SPX 2011 Recap

Selling comics!

Just got back from the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland this weekend, and my head is still spinning. Two hours before I left for the show, I was fretting about not getting my shipment of Watermelon in, which had just been printed. Luckily it arrived just before I left for the airport. Whew.

The show was insanely awesome. The quality of work there was unbelievable and at times intimidating. Here I was, selling my humble minicomics, alongside some of the greatest comic book artists in the business. But I guess you have to start out somehow. As I was saying to a friend, selling your crap at a comicon or any type of festival is the ultimate egotistical act. You're essentially saying "This is ME! MY stuff is different from the others! Buy MY stuff!" At the same time it is ego crushing, as you sit (or stand) there and have people judge you and your most personal stuff and either take it or leave it. Regardless of whether you do well or not though, I think it's a good experience.

Anyhow, back to SPX. I met a host of people and reconnected with others I had met at previous cons, including fellow cartoonists, press, publishers, and of course the public. To name a few, I had the pleasure of meeting the ladies from Pizza Island (if you don't know who they are look them up!), tabled close to Keith Knight, briefly talked to Jessica Abel, and worked up the courage to approach Roz Chast at the bar after a few whiskies. I also traded comics with a lot of other people and definitely spent to much money. Oops.

Tabling is frickin' exhausting, as you're essentially hobnobbing for 8 or so hours at a time. Luckily my boyfriend Tony came to help me out. It was his first time at a comicon, so I think it was a bit of a culturally transformative experience for him. "It's like a gathering of all the people who weren't cool in high school. I bet I'm the only former football player in here," he said. Probably true. I think he got into it though, as he started making some pretty funny comics of his own (see below).

Tony's tribute to 7-11

I think the best part was talking to the public. The crowd was pretty diverse, with people of different ages, races, professions, and localities. It makes me happy for the future of comic book fandom.

Overall this experience makes me want to become a better cartoonist. I'm committed to it.