I made my annual spring trip to Columbus Ohio a few weeks ago for the 13th iteration of the Great Midwestern SPACE Comics Fest. I love Columbus, and I love SPACE. I've never had a bad time coming out for this show, and after thirteen years it's taken on a kind of family reunion aspect for me, as it has I think for a lot of other longtime attendees. Plus, in the last few years, folks from the coasts have begun making the trek and that's cool too. (Last year saw my pals MariNaomi (SF) and Colin Upton (Vancouver) come out, and this year Joseph Remnant (LA), Eamon Espey (Baltimore) and Tom Hart and Leela Corman (Florida) made the trip.) Excellent all around. I had a great time.
Spit and a Half corner
I was delighted to see Tom Spurgeon in the hallway when I first walked in. I am a big fan of his writing on the Comics Reporter, and I didn't expect him to be there. Happily, I got to spend a good amount of time chatting with him.
Penina Gal, Tom Spurgeon, Carol Tyler
Saturday night after the show, everyone went out for Vietnamese food and then headed down to a coffeeshop on High Street to see Eamon Espey perform his story "Ishi's Brain," as a puppet show with his partner Lisa Krause. It was a beautiful thing. Later, Leela and Maddie played music and JT Dockery wowed 'em, but I was on 4 hours sleep, so had to turn in early.
Saturday night performance of "Ishi's Brain".
Sam Spina flyin' the flannel on Sunday morning.
Detroit's Finest: Parisel
J.T. Dockery, whose balls out rock n roll performance Saturday night I unfortunately missed.
Cleveland's Kevin Czapiewski
Marnie Galloway and husband Tom
Leela Corman and Tom Spurgeon
The great Larry Blake, who kept things lively with a boombox jamming The Ramones and Sweet all weekend.
Whoa, I got this great original marker drawing of the Ramones from Larry for only $10!
Comics as Memoir Panel moderated by John Steventon, with Tom Hart, Nate Powell, Chris Monday, Dara Naraghi, and yours truly.
Sunday evening everybody cleared out quick. I had some more Vietnamese food for dinner, and then sleep, blissful sleep.
James Thurber House, 77 Jefferson Avenue
Monday morning I kicked it around Columbus. I had a couple days off, so I spent them book buying and sightseeing. First stop, the James Thurber House, a Columbus attraction I had somehow never visited in all my trips there over the years. Enjoyable.
Then I made my usual stops: Used Kids Records, the Wexner Center Bookstore, Laughing Ogre (where I picked up some nice 70's Marvel horror comics), and a couple Half Price Books where I loaded up on cheep comix/GNs etc.
Tuesday I went back into town to visit Gib at the Ogre, and yes, buy more comics. This time the Wally Wood bio "Wally's World" and a copy of "Pussey!" Why not. That evening, on the way back to my lodging, I went for a walk in the woods, where the Dutchman's Breeches, Toothwort, and Rue Anenome were all in bloom. Then: Rain.
Dutchman's Breeches
(Dicentra cucullaria)
Wednesday Morning I was picking up Stephanie at the Columbus Airport and we were heading east to Pittsburgh together, for the Drawing Power Conference at the Carnegie Library. More on that next time!
Columbus, O.
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