It's not easy trying to expand the scope of a medium "mostly for superheroes and talking animals," comics legend Harvey Pekar said at this weekend's Small Press Expo, or SPX, at the Holiday Inn Select in Bethesda, Md.
The Small Press Expo is the premiere independent comic book meeting in North America. Independent publishers like Oni Press, AdHouse Books, Top Shelf Comics, Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics were all present, but they were outnumbered by scores of self-publishing artists and writers.
The show began Friday night and most of the activity took place in large meeting rooms. Comic professionals sold their wares on long tables, chatting with fans and friends, and drawing sketches when asked nicely enough. Saturday featured many panels in which professionals shared their knowledge, as well as an auction and the Ignatz Awards, which honor exceptional indie comics.
Pekar was the Expo's guest of honor this year. He is the author of "American Splendor," one of the first autobiographical comics series, which was recently adapted into a film starring Paul Giamatti. He is currently promoting his newest graphic novel, "The Quitter," a story about Pekar's adolescence drawn by Dean Haspiel. Like previous headliners, including both Will Eisner and Frank Miller, Pekar came not only to support other artists from his medium, but also to support the sponsoring organization, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF).
The CBLDF is a nonprofit existing to fight censorship and defend the first amendment rights of comic book professionals throughout the United States. The fund is a resource for legal assistance in comic-related litigation. It works to "safeguard the rights that a content-based industry needs to do business," CBLDF executive director Charles Brownstein said.
Usually, a state law about not distributing items containing nudity to minors is used to prosecute comic book sellers. This often occurs when an adult calls the police after finding comics featuring nudity and other sexually related material in the same store as the tamer classic "Archie," albeit in a separate section. "The fringes are where the first amendment attacks happen first," said Steve Conley, executive director of SPX. "Anything on the edges is a smaller, easier target for a legal battle."
"SPX makes it possible to go head-on against these bullies," Brownstein said. The show took in a preliminary count of $11,000 to go towards these battles.
In addition to receiving all profits from the show, the CBLDF also raised money by auctioning original artwork and selling the SPX anthology, an annually produced book filled with the work of independent artists based on a common theme. The auction featured many neat items, including original anti-censorship pieces, rare works, jam pieces (work done by more than one artist who might not otherwise collaborate) and exclusive toys.
The Ignatz Awards are awarded every year to several different independent comics categories, including best independent debut and outstanding series.
Best webcomic honors went to Nick Gurewitch, author of "The Perry Bible Fellowship."
Liz Prince, winning author of "Will You Still Love Me if I Wet the Bed," said her speech should have been called "Will you still love me if I wet my pants while I'm up here."
The winner of this year's most promising new talent award went to Andy Runton, author and artist of all ages favorite "Owly." Owly is a kind yet lonely owl who loves little birds and the natural world around him. His wordless adventures are adorable, a treat considering how many comics are grim and gritty or made for mature audiences only. Runton also illustrated this year's SPX promotional poster, featuring Owly and other friendly animals attending a forested comic convention.
Conley said many exhibitors felt this year's was the best SPX yet. "We have a very progressive audience," he said. Considering protests in Washington, D.C., and a large book fair were occurring simultaneously, Conley said there were worries about attendance. But the cartoonists and fans came to SPX anyway.
