SPXPO!!! Two days in September at the grand Small Press Expo in Bethesda with Kara and my favorite authors!

Kara and the crowd @SPX

Alvin Buenaventura and Dan Clowes discuss their book, Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Dan Clowes

Dan Clowes was awesome, articulate, self-depricating, and snarky.  Hearts!!

plus he was a bowl-cutted cutie in his youth

but not so much now (haircut-wise)

Kara looking hard for something to spend her money on; me, not so discriminating!

Ben Claussen of Dirt Farm fame signing a print

I think we're in front of Pranas' booth here.  I got an awesome screened cloth comic.  Check out his stuff here.

I was hoping my beaver's teeth earrings would be a conversation starter.  No one noticed!

Special thanks to Sophia Weidman who took our picture.  I picked up her Lettuce Girl comic.  She's great; I highly recommend The Deformitory!

Kara trying to abuse me with her MMA skills later that night

this is the common cold virus in cutie, plastic, hand soap pump form

this is a grouchy ol' HIV virus in plush form

the best St. Mary's Class of '97 Friends collage in the world

me in the guest room.  I love the color of the walls!

not shown: surprisingly comfortable 'Flip and Fuck'-style Ikea foam bed thing I slept on

Kara's latest foster, Suka, whose room I occupied

"...finally.  Get out of here!"

Kara's mother is a painter

tasteful living room decoration

Kara's sweet auction finds

creepy girl + boy

more Lombardi floral originals

2nd day of SPXPO.  Clowes, Jaime Hernandez, Bill Kartalopoulos, Gilbert Hernandez, Adrian Tomine

Hernandez Bros ribbing the superhero subject

Jaime looking like he just swallowed a lemon

get behind the Eightball.  Clowes.

Tomine

I got the first poster for Kara in high school or college

and we danced!

end panel

The Ides of September:  Kara joined me for her first Small Press Expo, and like, my, I don't know, 6th?  Fun times were had.  Lots of things to look at; many opportunities to support writers/illustrators from far and wide (via the parting of money).  I wasn't as restrained as Kara but we both picked up some great things.  She picked up a dirty turtle print from now-DC/Bmore local Ben Claussen (I believe he's originally from New Orleans).  We both picked up Sara Becan's book, Shuteye.  We sat in on panels of my favorite authors, Los Bros Hernandez and Dan Clowes.  I nerded out one day longer than Kara and stood in lines to have things signed by Dan Clowes and Adrian Tomine.  Dan was pleasant and teasing, saying he wanted to steal my 1st edition Eightball.  Tomine seemed a bit cooler/standoffish, but seemed appreciative that I mentioned his marriage book as a standing order/present for all upcoming weddings.  All-in-all: a great event, as always.  SPX only gets better every year.  Even with the big-draw names and comic-rock-star speakers, I felt like it wasn't too terribly crowded, well, not too terribly overwhelming, rather, since I sort of felt mentally-prepared knowing the authors would be a popular draw. 
I can't wait for next year!  Good job and keep the good stuff coming, SPX organizers!!

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!