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JP Coovert of One Percent Press on SPX/Fumetto Essay
posted April 17, 2006
 

I just wanted to write you and let you know what I thought about this column. Maybe input from my perspective will be interesting.

I run a very small self publisher, One Percent Press, that puts out mini comics, zines, and music. My partner Stephen and I made the 10 hour journey to SPX last year from Savannah Georgia, where we are based. I have to say SPX was one of the best experiences with comics I've ever had.

First I guess I'll address Beaty's ideas about art shows. I personally don't see the relevance of art shows to conventions. Comics are, for the most part, a print medium. I consider SPX to be one big exhibition of art. To say that you can get through SPX in two hours is silly. There is no way you can go through all the books there [even just flipping through one per table] in that amount of time. There are so many artists there just trying to get their stuff out there. If you go to SPX already knowing what you are going to by, you are missing out on the best part of the show! It's one of the best places to find new or relatively unknown artists.

The reason I love comics so much is the simple fact that you can produce a piece of art, copy it many times in a cheap way and get it into the hands of as many people as possible. Being able to hold a book and keep it as your own, to re-read whenever you want to is something very special in my eyes.

I personally do not like comic art shows. It's to hard to read the stories and take in all the information while standing in a crowded gallery. I would much rather spend a dollar or two on a book and be able to read it whenever I like.

I guess this leads me into the second part, why SPX is "so focused on selling books and not showing art."

One Percent Press has never made a profit. For SPX we spent 300 bucks on a table, 150 dollars for two nights of hotel, drove 20 hours to get there spending who knows how much on gas, and probably around another 300 on printing all the books for the show. In the end we didn't even get the money for the table back. Obviously we did not do this for the money. We went to support other artists and get our books into the hands of as many people as possible. I probably gave away at least 250 dollars worth of comics over the two days there. Maybe we were a little caught up in selling books, but that's only because it costs so much for the trip to get there. It was totally worth it in the end though. I know for the bigger [but still small] publishers like Top Shelf or D&Q, these conventions make or break them. And you know what, I actually like spending a lot of money at shows. I know how it feels when someone buys a handful of books, or even when they take a chance on you and just buy one. I spent 400 bucks at SPX. That was a ton of money to drop, but I think I did a good job of supporting my peers. Plus I walked away with a box full of awesome art! In the end, the vendors have to focus on selling these books so they can keep making more books. To keep putting the art out there. But even still, approaching the Top Shelf booth... I have the chance to talk to Chris Staros or Alex Robinson for as long as I want. This leads me into the my third argument.

Beaty said that they get all the guests on a big boat at the end of Fumetto. Well for SPX, everyone is trapped in a giant hotel together for two days! The best part about SPX is being able to talk to whoever you want whenever you want [for the most part]. These are people who are spread out all over the country. They come together once a year to hang out and share their art. It was amazing to be able to talk to Jordan Crane hand him a mini comic then walk across the room and do the same for Jeffrey Brown. I spent the second night of the show talking to Jim Campbell [meathaus and krachmacher] and Alec Longstreth [Phase 7-that one best mini comic at the show! -- I loved watching the Ignatz awards. It was another great way to support fellow artists]. Being able to sit and chat about comics and art is wonderful, and by far the most important part of the show.

Being behind the table is just as much fun. When someone comes up and check your stuff out, it's great. If people just walk on by, so what! They probably want to check out some of the funny mini comics 2 tables down. I'll admit that you do get lost in the middle of it, but that's only because it's so huge an awesome! The people who are interested in what you are doing will find you.

Maybe if we could get some of that government funding us smaller publishers wouldn't have to worry about recouping so much of the costs for the trip. But you know, it doesn't even bother me. It's worth spending that much money to be able to share my artwork and support fellow artists. I think SPX is fine the way it is!