SPACE Swag!

Only a few days until SPACE and it's time to show off the swag. The first 200 + people in the door will recieve a free hand printed SPACE Comics bag. Large enough to hold about 25 standard sized comics and about 100 minicomics. Since it's printed from a hand craved block and handed printed it can be re-purposed as art.

We also have not just one but two new tee shirts. A new Tom Williams two-tone design screen printed at Back Porch Comics world head quarters and the SPACE Star logo printed on a plain black tee. Sticking to our plead to screw the recession both are priced at $10.00.

See you at SPACE. See SPACE at you?(If you buy a tee shirt.)

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Ehibitor: Eric Adams

1) Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm Eric Adams. By night, I'm the creator and self-publisher of LACKLUSTER WORLD. By day, I'm the creative director of TURNSTYLE CREATIVE.

There's more coffee than blood in these veins.



2) Tell us about your comics. (In particular were did the idea for Lackluster World come from?)

The Hollywood pitch: LACKLUSTER WORLD is like FIGHT CLUB meeting OFFICESPACE in PLEASANTVILLE.

LACKLUSTER WORLD is the story of an albino man named Fahrenheit resisting the pressure he feels to change to the conforming standards of 'lackluster world'. In retaliation, he creates large-scale acts of vandalism at night and using his employment as a newspaper journalist, writes op-ed articles about said vandalism in a kind of one-two punch of media manipulation that will, ideally, sway the public away from its satisfaction of 'routine'. Adding to Fahrenheit's troubles are his aggressively religious brother and sister, Kelvin and Celsius, as they attempt to convert him to their beliefs through all forms of crazy proselytizing methods. That description may sound like some serious drama (and in a way I guess it is), but LW is a funnybook too. Sometimes, I worry I've gotten too slapsticky with it.

Where the ideas for that came from? Everywhere and nowhere. I wanted to write a story that challenged the ideas of organized religion, media manipulation, and group-think, but also included some more personal topics like how important is family and what really defines a friendship. When I started, I literally wrote a list of fragmented plot ideas, character concepts, visuals, etc and after a few months of trying to make those fragments fit together, they did! LW was birthed.



3) How long have you been self-publishing?

S.P.A.C.E. 2010 will be the beginning of my 7th year.



4) Why did you decide to start self-publishing your comics?

Because jumping into the flames is the best way to learn how not to be burned. I'm a one man show writing, drawing, publishing and marketing my comics and it has been an excellent learning experience that I would recommend to any creator that is just starting out. Self-publishing means you have to quickly learn what matters, what doesn't, and you have to force yourself to understand comickry from all its angles because you can't fall back on anyone else to handle a situation for you.

Also, I have control issues.



5) Who are your main artistic influences--both in and out of comics?

Comics-wise my biggest influence is probably Charles Burns because it was his book, BLACK HOLE, that really made me want to start making comics. I gush over Jim Rugg's art. Like-wise with Brian K. Vaughn's writing.

I watch more films than I do read comics so I'm more influenced that way. I draw immense influence from films by Wes Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Sofia Coppola, Todd Solondz, Danny Boyle, and Christopher Nolan.



6) What comics do you read?

Lately, I've been reading a lot of Yoshihiro Tatsumi books. The only ongoing series I'm into at present is EX MACHINA, which is wrapping up soon and I'm about 20 issues behind.

Overall, I'm a terrible comic reader. I have piles and piles of unread comics.



7) What are some of your favorite books? (the kind without pictures)

All of Max Barry's books (Syrup, Jennifer Government, and Company).
Some favorites of mine that no one else has heard of (but should!) are PLEASE by Peter Darbyshire and APATHY AND OTHER SMALL VICTORIES by Paul Neilan. I also enjoy Chuck Palahniuk, Douglas Coupland, and Kurt Vonnegut.



8) Why do you thrive even in the dark corner recesses of a comic convention?

Well, I don't ALWAYS thrive, but I tend to do well more often than I do not.

Years ago, I worked as a designer of tradeshow exhibits. From there, I moved to an advertising agency where I learned the ins and outs of branding, print design, web design, marketing, public relations, and web programming. Today, I run my own small agency in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In short, I have lot of experience with promotion, marketing, and what stands out from the crowd. I just apply that knowledge to what I'm doing with comics.



9) Why are either you or Matt Feazell always the first one to sign up for SPACE each year?

It's the hats.


10) Will you have anything new for SPACE? Or are you working on anything new? Is there a series planned after LW?

LACKLUSTER WORLD #6 is finished and will be at SPACE! I'm calling it part one of the big two-part finale. Here's the plot description:

"While institutionalized, Kelvin embarks on an existential adventure with Jesus! Meanwhile, Celsius is alone for the first time and, desperate for normalcy, she employs Fahrenheit to play Kelvin's role in her life. Fahrenheit tries to sort things out between her, Herman's developing affection towards her, and the still-growing crowd of fanatics he's unintentionally inspired."

It's double-sized at 48 pages and only $6.00!

After LW, there are 3 or 4 big story ideas I want to work on and I've not decided which to do first or if comics is necessarily the best format for each of them -- the alternatives being a novel or film. I'll figure it out once I complete LACKLUSTER WORLD #7, the next and final issue of the series.



11) A priest, a rabbi and a chicken walk into a bar. What happens next?

They each run up a tab and at the end of the night are asked to cash out. The priest has no money, but offers his services in exchange. He tells the bartender he can bless the bar, its customers, and its drinks. The rabbi also has no money and offers similar services in exchange. The chicken reaches for her purse and lays down the cash for all three tabs. The priest and rabbi are very gracious and in turn offer to bless her. She replies, "Bless me? Where were to you to bless me when I was repeatedly raped by the rooster in the coop? Where were you to bless me when the farmers took all of my eggs away to be eaten, or raised my children into a life of servitude? Where were you to bless me when the farmers came to tear out all of my feathers and eat me?"

The priest and rabbi look at each other. Then, back to the chicken.

"God bless you, chicken."

"Shalom."

The chicken went home and cried herself to sleep, knowing tomorrow she would once again go to that bar and try to find the answers in the bottom of a glass.

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Exhibitor Bios are Up

The SPACE exhibitor bois as written by themselves are up at Bios

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Trickster-Anthology, Exhibit & Podcast

Trickster is a four year long comics anthology project edited by Matt Dembicki featuring original art from Evan Keeling, Mike Short and Andrew Cohen, Pat Lewis and Andy Bennett and more. The book features Trickster stories from more than 20 Native American storytellers illustrated by some of today's most dynamic indie comics artists! And we’re proud to bring you the Trickster exhibit and also to be premiering “Trickster” right here at SPACE!

...and here's the Matt Dembicki podcast interview.

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New Poster & Programing

There's a brand new poster by the esteemed Tom Williams up on the media kit page.
Also the programing is up on the programing page.

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Podcast: Interview with Joe Foo

Thanks to Joe Foo, creator of the webcomic Desmond's Comics, for agreeing to participate in our first podcast. The sound quality is a little wonky but it was an experiment. We may be doing more after we figure a few things out. And now the Joe Foo Interview

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Exhibitor: Suzanne Baumann

1) Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in Hamtramck, MI, a couple of blocks in from the Detroit border, and keep active in the cartooning and art scene that exists here. Five days a week I drive out to the suburbs to work as some sort of graphic designer/web developer hybrid. I’ve become interested in organic gardening in recent years and my backyard is covered in vegetables when it’s not covered in snow. Comic jams are my favorite sport.

2) Tell us about your comics.
They’re minicomics; mostly humorous, and the humor is usually a mixture of mundane and absurd, with lots of wordplay thrown in. Mostly. Usually. Three ongoing series have emerged over the years: As Eavesdropped, which is a collection of single-page comics based on overheard conversations; Turtleneck Boy, an anthology series open to all contributors as long as they include the title character in their submission; and The (x) of Ball Point, a sketchbook series I give away for free. In addition to these I’ve made tons of one-shot minis over the years. Whenever I have the time and an idea, I’ll make a minicomic.

3) How long have you been self-publishing?
Since 1995.

4) Why did you decide to start self-publishing your comics?
It wasn’t so much a decision as a revelation: “Really? I can print up my own comics and staple them together into a book and total strangers will buy and read them?” I like to make things, so I had no excuse not to do that.

5) Who are your main artistic influences--both in and out of comics?
I hate answering that question, because I’m influenced by everything; even things I don’t particularly like and wouldn’t want to recommend to others. If I had to narrow it down, though, I’d say the 20th century has made a big impact on my work.

6) What comics do you read?
Whatever makes its way into my hands, I read. I never really got into a regular comics-reading habit, but fortunately I accumulate a wide variety of good stuff at shows like SPACE; and through friends, colleagues, etc. It all goes on the pile and gets read by me eventually. Sean Bieri (fellow Hamtramck cartoonist) started a graphic novel book club last year, so now I’m actually reading them on a regular basis. I’m on my way to becoming a legitimate comics geek.

7) What are some of your favorite books? (the kind without pictures)
I’m especially fascinated with ephemera: magazines, textbooks, political books predicting all sorts utopian and dystopian scenarios that may or may not have come true… stuff that usually gets tossed out because it’s 20, 50, 100 years past its relevance. I read history books, too, but I really like augmenting that with the materials people were actually soaking in at the time.

8) Where did Turtle-neck Boy come from?
He came from a self-imposed deadline. I had jokes for a mini-comic scripted out, but no characters in mind for it. A comic convention was coming up fast and I wanted to have something new out, so I used myself for one of the characters and picked Turtleneck Boy (a random doodle from my sketchbook) to be my sidekick.
I didn’t want to give off the impression that Turtleneck Boy was a real guy, so I called him my imaginary friend on the cover. Then I decided that making up cartoon friends for myself was actually kinda sad, so at the last minute I added a page at the end saying “Turtleneck Boy can be your friend, too! Submit your own comic!” and people did, so now it’s an ongoing anthology series.
No one’s submitted a Turtleneck Boy origin story yet, so honestly I’m not sure where he really came from.

9) What’s in the water in Hamtramck ?
Hydrogen, oxygen, and other.

10) Will you have anything new for SPACE? Or are you working on anything new?
After a long absence, I’ve gotten back to the aforementioned Turtleneck Boy. Issue number six should be ready by SPACE, and hopefully a couple of free minis as well.


11) A chicken walks into a doctor’s office and says “_______________”.
“How can I get in on one of those health insurance coops I’ve heard so much about?”
(sorry.)

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