Local Comics Expos in the Comics Ecosystem

Some of the best stories and art you’ll find will be at local conventions and expos. Some are run by nonprofits, such as the Small Press Expo, while others are run by colleges and universities to give their students a chance to show off and gain experience. 

These smaller shows are great opportunities to connect with small publishers, editors, artists, and writers in ways that can be difficult at larger conventions. It’s a lot easier to chat in a crowd of a few hundred instead of a few thousand! And these connections can be great to look back on when looking for people to collaborate with, or to simply find new friends in the space or authors and artists you admire.

These expos also often feature panels and demonstrations from working artists, where they can get into their process, techniques, and inspirations, and it’s easier to talk to them and ask more specific questions. These are great places to talk shop and learn more about the craft, whether you’re also a cartoonist or just want to explore the perspective. 

Artist’s tabling at these smaller conventions often show off more niche and experimental work. When I recently attended MICE 2022, I saw artists showing off mixed media comics, experimenting with format, and selling limited run prints, shirts, and, in one case, home-made cat toys to go with their books! (My cat definitely approves).

As an artist tabling, you can meet your table neighbors, which can include indie publishers, learn more about your local comics and book scene, and also test the waters with your original work! Many artists I spoke to had shorter 10-20 page comics that were test-runs of long-form, one-day-to-be graphic novels. These are great ways to get eyes on your work, and to also show proof-of-concept to anyone you pitch to. 

These conventions and expos are pillars in the comics industry. They’re great ways to meet peers and make friends with people with similar experiences, to learn and gain inspiration, and to get lay of the land on what’s popular and what speaks to you. Aside from that, is there really any better feeling than getting to talk to an author or artist about their work in person? Or having someone ask you to sign your zine or book?

Cindy Harris (she/they) is a comics artist and illustrator that works in the publishing industry. She has worked as a letterer, editor, illustrator, and writer, and loves stories about identity, relationships, and growth.

www.cyngharris.com

In the News This Week

Fridays on the SCBWI blog, I share snippets of and links to some of the publishing/media-related news I've read during the last week that I found interesting, helpful, and/or fun.

This weeks news includes PW's coverage of Comic-Con (with plenty of pics), children's book on stage, more on Google+ (including a list of writers you can add your name to), a handy list of stores selling e-readers, a YouTube plan for Banned Books Week, a relocating NYT staffer on moving print books (or not), and more.


Kids, Comics, and Comic-Con International 2011 (PW)
Comics aren’t just for adults at Comic-Con International. Big announcements for children’s comics share time with blockbuster movies and roaming hordes of costumed fans. This year there were announcements about new books for Raina Telgemeier and Kazu Kibuishi, and Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman plans a book collecting his first kids' series, Super Dinosaur.

San Diego Comic-Con 2011: Kids' Books at the Show (PW) 
The 42nd annual Comic-Con International took place this past weekend, with more than 130,000 fans flocking to the San Diego Convention Center for a peek at what's new and next in the worlds of comics, books, and movies. As in years past, the presence of children's book publishers at the show continued to grow—read on for our round-up of photos from the show.  

Children's Musicals Find a Happy Home in New York (ABC)
The crowd attending a hit musical recently on the Upper East Side weren't shy about loudly offering their thoughts. "What are they doing?" asked one. "I want to dance," said another. And, most worrisome for producers, one patron was heard offering this critique: "I want to go home." She was, it turned out, in the minority. She was also about 4.

10 Brick-and-Mortar Stores That Sell eReaders (GalleyCat)
This week Toys”R”Us announced that they will begin selling Amazon’s Kindle and OfficeMax announced that they will begin selling Barnes & Noble’s Nook.

Writers on Google+ (GalleyCat)
After our first couple weeks on Google+, we’ve met a whole new crew of online friends. We want to help writers with similar interests connect on this rapidly growing social network. If you want to meet other writers or readers on Google+, add your name to our new directory. In the comments section below, just share your name, a description of your writing and a link to your Google+ profile. Unlike our Twitter directories, you must opt-in to this new list.

Banned Books Week Features YouTube Read-Out (PW)
For Banned Books Week (Sept. 24-Oct. 1) this year, booksellers and their customers can proclaim their support for free speech on the Internet by joining a worldwide read-out of banned and challenged books. For many years, Banned Books Week has featured readings from challenged titles in bookstores and libraries. This year people can participate no matter where they are–in bookstores, libraries and their own homes–by posting a video of themselves reading their favorite banned book on a special YouTube channel.

Sophomore Slump? One Month In, Google+ Sees A Traffic Minus (TechCrunch)
Tomorrow, it will be exactly a month since Google+ was first unveiled. In that short amount of time, they’ve managed to sign up well north of 10 million users, which is amazing. Of course, the easiest path to tens of million of users is to start with hundreds of millions of users. Just ask Buzz or Wave. Still, kudos to Google—phase one of G+ was clearly a success.

Nook iPad App Will Sell Magazines & Children’s Books (GalleyCat)
After Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo cut iPad app links to outside eBook stores to comply with new Apple App Store rules, some content is beginning to return. Barnes & Noble will sell magazines and children’s books within the Nook iPad app very soon.

HOW TO Connect Your LinkedIn Profile With Twitter For Better Networking (AllTwitter)Both Twitter and LinkedIn are great for networking with professionals, co-workers and business associates. But rather than flipping between the two networks, they’ve made it easy to connect to one another in order to leverage both at the same time. Here’s how.

Print Books: Should They Stay or Should They Go? (NYT)
At the end of the week, I’ll be moving west and writing about technology from The New York Times’s San Francisco bureau. I’ve lived in New York City for 15 years, and over that time have amassed a lot of stuff. My personal belongings are strewn about the city, piled up in my apartment, stuffed into drawers at my office and stacked in a storage space in Brooklyn.