Stumptown Comics Fest 2011 Wrapup

Whew!

The 2011 Comics Fest has now come and gone, and I've been having a great time reading about what a great time was had by everyone! The move to the Oregon Convention Center, which was initially met with apprehension by many, proved to be a positive change for the show, allowing for more comfortable flow of traffic and space for the exhibitors.

We had over 3100 folks join us over the weekend to check out all the amazing artwork and comics being presented by over 250 exhibitors, publishers, small pressers, and artists. Molly Crabapple did a live-drawing installation at her space, which she donated to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and which will be auctioned off in the coming weeks. We had a great benefit dinner for the CBLDF on Friday night, and raised over $300 for the organization! Many of our workshops were standing-room-only, which is a clear sign that the educational programming we're offering is in high demand.

I'd try to list all of the blog entries, photo blogs, news reports, podcasts and tweets people have been posting about the Fest, but instead I'll keep it simple and point you to Comics Reporter's Collective Memory: Stumptown Comics Fest post, and to the !

There have already been a lot of questions about the 2012 Fest, and I can confirm at this point that Kurt Busiek and Geof Darrow will be appearing as Guests at our next Fest, which is scheduled for April 28 & 29, 2012! The guest list will only continue to grow at this point, and exhibitor registration will open up in May 2011. There has been talk of expanding the show floor again for 2012, but I'm going to continue considering this option as exhibitor registrations begin coming in. We'll definitely be offering more workshops and panels, and have plans to expand the peripheral events to begin several days before the Fest. As always, more information will be posted here at stumptowncomics.com as plans solidify.

At any rate, I hope to see you all right back here in Portland next April!

Stumptown Comic Arts Awards 2011 Winners

The Stumptown Comic Art Awards 2011 were presented last night in Portland, OR. In a packed-room ceremony following a bustling first day at the Stumptown Comics Fest, host Bobby "Fatboy" Roberts presented the awards to the winners. Nominees in each category were chosen by a panel of judges consisting of comics industry professionals, journalists, and retailers, and then voted on by the comics-reading public. This year's categories and winners are:

Best Artist
Emily Carroll, His Face All Red

Best Writer
Aaron Renier, The Unsinkable Walker Bean

Best Cartoonist
Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour

Best Letterer
Johnny Ryan, Prison Pit #2

Best Colorist
Emily Carroll, His Face All Red

Best Publication Design
Michael DeForge, Spotting Deer

Best Anthology
Studygroup 12 #4, edited by Zack Soto

Best Small Press
"I Want You #2" by Lisa Hanawalt

Best New Talent
Michael DeForge

Reader's Choice
Pang, the Wandering Shaolin Monk by Ben Costa

Director's Choice
The Sixth Gun, by Brian Hurtt and Cullen Bunn, published by Oni Press

The awards themselves were sculpted by Leslie Levings of Beastlies.com, with shelves provided by Lavrans Mathiesen, a Portland woodworker.

Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees of the inaugural Stumptown Comic Arts Awards!

Who Is SAMDROID?

Portland's own Mayor/Superhero Sam Adams takes time out of his busy schedule of fighting injustice and reducing the crime rate to help raise money and awareness of the problems facing homeless youth in Portland! SAMDROID will appear with the Alter Egos Society in booth 206 for ONE HOUR ONLY, 3-4pm on Saturday, April 16th.

The SAMDROID costume was the winning entry in the Project Mayor-Man design contest held by local organization The Alter Egos Society. The winner received a $100 cash prize, sponsored by Things From Another World, and members of Alter Egos then fabricated the costume to Mayor Sam Adams's specifications.

Mayor Adams will be signing autographs and posing for photographs as SAMDROID, and donations are being collected for p:ear, a local group dedicated to providing creative mentorship for homeless youth. An action print of SAMDROID was designed by local cartoonist Les McClaine, artist of the new Tick series.

Our Exclusive CBLDF Dinner with Dark Horse Comics

Stumptown Comics Fest, in partnership with sponsors Dark Horse Comics, and the CBLDF are proud to offer a seat at an exclusive dinner with creators Matt Wagner, Eric Powell, Carla Speed McNeil and more!

Taking place on Friday, April 15th at BridgePort BrewPub in Portland's historic Pearl District, winning bids will receive complementary dinner (alcohol not included), a free sketch from each artist, and a weekend pass to the Stumptown Comics Festival.

Sketches from the dinner will be available for pick-up at the CBLDF booth (#308) during the Stumptown Comics Festival on April 16th & 17th, and proceeds will benefit the non-profit organization which is dedicated to the protection of First Amendment rights in the comics industry.

Bidding starts at $30 per ticket, and the auction closes on April 15th at 10am, so bid soon, and generously! There are only ten tickets available, all available here: http://shop.ebay.com/cbldf

UPDATE: We're happy to add that Brandon Graham (King City) and Steve Lieber (Whiteout, Underground) will also be joining us at the dinner and providing sketches to the lucky winners! So please bid and bid generously!

UPDATE 2: We just got word that Dustin Weaver (S.H.I.E.L.D., King Kong) will also be attending the dinner and sketches for the winning bidders! Time is running out to get your seat!

Get the STCF2011 Mobile Guide!

In an effort to cut down on our environmental impact, Stumptown Comics Fest has teamed with Proxima Labs, makers of the popular Conventionist app for iPhone and Android devices! Simply download the free Conventionist app for your mobile device, and from there you can download the full program guide for the 2011 Stumptown Comics Fest, including exhibitor listing, a full event schedule, and a map of the show floor! Set to-dos and build your own schedule from within the app, so you won't forget about that panel you wanted to check out!

STCF2011 T-Shirt!

I'm happy to unveil the 2011 t-shirt designed by Brandon Graham, creator of King City! Brandon will appear as a Special Guest at the Comics Fest, and we're totally in love with this design. The shirts will be available at the Stumptown Comics Foundation booth (Booth 302) for $15 each, along with prints of Brandon's poster! Posters and shirts from previous years, with art by Craig Thompson, Derek Kirk Kim, Sarah Oleksyk, Aaron Renier, and others, will also be available while supplies last.

Any remaining shirts and posters will be made available on the Stumptown Comics Foundation website in the next few months, as that site completes its 2012 redesign.

SCF2011 Event Schedule

We just posted our Schedule of Events, including a full listing of the amazing panels, workshops, and parties going on throughout the weekend! Find out about the Drink & Draw Like a Lady event, the Friday night Pre-party at Guapo Comics, the Saturday night After-Party at the Jupiter Hotel, and the Sunday Night gallery show and party at Pony Club!

So much to see and do, I can't believe the show is still only two days long!