Festivals Extra: A Few Thoughts On CAKE 2017

I attended CAKE 2017 last weekend on both days, having driven up from Columbus as I now have the ability for regional shows. I did not participate in any of the late-night stuff having a personal agenda running alongside my comics stuff, which may distort my perception. I also work for a show in Columbus called Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, which I imagine informs every single way I look at other shows now.

* I really enjoyed CAKE 2017 and thought it was a generally strong show.

* The biggest lingering perception is that Chicago is a solid and deep scene. Not every exhibitor was from Chicago but a lot were, or had a Chicago connection. There were also Chicago people at the show that weren't exhibiting. There was a significant number of cartoonists from the strong Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

* I talked to about 25 exhibitors throughout the show about sales and traffic, and the majority felt they were slightly down. This is the least scientific poll in history, right below one that relies on the researchers belching their data. Let me throw in I did talk to a pair of exhibitors who had extremely strong shows, and no one was dismayed, the way things are at a show with truly light sales. I could discern no pattern for what sold and what didn't beyond a bump for material from special guests from out of town. I saw two buyers make use of their clever mini-comic buy/giveaway program, which everyone should steal (you get a prize bag for buying from a certain number of exhibitors, and I think maybe just handmade material; you get the idea, though).

* the other thing everyone should steal is that CAKE collects its attendee information through stickers (counting the empty sheets) and pins on a map, things like that. That's super-smart, because no one wants to do a survey in the middle of a show except saints and weirdos. That won't work for every show, but I bet it works for some.

* CAKE seems really settled into the Center on Halsted. Good neighborhood. Quality facility. Great big room and a decent smaller, supplementary room for exhibiting, although I'm sure they're turning down 2X to 3X that many in applications. Access to a Whole Foods and seats downstairs a plus.; You can eat in the neighborhood if you do a little advance scouting, which is a bonus for tired exhibitors. I felt comfortable there.

* downside on the facility itself was the toilets going out on the 3rd floor (the show floor) which I guess has happened before? An elevator broke down. The first floor bathroom serves some street traffic with some "Yeah, not staying in here" results from show attendees. One cartoonist went to the restroom at IHOP because they couldn't pee in front of others at the busy urinals in the all-gender setting.

* let's be honest: the parking situation was abominable. There were two Chicago Cubs day games Saturday and Sunday, and the show's proximity to Wrigley Field meant paid parking jumped up about 2X, and event parking rules didn't really match up with the needs of anyone who wanted to go to comics show. There was also massive street parking deficits and tow zones and torn-up city blocks. Taking care of my own car needs I talked to show attendees (thank you t-shirts) who simply parked far away and walked over, but only stayed 90 minutes so they could get back to their cars. CAKE is bigger than 90 minutes can encompass. Shows in New York and San Diego are also famously difficult parking events, but they are every year and the nature of those shows stands in contrast to that of a free festival. I would suggest making Cubs game days a total no-no, and researching the parking in the area so some advice can be given to the unfortunate minority that might come in from suburbs on out.

* the panel work was really strong across the board. The highlights buzz-wise were the Olive Panter interviewing Gary Panter event on Saturday and the Comics as Political Resistance panel early Sunday. That wasn't even close. That's a great little theater for panels, too. I am grateful to organizer Jessica Campbell, participants Ivan Brunetti, Anya Davidson, Noah Van Sciver, and the focused audience that went to the Fantagraphics presentation. CAKE was early on paying its moderators, which I think is an admirable thing.

* the Chicago scene loves Ivan Brunetti -- everyone should -- and there were many of his students in attendance. The teacher/student relationship was probably the biggest one connecting the generations there, which gave the show a different mood, I think. Less grumbling, more proud parents!

* speaking of the Chicago comics education scene, Scott Roberts told me that his employer, Depaul, just added Jacob Ciocci of Paper Rad fame to its department. That's a fascinating get. I hope that was on the record. Amy Lockhart teaches there, too.

* Fiona Smyth was the random cartoonist no one particularly noted in advance would be there that everyone to whom I spoke was excited to learn she was in attendance. It as a first-time for Summer Pierre and Michel Fiffe, too, two solid citizens of the art-comics festival scene. Jesse Jacobs sold out early and castigated himself a bit for not bringing more to sell.

* ran into Gene Kannenberg Jr. who works in Evanston now at the Northwestern University library into which I used to sneak food. Gene was a writer for me back at TCJ in the '90s and is a well-liked figure in the turning-50 generation of comics academics. He had a nice book of abstract comics he was selling -- second printing, too, after a first printing of 500. Go, Gene!

* the room paid attention in that subtle way rooms pay attention when Emil Ferris came in and sat at the Fantagraphics table. That book and the roar of positive reaction that accompanied it was part of the standard conversation I had with people.

* the Yeti Press gang concluded their comics-publishing lifespan at the show, with a lot of these-books-must-go pricing to be enjoyed by those in attendance. I think more alt-publishing houses that could last a long time won't just as people do different things in their lives that used to have only one or two options for participation in the medium. I wish the Yetis well with whatever they do next.

* seeing John Porcellino was great, and he accepted multiple congratulations for how strong King-Cat #76 was. He's just published Jenny Zervakis, and that book was one of the talking points of the show. There were a lot of cartoonists there that didn't know Zervakis at all, but expressed an interest in learning about her work, which are sentiments that don't always go together.

* if you're interested in what being a judge at the Eisners feels like, corral Rob Clough. He'll tell you.

* I didn't get to any of the afterparties as I had some personal stuff to do, but the range of people I spoke to had a good to great time. I did get to go to Hellas Gyros on Bryan Mawr, so I felt like that sort of made up for it.

* a few folks noted with sadness that D+Q wasn't attending after a long run at the show. Koyama was there, but Annie and Ed Weren't. Fantagraphics was repped by Jacq Cohen. When asked, the people that were sad just mentioned they generally liked having those iconic businesses and people on the floor more than that they had a specific use for them that wasn't fulfilled.

* it was a very gender-balanced show. It was mostly young, but there were enough older customers -- I talked to maybe ten that had just come down to see Gary Panter -- to not make it oddly young or less substantial. Chicago has always been a great market for comics, so it makes sense you'd have people in attendance that span those same decades.

* I like CAKE. I'll go every time I can. It's a great place to see a bunch of different cartoonists in the context of one of the great comics cities in North America. It's a well-curated room. I hope they stay as local as possible before they get more ambitious -- if they get more ambitious -- because there's so much more to explore with a Chicago-centric show!

* the Cubs lost 8-1 Saturday.

*****
*****
 
posted 12:55 am PST | Permalink
 

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