Poster illustration by Paul Hornschemeier |
The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) is coming up next weekend (October 4-5) and if you're anywhere near the Boston area, you should make your way there. It'll be held at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Over the past few years, I've tried to broaden my comics reading beyond the "Big 2" and even beyond the bigger independent publishers such as Image and Dark Horse. You know Panel Patter is a fan of the small press books, and if you enjoy reading about those books, you'll enjoy heading to MICE.
The organizers at MICE do a great job making MICE feel like a "homey" event even as it's grown in size and popularity. There's a great selection of comics creators (folks like Maris Wicks, Joel Christian Gill, Ansis Purins, Jennie Wood, and Panel Patter's own Whit Taylor), that will be in attendance, who work in all genres and styles of comics.
In addition to lesser-known local artists and creators, there will be some pretty great special guests at MICE this year: Raina Telgemeier, James Kochalka, Dave Roman, Emily Carroll, Box Brown and Paul Hornschemeier. There will also be a full slate of panels on both days (with a number of kid-friendly panels each day).
Also, did I mention it's free? Saving money on admission will leave you with more to spend on comics.
Coming up shortly, we'll have an interview with the organizers of MICE to learn more about the event.