The Never-Ending, Four-Color Festival: News On Cons, Shows & Major Events

By Tom Spurgeon

* so this weekend the biggest show I see on a calendar is one from Poland where Alex Robinson is in attendance. That Highwater Books exhibit opens up, too. That's a pretty big deal.

* the only reports I've seen from con action last weekend is the occasional blog write-up on Seattle's Jet City show, which sounds like it was moderately successful at least for those that bothered to write reports. Here's a few photos.

* I think for the most part, the bulk of comics people focused on conventions have aimed the prow of their ship at the blinking lights of New York Comic-Con. Here's my shot at separating the comics-related programming from the longer, more elaborately formatted list. I think there's going to be enough for most people to do. A lot of professionals like going to this show because they get to go to New York, so it's a well-attended show from a mainstream comics talent perspective. It's always been my understanding that they do relatively well with British talent coming over because it's only the ocean that separates them, not the ocean and a continent.

* as far as that programming goes, I'm talking to the legendary Mort Walker, the Rall/Kurtz print vs. internet battle should be pretty good, the Dash Shaw/Chip Kidd conversation is sure to be fascinating despite its relatively late hour, and I hope to God I'm able to wake up in time for the Kodansha USA panel Sunday morning. Beyond that I'm going to go everything with the word "digital" in it and I hope I leave the weekend less stupid on that subject. There are also some panels without any of the participants named, not even two weeks out when the list went up, which makes me wonder if things are going to go off as planned.

* APE is coming up fast, too, the weekend after NYCC. One cool-sounding thing they've just announced is a programming track to encourage writers and artists meeting and showing each other work: speed dating for comics collaboration. I'm not sure how much collaboration artists that show at or attend APE are seeking, but I'm all for innovative programming and it's not like having it at APE means they won't do it at other shows.

* finally, I've never been to one of Italy's supposedly excellent comics festivals; Rich Johnston reports from one.
 
posted 11:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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