Olympia Comics Festival 2011 Report, Pt. 1

This year the Oly Comics Fest filled 40 tables. I'd say the majority of attendees were from Portland, reflecting how our neighbor has become the cartoonists magnet of the Pacific Northwest while the Seattle scene fades into the background. Either way, Olympia is lucky to be situated between these two great cities.

I took a whole bunch of phone photos and apologize for the poor quality. Think of it as an impressionist impression of the event. Yeah, that's the ticket. I also didn't get quite all the tables or catch everyone's names, but sometimes it's more fun to visit than to document.

Spritual Succesor(us)

Larry Gonick, Megan Kelso, Paul Chadwick, the special guests. At the stage show all three had to endure a short interview, and then survive a longer interrogation in the afternoon. I had the pleasure of talking with Larry in preparation for this, and then later on stage in front of an audience of maybe 100 people.

Since I didn't have a lot of time, my questions were pretty off the wall, just serving as a preliminary for his later interview. Larry never considered himself fully a member of the small circle of underground cartoonists when he produced work for Corporate Crime Comics, Tales From the Ozone, etc., but rather on the periphery. But he still regards that association as a very positive thing.

Larry does have one Newave comix title he contributed to: Unfunny Animals in 1981, published by Clay Geerdes. When I asked him about this before the show, he couldn't really recall it.

I was also fascinated by the fact he is the only cartoonist I've met who had Jackie Onassis as an editor. According to Larry, she was something of an advanced doodler/cartoonist herself!

A true Renaissance Man cartoonist covering a wide variety of topics, it was a pleasure to meet him.

Kelsey Smith is a librarian with Timberland Regional Library and is an energetic activist for promoting comix and zines for library use. She is one of those people who makes me feel good about being a librarian. It's impressive and forward thinking for Timberland to have a presence at this event.

Chelsea Baker, cartoonist, Evergreen alum, and one of the Fest organizers, announcing the agenda of workshops and presentations.

The Exiled

I love the accidental symmetry these Portland cartoonists provided here


Julia Gfrörer

I wish this photo had turned about better. A quiet gentleman came up, introduced himself and made me about fall over when he told me his name. This is none other than Wade Busby from the Comics F/X years of the late 80s/early 90s! It was so nice to see someone else from the old days. Fewer and fewer of them are showing up each year.