The 8th annual Stumptown Comics Fest will take place on April 16th and 17th, and be held in its new location at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. In recent years the exhibition hall has been packed to the gills; this move to the Convention Center will give attendees room to breathe with 30,000 square feet of exhibition space (nearly double the square footage) and will allow the amount of table to be increased with room for future growth.

A small number of guests have already been confirmed for the next fest, from local, national, and even international stages. Guests are to include: Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Molly Crabapple (illustrator, founder of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School), Kurt Busiek (writer for DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image), Larry Marder (Tales of the Beanworld), and Barry Deutsch (Hereville). This list is by no means complete, and regular announcements will be made over the coming months as more details are confirmed.

Indigo Kelleigh, founder of the Stumptown Comics Fest, is returning as the festival director for the next three years (2011-2013). Kelleigh brings his experience in both event coordination and the comics industry to the team, and is already working to make this upcoming year a peak at what’s to come. Shannon T. Stewart, Festival Director for the 2009 and 2010 fests and a current Board member of the Stumptown Comics Foundation, is supportive of Kelleigh’s involvement. “We’re all elated to have Indigo, the creator of the Fest, return to the position of Director,” says Stewart, “and I personally look forward to working with him and to the amazing ideas he has in store for Stumptown over not just this season, but the next few years leading to the ten year anniversary!”

This will be the eighth year of the Stumptown Comics Fest (founded 2004), which has become the largest creator-focused comics festival in the Northwest. The amount of comics fans attending the event continues to climb as does the national and international attention our local event garners from artists, writers, editors, and publishers. For continuing updates regarding the event, head to the official website at www.stumptowncomicsfest.com

Please note, The Beat is an official sponsor of the event, and we’re proud to be involved with what looks to be an informative symposium on the biggest issue of the day. A new day has dawned, and no one wants to be left in the dark. More info here and official pr below:

ICv2 has announced the ICv2 Comics & Digital Conference at New York Comic Con, a half-day event where industry executives and thought leaders will discuss the impact of the rapidly growing digital channel on the comics and graphic novel medium. 
 
“This year, it seemed critical to offer an event to look at the fastest-growing part of the comics and graphic novel business—digital—to examine where it is, where it’s going, and what it’s going to do to print,” ICv2 President Milton Griepp said.  “Everyone in the industry, from creators to publishers to retailers and librarians, has an interest in this topic.” 
 
The Conference, to be held at the Javits Center on Thursday, October 7th, on the eve of New York Comic Con, will kick off with a preview of the 2010 ICv2 White Paper, looking at the comics and graphic novel business so far this year, including digital sales. 
 
“Digital Comics and Graphic Novels” will bring together a panel of digital comic and graphic novel companies to discuss the present and future of digital comics and graphic novels.
 
In “Print vs. Digital—War, Co-existence, or Collaboration,” publishers, retailers, and others talk about how the digital revolution will impact print sales.   
 
A fourth session will be announced soon.
 
Speakers will include the CEOs of all four major digital comic companies (Comixology, Graphic.ly, iVerse, and Panelfly), comic and graphic novel publishers, retailers, and more.
 
Affordable ticket prices give the Conference a high return on investment.
 
Transcontinental Printing returns as the event sponsor of the ICv2 Conference, joined by Publisher’s Weekly and Heidi MacDonald’s Beat. 

Transcontinental, in addition to sponsoring the event, will host its signature Transcontinental Printing Cocktail Party at 5 p.m., a time when attendees, speakers, and panelists can meet, mingle, network, and talk about the events of the day. 

 
For More Information
For more information about the conference, or to contact us to inquire about speaking or sponsorship opportunities, click here, or e-mail Mgriepp@ICv2.com.  For general information about New York Comic Con, please contact Roger Bilheimer at bilheim@aol.com. 

More information available here!

Even though they had already purchased tickets for FanExpo, many people were told they would have to wait outside because the crowd was at full capacity inside the north building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

“I think they dropped the ball on how much size the convention centre uses this year,” Scott Campbell told CBC News.

Campbell, who was dressed as Cobra Commander, had suggestions for expansion and better utilization of the facility. Commenters on the story were harsh in their criticism, but it’s an internet message board, so use your own judgment:

I had no problem getting into the convention with my deluxe pass on all 3 days. The key is 1) get there early and line up before the advertised opening time and 2) once you are in, do not leave until you are done for the day. As for going out to get lunch, pack a lunch instead. Either make sandwiches or pick up some subway before you leave. A good cooler bag helps keep them fresh all day. And bring plenty of bottled water. That way you avoid having to pay $$ for con food. And you save a lot of $$$ that can be used at the vendors.

That said, the line to get in on all 3 days was ridiculous, and went around the corner as far as Lake ontario. All 3 days I got there early, and the line was at the Go Train overpass by then. But I was still able to get in. Also, the main problem I saw Saturday was them scheduling too many big panels in the same area near the same time, so there was a crush of people who were in 2 different lines and one mob coming out of Stan Lee that caused gridlock in that area, it took a good 30 minutes to get out of there. They need to space these things out over the 3 days better and avoid putting these big guests all in one place.

Also, they should have the concept of “Sold out” like San Diego does. They should not be allowed to get away with selling way more tickets than the venue can hold. Once it sells out, do what San Diego does and stop selling tickets!

Sounds like pop culture is just TOO popular in Toronto.

Artist Jill Thompson twittered some photos photos of the crowd on Saturday and it looks pretty huge.

So who else went? Was it a good time?

It was mostly pep talk, partly an entreaty “not to be afraid of the future when we can still affect it.” On that part, it was hard to find fault.

But at least one other attendee, namely Sergio Aragones, a cartoonist whose name is regularly preceded by the word “legendary,” took issue with Waid’s idea that ideas should be free. After the speech, according to witnesses, Aragones went over to Waid and the two had a heated exchange. While we heard several reports of various folks storming out and slamming doors, we also heard that after all was said and done, Aragones and Waid literally hugged and made up.

We had a chance to talk to Sergio later on — it was an off the cuff conversation in the middle of a rather chaotic night (the Hyatt bar was shut down early and everyone was in a tizzy). Paraphrasing here a bit, but Sergio was advocating more for the idea that the spread of free content has devalued content, making it harder for people to make a living at it. He said a couple of things that I tried to jot down, one that (I’m paraphrasing) “quality has to be considered again” and the one I tweeted “If you give everything away for free, you have ruined everything.”

This wasn’t a real hard and fast pronouncement, but rather a reflection, I think, of the devalued media world of content farms, user-generated content and “doing it for the exposure,” — anti-income-generating measures that leave many of the creative types I know scrambling for 20 different ways to make a living.

Which isn’t to say it’s bad. It just is. Aragones and Waid are both right. It’s part of a conversation I’ve been having with many people this weekend, and most people seem to think that we’re living in a world where IP is the only sure currency — the Waidian view, as it were. The Aragonesian Principle is more that you have to be aggressive about valuing your IP – and getting paid for SOMETHING.

Dirk Deppey and Lea Hernandez, among others, got into a late night discussion of the Aragones quote, which, given the out of left field context it was presented in, was more of a webcomics-centric argument. Deppey wrote:

I’d go so far as to say that, right now, giving it wawy and selling merchandise at the back end…..is the de facto method for self-supporting, self-published cartoonists in ANY medium.

….true as far as it goes. But we live in a world where popular, loved cartoonists can’t make a living just selling comics for people to read. It may be SOP for all creative people, but it’s infinitely more complex than Jack Kirby’s world: Make a good comic, get it seen by a movie company or ad agency or whatever and get them to pay you a lot of money to do something, go back and do another free comics, rinse and repeat.

More later.

Unfortunately this goal was not shared by the freaked-out bartenders at the Hyatt bar, dealing with a Comic-Con crowd for the first time. With about 100 people descending post-Harveys into the already busy bar area, an already stressed out staff went into total freak out mode. One guy was basically having a nervous breakdown, trapped between Jim Shooter and Joe Jusko at opposite ends of the bar.

After a bit of this panic, the bar manager came in and looked around the scene with what can best be described as terror. It sounds odd for someone to be shocked that people were in a bar and wanted a beverage, but there you go. And it wasn’t a rowdy drunk crowd, at all. It was just a bunch of friends who wanted to sit back with an adult beverage and talk to pals.

However, the noise from the bar evidently was bothering some guests above, so at about midnight everything got shut down, sending all the Harvey folks and the rest into a late night wander around Baltimore.

Not the safest thing.

But I think everyone got home in one piece.

In a world gone mad, there are still a few things you can count on, and comics at Baltimore Comic-Con is one of them.

We got in last night for our annual dinner at the Rusty Scupper, this time with a bunch of Brooklyn compadres — why do we have to drive four hours to see people who live a few miles away? Oh well, it’s Con World.

One big note for this year’s show — a new headquarters hotel, the Hyatt Regency, as opposed to the Marriott. Show owner Marc Nathan explained that last year the Hyatt was their overrun hotel and it turned out that some of the execs at the hotel are big comics fans, and made a pitch to get the HQ hotel.

The new hotel seems adequate in all regards. And everyone proclaimed the first night of Bar Con a success (except for the early last call, of course) — it has space but an intimate feel and looks to be a good hangout.

One big topic of conversation — ongoing recovery from this year’s San Diego. One prominent comics figure confessed that she had literally no memory of the show from Tuesday night aside from scattered glimpses of headaches and faces, kind of like a Christopher Nolan movie. Another confessed to having had to take two vacations since San Diego. Maybe we’re just old, folks.

Also, congrats to Marc Nathan and wife Shelley, who just became parents for the first time 10 days before the show — little Reese made his debut at the bar Friday night and even in a world where all babies are cute, he is very, very cute.

More from the Harveys later!

You can see all the guests and events here. We’ve posted the complete comics programming schedule below. There will doubtless be a lot of news filtering out from the show, and we’ll keep one eye peeled for the news.

COMIC EXPO PROGRAMMING ‘ FRIDAY, AUGUST 27

5:00 ‘ Steve Ditko and Bill Everett: Spider-Man, Sub-Mariner, Daredevil & Beyond
Two Marvel Comics giants join forces! Steve Ditko is the co-creator and original artist of the Amazing Spider-Man, and creator of Dr. Strange and Mr. A. Bill Everett created and was the original artist for the Sub-Mariner (the first anti-hero and mutant of the Marvel Universe), and co-created Daredevil. Join author Blake Bell for a slide show presentation and discussion on his two upcoming books: Fire And Water: Bill Everett, The Sub-Mariner, and the Birth of Marvel Comics, and Unexplored Words: The Steve Ditko Archives v2. ‘ ROOM 103A

5:30 ‘ Breaking Into Comics The Marvel Way
Are you a writer or artist’ Ever dream of working for Marvel’ Do you find yourself thinking ‘I could do that’if I knew how!’ Well, here’s your chance! Join C.B. Cebulski, Marvel’s Senior Vice President, Creator & Content Development, and special guests artist Olivier Coipel (Siege, Thor), Marvel Senior Editor Steve Wacker (Amazing Spider-Man, Shadowland), Marvel editor Jeanine Schaefer (Uncanny X-Force, Wolverine , Senior Vice President of Brand Planning and Communications Mike Pasciullo, and Chief Operating Officer James Sokolowski, and more to find out the answers on how to get your foot in the door at every level in the creative process and how to make your job MARVEL! ‘ ROOM 104A

5:30 ‘ How to Workshop: Herding Cats in a Hailstorm- The Secret Life of the Comic Book Editor with Joey Cavalieri
From Julie Schwartz to Archie Goodwin, the comic industry has had a history of formative editors who have shaped memorable projects and creators. A renaissance man who has written professionally and taught at the renowned School of Visual Arts, senior DC editor Joey Cavalieri discusses his relationship with top talent and what it takes to get published in today’s competitive comics market. Moderated by Walter Dickinson ‘ ROOM 203D

6:00 ‘ Sketching Duel: Jim Valentino vs. Whilce Portacio ‘ ROOM 206C

7:00 ‘ DC Nation
The DC NATION returns to Toronto!We’re always looking for new recruits, so be sure to come on by as DC Comics’ Co-Publisher, Dan DiDio, Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Francis Manapul, Chris Sprouse and some of the industry’s top talent lead the way to give you the inside scoop to all current and future NATION members! ‘ ROOM 104A

7:00 ‘ How to Workshop: From Thin Air- Drawing the Comic Book Figure from Memory with Bob Layton
Comic book artists are known for their abilities to produce detailed artwork on tight deadlines from their imaginations. Creating the human figure without reference is a Herculean effort essential to the cartoonist. Join Bob ‘Iron Man’ Layton as he demonstrates a simplified approach to constructing the human form that is invaluable to the aspiring pro. ‘ ROOM 203D

7:30 ‘ Sketching Duel: Paolo Rivera vs. Alex Maleev vs. Khoi Pham ‘ ROOM 206C
8:00 ‘ Marvel: X-Men
Following Second Coming, Marvel’s merry mutants are unable to catch a quick breather. As Curse of the Mutants begins, there’s no telling what the vampires have in store for the X-Men’or is there’ You’ve got questions & these people have answers! Marvel editor Jeanine Schaefer (Uncanny X-Force, Wolverine) and Senior Vice President, Creator & Content Development C.B. Cebulski are joined by a host of creators to lay out what’s going on with the X-Men. Panelists include Leonard Kirk,Valentino DeLandro, Whilce Portacio and more for this all-new, all-DEADLY panel! ‘ ROOM 205B

8:00 ‘ How to Workshop: Comic Book Bootcamp with Ty Templeton
Watch Toronto comics impresario Ty ‘The Guy’ Templeton as he performs the 50 minute ‘nutshell’ version of his celebrated Comic Book Bootcamp course. Ty will expose why talent is a myth, the importance of narrative flow and foolproof methods for creating successful writing pitches. ‘ ROOM 203D

COMIC EXPO PROGRAMMING ‘ SATURDAY, AUGUST 28
11:00 ‘ DC Universe
Your guides to comics’ greatest Universe include DC Comics’ Co-Publisher Dan DiDio, Brian Azzarello, Gary Frank, Jeff Lemire, Doug Mahnke, Francis Manapul, Yanick Paquette, Marcus To and some of the industry’s best and brightest stars! ‘ ROOM 104A

11:00 ‘ Drawing Ahead: The Future of Comics
While the art and craft of graphic storytelling remains unchanged, there are a variety of new mediums for creators to use to deliver their visions to the world. With the boom in mobile digital devices, paper and print are no longer the limit, and many artists are finding success creating and distributing their work in digital form. Join a panel of leading comics creators to discuss the evolution of comics distribution, the benefits and drawbacks of working with or independently from a publisher, and their current and future projects. A great forum whether you’re an aspiring creator, an established pro considering your options, or a fan interested in new ways of reading comics. Panelists include: Ramón Pérez, Andy Belanger, Cameron Stewart, Scott Chantler, Willow Dawson, Max Douglas. Moderated by Kill Shakespeare’s Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col ‘ ROOM 205B
11:00 ‘ Spotlight on BOOM! Studios/BOOM Kids! Panel
Join BOOM! Studios as it take over Fan Expo for one full hour. Learnwhat is next for BOOM! as Ross Richie runs down the most exciting new projectsfrom BOOM! Studios, BOOM Kids! and BOOM! Town. This is a panel you won’twant to miss. ‘ ROOM 203D

12:00 ‘ Marvel Television Presents: The Avengers ‘ Earth’s Mightiest Heroes ‘ ROOM 104D

12:00 ‘ Spotlight on the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art
Your chance to learn all about this renowned institution founded by the legendary Joe Kubert ‘ ROOM 203D

1:00 ‘ Spotlight on the One and Only STAN LEE (Deluxe Pass Required) ‘Nuff Said! ‘ ROOM 107

2:00 ‘ Sketching Duel: Gary Frank vs. Olivier Coipel ‘ ROOM 104A

2:00 ‘ Marvel: Your Friendly Neighborhood’Shadowland
Want to know more about Daredevil’s reign over Hells Kitchen during Shadowland or about Spidey hitting the ‘Big Time” Well this is the panel for you as Senior Editor Steve Wacker (Amazing Spider-Man, Shadowland), artist Paolo Rivera (Amazing Spider-Man: One Moment In Time) and C.B. Cebulski, Marvel’s Senior Vice President, Creator & Content Development, talk about what’s on the horizon for Peter Parker and Matt Murdock. Mark this on your calendars folks as this panel is sure to touch upon the MAJOR changes for both of these fan-favorite characters. ‘ ROOM 104D

2:00 ‘ How to Workshop: My Dark Places- Writing for Comics with Brian Azzarello
A former Clevelander who spent his early days in the trenches of independent comic book editing, Eisner Award winning scribe Brian Azzarello is a chronicler of the darker aspects of human nature. From 100 Bullets to his original graphic novel Filthy Rich, Azzarello has proven he is the comics heir apparent to noir writers like Jim Thompson and David Goodis. Join Brian as he discusses his approach to writing the comic book -script and gives pointers to attendees. Moderated by Robert Pincombe. ‘ ROOM 203D

3:00 ‘ Are you awake’ Time to Find Out (Zeroes2Heroes) ‘ ROOM 103A

3:00 ‘ How to Workshop: Hardboiled Storytelling- Page Construction and Composition with Darwyn Cooke
A direct artistic descendant of Caniff, Toth and Robbins, Darwyn Cooke has produced a look and storytelling ability unique in contemporary comics. Listen to this modern master discuss his theories on pacing, eye flow, spotting blacks and page design. From rough sketch to final art, Darwyn will break down his process and show you the components of a well constructed page. ‘ ROOM 203D

3:30 ‘ Sketching Duel: Bob Layton vs. Ian Churchill ‘ ROOM 104A

3:30 ‘ Marvel: Pint O’ CB
This is it, Mighty Marvel fans- the no-holds-barred, anything goes, full of surprises panel you wait all year for, and it’s here! Marvel’s Senior Vice President, Creator & Content Development, C.B. Cebulski, takes on all questions, shocks the audience with jaw-dropping announcements, and keeps you guessing with surprise guests. You never know who will show up, but you better be here, because this is the panel that everyone will be talking about! So head on over and grab a pint with C.B.! ‘ ROOM 206C

4:00 ‘ Discover the Mysteries of God’s Lake (Zeroes2Heroes) ‘ ROOM 103A
4:00 ‘ How to Workshop: Of Directors and Cinematographers- The Penciller and Inker Collaboration with Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy
In the artistic process of producing comics, pencillers and inkers have to work together very closely and often the skills of one blend into the other. This workshop will help define the creative boundaries of the two practices. Learn the difference between layouts, tight pencils and finishes. Find out why inking is not just tracing. Listen to Green Lantern dream team Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy discuss their collaborative relationship. Moderated by Gibson Quarter. ‘ ROOM 203D

5:00 ‘ Yoshitaka Amano Spotlight(Deluxe Pass Required)- ROOM 105

5:00 ‘ Spotlight on Archie Comics: Way Past Cool!
It’s been an exciting year for Archie Comics, but that’s just the start, with plenty of surprise announcements about the future of Archie Comics. Then, hold on to your hats as the world of Archie is invaded by that little blue hedgehog! Exclusively at Fan Expo, The creative minds behind the Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe comic series’ will reveal some super secret inside info that you will not want to miss! The panel will feature a Q&A session. ‘ 205B

5:00 ‘ How to Workshop: Drawn in Blood- Creating in the Noir Style with Alex Maleev
Longtime Bendis collaborator and artist on the hot new book Scarlet, Alex Maleev has a natural talent for picking ‘the right moment’ in each panel of a story. His iconic stylings have delineated the darker side of life from Daredevil to Spider-Woman. Watch how Alex creates one of his mind-blowing images. ‘ ROOM 203D

6:00 ‘ Comic Geek Speak Podcasting Panel!
Come and join the Speakers of Geek to discuss podcasting, building a community, how to start a podcast and other topics. Whether you’re a listener, a podcaster or a soon-to-be podcaster, this quorum type panel is the perfect way to exchange ideas and grow the podcasting medium as a whole. And we’ll wrap it all up with a quick-fire trivia game for your chance to win some prizes! We hope to see you there! ‘ ROOM 103A

6:00 ‘ How to Workshop: Thumbnail to Finish: Layout of the Comic Book Page with Steve McNiven
From an early training ground at CrossGen to working on major projects for Marvel, Steve has emerged as one of the top artists in the field. Noted for his richly detailed images and adrenaline stimulating storytelling, he continues to craft amazing pages that pull you along at a breakneck pace. Listen as the artist shares his secrets for building action and suspense that keep the readers coming back for more. Moderated by Gibson Quarter. ‘ ROOM 203D

6:30 ‘ Kirby Krackle Live!
Join Seattle-based nerd rock band duo KIRBY KRACKLE (Jim Demonakos and Kyle Stevens) for a ‘VH1 Storytellers’-style panel. The band, whose self-titled debut album was named ‘One of the best albums of 2009′ by Tuscon Weekly, while their new album, E For Everyone, was called ‘Geek Rock Perfection’ by Wired, will be doing live songs, discussing music and their approach to it, and much more! ‘ ROOM ‘ 205A

COMIC EXPO PROGRAMMING ‘ SUNDAY, AUGUST 29

12:00 ‘ Sketching Duel: McNiven vs. Van Sciver ‘ ROOM 206C

12:00 ‘ How to Workshop: Bold Strokes: Painting Powerful Interiors and Covers with Paolo Rivera
An industry professional since 2002, Paolo Rivera continues to build breathtaking acrylic images for the covers and interiors of top Marvel books. Watch Paolo discuss his virtuoso technique for designing and composing an eye catching colour page. Attendees will learn how to successfully incorporate both imagination and photo reference to full effect. ‘ ROOM 203D

1:00 ‘ Marvel Your Universe
Join Senior Vice President of Brand Planning and Communications Mike Pasciullo, Manager of Sales Communications Arune Singh, Senior Vice President, Creator & Content Development C.B. Cebulski, and Chief Operating Officer James Sokolowski as they leave their Marvel ID’s at the door and enter as fans! Want to know how things work at the House of Ideas’ Got some things to get off your chest about a Marvel character or story’ Well here’s your chance True Believer! It’s the panel for fans BY fans with no spin, no Marketing, and just a friendly chat amongst fans! ‘ ROOM 104D

1:00 ‘ How to Workshop: Drawing for Impact- Heroic Anatomy with Ian Churchill
Superheroics have to be chronicled in a larger than life fashion. Part of this is the exaggerated musculature and structure of the heroic body. Join Marvel artist extraordinaire Ian Churchill as he demonstrates the dynamic differences between drawing a mild-mannered Bruce Banner and a raging, rampaging Hulk. ‘ ROOM 203D

1:30 ‘ Sketching Duel: Doug Mahnke vs. Francis Manapul ‘ ROOM 206C

2:00 ‘ How to Workshop: Floating Worlds-Watercolour Masterclass with Jill Thompson
Watercolour is a difficult medium at best and a hard one to master. Watch Beasts of Burden and Scary Godmother artist Jill Thompson show you how to build a successful watercolor painting. This workshop will show it all, from initial pencil sketch, to the layering of vibrant colour to build an expressive piece with depth and dimension ‘ ROOM 203D

2:30 ‘ Aspen MLT: The Aspen Universe and Beyond
Join the creators of Aspen MLT as they discuss what’s new at Aspen in 2010 and what’s coming up in the future. ‘ ROOM 104D

3:00 ‘ How to Workshop: Expressive Anatomy ‘ Drawing Heads and Hands with Olivier Coipel
Any artist will tell you the most difficult thing to draw about the human form is the head and hands. Watch one of Marvel’s ‘Young Guns’ Olivier Coipel as he shares his secrets for breaking these complex structures down into simple shapes. Whether you’re drawing the Avengers or the X-Men these tips will prove to be valuable tricks of the trade. ‘ ROOM 203D

4:00 ‘ DC: How to Break Into Comics
All are welcome to join Dan Didio and learn secret tips on how to break into the comics world as a professional! ‘ ROOM 205B

4:00 ‘ Q&A with Hitoshi Ariga ‘ ROOM 203D

5:00 ‘ Udon: 10 Years of Comics and Games
Celebrating Udon’s 10th anniversary, Erik Ko (Udon chief), Jim Zubkavich (Udon project manager) and others share tips and tricks they’ve learned working with some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Capcom, Marvel, Hasbro, and Blizzard. Find out how to break into the biz, and get a sneak peek at Udon’s upcoming projects. ‘ ROOM 203D

Quick links to some attendees:

DC Comics
The Hero Initiative, which will be presenting the new Dick Giordano Humanitarian Award at the Harveys on Saturday
BOOM! Studios

…and doubtless many more. We’ve said it a zillion times, but we’ll say it again, with the picturesque setting, great seafood, and top-notch lineup of comics creators, this is a totally relaxing and informative way to spend the weekend.

The Beat will be walking around, listening to all who would speak, and giving a piece of her mind to all who would listen. Please stop and say hi! It’s been a long year of travel, but Baltimore remains one of our favorite stops.

The entire programming list for SPX is up now, curated by Bill Kartalopoulos and reproduced below. It’s the usual outstanding mix with spotlights on R. Sikoryak, James Sturm, and Jaime Hernandez, and much more. SPX will be held Saturday, September 11, from 11 AM to 7 PM and Sunday, September 12, noon-6 PM at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days. Please note: We’re moderating two panels, one a spotlight on the late Harvey Pekar and another on the creative storytelling process.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE

Comics and Worldbuilding
1:00 | Brookside Conference Room
This panel will consider the challenge of developing original settings for comics, individual artistic processes, and how the medium of comics is particularly well-suited to creating convincing invented worlds. Evan Dahm will lead a conversation with Liz Baillie, Aaron Diaz, Carla Speed McNeil and Spike Trotman.

Spotlight: James Sturm
1:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
James Sturm is the author of several comics and graphic novels including The Golem’s Mighty Swing, Unstable Molecules, James Sturm’s America, and Market Day. He is also the founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies, a unique two-year degree granting institution dedicated to cartooning. In this spotlight presentation, Sturm will discuss his work and answer questions from moderator Chris Mautner.

A Conversation About Daniel Clowes
2:00 | Brookside Conference Room
Daniel Clowes has long been one of America’s premier cartoonists, and his work has caught the public eye again with the 2010 publication of his graphic novel Wilson. Ken Parille and Isaac Cates, co-editors of the recent anthology Daniel Clowes: Conversations (University Press of Mississippi) will discuss Clowes’s art and career with moderator Bill Kartalopoulos.

Carousel at SPX
2:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
The long running slide show series, Carousel, returns with some of today’s finest comics artists, graphic novelists, and pencil pushers reading and presenting their work. Hosted by R. Sikoryak, this special SPX edition of Carousel will feature Kate Beaton, Dean Haspiel, Lizz Hickey, and more!

Critics’ Panel: How We Judge
3:00 | Brookside Conference Room
The accessibility of online publishing alongside traditional media has enabled a diversity of critical voices who are addressing the broad spectrum of comics being published today. A diverse group of critics will discuss the disparate bases for their own critical opinions, and the extent to which they regard different kinds of work in different ways. Join moderator Bill Kartalopoulos for a discussion with Johanna Draper Carlson (Comics Worth Reading), Gary Groth (The Comics Journal), Tim Hodler (Comics Comics), Chris Mautner (Robot 6), Joe McCulloch (Jog the Blog/Comics Comics), Ken Parille (Blog Flume), and Caroline Small (The Hooded Utilitarian).

Center for Cartoon Studies Self-Publishing Workshop
3:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
Robyn Chapman, Jon Chad and Alec Longstreth join us from The Center for Cartoon Studies, a two-year college for budding cartoonists in White River Junction, Vermont.  Alec will offer a short presentation chock full of self-publishing tips.  Afterwards, each participant will draw, fold and bind a comic using the Hidden Book format.  This simple process allows you to create an 8-page comic with a single piece of paper.  No matter what your experience level, you’ll leave this workshop with your own handmade minicomic!

Remembering Harvey Pekar
4:00 | Brookside Conference Room
When comics writer Harvey Pekar died in July 2010, he left behind an influential legacy of independent autobiographical comics that highlighted the forgotten moments and ignored people of everyday life. In this special panel event, a group of Pekar’s former collaborators will discuss their experiences of working with the creator of American Splendor. Heidi MacDonald will moderate this conversation with Vanessa Davis, Dean Haspiel, Jeff Newelt, Rick Parker, Ed Piskor, and Sean Pryor.

Spotlight: Jamie Hernandez
4:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
The 1982 publication of Jaime, Gilbert and Mario Hernandez’s Love and Rockets #1 by Fantagraphics virtually created the model for the post-underground alternative comic book series that characterized art-comics for nearly two decades. In the intervening years, Jaime Hernandez has emerged as one of the most distinctive visual stylists and compelling storytellers in modern comics, as he crafts the still-continuing saga of Hopey, Maggie, and his other post-punk Locas. Publisher and editor Gary Groth will ask Jaime about his art and life in this special spotlight session.

Comics for Younger Readers
5:00 | Brookside Conference Room
Book-length comics for younger readers are increasingly following graphic novels for adults into the bookstore and library shelves. Johanna Draper Carlson will discuss the pleasures and challenges of creating comics for younger readers with the collaborative duo Metaphrog, Aaron Renier, Raina Telgemeier, and Drew Weing.

Return of the Monster: The Fort Thunder Legacy
5:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
From 1995 to 2001, the Fort Thunder artists’ and performance space in Providence, Rhode Island was a fertile creative center. Work produced by artists living at the Fort – both at the time and in the years since it was shut down – has been enormously influential in the worlds of fine art, music, and comics. A new issue of the de facto Fort Thunder anthology Monster debuts at this year’s SPX. To mark the occasion, Bill Kartalopoulos will moderate a discussion with artists and former Fort Thunder residents Brian Ralph and Paul Lyons and publisher/editors Tom Devlin and Dan Nadel. 

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12 PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE 
Telling Stories
12:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
How do creators shape inspiration and life experience into memorable stories and characters? Join moderator Heidi MacDonald for a lively discussion about vision and process with a panel of cartoonists including Meredith Gran, Roger Langridge and Jon Lewis.

Teaching Comics
1:00 | Brookside Conference Room
Comics have increasingly gained a berth as the subject of courses within the academy, and classes about comics production are increasingly a part of studio art departments. What do students need to know about comics? To what extent do studio art students need to know about comics history and theory, and to what extent do humanities students need to know about the practice of comics production? Professors Marc Singer and Isaac Cates join Center for Cartoon Studies founder James Sturm for a conversation moderated by Bill Kartalopoulos.

Kate Beaton and Julia Wertz in Conversation
1:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
Two of the most popular and entertaining cartoonists of their generation, Kate Beaton and Julia Wertz have both attracted dedicated audiences online with their uniquely humorous comics. This special conversation moderated by Dustin Harbin will investigate the similarities and differences between the creators of Hark, A Vagrant! and The Fart Party.

Brave New Comic Strips
2:00 | Brookside Conference Room
The newspaper industry, long the home of American comics’ first popular dedicated format, faces an existential crisis presented by the emergence and proliferation of digital media. Against all odds, artists interested in the daily strip format continue to produce work with an eye for print. Mike Rhode will discuss the present and the future of the newspaper comic strip with Marguerite Dabaie, Keith Knight, and Richard Thompson.

Developing Iconographies
2:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
Distinct from drawing as an art discipline with its own self-ratifying purpose, artists in comics create pictures as part of a visual language. Moderator Ken Parille will investigate the ways in which comics artists develop visual iconographies in individual works and throughout bodies of work. Cartoonists Eamon Espey, Kevin Huizenga, and Tom Kaczynski will participate in this discussion, illustrated with slides of the artists’ work.

Autobiography in Pieces
3:00 | Brookside Conference Room
How do you tell the story of a life that’s still in progress? Is “story” even the right way to think about it? How do you winnow down the manifold details and data of your life? Cartoonists Sarah Becan, Gabrielle Bell, Vanessa Davis, and Jesse Reklaw will discuss alternatives to the memoir with moderator Isaac Cates.

R. Sikoryak: Adaptation and Parody
3:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
Comics chameleon R. Sikoryak inventively adapts canonical Western literature using the visual styles and characters of historical American comic books and comic strips. These works have been collected in his 2009 book Masterpiece Comics (Drawn and Quarterly). Sikoryak will reveal his intensive working process and will discuss the history of parody and adaptation in comics in a discussion with Bill Kartalopoulos, curator of the recent exhibit  ”R. Sikoryak: How Classics and Cartoons Collide.”

Commercial Eruptions
4:00 | Brookside Conference Room
Jim Rugg (Street Angel, Afrodisiac) and Frank Santoro (Storeyville, Cold Heat) have produced auteurial work that shows the influence of commercial comics, and have brought an independent sensibility to work for publishers like Marvel Comics. In a conversation moderated by Tim Hodler, the two cartoonists will reflect on what they have learned from the contents and processes of historical commercial comics and how they reinterpret their influences when working for corporate publishers.

Comics and Printmaking
4:30 | White Flint Amphitheater
Comics have historically been a medium of work made for reproduction, but the means of reproduction have often constrained by technical and commercial limitations. Even as new digital technologies have broadened technical possibilities, a number of cartoonists are exploring the possibilities of reproducing work using traditional printing techniques including silkscreening and etching. Noel Freibart, Lizz Hickey, Brian Ralph and Jon Vermilyea will discuss the relationship between comics and printmaking with moderator Bill Kartalopoulos.