APPLESEED CON

US Route 30, between Valparaiso and Fort Wayne

So, last weekend I drove out to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to attend the 2014 Appleseed Comic Con.  My buddies Jim Rugg, Ed Piskor, and Tom Scioli were attending, plus who were the Special Guests? None other than both PETE BAGGE and JIM STERANKO!  So I'm there.

The trip wasn't too bad, once I got out of Chicago.  I made it to Ft. Wayne early enough Friday afternoon to quickly hit all the comics shops in town.  I managed to pick up like ten 1970's Marvel Horror Comics that were on my list, and I was ridin' high.

Checked in to the hotel, and stayed up way too late talking about comics with Jim, Ed, and Tom, three hardcore comics enthusiasts.

Beautiful downtown Fort Wayne

Next day I got up early to set up for the show.  The Con was held in a gorgeous new Events Center, right in the heart of downtown.  Day One went well, met some cool people, including, for the first time-- Pete Bagge.  Then I lurked around the Steranko table a bit checking out all his cool old memorabilia (old Marvel black light posters from 1973 etc).  When I tried to take his picture he said "No Pictures!" and held up his hand.  The guy has class.

Managed to rustle up six or seven more comics I was looking for, and had lunch at the King Gyros next door.

Spit and a Half table, Northeast Indiana Stylee

Saturday crowds

The Great and Honorable Peter Bagge

Ed Piskor and his Hip Hop Family Tree

Jim Rugg and fan

Cool old Steranko Star Trek poster

That night we all went to dinner downtown and sat at a long table-- Steranko held court at one end, and Bagge at the other.  Two generations of Classic American Cartoonistes, wow.  Got out of there and went back to the room where we stayed up too late talking about comics again.

Fort Wayne Skyline

In Search of: BREAKFAST

"This is the idea we could have rolled with from the beginning!"

Downtown Post Office

Grand Wayne Center, home of the Appleseed Con

Tom and Jim share a knowing glance, Day Two

Jim with just some of his amazing and prodigious output

(I bought a copy of the Black-Lite Barbarianess poster!)

Tom never stopped working, all weekend-long

Day Two was slower than Day One, but that only meant I got to shoot the breeze with cartoonists more, and dig through more longboxes.  Afterwards, we all met up for a final calzone-fueled goodbye.  The Con Fatigue miraculously wore off, and I realized how much fun it was just hanging out with these guys.

Then, the road home...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hi everyone,

Twenty-five years ago, on May 17, 1989, I drove over to the tiny little Kinko's copy shop at Golf and Roselle in Schaumburg, and printed 18 copies of my new zine, King-Cat Comics #1.  So happy birthday, King-Cat!

I just want to take a moment and thank everyone who's helped me through these 25 years-- all the friends, family, and readers that have made this possible.  I couldn't, and I wouldn't, have done it without you.

Today I'm in Fort Wayne, Indiana, standing behind my table at the Appleseed Con, an appropriate place to be all these years later, I think.  There are few things I love more than comics, and it's been a privilege to be a part of this world.  Thanks!

John P.

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(click images to enlarge)

CZF 2014

Well, it's that time of year again -- time for cartoonists and zine-publishers to start hustling around the country to attend the myriad specialty festivals and fairs that have sprung up over the last decade.  From March through November it seems like there's a zine or comix fest somewhere every weekend!

My first of 2014 was last Saturday's Chicago Zine Fest, now in it's fifth year.  After a long period with no zine-based festival in Chicago (hard to believe, considering the presence of the legendary Quimby's and the huge amount of self-publishing going on in the city) it's been great to have the CZF every spring, getting bigger and better with each passing year and showing no signs of slowing down.

Jake's pal Ratso interviews the writers from the Grooves 'N Jams blog

This year my table, which I shared with Chicago zine impresario Jake Austen, was located on the first floor, and after a slow start there was a steady stream of people coming through all day.  I'm pretty sure this was the first year in which there were so many exhibitors everyone was limited to one half-table spot.  This made for a slightly claustrophobic feel behind the tables, but I got used to it pretty quick.  Sales were the best I've ever had at this show, and it was fun to see everybody.  You do enough of these shows and it all becomes family-- not only your fellow exhibitors, but the people in the crowd stopping by.

Afternoon crowds

OG Chicago zine legend Karen Wehrle dropped by to hang out with Jake and go over their plans for the Chicago Music Zine Symposium being held next month.

Ye Olde Spit and a Half Half-Table

One minor problem was that this year's CZF was held the same day, in the same general locale, as the St. Patrick's Day Parade.  It took me 2.5 hours to travel the 90 miles from Beloit to the Loop, and ten minutes to fit into the only tiny parking spot I could find once I got there.  Afterwards was almost worse, having to traverse the city with lurching drunks stepping out in front of your vehicle every fifteen feet.  But all in all an enjoyable day.

Post-show I went up to Thai Spoon for dinner with my old pal Ray.  We stopped at Quimby's to drop off their latest Spit and a Half order in person, and then I headed back out into the darkness to make my way home.

Drove under the O'Hare Oasis on its last day in existence (sigh) and made it to Beloit in time to hear "Ace of Spades" come on the radio at midnight.

Next up, SPACE, in Columbus April 12-13.

SHIT FROM AN OLD NOTEBOOK PT. TWO

Here's more stuff from that old notebook, 1997-1998:

(Click here for Part One)

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Portrait of Claes Oldenberg's Batcolumn, Chicago.

Bad Frank Sinatra drawing.

Sketch for cover of King-Cat #54.

Portrait of David Lasky.

Notes for unused Ticks comic.

Sketches for "Joel Jumps," King-Cat #55.

Joel taught me to say "flops" instead of "fuck."

Sketch from Denver, 1997.

Sketch/layout for "Scared," King-Cat #53.

Roadrunner sketch from original notes to Hospital Suite.

In the spring of 1998 I hurt my back at work.

Our Motto™.

Draft of "Marigolds," King-Cat #54.

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Okay, kids -- back to work!