PREPARE the way for some big time revelations. We’re set to release three books into the wild, or your hands, this very SPX weekend. Pre-gaming rolls out with a couple of events in our beloved Brooklyn and in our nation’s capitol. The big three books include Palefire, by long suffering Secret Acres comics mule, MK Reed, and world beater, Farel Dalrymple. The man who built our house, Theo Ellsworth, drops a deuce with both the Understanding Monster – Book Three, and Capacity, returning to glorious, extra fancy print. Our guns are loaded.
The fun starts with a triumphant return to Brooklyn’s own Grumpy Bert this Thursday at 7PM. Come witness the conclusion of Theo’s psychedelic epic, the Understanding Monster, and get your mitts on Book Three, which delivers a satisfying, oddball sucker punch of an ending. Hang out for the treats and cop a feel of the new Capacity in all its textures. Grumpy Bert stocks that place with must have curiosities on the regular, too, so expect an enchanted evening.
Wait twenty-four hours – and then find Farel and MK at Fantom Comics in the District of Columbia! Palefire burns down the house on Friday as part of Fantom’s Pre-SPX party. Let the high school noir romance that is Palefire mess with your head and you can tell all your pals that you got there first. If that twisted tale gets you in the mood for more surprises, Fantom has you covered, with none other than the extremely tall and talented Brandon Graham tagteaming with MK and Farel all night. Sounds filthy, no?
After all that, go ahead and do the walk of shame to SPX Saturday morning. Words are wasted in talking about how the Small Press Expo works, being the constant that it is, but: with the whole world marooned on Bethesda Marriott Island for a couple days, even massive con sales take a backseat to catching up with the medium and the community that are comics. As the San Diego Comic-con International serves transmedia properties, so SPX serves actual comics. For those of us who mark our seasons by shows, SPX, or Camp Comics, puts the back in Back to School every year. This year, that flimsy metaphor becomes literal as our table neighbors, Koyama Press, have threatened to make good on launching their Butt Touching Competition. We plan to destroy them with our snack game. More on that when we return for the recap.
The Secret Acres gang cover the floor pretty good this SPX. Theo Ellsworth enjoys Special Guest status this year, so he might have a balloon for you at L3-4, aka the Secret Acres tables. MK and Farel sharpened their pencils weeks ago just to sketch out your very own Palefire. Journey to table K3, and enter the world of Shadow Hills; our man Sean Ford dragged a brand spanking new issue of his series to SPX. Get over to E11A and Get Over It! with Corinne Mucha, too. Listen up on Sunday, as Farel, Liz Surburbia and Ron Wimberly get moderated by the aforementioned Brandon Graham on the state of indie comics for their panel, “Royalboiler Redux.” TMI?
Meanwhile, digging into the ICYMI files, we are prepared to offer you Rob Clough’s thoughts on Corinne Mucha’s Get Over It! and Mike Dawson’s Angie Bongiolatti. Edie Fake sold out his entire show, Grey Area, and wrapped a cover around H. Melt‘s latest. Theo Ellsworth cheated on us with kuš! and all we got this amazing mini, deconstructed here by Your Chicken Enemy. Saving the best for last, John Brodowski, Curio Cabinet–maker, popped up on Comics Workbook with a little number called the “Road Pt. 2.” In your face, Cormac McCarthy!
Sorry to blab and run like this, but there’s a riot going on. Of course, we’ll dig up some dirt for you for our post-show post in a bit, but come say hi. Really, be there or be square, as the kids say.
Your Pals,
Barry and Leon