There are about 8 gajillion SPX photo sets up on the web, but we wanted to spotlight the first time exhibitors. We usually go around taking pictures of our pals, but this time we took pictures of perfect strangers — with the result that we don’t know who half of these photos are! We got business card for everyone, but lost half of them (ert!) so we enlist the group mind in Id’ing the culprits.
Jillian Tamaki’s GILDED LILLIES got some buzz going. Jillian is best known as an illustrator for places like THE NEW YORKER, but she’s getting an increasing amount of comics work.
Aaron Gonzalez was one of our carmates for the trip, and he brought previews of his silent graphic novel, BROKEN CHAIN.
Alex Cahill. Nice back drops!
Okay here’s where we lost our business cards. These fine folks hailed from Bangor, ME, so we had a nice chat about the Mystery Beast and all that.
Chemitry Set’s Hyeondo Park, whose FOR MURPHY we spotlighted a while back.
Jim Dougan (CRAZY PAPERS) is not technically new, but it was his first SPX as an exhibitor.
Jordan Giarratano of We Must Become Our Heroes. Lost his card, but he had quite a rap going on.
The ladies from Penny-Farthing Press, who made their first trip ever to SPX. Penny-Farthing has been around a while but keeps a pretty low profile…looks like that will be changing.
Matthew Bernier, whose first few minis have been stunning and who we suspect you will hear big things from one of these days.
Hm…lost his card. In fact I think I know this guy,
Danica Novgorodoff is an award-winning cartoonist and a designer for First Second. She was showing off an excerpt of an upcoming full-color graphic novel callled THE CROSSING. The format seemed quite familiar, but she couldn’t reveal the publisher…hm…
That’s Joe Quinones in the middle and Tim Finn on the end. The young lady didn’t give us a card, alas. Quinones is the artist on the upcoming superhero spoof book from NBM called Lickit-Man, and it’s about just what you think it’s about. We don’t believe it either.
Xeric Grant winner Michael LaRiccia brought his graphic novel BLACK MANE.
Another Xeric Grant winner, Lance Christian Hansen, creator of DON’T CRY.
Our camera got all wonky the second day. Looks like it’s time for a new one, alas.
The guy with the Wolverine chops and snappy suit is Jordan Giarratano of “We Must Become Our Heroes.” We karaoke’ed with him on Saturday night – nice guy!
Matthew Bernier’s stuff is fantastic.
Jillian Tamaki has the drawing chops to become one of the greats in comics, if only she has the stamina. Go Jillian!
Dave loves me!
By the way, you should totally check out my table mate Hilary Florido (www.thepapermouse.deviantart.com) Not only was this her first SPX for real, (not like me) but she’s also a-maaaaaaaaaazing. She doesn’t have much of her actual omics work on her DA site yet, but if you write her she’d love to sell one to you. Both me and her are gonna be big First Second superstars in a year, so you better get her books before you can’t afford to get her signature! Ha ha!
heh… I’m working on “sufficiently competent” for the moment. But thanks!
the bespectacled girl in the red shirt in the 4th picture was my lovely neighbour Katie Omberg. Her big bowl of Toosie Rolls did a bang-up job of attracting the kids to our table….
The young “thumbs up” lady hanging with Joe Quinones and Tim Finn is Maris Wicks. She does great comics, stuffed toys and is the cover/etc. artist for Project: Romantic. She rocks.
The two gentlemen from Bangor ME (who also enjoyed Katie’s bowl of candy) are Dan Fleming and Christopher Beckett of On The Fly Publications. We were promoting this year’s issue of WARRIOR TWENTY-SEVEN.
There are gorgeous and normal looking women among this bunch of reprobates……………what’s happening to the world of comics?………..AAAARRRGGGHH
The growing numbers of women in all facets of comicsdom, most notably among the independents, indicates to me that the current blossoming of the medium out of its Captain Underpants ghetto is for real this time, and not the false-start we experienced twenty years ago.
With any luck, I’ll be exhibiting at SPX next year rather than just volunteering. Hope I’ll get to see my smiling face here.