For Immediate Release Contact: Warren Bernard Email:[email protected]
SPX Announces GoFundMe to Defend The 11 Bethesda, Maryland - September 14, 2018 Media Release
Last month, eleven members of the independent comics community and one publisher were served with a defamation lawsuit because of concerns they raised about a fellow creator’s alleged pattern of sexual misconduct.
Whit Taylor, Laura Knetzger, Josh O’Neill, Tom Kaczynski, Hazel Newlevant, Emma Louthan, Ben Passmore, Emi Gennis, Jordan Shiveley, Morgan Pielli and Rob Clough, as well as the indie comics publisher Uncivilized Books, all need our help to defend themselves against these charges!
SPX has established the Defend The 11 legal aid fund to help these members of our creative community in their time of need. SPX is organizing this fund in consultation with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which brings legal and fundraising experience to the effort.
Of this next step in SPX’s fundraising support for the defendants, SPX Executive Director Warren Bernard said, “The response from our creative community about this case has been overwhelming. Now is the time to turn that rightful outrage into action. Contributing to this fundraiser, or helping us share it widely are steps that anyone can take to defend the eleven and in doing so, defend the kind of community we want to be a part of.”
Bernard continued, “Cases of this nature can continue for years, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. When news of the lawsuit reached us, $20,000 was pledged to ensure these creators have immediate access to quality legal representation - but defending these charges of defamation is likely to be a long and expensive process. Most of that initial $20,000 SPX commitment from has already been spent to pay legal bills.”
SPXannounced its intent to establish a legal aid fund in a September 1, 2018 joint statement with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s new President, Christina Merkler. SPX’s annual comic arts festival takes place this weekend in Bethesda, Maryland. In addition to the GoFundMe campaign, those wishing to donate to the #Defendthe11 legal aid fund can do so in-person at the festival.
The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show.
As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, which funds graphic novel purchases for public and academic libraries. For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.smallpressexpo.com.
Find me and 44 copies of POWER & MAGIC: The Queer Witch Comics AnthologyatSPX Table E9 (contrary to what it says on the website/print maps)! This weekend is a rare opportunity to get your copies signed by multiple contributors:Ann Xu, contributor to P&Mand Ignatz nominee in her own right, will be at Table J13.
If you’ll be attending this weekend, don’t forget to vote for the Ignatz Awards! The nominees were chosen by a panel of industry judges, but the winner is chosen by attendees. Make your voices heard!
SAT SEPT 15th: 11AM-7PM // SUN SEPT 16th: NOON-6PM
(BETHESDA, MARYLAND - MARRIOTT NORTH BETHESDA HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER)
Dirty Diamonds is also proud to announce that THE BOOKS ARE IN AND READY FOR YOUR HANDS-ON LOVIN’ <3
LOOK AT OUR BEAUTIFUL PERFECT-BOUND CHILDREN *tears of joy foreverrrrr*
Come see us at SPXTABLE F11 and pick up a FRESH FROM THE PRINTERS copy of the much anticipated Dirty Diamonds Issue #9: BEING!
(feel free to check out the snazzy map below to find all the other DD Issue #9: BEING creators that will be exhibiting at SPX this weekend!)
Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@dirtydiamondsyo) & Instagram (also @dirtydiamondsyo) for our moment by moment reports from the frontlines of SPX and vicariously live your small-press-comic-makin’ dreams through the magic of the internet & Dirty Diamonds!
K1 is definitely a weirdo party table, and you should join us! I have scifi adventures and queer porn, and Carla Speed McNeil has my favorite damn comics in the world.
K1 is definitely a weirdo party table, and you should join us! I have scifi adventures and queer porn, and Carla Speed McNeil has my favorite damn comics in the world.
It’s been a while since I did one of these, but wanted to get back into the habit of sharing my favorite books and new discoveries at cons. As most of you know, Youth in Decline took a hiatus for a lot of 2017 to welcome our daughter into the world. SPX is a fitting “first show back” as the setting and vibe feels like a high school reunion, packed full of our favorite cartoonists, old friends, and longtime readers.
Here is me doing brief, quick, hot(?) takes on most of the new books I grabbed at the show.
Sex Fantasy by Sophia Foster-Dimino. Sophia’s one of the best contemporary cartoonists working, and this chunky tome collects her multi-year series of mins into one thoughtful book. You can see Sophia working out cartooning decisions over the course of each book, with dialogue / camera / perspective experiments everywhere. The final two chapters haven’t been seen before. Just an incredible, amazing book from Koyama Press.
New things from my alltime favorite cartoonist (hands down), Michael DeForge. A new mini called Loose in his series of sketchbooks, and a massive, oversized new story from Koyama Press called Placeholders. It’s hard to even talk about Michael’s work, it’s so good. Michael is an incredible writer, and the drawings (where, let’s be real, he can basically draw any & everything) exist to support the writing. Special shoutout to the early YD logo sketch that made it into Placeholders as an evil startup / corporation, haha
Two fantastic minis from my SPX tablemate, the incredible Lauren Weinstein. Both of these comics, Normel Person andPerfect Maine Vacation, were nominated for Ignatz Awards and show the incredible and personal power of Lauren’s cartooning. Perfect Maine Vacation is gutwrenching (in a sweet way that kills me as a new parent) and Normel Person is a hilarious ongoing journal of life in Trump’s Amerika. Did you hear that Lauren is doing a new comic for Youth in Decline for Frontier next year? Dude, I know!!!!! (so beyond excited).
Ethan Rilly released the 5th issue of his fantastic series Pope Hats. Ethan’s sense of his own characters and the knack for small moments and relatable, too real dialogue between friends really shines here. Pope Hats is such a dense and well-appointed serial drama, I’m a huge fan.
Everywhere Disappeared by Patrick Kyle. Patrick’s new collection of short stories from Koyama Press. A lot of my favorites from the last few years made it into the book. Patrick mixes familiar shapes with hyper-present narration that does this weird trick on your brain and unfolds weird contemporary paranoias and ennui. Patrick’s short comics are almost like little polemics, or allegories… upsetting but also hilarious.
I’m Not Here by GG. Another debut from Koyama Press – Annie had an unparalleled and unprecedented SPX lineup, I’ve never really seen anything ever before at a show, the r a w p o w e r of her team. GG debuts her first long-form narrative, a quiet, slow burn of a story about identity and navigating the transition from un-responsible young adult to the burden of your own parents’ failings (health, decision-making, etc). Very restrained, withholding, and poetic.
Language Barrier by Hannah K. Lee. I LOVE THE SHAPE OF THIS BOOK. Both like, literally its formal size (small!) and the flow and design of the book. Included in one tome are Hannah’s incredible type experiments, her comics, her illustrations, and her personal stories. This feels like a true monograph, showing me the many sides and numerous formats of expression from an incredible artist. I loved this book.
Baby Let’s Cruise andWe’re Together Now by Jasjyot Singh Hans. I’ve been a fan of Jasjyot’s stuff for a while and following his work on Instagram – these two minis really brought together a lot of interssting threads. Baby Let’s Cruise is the size & form of an iPhone 7 Plus, and captures the furtive feeling of messaging with someone you don’t know, and navigating the power dynamic anxiously. We’re Together Now uses an arch-metaphor to capture the earnest passion & paranoiac worry of a long distance relationship. I’m really excited about what Jasjyot is doing (and will do next).
The Look Book by Jeremy Sorese. A colorful, exploding collection of imagined (and observed) fashion and bodies and cute men. Jeremy depicts people with a weighty, playful, totally wild eye. I stared at each drawing for 5 minutes, digging into all the little details. Really loving the illustration and play Jeremy is doing between his longer works, so exciting to daydream about these outfits.
Starfighter Vol. 4 by HamletMachine!~ 100% NOT s FOR w, the latest volume of my friend HM’s ongoing space sex opera is now out. I absolutely love Hamlet’s depictions of bodies, of tension between people – she has an incredible skill for composition and the gnarly beautiful dance of bodies interacting. HM has cultivated an incredible fanbase stayed true to her vision and worldbuilding. <3
Daises by Bjorn Daniel Miner. A short collection of comics by Bjorn, created, conceived of, and produced on Risograph as part of his residency at SVA’s Risolab. Each spread is full of wild textures and color experimentation, pushing the risograph to ends I didn’t think were really possible. Melts your eyeballs, very nice!
A Modest Upbringing by Amanda Castillo. A touching short story about families (and their pain + baggage) from an exciting young talent. Printed on Youth in Decline’s risograph this past summer as part of an internship helping us out! <3
Summer WastingandSunset Lover by Sunmi. Two minis – one huge, one small – from our friend and former intern Sunmi. Summer Wasting includes a number of observational comics, sketches & poems, and a really thoughtful book design with little asides bound directly into the body of the comic. Really exciting watching her work change and mature over the past few years, and so excited about her new press, Dandelion Wine Collective. <3
Kissing, Waves,andI Can Love You Better From Up Here by Rebecca Kirby (aka reweki). I somehow wasn’t familiar with Rebecca’s work before this SPX, but was really taken with her composition and use of color. Her panel structures and experimentation in Waves reminded me a bit of Jesse Balmer and other controlled psychedelic pieces, while the bodies in Kissing and ICLYBFUH both showed an extremely confident and fluid sense of bodies (and color). Kissing was extremely NSFW and rad, while her short musing about a lost pet made me tear up a little. Great work from a creator I’m now following closely.
Drag Race Lookbook by Sasha Velour. Okay, so I didn’t get this at Small Press Expo but it was waiting for me when I got home. A lovely and thoughtfully designed book from the one & only… Sasha Velour! Such a great recap and reliving of her incredible looks from RPDR, and the commentary at the back is the sort of thing I live for… Who doesn’t adore Sasha? I have sweet but embarrassing memories of our second-ever proper meeting hungover at MoCCA a few years back as tablemates… such a vibrant and incredible creator!!! ah
The Spectacularly Sad Surreptitious Spinster Snake Sister: Survival Spellbook by April Malig and The Untitled Queen. This was an absolutely incredible gift from April!!!! Sasha superfans will recognize this mini as featured in Velour Magazine #3. That issue smartly photographed and captured this feature as an object mini-within-a-magazine… and this is one of the rare actual copies April made just for Velour. Incredible risograph work and color composition… and it’s a little piece of comics/drag history. <3
The Veggie Team by Ginger Craghead. 9-year old cartoonist creates wild mini about the pranks and misadventures of a team of wild veggies. What more can I say? This was legit hilarious (See the 2nd panel on the right page above, hahaha).
Yesby Tom Herpich. Final book from around SPX, this is a new mini from Tom… not exactly a comic, but a short story about isolation and gratification. It was startling and lowkey, and the storybook illustrations showed Tom’s incredible sense of framing and pacing. I’m such a huge fan of Tom’s work, it’s exciting as a reader to see him working through new work in his post-Adventure Time life. Available via his Tumblr still (I think?)
We’ll be at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD, all weekend (table M1) with Ben PassmoreandMichael Sweater. Way too many buds and heroes will be all around us being inspirational in every direction, seriously visit everyone. Here’s a helpful map of essential Silver Sprocket pals, don’t ding dong goof!
As You Were, Vol. 5, is months away, but we just confirmed 60 advance copies direct from the printer for our Small Press Expo table number M1 this weekend.
No one knows the world of service industry hell like the punks, and they bring it in spades. This volume’s theme is “This Job Sucks” with 192 pages by 45 artists from all over the world.
This volume has a mix of returning As You Were veterans, indy comic celebrities, and exceptional first timers; our largest most diverse cast yet.
We will spill the beans about who all is in it next week and cannot wait to share this with you soon. Ok, one early detail: Cover art is by Janelle Hessig!
Hot off the press: Ben Passmore’s “Your Black Friend” in full technicolor. World premiere this weekend at SPX, Silver Sprocket table M1, or direct mail-order here
