SPXPlosion! Comic talk @Atomic Books

browsing @Celebrated Summer

Welcome to the SPXPlosion!  Brian Ralph not included.

Ramsey Beyer

Liz Prince, Tony Pence, onlooker, Ben Claussen/Dirt Farm, Rachel/Atomic Books

Josh Bayer

This is a panel from a Hank and Glen comic.  I giggled when Hank turned into an Alley Oop character.  I don't think I noticed until now that Glen is a weird Fred Flintstone concoction.  He also may have developed a face full of eyes, a reference I am unfamiliar with (unless it's a direct 20 Eyes Misfits reference, which would make sense, just got that as I was writing).

da crowd

Noah Van Scriver

from The Hypo

Box Brown

Derf!

If you don't love comics, you're not on my list. 

When I was working as a public librarian years ago I had a conversation with one of my co-workers about liking Archie comics.  She said she did, too, but that was ages ago.  "What happened?" I asked.  She replied something along the lines of, "When you're a child, you like childish things," and implied she is no longer a child.  My heart barfed.

I am a grown-ass woman who loves and enjoys reading comics.  I love family-friendly, animal-based comics (Garfield, Heathcliff); I love adult, mature-reader-only comics (Chester Brown, ol' Danny Clowes, Hernandez Bros. [I'm looking at you, Gilbert!]).  I love comics and graphic novels and I can't get enough.  

For the past couple of years I've been keen on going to Atomic Book's SPXplosion, a comics event held at the store the eve of the SPXPO.  The artists and presentations vary, but it's always a good time.  This year featured Ramsey Beyer, Josh Bayer, Noah Van Scriver, Box Brown, and Derf!  I also grabbed Liz Prince pre-talks for her signature on the latest Adventure Time comic, in which she is featured.  Totally acceptable, super stoked.  Gimme s'mores!

Meeting with artists and cartoonists is so much fun and totally inspiring.  Josh enjoyed Ramsey's talk, which was practical and down-to-earth (hers wasn't so much a reading as it was a process discussion).  She basically said drawing every day is the only way to improve technique and general skills, something that seems intuitive, but was nice to be reminded of (also nice to hear an artist confess their learning process).  I love her zines, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised to be inspired by her talk.  

I was reminded that once upon a time, I was an artist, too.  Of course, since I haven't practiced much since my heyday, my drawing skills are only about what they were in high school.  

I was also reminded that when I was in middle school I used to draw a regular comic for my best friend.  My stories had some recurring G-rated characters (Cool Cat, Super Cat, or wait, were they the same person?), and I regularly featured my friend and myself in a storyline involving us in a PG-13/R-rated romp with boys.  So basically I was an adolescent dirty comic purveyor with a subscriber of one.  It was a magical time. 

SPXPO Bethesda shots coming next!

First Glance: Hunting Ground in Hampden Bmore

Falls Road, Hampden Baltimore

local library branch

librarian in the setting sun

Enter the Hunting Ground

I said this shirt was awesome, to which Josh corrected: [it was] "More Than Awesome"

no question:  also More Than Awesome

choice pin

amongst a plate of cuties

proud owner of a new kitty pin

Nice. Display. Well. Done. Totally Jealous.

Friday night: an evening trip to Baltimore had us hopping around Hampden.  We visited our faves Atomic Books and Celebrated Summer Records, and were about to split when I remembered a new shop I spied the other week.  We jostled across Falls Road to check it out.

A new sign on an old church read "Hunting Ground".  No other advertisement or flashy eye-catching pictures, fliers, or decoration adorned the front.  The same trimmed hedges that cozily delineated the old church yard now welcome you to this space.  But what is it?

Alright, it's a store; I get that.  Two bodyforms in the entry show a simple sampling of wares: one for men and one for women.  Ok, a unisex clothing store.  I flipped the tag of the short-sleeved men's shirt: a rather plain button down spring/summer shirt; white with tasteful orange plaid lines.  It must have been new b/cs it was $50.  

Fifty dollars!  I've never paid $50 for a single shirt, so I thought, "Not my kind of place."  But we had meandered this far and Josh said, "Let's just check it out."  So I'll look with my eyes, I told myself.

Enter the Hunting Ground.  Menswear to the left, women's on the right, musical instruments and accessories in the back.  Huh.  Shoes and boots for the stylish.  Neat, retro signs and art in small doses.  A killer floor by the dressing room.  

Then on to looking with my hands.  And feet.  Their footwear selection was awesome, and by now I had noticed they carry new and used vintage wares (my faves!).  This wasn't a thrift store, so their curated vintage selection was priced as retail, of course.  I was tempted by an oversized black silk shirt with white birds, but I resisted.  Still, prices were reasonable.

While I was poking around I noticed a variety of cat-related items.  They were in different spots of the shop, so it didn't seem like a theme (there was a vest/shawl thing in the sweater section that appeared to be made from a throw -- like the kind you'd throw over your couch.  It was all-over cat print dedication.  Meow.), but after noticing a couple cat things, Josh located a plate of cat pins on the counter.  They were only a quarter a piece!  Good deal!  He now proudly wears our new friend on his chest.

To sum:  I'm glad we stopped in.  While I didn't get anything, I may have found another new fave in Hampden, a Baltimore hot spot that gets better with each new find (large multi-floor antique shop w/vintage clothing basement: check [Avenue Antiques], small quirky antique shop: check [Sturgis Antiques, for one], alternative bookstore and comic shop: check [Atomic], record store: check [CSR], sweet-ass brunch [french toast to die for!]: check [Golden West], and now the Hunting Ground.  Check, baby.  Hampden may be a growing den for hipsters, and old school local hons and local toughs, but I'd rather be hitting it up there than say, at da Towson Mall, any day. 

Kitty Pins Forever!!