Found Objects #11: Small Press
Some notes about my love for small press and indie comics festivals
A couple of weekends ago, I tabled at the Nonfiction Comics Festival in Burlington, Vermont. When I first heard about this show last year, I knew that I needed to apply. It seemed like a perfect fit for my own work, and despite being a New Englander and a hiker, I had never been to Vermont.
Tabling next to my friend Susanne.
The festival was full of interesting conversations and unexpected encounters, like finding myself alone in the green room with comics extraordinaire Tillie Walden. (I was trying to peek at her name tag while she talked about the odd pizza flavors.)
I am relatively new to the indie comics scene, but since returning to the United States in 2020, I have been making up for lost time.
I’ve tabled at 11 shows since August 2021 in Boston, NYC, Bethesda, Toronto, Columbus OH, Portland ME, and Burlington.
My first indie comics show was the “Mini” Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) in Cambridge, Massachusetts in August 2021. Evident by my homemade mask, this was one of the first indie comics festivals to resume after Covid.
I’m not sure how I first heard about MICE, but since I was living in Boston, I applied. I had a few items already, but thematically, they were all over the map - a Maine coloring book, prints of illustrated scenes from Colombia, a nonfiction comic about Miss Cleo, and an adaptation of a short story by Haruki Murakami. When I was offered a table, I raced to print a couple collections of diary comics, skeptical that anyone would even want to read them.
The show took place at an outdoor venue behind H-Mart in downtown Cambridge. Because of Covid, half of the participants exhibited on Saturday and half on Sunday. To calm my nerves, I scoped out the show on Saturday to know what to expect. I had previously connected with Karl Stevens after we both published some editorial comics in the Boston Globe, and I was flattered when he suggested that we trade diary comics for a copy of “Penny.” When I arrived on Sunday, I was feeling more confident.
As it turned out, people did want to read my comics. My table was busy all day, and I earned around $800. I tabled next to Maria Varmazis and John Yuskaitis, who were both wonderful, and advised me that I was lucky to have such a great first show, and it wouldn’t always be like this. (They were right.)
It’s not a secret that many cartoonists don’t profit much at these events. Fortunately, I love my day job, because after the table fees, travel expenses, and printing costs are deducted, sometimes I am lucky to break even. Along with the financial component, these festivals can be exhausting. They take months of preparation and require standing and talking all day long. Talking is easy for me, but after several hours, even I get tired!
But it’s all worth it to be part of this incredible community of narrative artists. I’ve made new friendships, been given opportunities, and discovered compelling stories and beautiful art that I never would have seen in my daily life. I love meeting new people, trading work, and most importantly, I leave each show inspired to create more.
(Also, if you really want to make money at these shows, sell prints.)
Below are some of my favorite comics, zines, and art books that I have collected from artists who I met at festivals.
Alex Kostiw’s lovely poems and illustrated books, printed on the risograph and folded by hand.
Soumya Dhulekar’s narratives highlight the humor in our daily interactions. Her comic, The Layover, is one of my favorite zines.
Jesse Lambert’s autobiographical comics are beautifully structured and engaging. “The Dance” is delightful!
Natalya Balnova crafts gorgeous art books with screen-printed illustrations.
I tabled next to graphic designer Emily Larned at the New England Art Book Fair this year. “Sewing Books by Hand” is a wonderful meditation for all artists.
I tabled next to Caitlin Cass at Crossroads Columbus last year, and I love her collection of comics and zines about women throughout history.
I tabled next to Nick Offerman at Small Press Expo last year. I admire the character-driven storytelling and emotional depth he achieves in his fictional narratives.
Rawand Issa is a cartoonist from Lebanon who crafts engaging graphic memoirs that involve socio-economic issues. I love how “The Insubordinate” can be flipped over and read in Arabic.
This is such a fun idea by Christian Blaza. One day, I want to make a pop-up travelogue!
If you’re looking for some small press gifts this holiday, I recommend checking out Radiator Comics, an online shop that distributes a great selection of indie comics.
Do you ever table at indie comic shows or art book fairs? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.