Indie Comics

The final Minneapolis Indie Xpo wrapped up this weekend, and it sounds like it was fun. The CBLDF's Charles Brownstein tweeted:

While news of great corporate conglomerates headlines the comics world news of late, it must always be remembered this is an industry of people and art, and the vibrancy of the the two coming together. Frank Santoro has been running an awesome series of "Local comics scene" reports at TCJ, and they are welcome reminders that the indie spirit of like-minded souls sitting in diners and sketching and talking over coffee and Strathmore is alive and well. We'd love to visit each and every one of these scenes. It's also of note that in these economic hard times, sometimes creativity thrives where money is scarce.

Let me translate that headline: POOD #4, the latest issue of the indie comics anthology is on sale this week, with a cover by Jim Rugg. Also inside: work by Eisner-winner Nick Abadzis, 2011 “Best American Comics” pick Kevin Mutch, “Dick Tracy” icon Joe Staton, and many more.

Long before OWS there was World War 3, the long running counterculture comics anthology put together by a rotating cast of politically aware cartoonists who lived on the LES back when it was Alphabet City and not a trustfund preserve. The next issue is out next month and takes on the spirit of protest being seen around the world, from Tahrir Square to Madison, WI.

By Paul Mellerick The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book supplants Walking Dead this month, while Kirkman also takes number three spot with his &...

The comics industry lost an amazing man with the death of Dylan Williams, but it isn't losing Sparkplug Books. Williams's widow, Emily Nilsson, has announced that she, Virginia Paine, and Tom Neely will be keeping the publisher going for as long as they can:

Michel Fiffe's interviewing and archiving skills cannot be doubted -- nor, after his dynamic ZEGAS debut can his cartooning skills -- but this time out he offers a compelling survey of the often uneasy, sometimes brilliant crossover between indy and superhero esthetics:

While there have been occasional attempts at establishing a Chicago alt.comix show to equal those in Toronto, New York, Portland and so on, none of them have really gained significant purchase -- despite Chicago being one of the original stops** on the Spirits of Independence tour that launched the entire indie comics show experience. The Printers Row Lit Fair has served as a high-end event to spotlight some great cartoonists; and the recent Windy City Con was another attempt from a slightly more middle ground. CHicago has a great legacy of underground/alt/indie cartoonists, so it's a fertile territory to till. And now there's CAKE -- the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, to be held next June 16-17 at Columbia College’s Ludington Building. The festival plans to feature over 100 exhibitors along with a two-day program of signings, panels, workshops and lectures.

by Brady Russell -- For the Philadelphia Alternative Comic-Con this past Sunday in The Rotunda, it rained. It rained like it wanted to wash the show away. Sometimes it was a hammering downpour. The kind of rain where, even if you got a lift there in a taxi, you'd still get soaked running from the curb to the door. Still, the rain wasn't all bad. Last year's PACC was scorching hot. I can't imagine what it must have been like to stay in that room for 7 hours in 2010. This year, it wasn't nearly so hot, but everyone came in the door saying they couldn't touch anything until they dried off.

Good to see so many indie shows putting up sites wher eyou can easily see the books debuting -- the list for this year's SPX is here, and it includes a pretty impressive bunch of books. Explore!

Now this is a great way to spend your money! Cartoonist Jason Young has spent the last three years slowly commissioning an array of great indie artists to redraw FANTASTIC FOUR #9, the issue co-starring the Sub-Mariner. It's a Coober Skeeber/Strange Tales mash-up that proves the talents of all involved. Young writes: