The parade of the CAFs continues with MeCAF in Portland, Maine, a one day event to be held this Sunday, May 18th. This year the show has moved to a new venue, The Portland Company Complex at 58 Fore Street. It’s still near the ocean, and has bigger space, free wifi and food vendors. Guests include
Sean Gordon Murphy, James Sturm, Kazu Kibuishi, Jimmy Gownley, Zack Gialongo and Maris Wicks. Programming is here. This is a comics focused event with a big emphasis on all-ages material that everyone likes going to. There is also an emphasis on lobster, Shipyard beer and other nautical fare. The local paper has a nice preview.
Poster by Maris Wicks.
I’d hoped to be at it myself but deadlines and other matters conspired to say that I needed to be at home. It’s just harder and harder to do shows back to back and to those energetic folks who do it, I salute you.
BTW, show runner Rick Lowell of Casablanca Comics has announced another comics event, one that’s more mainstream for October 26th, the Portland Comic Con Presented by Casablanca Comics, so as not to confuse it with events in the other Portland.
BY JEN VAUGHN – Torsten gave a fantastic review of things to do this weekend but I’ll focus on two fun events for the Maine and Washington people, who desperately should enjoy themselves while the sun is still out!
East Coast gets MeCAF! One of the best small press cons that is kid-focused. Plenty of adult comics are sold (believe me) but signage on the table lets parents with lots of disposable income know which books are great for their 6 year old, 12 year old and 15 year old kiddos. Today the Portland Public Library hosted a ton of events including yet another Cartoon Carousel led by funny man himself, R. Sikorayak.
Tomorrow, Sunday May 20th is the actual con with plenty of panels and events geared towards comic publishing and small humans.
10:30 AM- Kids Workshop: From Concept to Comic
Learn how an idea in your head becomes a comic on a page. John Green (co-creator of Teen Boat! and illustrator for Phineas and Ferb), Colleen AF Venable (author of Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye and designer for First Second Books), and Zack Giallongo (Broxo) will take you on a collaborative journey through the process of creating characters and stories for comics.
Noon: Join Raina Telgemeier, winner of the Maine Student Book Award, for a fun visual talk about her book, SMILE, and what exactly it means to be a graphic novelist! Raina will do some live drawing and give away some prizes, too!
1:00 PM- The Center for Cartoon Studies One Sheet Workshop
2:00 PM-Monster Alert! Junior Cartoonists Needed!
The Fizzmont Institute of Rad Science is looking for young, excited cartoonists that can draw ferocious monsters and deadly dwellers of the deep! Our famed scientist, Leo Geo, has gone missing on his experiment to the center of the earth, and we need help drawing the monsters that might have taken him! Join Jon Chad, from the Center for Cartoon Studies, as he leads a monster drawing session and an interactive reading from his new book, Leo Geo.
3:00 PM- Web Comics Panel with Sophie Goldstein, Kate Leth and others.
4:00 PM- How to Publish your Comics and the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing with Mort Todd, Susan and Everett Soares.
So get your butts in the car and head up to Portland, Maine for comics and of course, the infamous Duckfat restaurant or unparalleled fresh sushi. If you miss MeCAF, be sure to stop by Casablanca Comics downtown to find work by the same cartoonists. Owner and MeCAF sponser, Rick Lowell is gracious enough to sell the small press comics not sold at MeCAF if said cartoonists are smart enough to remember to stop by!
