And clearly the star of the lineup was Amulet creator Kazu Kibuishi.

Kibuishi opened his talk by saying when he was 3 or 4, his mother had her sights on him becoming a doctor. As a child who already liked drawing, he figured the only chance he’d really get to make cartoons was by doing caricatures of his patients, and that didn’t seem good enough. He expressed his excitement for the Scholastic Book Fair at school, where he’d pick up Garfield collections And sometimes, if they were out, he’d begrudgingly get a Marmaduke one instead (he then jokingly clarified that since this was being recorded, he did want to state Marmaduke is great). He also said he’s delighted that his books are now published through Scholastic and being sold at the same book fairs he loved.

Kibuishi said he didn’t go to art school — as much as he loved drawing and comics, he realized he probably couldn’t make a living at it. So he picked what he thought was a safer bet — filmmaking. He said, basically, film school taught him “to watch movies really well” rather than the actual craft of making movies. Still, even he admits that his film background tends to give his comics a cinematic scope.

After graduating, seeing that his family was facing some financial difficulties, he got a job as a graphic designer. But he decided that wasn’t for him and after turning down a promotion, he landed in animation, including a stint at Disney. His frustrations there (he said he was being paid to not do anything) eventually decided to give comics another try.

Amulet began as a pitch for an animated movie and was inspired by his parents’ financial situation — or as Kibuishi put it, that he, in some ways, had to become his “parents’ parent.” He said that the siblings Emily and Navin are, in a good number of ways, based on his sister and brother.

Since Kibuishi was not able to use any computer-assisted visual aids, he drew for the audience instead as he talked. I know he’s quite used to drawing these characters at this point, but I was amazed at how quickly and casually he was able to do this, especially when his attention was elsewhere.

Kibuishi also talked about his high school teacher that encouraged him to write and that he feels like his training is stronger as a writer and storyteller rather than someone who makes comics.

Kibuishi then turned it over to audience questions (which probably took up about half of his allotted time). Many of the young fans of Amulet had questions, from specific plot points to his inspirations (there were a good number of children in the audience), which I think is great.

I liked his responses to the question of his recommendations for elementary and middle school students interested in drawing and making comics. He said that the technical aspects aren’t as important as just doing it. He said the main problem is trying to find a way to function while doing it (as well as making money) but that at this point, he feels like it’s his job to teach and encourage children to read.

When asked when the fifth book of Amulet was coming out, he pulled out his three-ring binder containing his thumbnails of pages and sketches. He said he’s working on it now. Later, when someone asked how long the series was going to be, he joked that he thought it was going to be 2 books and at this point, it will be over “whenever the story decides it’s over” but probably somewhere between 7 and 10 books. (In any case, we have more Amulet to look forward to.)

He talked a bit about the Flight anthologies he edited. Initially, he had seen other animators and artists in his position and wanted to give them a platform to showcase their works. He also mentioned being inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s comic works (it should come as no surprised to anyone that Kibuishi is inspired by Miyazaki). Even though Flight has ended with volume 8 (which he said was for a variety of reasons, but partially just that anthologies are often hard to sell), the concept will continue in a format for younger readers called Explorer.

A few questions were asked about an Amulet movie and he said a live-action one is in the works with Will Smith’s children in the lead roles. He said he wrote a treatment but understanding how the film industry works, he doesn’t know if they’ll use it. When asked if he wanted to write the script, he said it’s still a possibility but he’s more interested in doing his comics.

Around that point, his time was up and he gave thanks as he began to leave the stage to make way for the next guest.

I am curious, though, what happened with his drawing that he created on stage. I did see two girls excitedly approach the stage and ask about it. I don’t know if they ended up with it but I would love it if they did.

It was a good first year for a dedicated Graphic Novel pavilion at the National Book Festival and I hope it’s back next year. Especially if they continue to bring in creators like Kibuishi.

I love this show. I love the people. I love the exhibitors and I love the attendees. If people want to know why I love comics, I just need to point them to this show. I think they’d get it.

Everything is a blur at this point, honestly. I had fun on Friday night — although I was dragging on Saturday due to that.

It was amazingly packed all day Saturday from what I saw (yes, we’re expanding the hall next year) and everyone I talked to said their sales were great. I am absolutely thrilled that there was so much excitement over comics. I saw a lot of new faces in the exhibitors and new books from older ones. I loved it. The energy was so thrilling and everyone seemed to be having fun. And that’s exactly what I want this show to be like.

I had a busy couple of hours counting the Ignatz ballots (thank you to everyone who voted!), getting dinner and then getting everything ready. Due to last-minute issues, I really didn’t have time to get nervous. People did tell me they enjoyed the ceremony, which is what we set out to do. (While neither things were my fault, I offer many apologies for how hot it was in the White Flint Auditorium and how packed it was. I think next year, we’ll be back in Brookside.)

I absolutely want to thank Dustin Harbin for being an excellent and enthusiastic Ignatz host. He made my job easy and I deeply appreciate the work he put into hosting.

So then there were drink tickets and much fun. I don’t think I can really over-emphasize the social aspect of SPX. No, you don’t have to be a part of it — you can definitely just go to buy comics — but I’ve made so many friends at SPX and met so many amazing people who it’s what I look forward to the most. I’m going to quote our incredible volunteer coordinator, Michael Thomas, because he puts it best — “One of the things that makes SPX so special is thatit feel like family. There are no barriers between organizers, attendees and staff.” And for me, that’s really what this show is about.

I had a delightful time chatting with Nick Abadzis. It was good to see him and talk to him again.

Sunday, I finally got around to buying comics (I managed to get into the hall early, but it did quickly fill up). I’m not even sure what I bought but I’m looking forward to going through it.

I was feeling sore and kind of out of it — I was physically tired, certainly, but it was more mental exhaustion and relief (Jim Dougan made fun of me for how giggly I was at a certain point). Still, this weekend was a culmination of nearly 9 months of work for me (as well as the rest of the board!), as well as many hours devoted to it in the past several weeks. I think we all deserve to be exhausted.

It was an amazing weekend and I think I’ll be riding the high for a bit longer. Reviews of comics will be forthcoming (and reviews of all those other comics people have sent me recently). And then I suppose I will need to start thinking about next year.

Yes, seriously — people handed me submissions at the show. I’m glad they’re excited but I was happy I’d finally gotten all those comics out of my apartment. I suppose it never ends.

But I think I’m OK with that.

(I’m using the Jim Rugg program cover on this post because I failed to take any decent photos, but this is exactly what SPX is like. Much like I once again failed to go to any programming. Also, I got to see the original artwork of the cover and it was stunning. The detail was incredible.)

I know all of you haven’t spent the past 6-9 months getting ready for Small Press Expo like I have. For most of you, you’re just going to show up and buy some awesome comics. And that’s great — that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do. But here’s how to make it the best experience possible.

• Bring cash with you. Some of the bigger publishers do take credit cards, and apps like Square have allowed more people to do so, but mostly, cash is easier for everyone. The nearby ATMs have been known to run out of money, so it’s best to be prepared.
• Bring a bag. Yes, I certainly encourage you to buy our canvas bag with the awesome Jim Woodring art, but having another bag in which to stick all the comics you’re going to buy isn’t going hurt you either.
• Check out the programming. Now, last year, I didn’t make it to any of the programming but I will be doing so this year. You know I’ll be at the “Secret History of Women in Comics” at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. And possibly as many other things as I can fit in.
• And clearly the most important thing you need to do at SPX is check out the Ignatz nominees. I am biased, yes, but it’s an amazing batch of nominees. And vote you should vote for them. And then attend the awards gala at 9 p.m. Saturday in the White Flint Auditorium.
• Buy mini-comics. I am absolutely a huge fan of mini-comics and that’s more or less what I go to shows like SPX to buy. To me, that’s where the most interesting stuff happens. For $1-4, you’ll be able to get something really cool and possibly unexpected. There is little risk but big rewards in mini-comics.
• Be courtesy and thoughtful to other exhibitors, attendees and hotel guests. I know most people are pretty well-behaved but SPX can get crowded and problems do arise. SPX is meant to be fun.

Rob McMonigal has his own guide to SPX and here’s a Google Map of places with food nearby.

This is not something I’m blaming on PACC itself at all. While Philadelphia is only (supposedly) three hours away, we went without much preparation and most things seemed to be against us (car worries, weather, traffic). It took us much longer to get there than we thought it was going to and we didn’t really plan too much about what else to do while we were there. (And most of the people I was there to see? Yeah, I’ll be seeing them again next week at Baltimore Comic Con. So yes, silly.)

But I’m glad I went. PACC is a wonderfully run small show and I was impressed with the level and diversity of talent that was packed into such a small space. Part of me would love to see it grow — obviously, there is a good deal of interest in comics in the Philadelphia area — but the other part of me wants it to stay exactly as it is. We need small press shows like this — where almost anyone with access to a photocopier and a stapler is welcome. Shows like this remind me of what a vital, living medium comics is. And that’s pretty great.

Almost without meaning to, I only bought minicomics made by women. Maybe that speaks to my own personal tastes more than anything else, but I also think it says that there were plenty of awesome female creators exhibiting there. It was a small space, sure, but even within that small space, I got to pick and choose.

So comics!

The Fox and the Grapes – Carey Pietsch
An adorable and liberal retelling of the Aesop fable, this is fun and playful. Yes, I love talking animals, but I love the humor that Pietsch brings to this tale. Her art is cartoony and cute, but it’s elevated by her intuitive sense of movement and progression. I loved this.

Garakuta (aka Happy Sappy Fun Time #2) – Erina Davidson
The most I could find out about Davidson is that she is/was a student at Rhode Island School of Design. And part of me is like “Of course she is.” I mean no disrespect there, though — this is fun. There is a sort of freedom to the energy of it, and it’s definitely very open. Parts of it are vulgar, but it doesn’t seem like it’s meant to be shocking. Davidson has a good sense of design — her images are bold and youthful. I think she may have some growing to do in terms of subject matter, but I’m more than happy to see where she goes next.

How to Be Lolita – Jojo
The website listed in the back of this comic (www.funkyjewels.com) just goes to an expired domain/squatter page, so I don’t have any more info on Jojo. That makes me sad since this is cute and fun. She can certainly draw the details of fashion and while I think there’s a slight mocking tone (because Lolita fashion is ridiculous), there’s also a genuine appreciation for it.

Penny-Farthing – Mandy Dunn
This is a neat wordless comic, mostly about a penny-farthing bicycle and a hot air balloon. But really, what it’s “about” is irrelevant — it’s about the progression of the images and the contrast of the colors (orange and blue). I always love discovering comics like this — ones that do something unexpected and a bit different.

Virtual Date – Jen Tong
Tong’s tale of meeting people online is beautiful, heartfelt and surreal. The tumbling progression of the layouts of her pages are amazing and the sensitivity she shows her characters is impressive in the short amount of time we get to know them. She’s already a star in my mind — and she deserves to be in yours.

Holly Holly Hobby Hobby #2 – Anni Altshuler and Leah Mackin
This falls into the weird area between “zine” and “comic.” It has many of the qualities of both — but mostly, it’s composed of abstract images that aren’t exactly sequential. I love the experimental nature of this, though — mini minicomics are inserted into the pages — and there’s a definite admirable artistry to it.

No Talent Hack! The Mini-Comic – Cyn Why
I go to shows like PACC for creators like Cyn Why. Granted, I usually don’t know when I’m going that I’m going for creators like her, but they make it worth it. She had such a delightful enthusiasm for comics that is was impossible not to be charmed — not to mention she was drawing Jean-Luc Picard in glitter pens in every comic purchased (complete with a cute come-on — at the point I bought mine, she said she had to start recycling them, but I got “You’ll be Number One in my heart”). But I’m supposed to talk about her comics, right? The first half of this is about the hazards of karaoke, and range from bad song choices with too-long guitar solos to the trouble of forgetting verses to songs. The second half is her and her husband planning how awesome they’ll be when they hit their 30th anniversary (maybe robots but no plasma cannons). Why’s art has an adorable manga-inspired quality to it that’s open and delightful. After reading this and meeting her, I absolutely want to get more of her stuff.

Dave Roman and Raina Telegmeier

Since Raina Telegmeier and Dave Roman primarily make comics for younger readers, any event with the two of them will be focused more on that audience. The event yesterday at One More Page Books in Arlington was no exception, but I also think the adults that tagged along were just as charmed by these two (if they weren’t before, they are now). I don’t know who wouldn’t adore them after seeing them in action. They are great ambassadors for comics — both in terms of making them and reaching a new audience of all ages.

Billed as an opportunity to “interview” the two, the children were given “press passes” and allowed to sit in chairs marked “press.” This was a cute move by One More Page Books and I do think it helped the children feel more confident about interacting with Telegmeier and Roman.

The event began with having children in the audience share reading duties with the two creators in performing chapters of their comics. This is always fun and the children (with help from both Telegmeier and Roman) were impressive young actors.

Telegmeier draws "excitement."

After that, the children (and adults!) got to ask questions. The children asked great questions and were genuinely interested in what Telegmeier and Roman had to say. In fact, I’d say these children asked better questions than the ones that get asked at most Q&As during panels. I actually learned quite a bit.

One of the first questions was “What is the best thing and the worst thing about making comics?” Both creators like meeting their readers and that comics has allowed them to connect with people and make friends. Both agreed that the worst part about it is how long it takes to make comics. Although they worked on the books off and on, they said that Smile and Astronaut Academy each took five years to complete, and then jokes were made about how quickly they can be read). They are both doing comics full-time now, though (in their “studio” which is also known as their “living room”) so they said their books should not take as long.

A couple of girls asked about X-Men: Misfits and one girl seemed really heartbroken when they informed her that the sequel was never going to happen (especially after she was told that Rogue and Jubilee were set to appear in it). Probably the best part of this discussion was Roman describing shoujo manga as being “sparkly” to those who didn’t know what it was.

Roman shows his notebook where he doodles ideas he has.

These children loved these comics and excited to talk to these creators about them. One girl remarked that her friend gave her Smile (at a Girl Scout camp!) days after she got her braces and now she and her friends pass the book around (she also had an obviously well-loved, well-read copy with her).

Telegmeier was asked about her Eisner (and then later, we asked why she just doesn’t carry it around with her all the time). She said she’s still riding the high.

As a final note, Roman showed one of his Astronaut Elementary minicomics to the audience, telling them that if they want to make comics, they don’t have to wait for a publisher — they can do it themselves. I like that he made that point. One of the things I love most about comics is that it’s open to just about anyone.

Afterwards, the pair signed copies of their books and took plenty of photos with the attendees. Everyone seemed to have fun, and the staff of One More Page Books let the event wrap up naturally. No one was rushed through the line and everyone got to have their moment with Telgemeier and Roman.

If you’re in the DC area and missed last night’s event, they pair will be back in area for Small Press Expo next month. Stop by and buy their comics.

I am glad I got to see them before that. It was a fun night.

One More Page Books has some photos up on Facebook (see if you can spot me!). I have a few on Flickr (I used some of them in this post).

At some point late in the third battle last night at The Red Palace, Super Art Fight co-creator and co-host Ross Nover remarked, “My mom wanted to know why she couldn’t come to the show tonight.”

Of course, considering this was taking place in a bar and featured burlesque dancers in between battles, it’s unlikely anyone in the audience had any illusions this was supposed to be a family-friendly event. But Nover was more reacting to the inherent unpredictability of Super Art Fight. Anything goes, after all, and the more ridiculous the drawings, the better.

Super Art Fight, as the name would suggest, pits two artists against each other in a drawing competition. They have 25 minutes to out draw the other and win over the audience, who then picks the winner (the artist that gets the most cheers wins). The battle starts with each competitor declaring a starting topic and every five minutes new ones are introduced by the Wheel of Death. Submitted to the Super Art Fight website, they’re usually preposterous, ranging from “Godzilla’s Sexy Cousin” and “Marty McSuperfly.”

Nover, along with fellow host Marty Day, kept the action moving. They have a teasing and affable rapport with each other and are always willing to just keep making jokes. Their reactions are part of what make the show so great — they have the perfect combination of quick wits and bafflement about what they’re seeing being drawn and really pull the audience into the action. (Nover also treated the audience to a rendition of Vanilla Ice’s “Ninja Rap” from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle II. I would love to tell you it made sense at the time — although, it almost did — but mostly, it was impressive he remembered as much of it as he did.) [It has been pointed out to me that this was actually Partners in Kryme’s "T-U-R-T-L-E POWER" from the first movie. I am behind on my TMNT knowledge, obviously. Or blocked most of the movie out of my memory. One or the other.]

Last night’s first battle featured Dann Malihom (who dressed as a ninja) and Kelsey Wailes (who wore a cardboard robot mask). Their starting topics were, appropriately enough, ninjas and robots. These two were probably the most competitive with each other, crossing over into the other’s side early in the battle. Wailes turned Malihom’s ninja into a robot and he turned her robot into a ninja. The battle initially ended in a tie until a recount (er, rescream?) declared Malihom the winner.

While most competitors do come from a comics background (many participants in Super Art Fight also make web comics), Darl Gnau has a background in tattooing. He was the challenger to Nick Borkowicz in the second battle. Their starting topics were Frankenberry and Yummy Mummy. That clearly almost immediately got weird, especially as soon as the first Wheel of Death topics — “Sadshark” and “Your Mom” were announced. I think all you really need to know about this battle is that a fetus Frankenberry with a machine gun was drawn at one point. Gnau was the winner.

The third round and main event was between Super Art Fight veterans Brandon J. Carr and Jamie Noguchi. While the first two battles were plenty of fun, this one was the most entertaining. Their starting topics were “Mother” and “Father.” After a Danzig joke was made, Noguchi took “Mother” to mean the album cover the song was from instead of anything more appropriate. Carr, for his part, drew Homer Simpson to represent “father.”

Their experience really showed and they were quick to adapt to comments from the hosts as well as Wheel of Death topics. Upon being given “Dracula at the beach,” Noguchi drew a few scattered dots and declared he was done. But the vampire theme continued throughout, as various drawings were given bat wings and fangs. Carr, after misplacing his original markers, somehow managed to have multiple colors instead of just the traditional red and black, and he used them to delightful effect. In the end, Noguchi won, but only by .1 decibels.

But really, even with winners being declared, the competition aspect feels pretty secondary to how much fun this whole thing is to watch. If you don’t think spending two hours in a bar watching people draw silly things on wall-sized pieces of paper, Super Art Fight will prove you wrong.

I posted a bunch of photos to Facebook. If you’re in them, feel free to tag yourself.

Currently, Super Art Fight is primarily based in Baltimore, but does perform at various cons along the East Coast. There will be a show on Aug. 20, so if you’re in Baltimore for Baltimore Comic-Con, it’s worth checking out (I realize it will probably conflict with the Harvey Awards, but still …).

I wouldn’t really define this as a con, personally, but I suppose they can call it whatever they want. It’s one room of people selling comics — mostly back-issue type stuff, but a few small press people.

Small press people including, of course, AdHouse Books, which is mostly why I went (I figured if I wasn’t going to MoCCA — I couldn’t exactly afford it and it seemed like a hassle — I should still get to have some comics-related fun). I make no secret of my love for AdHouse. I love the diversity of books AdHouse publishes — even if they’re not all going to be to my taste, I know they’re going to be intriguing and original. Publisher Chris Pitzer just obviously loves comics and that shows in the books he releases.

So yeah, I basically just went there to see Pitzer and pick up some AdHouse books and to drop off some copies of Magic Bullet #2 for distribution in Richmond (the people behind the registration table looked at me a bit strangely when I asked if there was a freebie table, then eyed the copies suspiciously. It’s a comic newspaper! It’s cool!).

I tried to hand-sell Remake to two different people. The first young teenage boy wearing a Nightmare Before Christmas hoodie, so I figured he was the target audience for this comic. But he seemed a little put-off by my insistence and ran off with his friend. Then we tried to sell it to a young woman by telling her “It’s like Scott Pilgrim!” After she informed us she didn’t like Scott Pilgrim, I said “It’s better than Scott Pilgrim!” I failed there, too. (It’s not like there was anything in it for me — it’s not my comic. I just like Remake. Sadly, Remake Special wasn’t ready for this show).

I wandered the rest of the show a bit, but it wasn’t that big (about what I expected) and mostly various back issues. Since I just cleaned out a bunch of comics and I’m not a collector anymore, there wasn’t anything in particular I was looking for. But I like shows like this. I liked the few people who actually came in costume. After all, I grew up here, and while Richmond is a different and cooler place than it used to be (or at least, that’s my sense of it), I also know it’s not always easy to find where you fit. If there’s a sense that other people like what you do, that can go along way.

Would I go out of my way to go to this show again? Probably not, but it worked out nicely that I got to go.

And while those sound like complaints, I think the informality of it actually worked to this event’s advantage. It felt more like a group of friends hanging out and talking about comics.

Brooklyn-based Christopher Cardinale gave his presentation first. He started by giving his background — he collaborates in communities around Brooklyn to create murals — and has been featured in World War 3 Illustrated magazine as well as defunct Punk Planet. If these things aren’t an indication, he’s someone who uses his art as activism.

His recent full-length comics work, Mr. Mendoza’s Paintbrush (Cinco Puntos Press, 2010) is based on a short story by Luis Alberto Urrea. Most of his presentation was about the visual research his did for the book.

Cardinale said he started out just drawing sketches based on Urrea’s words and his own memories of when he lived in Mexico, but at a certain point, he decided he needed to go to the town, Rosario, in which the story is set. Urrea’s uncle still lived there, but he could only provide Cardinale with his nickname. The town was small enough that Cardinale was eventually able to find this uncle who helped show him around the town.

Mostly, Cardinale spent time taking photos (many of which he showed) and sketching areas of the town. Since the main characters in the book were teenagers, he convinced a few teens in the square to let him draw their portraits (although the kids wanted to keep them when he was done). He also sought out photos from the time period the story is set — the 1960s — from Urrea’s family.

He showed some comparisons of his early sketches — the way he imagined things — versus the reality. The most striking was a bridge that runs through the town. Cardinale initially pictured it as a small, mostly wooden bridge. The actual bridge was large and concrete.

He finished his presentation with a recording of Urrea reading from the story, accompanied by art from the comic.

Matt Demicki talked about Trickster (Fulcrum Publishing, 2010) next. The project came about after he’d read a Native American trickster story in an anthology and decided to illustrate it. He thought there might be something to the concept, so he began reaching out to Native American storytellers. He looked for balance — he wanted a broad range of tribes as well as trickster characters.

After each storyteller submitted his or her story, he began pairing the stories up with artists, although he was careful to make sure that each storyteller was happy with the artist.

It wasn’t necessarily an easy project. One storyteller did decide to not participate, even after artist Gokhan Okur had already created pages for it (you can see them here). Others didn’t want to write their stories down due to Native American storytelling being such an oral tradition (in those cases, Dembicki would transcribe the stories).

Dembicki mentioned there wasn’t too much resistance overall to the comic format. Some tribes actually thought it was a great way to preserve the stories since the oral tradition was dying out, and it made storytellers like Hawaii’s Thomas Cummings Jr. more interested in the comics format.

Dembicki then tried to play Joseph Stands With Many reading his story, which was featured on NPR, but Busboys & Poets’ wifi was having none of it (this is a common occurrence, really). You can watch it at NPR.com, however.

After that, Jacob Warrenfeltz and Michael Auger talked about their role in the book.

Warrenfeltz said in his comics he’s drawn a lot of people and cities (and I think he probably mentioned motorcycles in there too) but not too many animals. He liked the chance to be able to do so. He said that many writers give him fairly formal scripts, breaking down each panel, and that he sometimes feels like a “monkey with a pencil.” This project wasn’t like that, however — he was given a two-page short story to work from and so he found the process liberating. He also praised Dembicki as an “idea guy” and that he’s always happy to participate in whatever project he has going on.

Auger was brought into the project late after some things fell through. His background is more in illustration and children’s books and no so much comics. He did say, unlike Warrenfeltz, he traditionally draws animals, so he did think this would be an easy fit. However, his story actually ended up not having too many of them. Still, there wasn’t much dialogue so his approach wasn’t too different from how he tackles children’s books.

Due to the bad wifi connection, Dembicki didn’t get a chance to talk about the process for the cover, but Fulcrum Publishing has a whole entry about it. While I agree that Peter Kuper‘s initial design is striking, I think the eventual cover (which features Warrenfeltz’s art) is much more evocative.

After that, the artists signed books and the Busboys and Poets staff began to put the pressure on everyone to get out (they had another event to set up for).

The event was sponsored by the books’ publishers and Teaching for Change.

Full disclosure: I know both Matt Dembicki and Jacob Warrenfeltz.

SPACE was pretty great overall. I liked the broad range of exhibitors, from young and old, from established creators to newcomers. It also felt very welcoming and I felt a good sense of community. The exhibitors all seemed excited to see each other and to get to spend time together.

Now while I’m not an exhibitor at these sorts of shows, I know plenty of creators so I do benefit and enjoy the hanging out aspect. But I think if you’re just a general attendee, SPACE probably isn’t big enough to fill up your entire weekend. Although I’ve heard mixed things about sales, I do know exhibitors who did well this year and usually do fairly well at this show. I have nothing to compare this year to since I’ve never gone before, but while it never packed, there seemed to be consistent attendee traffic most of the time I was there. (People wondered if the conflict with C2E2 mattered but I don’t know if anyone came up with a conclusion. I bet there will be more discussion of that in the next few days.)

The hotel itself is fine — pretty clean and spacious and maybe it’s a Midwest thing, but the drinks at the hotel bar were cheap (but I’m used to DC-area drink prices so maybe I don’t have a good comparison). Yes, there was some amusement over the other groups in the hotel (hunters and beef farmers, apparently) but everyone behaved themselves. As far as I know.

I do have to complain about the area, though. I know many factors go into why events like this are held where they are and I completely understand why SPACE would have to be there, but it is fairly isolated. I didn’t have my own transportation and the nearest major grocery store was about a mile and a half away. I don’t think the neighborhood is particularly dangerous, but there’s just not much around there.

If I go back next year, I’ll just be better prepared.

I took some photos of the, er, fun on Saturday night, which I may put up on Facebook and/or Flickr, but I completely forgot to take any photos of the show itself. Rafer Roberts has a few on Flickr (including one of me intently studying my bottle of Mexican Coke) and Matt Dembicki has others on his site, including a few from the pre-party at Packrat Comics.

Overall, I’m very happy I went. I’m very excited to dig through the comics I bought and I came away with a couple of new friends. I’d say it was pretty much a success.

Still, money is an issue, so that quickly began ruling things out (one of these years, I’ll make it to Stumptown Comics Fest, I swear). But Ohio didn’t seem to far off and the list of exhibitors had some old favorites and some creators who don’t seem to go out to the East Coast too often, so it seemed like a good idea.

So I enlisted my friend Timothy Lantz to come along and suggested he get a table (it’s not necessarily his scene or crowd, but he knows a few people who do exhibit there every year). It will be great to see him for an extended length of time.

Yes, I know everyone else is going to C2E2 and while it wasn’t an option for me, really, I’m still happy to be going to SPACE.

If you’ll be there, I’ll likely be hanging around Tim’s table quite a bit. Otherwise, I’ll be buying and reading comics and the sorts of things people do at shows like this.

I will probably be updating throughout on Twitter and Facebook, but I’ll have something up here no later than Monday evening.

It will be a fun vacation. And will continue my tradition of visiting places and really only seeing the inside of a hotel/conference center.