Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 19:33:44 -0500 (CDT) From: Scott A Gilbert <[g--b--t] at [is.rice.edu]> To: "Sgt. Blanc-Sec's Howlin' Kamandis" <[c--m--x] at [indra.com]> Subject: SPX report of sorts WHOA! Good con. The best. Many thanks to all the [c--m--x] at [listers] who showed up and were so convivial. Special thanks to my table-brothers Tom Furtwangler and Scott Faulkner. Business was GREAT. I SOLD OUT every single mini-comic I brought with me (though never fear, I will be going to second printings of everything, pronto), and plenty of my 1995 _It's All True!_ collections. Furtwangler did likewise with his Jack Chick tracts-- people kept coming up over and over with the same statements ("I don't want to give Chick any of my money!" "Aren't these awful? Wouldn't it be great if Chick had a table here?") before buying them. Free copies of the _Read This Comic_ ashcan were flying off the table furiously, too. Thanks to Chuck Anderson for the swell "Comix@" hats-- they actually look GREAT! And I'm not a hat wearer (unless I'm out in the wild). Soul brother #1 Mack White also cleaned up-- some smart publisher ought to sweep down and pick up Villa of the Mysteries while its still uncommitted. Some impressions: This SPX was bigger and "deeper" than the last, particularly in terms of visiting European creators. The folks from Amok, Ria of Bries, Max, and Robert Boyd's crew of Israelis, Darko Macan, and a number of others boosted the artistic significance of this gathering extremely. Even Canuk drawmonster Dave Cooper showed up. The conjunction of ICAF and SPX in one spot definitely precipitated these effects. Bethesda has about 100% more restaurants than Silver Spring. Plus the Tastee Diner, which can putatively be called a restaurant. Ria of Bries complained, in a manner extremely refreshing to hear from a retailer, of the "sheep-like" buying habits of comics fans. Eric of Chicago Comics and the boys from Million Year Picnic were also setting a good example for the comics-retailer community. The prescence of the various internal "tribes" (official buzzword of the con, thanks to Scott McCloud) within the comics industry/community lead me to observe a big visceral/intellectual split throughout the community, which is almost amusing. I'm very much afraid that Heidi McDonald has had a calming effect on Dino. Bart (Coma Baby) Beaty had hair this time. Paul Socolow had none. 5 of us [c--m--x] at [listers] managed to bore the shit out of Max at a Vietnamese restaurant Saturday night. Robert Boyd instigated viscious sketchbook cruelty upon poor Tommy D. I mean, Tom Devlin. The sketchbook action overall was very heavy, so much so that I developed a new theme sketch, the "Not an actual cowboy". The Nevdog (which somehow fundamentally involved Rich Pettus) mini-comic production of "Fourth and Inches, a Beek and Clemmy Story" took on the format of a Shakespearian folio edition. And they meant to do that. Scott McCloud videotaped me way too early Saturday morning and button-holed me on the future of comics. I told him that puppet theater holds all the answers. Not one single person came up to me and lectured me about the Vietnam War or the prescence of microchips in his brain. In other words, for the first time, ever, no loonies bothered us at the con. I almost got to accept the Ignatz award for "Best New Talent" for the absent Matt Madden when they suddenly realized he wasn't actually "new" and gave the award to Rachel Hartman (who?). James Kolchaka got funky and nekkid in the big hotel bar Friday night, which had a tremendous impact on the "New Voices in American Comics" panel the next day. I think the academics expected ALL the cartoonists on the panel to get naked and sing. And be empowered in a "playful", postmodern feminist mode, as elucidated primarily by Derrida. Tony Consiglio just barely beat out Tom Devlin and Mike Rhode for nicest guy at the con. You all must buy Tony's _Double Cross_ minis. At the Ignatz Awards ceremony, Scott McCloud spoke, in a keynote address, about the "changing of tribes" in the comics community, and how these changes were marked by the creation of new (meaningless) awards, like the Ignatz. Frank Miller gave a closing statement at the awards which made it clear that he knew the real sign of the changing of tribes was ritual murder of the rankest members of the "old" tribe. Then he sprinted off the stage. Mark Nevins gave out the "Best Story" award, complaining that the duty was interrupting his drinking. His comments were well recieved by the crowd, which pelted him with greasy eggrolls and tiny quiches. Sam Henderson did a wonderful presentation for the "Best Mini" award, announcing that he had brought with him an amazing new discovery from the caves in Lascaux, France: the world's oldest known mini-comic. He unfurled the scroll of hide marked with panels and figures which had, written across its top, "Ogg hate Lif". Jon Lewis noted that the only people wearing costumes at this SPX (as opposed to the half-dozen or so at last year's event) were Yvonne Mojica (who had a red cape with a "Bitch" logo on the center back) and Jason Little (with a multi-toned velvet "Mad Hatter" ensemble). At least we hoped these were costumes. Charles Hatfield got DRUNK! And by God, that's about all I remember. It was sweet! --Scott Gilbert Voogum, TEXAS PS. Scott (No Sleep-um) Faulkner actually published a mini-comic in mid-con, folding and stapling like a madman. Unfortunately I've forgotten the title, but it is good one. Bug him for details and ordering info. _________________________________________________________________ From: "Scott Faulkner" <[m r scott] at [vinylsaurus.com]> To: <[c--m--x] at [indra.com]> Subject: Re: SPX report of sorts Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 18:07:31 -0000 >-Poster: Scott A Gilbert <[g--b--t] at [is.rice.edu]> >Good con. The best. Many thanks to all the [c--m--x] at [listers] who showed up >and were so convivial. Special thanks to my table-brothers Tom Furtwangler >and Scott Faulkner. Hey, the pleasure was all mine. It was a great con and it was good to meet so many new folks. Here's a list we compiled of all the list members in attendance (speak up if we left you out, or if you weren't actually there and we were hallucinating). Ready? Here we go: Scott Gilbert Tom Furtwangler Paul Socolow Nick Nguyen Bart Beaty Dylan Horrocks Mark Nevins Gene "Gene" Kannenberg Charles Hatfield Jeff Williams Rich Pettus Mark Rogers Jerry Stratton Ria Schulpen Dean Haspiel Jason Little Lisa Lippman Alfred Eicholtz Eric Reynolds Jaob Klemencic Darko Macan Brad! Books "Uncle" Ron Every Doug Wheeler Mike Rhode Glenn "V." Morrison Jim Wheelock Shannon Wheeler Pete Sickman-garner Robert Boyd Scott McCloud Jaime Riehle Tom Devlin Chris Mautner Heidi McDonald Brett Warnock Jeff Mason John Ronan Rusty Witek Mack White Jonathon Frome and yours truly Scott Faulkner. To get all academic on you, here are some former list members we noted were in attendence: Bob Fingerman Tom Spurgeon Chris Oliveros James Sturm Tom Hart Josh Neufeld Wow, quite a crop, eh? And so many came from so far away. Makes me proud to be one of the seemingly indominatable comix@ crowd! >Some impressions: >This SPX was bigger and "deeper" than the last, particularly in terms of >visiting European creators. The folks from Amok, Ria of Bries, Max, and >Robert Boyd's crew of Israelis, Darko Macan, and a number of others >boosted the artistic significance of this gathering extremely. Even Canuk >drawmonster Dave Cooper showed up. The conjunction of ICAF and SPX in one >spot definitely precipitated these effects. It was a real pleasure for me to see Max's presentation, and it made me hungry to see more of his earlier work, particularly the story he described in which Walt Disney meets H.P. Lovecraft and they discuss life's little ups & downs :) Lovecraft tells Disney he will visit him in his dreams, and now I just gotta know what happens! I was unable to attend Dylan Horrock's New Zealand comix lecture, but I did get to spend a little bit of time in his company and I purchased one of the many beautiful pages from Hicksville. Thanks again Dylan - I can't wait to see what you have in store for us with the tale of Emil Kópen. >At the Ignatz Awards ceremony, Scott McCloud spoke, in a keynote address, >about the "changing of tribes" in the comics community, and how these >changes were marked by the creation of new (meaningless) awards, like the >Ignatz. Frank Miller gave a closing statement at the awards which made it >clear that he knew the real sign of the changing of tribes was ritual >murder of the rankest members of the "old" tribe. Then he sprinted off the >stage. Coming soon, _SPX98:When Two Tribes Go To War!_, the commemorative mini-comic! I'm sure no one believed me when I said I would do this, but it's happening as you read! Props to Scott G. for the "Apocalypse Now!" theme! >And by God, that's about all I remember. > >It was sweet! >--Scott Gilbert >Voogum, TEXAS > >PS. Scott (No Sleep-um) Faulkner actually published a mini-comic in >mid-con, folding and stapling like a madman. Unfortunately I've forgotten >the title, but it is good one. Bug him for details and ordering info. Thanks for the mention Scott. The title is _Straight to Video_ and it is my second "24-hour" comic. If you actually want a copy of this monstrosity, then send $1 to: Vinylsaurus Press, 916 NE 65th, #554, Seattle, WA 98115. My first 24-hour mini, _Rat Bastard_, should soon be online at my long-fallow website http://www.vinylsaurus.com, along with some other stuff. Anyway, this show rocked, and in another year I may be able to go through it all again :) I hope those of you who missed out can join us next year, when the Comix@ Coup D'etat will be in full effect! -Scott "dark circles" Faulkner