SPX Spotlights are Back!

Long time Panel Patter readers will know one of the things we used to be known for was placing a huge spotlight on the Small Press Expo, held yearly in Bethesda, Maryland. 

Well, as part of our return to periodically posting, we'll be doing a few features about SPX for the first time in six years! (Can't believe it's been that long. Wow.)

For those who aren't familiar, the Small Press Expo, for 30 years now (WOW), has spotlighted small presses and creators, from people with photocopied zines to the beautiful hardcovers of Drawn and Quarterly.

This year's show is this weekend, September 14th and 15th. 

Going to SPX in 2008 changed my life and is part of how Panel Patter got started. Back then, I remember my wife exchanging a paper zine with Kate Beaton, long before Beaton became a best selling author celebrated by her entire country. I also remember going to a copy shop to print additional copies of comics Erica was making while reading Joey Wieser books published by ADhouse. Another year, I got to talk hockey with Jeffrey Brown, back when he was an autobio book guy and a decade or so before he'd hit it big with books about Darth Vader and Batman dealing with parenting issues. (And both sides of Brown's creative side are amazing and highly recommended!)

I could go on and on about the number of great moments and creators I discovered there before they got more prominent gigs, like a pre-Valiant Rafer Roberts, Raina Telgemeyer when she'd only been doing Babysitter's Club, Kelly Philips when she was co-editing a zine-style comics anthology prior to her "Weird Me" days, Spike before Iron Circus became one of the best ever to use crowd funding--I could go on and on and on about SPX and the opportunities it has provided for creators of all levels over the years.

But instead, I'll end here by saying that if you are able to make it to Maryland this weekend and love small press comics, do everything you can to get to the Small Press Expo. I can't guarantee how much coverage we'll do over the next few days, but I hope to get a few posts up by Friday, so keep your eyes peeled.

Panel Patter may be semi-retired but SPX is not. Go find your favorite new creator and make your own memories there!