster! by Mark MarianoLament's Dawn by R.J. Paré & Danny KellyTecumseh in the Ohio Territory by Lee Smith
Three Years by Chris Charlton & David Hollenbach
Mutant Elf in Shop 'til You Drop by Steve MyersWelcome to Fair at New Boston by Rachel Altvater
The Last Meow by Lorenzo Ross
Robbery at Key Foods Redhead by R Hendricks
Cover by ED
Above is the original cover sketch by ED.
 
 
_

Monday, March 11, 2013

SPACE Anthology 2013 Kickstarter is Live!

Please Pledge! Proceeds benifit the SPACE Prize Fund!

Exhibitor Bios Part 4


Kenton Daniels:
Lost in the Alps, five Roman soldiers find themselves at the mercy of the mountains.  Wandering into a remote village, they agree to help find a missing girl in exchange for safe passage.  With a mysterious gypsy serving as guide, the Roman's journey to a place called Devil's Finger.  There, they descend into a subterranean chaos of blood and horror.  Far from home, they're forced to make a stand.

 
Tom Davison:
D-Tales is Tom Davidson's slice-of-life morality tales that have explore morality tales of all kinds. So far D-Tales has examined anthropomorphic jailbreak, the meaning of friendships, creation myths, and currently a childhood first love story that celebrates the rapidly evolving music of the time. Tom also is creator of the surreal southern noir series, "Circle City Tales".


Matt Dembicki:
Matt Dembicki is a cartoonist in the Washington, D.C., area. His most recent books include 'Xoc: The Journey of a Great White' and the anthology 'District Comics: An Unconventional History of Washington, D.C.' He is a founding member of the comics creators collective the D.C. Conspiracy and a former editor of the group's free, semi-annual comics newspaper 'Magic Bullet.'


Louis Dobry:

Side Quest Comic is an online comic created by Travis Bramble and Louis Dobry. It is published once a week, on Monday. The characters, Jarv and Paulie, are loosely based on the real life stories and antics of the creators. Although based on real people, with every comic, the creators hope to push the characters on a parallel and stylized path rather than a mirror image of their real life inspiration.
Travis and Louis write each comic together and stand by the idea that the best comics are ones written equally by each member and that a comic isn't finished until both creators put their own little tweak to the finished product. The art of Side Quest Comic is created by Travis, applying classic techniques and modern digital media; using pencils, art board, inks, brushes and markers while rendering colors and lettering in PhotoShop. Side Quest Comic is truly a two man crew, utilizing Travis' art and graphic design background with Louis' finance and marketing background.
On the surface Side Quest Comic seems to be another three-panel comic created by dorks commenting on video games, pop art and all the nuances in nerd culture. But from the first ideas written down on November 27th 2008 to the comic launching on November 16th 2009 and far into the future the creators work hard to make Side Quest Comic familiar yet unique to the growing landscape of online comics. Holding tight to the Side Quest Comic art style, embracing differences and striving for a unique voice allows the room to give a nod to the online comics that paved the road and still have the work stand on its own.


J.T. Dockery:
"J.T. Dockery is one of those rare artists that seems to exist both within the work he creates and alongside the rest of us in the 'real world.' Women, booze, cigarettes, and shady characters spill onto the page and seep back into real life–drawn, stacked and stashed into portfolios or passed on the street. No one is safe."
--Phillip March Jones, artist,
director Institute 193
Ryan Dow:
I make comics and post them at RyanDow.com

Gabriel Dunston:

Quality comics for attractive people.


 Matt Dye:
Nathan and the Land of Robots tells the story of a young boy abducted and taken to the Land of Robots by a strange robotic bird after he sneaks out of his home in the night. Nathan must find his way home before his Mother wakes up and finds him missing.

Elyria Comic Book Inititive:
The ECBI is an organization whose mission is to promote literacy and creativity in all ages by offering the necessary tools and outlets for reading, writing and artistic expression through the production and use of COMICS!



Michael Eshelman :
Mike grew up in Columbus, Ohio during the 80s, and never quite escaped either one. Growing up surrounded by video games and comic books, his view of the world consisted of tiny squares coming together to form images, and his work reflects this love of the pixelated view. His current obsession is remaking images from pop culture in pixel form. “Working very closely to a piece with tweezers and a bright light, it only looks like a random collection of colors, but stepping away and giving it a different perspective, the image comes to life”.


Borrowing images from such varied sources as Van Gogh, Lichtenstein, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, he can be found most evenings hunched over a few thousand beads with 80s New Wave playing in the background, slowly recreating real life in pixelated form, one teeny bead at a time.

Ken Eppstein:
I began working on Nix Comics in late 2010, with issue #1 of Nix Comics Quarterly (NCQ) hitting the stands in January of 2011. Previous to that I spent most of my spare time hunting down and reselling used and collectible garage rock and punk vinyl, which was a blast for many years... But to paraphrase Tesco Vee of the Meatmen, retail work is kind of like beating an old man with a stick... fun for a while but eventually it stops movin' and shaking. I sold off a big chunk of my record business stock to fund that first issue.
Nix Comics Quarterly was (and is) meant to be a Rock 'n' Roll Horror anthology... One half inspired by trash literature Tales from the Crypt, Creepy and Punk magazine and one half inspired by the larger-than-life lives and machine gun paced records of my favorite musical artists... The Ramones, the Cramps, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Howlin' Wolf, The Kinks, the Sonics, the Fleshtones, Et. Al.

Eamon Espey:
Eamon Espey's comics have appeared in Galago, Bash Magazine, and The City Paper.  Some places he's been in art shows are Baltimore, New York and Istanbul. In 2008 Secret Acres published Eamon's first book, Wormdye. In the Fall of 2012 they published his second book, Songs of the Abyss. His dense black and white drawings tell stories of a grotesque spirituality from a distant past to a near future.

Terry Eisele:
Terry Eisele has taught English for twenty years in places as far flung as the Czech Republic, Switzerland, California, and Ohio. He is currently an assistant professor at Columbus State Community College. He received a master’s degree in comparative cultural studies from the Ohio State University. He reads comics, supports Arsenal Football Club, and writes in his spare time. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Michelle, and their two dogs. With Only Five Plums is his first graphic novel.

Ron Braun (Updated):
Ron Braun is a cartoonist/illustrator whose creative endeavors have included the comic strips Life As We Know It, Hello Cruel World and Toon It Up, among others. His work has appeared in local, national and international publications. Ron has released several books as well. The most recent, My Best Friend is an Idiot!, has ranked as high as third on Lulu’s Top 100 Bestselling Comics & Graphic Novels list. Ron is also the co-founder of the Indy Webcomics Group, an active community of comic artists and writers in the Indianapolis area. Currently on the drawing board is Ron’s first graphic novel, Once Upon A Platypus, an all-ages tale about a young girl whose discovery of a talking platypus plunges her into a wild and dangerous adventure. As a companion project, he is creating a series of illustrations featuring the story’s co-star, a pudgy platypus named Dakk Waggitt, assuming the identities of various superheroes and movie icons.
Ron’s work can be found at http://www.toon-it-up.com.

 

Monday, March 4, 2013

Stop #3 on the Pre-SPACE tour-Indie Comics Fair!



Indie Comics Fair

Come out and meet some of the Local Comic Creating Superstars in
Columbus and Central Ohio! Original comics and original art for sale!
Co-Sponsored by Nix Comics and S.P.A.C.E.
Saturday, March 9th, 12:00pm to 5:00pm
At the Ace of Cups at 2619 N. High Street

Free Admission! Tell your friends



Artists and Imprints Scheduled to Appear:
Nix Comics Quarterly
2 Headed Monster Comics
Ohio Chronicles
Panel Comix
Michael Neno
Matt Wyatt
Bob Corby
Chris Monday
Chad Lambert
Plus more!
_

Exhibitor Bios Part 3!



Derek Baxter:
Born on the 25th of August,1530 Derek Baxter was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 until his death. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one billion acres. Derek managed countless changes in the progression from a medieval state to an empire and emerging regional power, and became the first ruler to be crowned as Tsar of all Russia. Derek dueled and was defeated by his old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, on the fiery world of Mustafar. His body was so damaged by lava that Sidious encased him in a dark life-sustaining suit that he would wear for the rest of his life. He lives with his dog in Maine.
 
Brian Canini:
Legend has it that one dark and stormy night a lone fisherman fought a giant squid in hand-to-hand combat. This deadly battle of wills lasted many hours but, at the first break of dawn the fisherman finally conquered the beast with a mighty hurricane kick. It was this that caused the squid’s belly to rupture, spewing forth a vile, black liquid. It was out of this liquid that Brian Canini was found screaming about squirrels. Some theorists and philosophers, however, feel that the previous legend is hogwash. They believe that Brian Canini is in fact a figment of The Drunken Cat’s imagination, no doubt brought on by severe alcohol poisoning. Crackpots believe Brian is a wizard.

 
Mike Carroll:

Cartooning and self publishing since 1987. Freelance graphic design, cartooning, and writing, for radio and print since 1990. Lifetime resident of Columbus, Ohio.
"Curious. Patient. Self Reliant. Resourceful. Creative. Insightful. Funny."

 



Dustin Carson:
Dustin Carson is the award winning writer/creator of NO GODS, a critically acclaimed comic book series available now for sale via several sources. Dustin makes his home in Ohio, where the winters are long and cold, affording him plenty of time to write more comics and refine his plans for world domination.


Chris Charlto:
Owner of Assailant Comics, creator/writer of Binary Gray, Sleepless and Black of Heart. Chris lives alone with his computer in Cincinnati, Ohio. Writing stories since he was a child, Chris spent many years as a musician before coming back to writing full time, specializing in comic scripts and screenplays.

Lee Cherolis:
Little Guardians tells the story of two young people switched at birth and now unknowingly living each others lives. Subira was supposed to be the next Guardian of Yowza Village, but she was born a girl. Instead she lives a quiet life working at The Item Shop never knowing what should have been. Idem trains to be the next Guardian and tries his best to be the warrior he was never meant to be. How will the next generation survive the choices made for them as strange incidents start plaguing the village and demon attacks appear to be on the rise?
In 1982, Samantha Kyle sprang forth from the nib of a Micron 08 as a fully formed artist. Currently a contract Designer for Hire™, she digs on indie comics, adorable illustrations, and is addicted to knitting. Visit her online shop Queen Tangerine for a variety of neat things.

Bruce Chrislip:
Bruce knows everybody in comics and there just isn’t room enough to give his bio here so here’s a good start. 

Ryan Claytor :
Elephant Eater Comics is the comic book self-publishing venture of United States comics artist Ryan Claytor. Elephant Eater Comics, established in 2004, is committed to producing intelligent and entertaining comics for an all-ages audience.
Ryan Claytor is a comics artist and professor living in Lansing, Michigan. He currently teaches Comics Studio courses at Michigan State University, the University of Michigan Flint, and Mott Community College. In 2007, he earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from San Diego State University with an emphasis in multimedia, researching autobiography in comics. Claytor’s achievements have included a Cartoonist in Residence position at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, California, visiting lecturerships at the Dallas Museum of Art , The Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont, and The Savannah College of Art and Design, an internship with Marvel Comics in New York City, and judging the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award in 2007. In 2009 the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco featured an exhibition of his work and Claytor began teaching the first “Comics and Visual Narrative” class in Michigan State University‘s history. He has also served as the Director of the Michigan State University Comics Forum, an event for scholars, creators and fans, since 2009.
As a creator, Claytor is most widely known for his self-published, autobiographical, comic book series And Then One Day. Although the series has undergone several format changes and incarnations since its inception in 2004, And Then One Day readers are consistently treated with Claytor’s thoughtful and entertaining approach to autobiographical comics immaculately packaged with a designer’s eye for production detail.
Claytor was also an artist and event organizer for the first 24 Hour Comics Day (24HCD) in 2004. Subsequently, his twenty-four hour comic about relationships with passed relatives was chosen from hundreds of worldwide submissions as one of the best stories of the day and included in the first internationally distributed 24HCD anthology, 24 Hour Comics Day Highlights 2004 . Since this time he has participated in two other 24 Hour Comics Days.
Comic Book Connection Initiative (Fate Spears):      
C.B.C.I. accepts donations of comic books & GN's from collectors & retailers alike. Mail them to C.B.C.I. C/O Comic Town 1249 Morse Rd. Columbus, OH 43229.
Comic Book Connection Initiative mission statement is…
As a lifelong fan of the comic book medium, it is clear that so much enjoyment can be had between the covers of almost any comic book. It is also clear that this hobby that I enjoy can help many children. While it is easy to point out the benefits of literacy with using the comic book as a template, they can also provide sources for inspiration from the heroic deeds detailed in the book. They can allow children to escape, albeit temporarily, from the harsh realities they may find themselves in. It is with the positive influence of comics that I plan on creating a charitable distribution network of comic books to children in need. The two main targeted groups would be children in hospitals and shelters. It is my belief that any of the positive features comic books can provide will produce a benefit in their lives for years to come. I have personally seen the great influence a simple comic book can provide as I have given away 100’s of my own collection.
Leighton Connor :
Leighton Connor lives in Cincinnati with his wife and two children. He draws the comic strips Laser Brigade (www.laserbrigade.thecomicseries.com) and Fuzzball and Scuzzball (www.fuzzballandscuzzball.thecomicseries.com). He is allergic to penicillin.
Leela Corman:
Leela Corman studied painting, printmaking and illustration at Massachusetts College of Art. Her book Queen’s Day earned her a Xeric Award in 1999 and was called “music to my eyes” by Scott McCloud. She has created two more graphic novels including her latest, Unterzakhn, published by Schocken/Pantheon. She has illustrated books for major publishers on crafts, fashion, gardening, dating and other topics. She is also an accomplished bellydancer and bellydance instructor. Corman and her husband, Tom Hart, are the founders of The Sequential Artists Workshop, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prosperity and promotion of comic art and artists, offering instruction in comic art, graphic novels and visual storytelling in vibrant Gainesville, Florida, where she is also an adjunct instructor at University of Florida.
Leela is represented by Wales Literary Agency for her comics, and ArtrepNYC for her illustrations.
 
Kel Crum :
Kel Crum has been one of the top writers for radio personality Gary Burbank for over twenty years.
He first jumped into the small press field in 1989 with a humble little book called "Dangerous Birds", which told the story of two birds who sue a seed company and learn from the human world that lawsuits can be a wonderful way to earn a steady income. Don't hold your breath but Kel has not ruled out the chance that it could someday become a Broadway musical starring Matthew Broderick and Mandy Patinkin. Better yet, hold your breath and see if that works.
Twenty-something apartment-dweller Cornelia Dodson was introduced the following year in a story called "Captain Armand's Ship of Sin", long out of print. Corny was soon followed by Ed Thud, Ronald Muck, Helen Boomer, and Reba Moonves, probably in that order. A collection of stories from over the years are in a popular paperback called "The Cornelia Collection" now available on Amazon.

Kel lives in Fairborn, Ohio with his wife Debra and their two loyal pet rats, Maggie and Daisy.

Kevin Czapiewski:
Kevin Czapiewski (pronounced “chappy-ESSky”) is the Cleveland-based artist of the webcomic Project Ballad. He also writes a weekly column on the Comix Cube blog and occasionally teaches a ccourse on the art of comics. Other work includes editing and contributing to PUPPYTEETH, a collection of short comics, as well as a number of short work and the webcomic Spoilers.
 
_