This year’s SPX Expo has just announced the addition of Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez to this year’s show, joining previously announced Daniel Clowes and Chris Ware. That means these four pillars of cartooning will be united on the East Coast for the first time since…well, maybe ever. YIKES!
They’ve also released the above cool poster — by new artist Andy Kettler, who seems to be a very talented fellow.
In addition, the show has announced that table is space is already sold out, despite adding floor space and table count. Tables sold out faster than in any previous year. Preliminary exhibitor list here.
Finally, have we plugged the SPX Tumblr lately? It’s GREAT.
The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons, welcomes acclaimed independent cartoonists Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez as guests for SPX 2012. 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the first issue of Love and Rockets, and SPX is proud to be the only East Coast comic festival to have Jaime and Gilbert as guests for this years celebration.
In addition to celebrating the anniversary of their works, this will mark the first time in the 21st century that previously announced guests Chris Ware and Dan Clowes will be at an event with Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez.
There are four new books tentatively scheduled to be released by Fantagraphics Books by Jaime and Gilbert in 2012 prior to SPX, including Love and Rockets New Stories #5. Other books include two collections and a companion volume:
The Adventures of Venus by Gilbert Hernandez
God and Science by Jaime Hernandez
The Love and Rockets Companion by Marc Sobel & Kristy ValentiGilbert and Jaime Hernandez ushered in the 1980s as bold and vibrant new voices in the comics medium at a time when the comics publishing industry had all but given up on independent artists. After sending their self-published Love and Rockets #1 – an intoxicating blend of punk rock, sci-fi, B-movies, and seemingly the entire history of cartooning – to The Comics Journal, the series opened the gateway for a new generation of cartooning talent.
Although Love and Rockets has been relaunched and reformatted several times throughout its history, Los Bros have continued with the series non-stop since that first self-published issue, through the evolution of their individual artistic styles and concerns. Gilbert in particular has published prolifically with a variety of publishers, but the long-form stories of Gilbert’s town of Palomar and Jaime’s Locas remain among the most respected and loved independent comics. Their compelling characters have grown older with their devoted long-term readers, even as they have continued to attract new readers.
Thanks for the Tumblr lovin’! Just FYI, the poster artist is Andy K (andykart.com) and this piece will run in an upcoming issue of Magic Bullet.