What is this, you may ask? Why it is the incredible minicomics collection of Heidi MacDonald, proprietor of The Beat and all-around comics bon vivant. Heidi is a long-time friend of SPX and she’s closing in on a decade of online comics journalism, which is in and of itself only a small part of an epic career that she has dedicated to the comics art form. Shit-kicking badass, if you know what I am saying. So back to that minicomics collection… Late last year Heidi generously consented to contribute her minicomics to the SPX Collection at the Library of Congress where they will be cataloged and preserved for posterity. There is some outrageously cool stuff in the collection that SPX’s Eden has been diligently documenting.  I’ve got dozens of photos in the pipeline that we’ll be posting here in the coming weeks. But for now, just a peek… Very excited to share bits from Heidi’s collection with you and, via the Library of Congress, with scholars and enthusiasts long into the future. Thank you Heidi!
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What is this, you may ask?

Why it is the incredible minicomics collection of Heidi MacDonald, proprietor of The Beat and all-around comics bon vivant.

Heidi is a long-time friend of SPX and she’s closing in on a decade of online comics journalism, which is in and of itself only a small part of an epic career that she has dedicated to the comics art form.

Shit-kicking badass, if you know what I am saying.

So back to that minicomics collection…

Late last year Heidi generously consented to contribute her minicomics to the SPX Collection at the Library of Congress where they will be cataloged and preserved for posterity.

There is some outrageously cool stuff in the collection that SPX’s Eden has been diligently documenting.  I’ve got dozens of photos in the pipeline that we’ll be posting here in the coming weeks.

But for now, just a peek…

Very excited to share bits from Heidi’s collection with you and, via the Library of Congress, with scholars and enthusiasts long into the future.

Thank you Heidi!

IGNATZ NOMINATIONS — LAST CALL!

If you’d like to have a work considered for nomination in one of our categories for the 2013 Ignatz Awards please get us a copy digitally or in print, postmarked by the end of May and in our hands by June 7.

The Ignatz Awards are the festival prize awarded each year at the Small Press Expo - this year’s dates: September 14-15. Attendees submit a ballot on the first day of the festival and the ceremony is held that evening.

See: Full Ignatz Guidelines and Submission Information

Award winners receive the most coveted brick in all of comics on a custom stand, handcrafted at Sidewinder Arts.

All nominees will have their books added to the SPX Permanent Collection at the Library of Congress where they will be preserved for all time.

Best of luck to all!

And if you haven’t already made your plans to come see us at SPX 2013 - what in the world are you waiting for?

(The fabulous Ignatz design above was created for SPX by 2012 Promising New Talent Igantz Award recipient, Lale Westvind)

Hey everyone, Summer will be here before you can blink and that means that Fall will be rustling leaves around your ankles before you know it and that means that SPX is practically right around the corner! If you’ve never made the trip to MAJESTIC SUBURBAN WASHINGTON we highly recommend it. Put the weekend of September 15th 2013 on your calendar and consider making the trip!  We like to think we put on the best independent comics and arts festival around. The vibe is tops and the newly expanded show floor will mean the largest group of indie comic creators under one roof - maybe ever. Travel info to SPX can be found right here and the Marriott’s SPX room block is up and ready to take your reservations. Rooms this year are $114.  You can also call their toll free number at 1-877-212-5752 and use the code “The Expo” to reserve your rooms. Looking forward to seeing you all in the fall! - MDT
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Hey everyone, Summer will be here before you can blink and that means that Fall will be rustling leaves around your ankles before you know it and that means that SPX is practically right around the corner!

If you’ve never made the trip to MAJESTIC SUBURBAN WASHINGTON we highly recommend it. Put the weekend of September 15th 2013 on your calendar and consider making the trip! 

We like to think we put on the best independent comics and arts festival around. The vibe is tops and the newly expanded show floor will mean the largest group of indie comic creators under one roof - maybe ever.

Travel info to SPX can be found right here and the Marriott’s SPX room block is up and ready to take your reservations. Rooms this year are $114. 

You can also call their toll free number at 1-877-212-5752 and use the code “The Expo” to reserve your rooms.

Looking forward to seeing you all in the fall!

- MDT

Speaking of Lale Westvind, as SPX’s 2012 Ignatz Award winner for Promising New Talent, she took on the challenge of creating a unique Ignatz design for use in promoting the 2013 show - and here it is. Pretty rad! This piece, along with all the Ignatz nominated works and promotional art for SPX 2013 will be preserved forever as a part of the Small Press Expo Collection at the Library of Congress. Thank you to Lale - and to Daryl Ayo who helped us kick off this tradition last year. Daryl won the Ignatz for Promising New Talent in 2011.
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Speaking of Lale Westvind, as SPX’s 2012 Ignatz Award winner for Promising New Talent, she took on the challenge of creating a unique Ignatz design for use in promoting the 2013 show - and here it is.

Pretty rad!

This piece, along with all the Ignatz nominated works and promotional art for SPX 2013 will be preserved forever as a part of the Small Press Expo Collection at the Library of Congress.

Thank you to Lale - and to Daryl Ayo who helped us kick off this tradition last year. Daryl won the Ignatz for Promising New Talent in 2011.

I had to laugh at this… But the undeniable whiff of cliquishness / underlying mean-spiritedness of the thing does rankle me a little bit. I mean, SPX is definitely about celebrating the best work in indie comics. We do it through our Ignatz Awards, our slate of invited guests and our unprecedented preservation program with the Library of Congress. We’re also fortunate to have many, many exceptional artists who make SPX a priority on their annual calendar (Thank you). But the show is about more than that… It is crucially important that SPX remains a place where folks just starting out or still honing their voice can sit right next to acknowledged masters of the craft and get treated with the same respect as a part of a common community. We’re all equal under the benevolent, velvety penumbra of the chocolate fountain, if you know what I am saying. And I think you do. I’m endlessly amazed at the quality of work that we see from unheralded artists and the idea that SPX is - or ever has been - overrun with poor work could only be hazarded by someone who has never attended the show. Indignation aside, this is pretty goddamn funny right? — MDT via Ow.ly - image uploaded by @TheJenya
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I had to laugh at this… But the undeniable whiff of cliquishness / underlying mean-spiritedness of the thing does rankle me a little bit.

I mean, SPX is definitely about celebrating the best work in indie comics.

We do it through our Ignatz Awards, our slate of invited guests and our unprecedented preservation program with the Library of Congress. We’re also fortunate to have many, many exceptional artists who make SPX a priority on their annual calendar (Thank you).

But the show is about more than that… It is crucially important that SPX remains a place where folks just starting out or still honing their voice can sit right next to acknowledged masters of the craft and get treated with the same respect as a part of a common community.

We’re all equal under the benevolent, velvety penumbra of the chocolate fountain, if you know what I am saying. And I think you do.

I’m endlessly amazed at the quality of work that we see from unheralded artists and the idea that SPX is - or ever has been - overrun with poor work could only be hazarded by someone who has never attended the show.

Indignation aside, this is pretty goddamn funny right?

— MDT

via Ow.ly - image uploaded by @TheJenya

Source: ow.ly

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