One of the best parts of Day 2 is to get a chance to explore deeper and see what's out there that you may have missed. Things that looked potentially interesting, but you wanted to make sure you bought your copy of Cartozia Tales or Hip Hop Family Free or March or Plastic Farm first.
Well, in order to help you out, here's some folks that, to the best of my knowledge, are tabling at SPX for the very first time! This list was compiled by asking around on Twitter. It's far from complete, but hey, it's a start. Some also have new books, some are showing their classic stuff. Either way, go have a look at their things when you return to SPX at noon today!
List is in alphabetical order. Links will take you to their websites.
- Carey Pietsch should win over fans of Scott Morse and other creators who work in painted art. It's really pretty and worth investigating further.
- Diana Tamblyn worked hard to get her new book, the first part of a two-part biography of Gerald Bull, finished in time for SPX, and it's available at her table, right across from Fantagraphics. I'm possibly cheating a bit--this might not be her first SPX, but if you like non-fiction comics, the research and artwork on this one is meticulous and recommended.
- Dylan Edwards writes comics about queer comics and situations. He's been featured in Fantagraphic's No Straight Lines and does a webcomic called Politically InQueerect and has a graphic novel featuring six true stories about trans men called Transposes.
- Elaine Will is the last recipient of a Xeric Grant, and they went out with a bang! I wanted to do a full write-up on her work, which is about a teenager who faces social pressures and ends up questioning his entire reality. Will's artwork is strong and fits the narrative extremely well. Dealing with a sensitive subject that's very close to my heart, I've only had a chance to sample this book that is one you should definitely seek out at the show today.
- Jay Fuller is the creator behind an absolutely adorable webcomic, The Boy in the Pink Earmuffs, which is a story of a budding relationship between two young gay men. Fuller's linework is incredibly cute and the characters will grow on you immediately.
- Katie Valeska brings her autobiographical webcomic to SPX, Next Year's Girl. It's about a person obsessed with goals trying to pin herself down and I can easily relate to that.
- Ken Eppstein got an SPX Spotlight, so not going to add much, other than his record-infused brain and comics covering horror, Westerns, and even all-ages are at SPX for the first time!
- Lizz Lunney is one of several UK folks coming to SPX for the first time. She has a comic called Depressed Cat, which I mean, come on--Depressed Cat, folks!
- Melanie Gillman has a webcomic As the Crow Flies, and it's another example of the growth of queer comics over the years. This one deals with being a gay girl at a Christian Youth camp, and looks great in the samples I read before the show.
- Pikitia Press is at SPX all the way from New Zealand/Australia (one of several folks who made the trip) and they have a variety of comics available for you to purchase. Speaking as a person who belongs to a mini-comic of the month club from Australia, I can tell you there are a ton of strong cartoonists working "down there" right now. Definitely check these guys out!
- Shazzbaa Bennet has worked with Kel McDonald and has projects of her own that range from fantasy to autobiographical. Her work has a nice sense of life to the panels if her topics match your reading interests.
- Space Pyrates is a parody of all things pop culture, with a sci fi bent. I only got the briefest chance to sample this one, but it looks awesome and a good pick for anyone who likes things that poke fun at our idols of geekdom.
- Steph Stober has a series of mini-comics that remind me a bit of the style of Ryan Estrada.
- Telegraph has you covered--and will help you cover your wall--if you really dig prints. They range from intricate work to more simple ideas, and look pretty awesome.
- 2 Headed Monster Comics is a team effort putting out a few cool comics, including a Chick Tract parody celebrating Halloween and other cool things.
I received several other folks, but sometimes it was hard to tell what was offered or could not get a name from the website. So if you aren't on here, don't be offended--please think about making your web presence a bit cleaner and easier to navigate, though!
For those reading, I hope you find this list helpful. Go find a new favorite at SPX today!
