Video: Comic Book Artist Peter Gross and MIX

For a short video (about 3 minutes, plus a damn 30 second advertisement in the beginning), this Star Tribune profile of Peter Gross (LUCIFER, CHOSEN, BOOKS OF MAGIC) packs a lot of information about who he is, what he does, and how he draws.



The article then focuses on the cartoonists in the Twin Cities area, with the prediction that most will be female in the coming years. Well worth a read, and it makes me consider dropping in for the next Minneapolis Indie Xpo.

Below: a fun & informative short video from the gang behind MIX about the 2011 Xpo, to be held November 5-6, 2011 at The Soap Factory in Minneapolis, MN:

Maine Comics Arts Festival 2010

Above: CCS Student Jen Vaughn draws a caricature of a little girl at the 2010 Maine Comics Arts Festival.

A grand time was had at the second annual Maine Comics Arts Festival, which was held this past weekend. Hundreds of families walked through the Ocean Gateway in Portland, ME. The above ins NOT the Gateway, but a view from the building toward some tugs. Fog sat on the Portland bay for most of the day. About mid-day, it began to lift.

I shared a table with my inky pal Mark Anderson, who flew in from Chicago. (EDIT: Mark has posted some photos at his Andertoons blog here.) We each sold some of our cartoon books and chatted with the people who came to see the cartoonists. There were a lot of families, and a lot of people who were just curious to see what this was all about!



David Jacobson and Jeff Pert shared the table next to us. David, the only professional glassblower/cartoonist I have ever met (or am likely to) has a series of these glass word balloons with different words on them. Each one was hand-created and they are tough and durable and easy to mount on a wall. Everyone in NE knows Jeff Pert's iconic cartoons about lobsters and moose! He was doing brisk business with cartoon postcards, magnets and posters.

Local graphic novelist Ben Bishop with a big, Hollywood smile!

One of the sponsors of the show: Cap'n Eli's Soda! Locally made and smilingly poured by the above team. All day long there were free samples of their root beer and other flavors.

While I was talking to Jennifer and Matt, we all found out we live within 20 minutes of each other! Small frakkin' cartoony world! Jennifer draws Squarecat Comics. Matt works for a design firm in the Seacoast area.

Above: the one and only Chris Mills, a writer extraordinaire, I love his Space 1970 blog, which focuses on Sc Fi TV of the 1970s. Chris has a number of other blogs as well!

You get a good feel for the room in the above shot. There are a large bank of windows looking out onto the bay, so you feel connected to the sea and sky.

Henniker, NH cartoonist Marek Bennett strikes a thoughtful pose. Whatever he's thinking about, you can bet it's something having to do with comics! I own one of those shirts behind Marek!

And, coming in from Queens, New Yawk, is the dynamic duo of Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman, making their first appearance at MECAF.

Brian Codagnone and Barry Corbett with their books. They came up from the Boston area. They were at the table next to us.

Oh, and as for me and Mark Anderson ...

I had a table there, with my pal Mark Anderson. Here he is during an afternoon lull, checking his voicemail or something with his iPhone. Mark also had his iPad with him and showed me some cartoons he had drawn on it. Yes, the iPad is cool. Even cooler when he showed me some Batman cartoons on it.

We had a great time and while I can't speak for anyone else, I did many times the business I did the year before. It was great to meet so many kids and adults who love cartooning. It was terrific to meet a couple of people who make read this and make this here cartoon blog a regular stop. Very kind of you to say hello. And it was great to see Colin Tedford (thanks for your mini!) , Jeff Lok, John Platt (ditto), Lenny Boudreau, and other people -- I am sorry there were a lot and I know I'm forgetting names!

Maine Comics Arts Festival

Less than 3 weeks until the Maine Comics Arts Festival in Portland, ME on Sunday, May 23, 2010!

I'll be there, sharing a table with my inky pal Mark Anderson.

2010 Festival of Cartoon Art

Registration opens on June 1st for the Festival of Cartoon Art. , which is put together by the OSU Cartoon Library and Museum. This highly anticipated, thrice-yearly event occurs October 14-17, 2010. Professionals, academics and fans of comics and cartoon art attend from around the world.

Here's a press release:


The tenth triennial Festival of Cartoon Art will take place at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH October 14-17, 2010. The Festival is a unique celebration of cartoons and comics and their creators.

Featured participants include:

Steve Breen
Brendan Burford
Roz Chast
Tony Cochran
Jan Eliot
Tom Gammill
Matt Groening
Bill Griffith
Dave Kellett
Paul Levitz
Patrick McDonnell
Dan Piraro
Jen Sorensen
Art Spiegelman
James Sturm
Michael Tisserand
Gene Luen Yang

Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival

Charles Burns great poster for the event.

This Saturday, December 5, 2009 is the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

The site has a list of exhibitors and speakers. An amazing group! There will be music at night. And there's good places to eat all over the place in Williamsburg.

The nice thing will be, if you are do inclined, to actually go up to some of these cartoonists whose work you enjoyed and tell them so. Some of them will have original art to buy. Please consider spending some money, if you are able, to help support the creators you like.

To borrow Tom Spurgeon's phrase, If I was in Brooklyn, I would be there.

Bangor Daily News: Bangpop Profile

Above: detail from a photo by John Clarke Russ.

The past weekend, cartoonists and fans got together for the annual Bangpop convention, held in Bangor, ME. Bangor Daily News reporter Judy Harrison was there and submits this report.

Bangor, ME: Bangpop! Convention September 19 & 20, 2009

From the press release:

BangPop! Comic & Pop Culture Convention is held in Bangor, Maine at the Bangor Civic Center on September 19 & 20. Flying into its second year with programming to include panel discussions, educator workshops, gaming, cosplay, and anime & movie screenings, BangPop! will host a great display of creative talent with professional authors and artists. Our Artist Alley will showcase amazing work by creators from Maine, as well as the rest of New England and the Canadian Maritimes, and Sunday the 20th will feature special Kids' Day programming.

And come see my friends Raina Telgemeier & Dave Roman, and Ron Fortier, Christopher Mills, and Mark Ricketts.

I'm not sure if I can make it due to workload, but let me know if you are going to be there, OK? OK!

And here's Raina's details about what she and Dave are up to!