It’s been a long time coming, but MIX (The Minneapolis Indie Xpo) is just around the corner. Sarah and I (mostly Sarah) have been working like zombies on cocaine trying to make sure the show is as successful as possible. So before my brain completely shuts off and I fall face first into the computer screen, here’s all the deets:
The Friday before MIX (August 20) I will be signing copies of my new book, Fingerprints, at Big Brain Comics from 6-8pm. Aaron Renier (The Unsinkable Walker Bean) and Zak Sally (Sammy The Mouse #3) will be there as well signing their respective new books. I’m very excited for this.
I actually have a single copy of the Fingerprints, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. Come on out to the signing and I’ll put a drawing of something on the inside of it. I’m not sure of what, but SOMETHING. Probably a FACE.
Or you can get a copy directly from the publisher, Top Shelf Comix.
Here’s the list of various news outlets that have been writing about MIX. I’ll update this list as more and more people get hip to what’s up.
The 7th Annual Twin Cities Zinefest has come and gone. This was the 3rd year that I had a contributing hand in its organizing. Ostensively, Sarah Morean has been coordinating the entire show for the last three years but I’ve been kept busy working on promotional items, signage and odds & ends.
For 2010, it was decided to change the two day festival to a one day show. The second day was always a little sluggish anyway. The result was that Zinefest as a one day show had twice the energy compared to the past two years. It was an amazing group of zine makers charged up by their proximity to each other.
I heard the panels and zine readings were a real hit this year. I never leave my table for more than 2 minutes at a time, so I’ll have to take others word for it.
The after-party was very well attended and totally rocking. It was organized by Lacey Prpic Hedtke with a panel discussion by Andy Sturdevant (which I also missed because I was eating pizza).
Andy even wrote and illustrated a zine that served as a catalog of some of his most favorite zines from his personal collection:
Joe Biel and Elly Blue took the train in from Portland and stayed with us for the weekend. You couldn’t ask for more pleasant houseguests and Sarah and I were regaled with their mischievous stories from back home.
Now here’s the real news: as much fun as working on Zinefest has been these last three years, 2010 was the last year Sarah and I will be involved. Sarah will be organizing the Minneapolis Indie Xpo, and a person can realistically only volunteer so much of their time before they burn out.
Massive gratitude goes out to everyone who exhibited and attended Zinefest this year and in previous years. What a fun time.
I just can’t get enough of comic book conventions. I guess I never tire of sitting in a chair for seven hours during the week and it needs to bleed into the weekend.
So Springcon was this weekend. It used to be called Microcon. But Microcon was only one day. Now it’s two days. Like Fallcon was. What’s Fallcon? It’s the same show, but It’s in the fall, but it’s also two days. No wait, now it’s only one day. And it’s not a convention. It’s a party. Or something.
Doesn’t matter. It’s put on by the guys at The Source and they did a fantastic job, as always. For a show with a more superhero/back issue bent, I generally have a great time.
This last weekend I went to TCAF. It’s like a whole other country up there.
It was a very well attended show and I was fortunate enough to sit right next to publishing prizefighter Brett Warnock. I also got to know Kathryn and Stuart Immonen who are two of the most warm-hearted AND blindingly talented people I’ve met in a long time. Check out their new book Moving Pictures.
I’m honored to learn that Covered in Confusion has been selected as a finalist for The Maisie Kukoc Award for Comics Inspiration. From here, a vote will be taken and the winner will receive the award and a $350 cash prize. That’s a lot of staples.
It’s water color and ink. At first I actually thought, “Water color and ink? What a really novel idea! Nobody does that!” It took .004 seconds for me to realize how unobservant I am. It’s obviously a very populartechniqueamong cartoonists.
Anyway, it was really fun to do and I’ll be doing more of them. If you like this one, it can be purchased through my Etsy Shop.
As an aside, below is my favorite Cheap Suit Serenaders song. It’s what I listened to while working on this painting.
Drawn while sitting.
