The indie comics world and The Beat are recovering from the yearly love in also known as the Small Press Expo. You can see lots of photos on the SPX tumblr including the above of the alt-weekly summit of (clockwise) Derf, Shannon Wheeler, Dan “Tom Tomorrow” Perkins, Charles Burns, Mimi Pond, Keith Knight, Jen Sorenson, Ben Katchor, Lynda Barry and Jules Feiffer. The pound for pound genius in that one photo could probably move the world, given a lever long enough. I’ll have fuller thoughts later, I hope, but in the meantime, the wedding/prom Saturday night was EPIC. I’d be surprised if the prom doesn’t become a regular thing. It was great to see Chris Oarr, who established so many of the great traditions of SPX, back again, and he was greatly impressed to see what the baby had grown to be. Lots of people sold lots of books, lots of love flowed every which way, and it was generally* awesome.
It was so awesome that I started a new sketchbook! I haven’t done one of those since 2002. So many great people to get in it.
There are more photos by Jody Culkin up at PW Comics World. Below, all the lovely badges.
• I am aware that there were a few sad faces here and there. That wll be covered in a longer report.