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You drive me APE
So I went to the Alternative Press Expo on Sunday. I think I’ve come to terms with it. I’ve been resentful of APE in the past because their table prices have mostly driven out the zinesters and the entrance fee keeps many other people out. But if I think of it as a comics convention with a few zines thrown in, it becomes a much better event.
It moved from Ft. Mason this year to a place within walking distance of my house. It was a big improvement. Carpeting made it not as loud and there was a full bar. The best thing was that there was a lot more space. It was much easier to avoid people with whom I have drama and not make eye contact with the sad tables and artists.
Last year a cartoonist blocked the small aisle trying to sell his comics by offering hugs to anyone who bought one. He wasn’t fooling anyone. Especially when he started offering hugs regardless of purchase. For some, APE is the best chance at human contact they have all year. Well, except for riding public transportation during commute hours, I suppose. Anyway, with more space, it was harder to be a victim of the needy, nerdy touchers and I think that made most people happy. Maybe it was me, but it seemed like there was a much friendlier atmosphere, in a non-threatening way, this year.
There were a lot more tables this year too. I spent a lot of time* picking up old comics at the 40 cents an ounce table, of course, but other memorable booths were PunkPunk, Not My Small Diary, (lots of comic zinesters) and Penny Dreadful. PunkPunk and Penny Dreadful produce amazingly beautiful zines. The new PunkPunk is six different small zines packed in a little burlap baggie and the Penny Dreadful "Travel Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area" is three volumes of different artists divided loosely under the titles of Personal, Dream, and Place, bound into one fancy package.
Though I love their stuff, there was definitely a lack of non-comic, not-so-artsy-and-produced zines. It’s just the nature of the event I guess. To echo another zinester, there just wasn’t much press at the Alternative Press Expo.
Confidential to Ericka: No "Cherry Comics" this year. Sorry.
*and it took a lot of time because there was so much crap there.
It moved from Ft. Mason this year to a place within walking distance of my house. It was a big improvement. Carpeting made it not as loud and there was a full bar. The best thing was that there was a lot more space. It was much easier to avoid people with whom I have drama and not make eye contact with the sad tables and artists.
Last year a cartoonist blocked the small aisle trying to sell his comics by offering hugs to anyone who bought one. He wasn’t fooling anyone. Especially when he started offering hugs regardless of purchase. For some, APE is the best chance at human contact they have all year. Well, except for riding public transportation during commute hours, I suppose. Anyway, with more space, it was harder to be a victim of the needy, nerdy touchers and I think that made most people happy. Maybe it was me, but it seemed like there was a much friendlier atmosphere, in a non-threatening way, this year.
There were a lot more tables this year too. I spent a lot of time* picking up old comics at the 40 cents an ounce table, of course, but other memorable booths were PunkPunk, Not My Small Diary, (lots of comic zinesters) and Penny Dreadful. PunkPunk and Penny Dreadful produce amazingly beautiful zines. The new PunkPunk is six different small zines packed in a little burlap baggie and the Penny Dreadful "Travel Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area" is three volumes of different artists divided loosely under the titles of Personal, Dream, and Place, bound into one fancy package.
Though I love their stuff, there was definitely a lack of non-comic, not-so-artsy-and-produced zines. It’s just the nature of the event I guess. To echo another zinester, there just wasn’t much press at the Alternative Press Expo.
Confidential to Ericka: No "Cherry Comics" this year. Sorry.
*and it took a lot of time because there was so much crap there.