Jan. 31: Guests Announced!

Ted Naifeh
Ted Naifeh swooped onto the comics and goth culture scene as the co-creator of Gloomcookie with Serena Valentino in 1998. Beginning in 2002 he introduced the world to Courtney Crumrin, a young loner girl who uses magic to navigate her world of school bullies and bloodthirsty goblins, adolescent peer pressure and deadly coven politics. His latest title, Polly and the Pirates, features action, adventure, treasure, and piratical etiquette, with a second volume scheduled to appear in January 2012.

Brian Hurtt
Brian made his comics debut with the second arc in Greg Rucka's critically acclaimed series Queen & Country and continued with Skinwalker, Hard Time and the critically-acclaimed Gotham Central for DC Comics. In 2006 he began his collaborative partnership with writer Cullen Bunn, beginning with The Damned. Their current series is the phenomenal monthly title The Sixth Gun for Oni Press, whose third collection will be debuting in April 2012.

Nate Powell
Nate's graphic novels include Sounds of Your Name, It Disappears, and Please Release, as well as the Eisner and Ignatz Award-winning Swallow Me Whole. He has also created dozens of self-published issues, and short story contributions to anthologies such as Papercutter and Meathaus since he began self-publishing at age 14. Nate's joining us to promote his latest graphic novel, The Silence of Our Friends, published by First Second in January 2012.

Steve Lieber
Steve Lieber is a staple of the Northwest comics scene, and has been dubbed the "official Nicest Guy in Comics" by noted author and fellow Portlander Douglas Wolk. His work has been published by DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, Carus, Oni, Dupuis, and others, but he is best known for his creator-owned works Whiteout and its sequel, and Underground, with co-creator Jeff Parker.

Brian Churilla
Brian Churilla is a Portlander, born and raised. His work includes The Engineer: Konstrukt for Archaia, The Avengers and the Infinity Gauntlet for Marvel Comics, and numerous pin-ups for Oni Press, Dark Horse Comics, and Image Comics. His heavily anticipated series, The Secret History of D.B. Cooper, debuts this March from Oni Press and has already garnered much acclaim from fellow creators.

Main Entrance, a Carolyn Main exhibition Location: Sequential Art Gallery + Studio 328 NW Broadway #113, Portland, OR 97209 ()
Date: Thu, Feb. 2, 2012 - Sat, Feb. 25, 2012
Artist Reception, First Thursday: Thu, Feb. 2, 2012, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Sequential Art Gallery is excited to host Portland native Carolyn Main's first solo exhibition of her art, entitled "Main Entrance". We gave Carolyn carte blanche over the gallery space, and this is what she came back to us with...

The works presented will include varied renderings of couplings, both romantic and lewd, and a collection of prints. This will also be the premier of Carolyn's brand new pixel animation sequence, titled "Burn it Down (extended 3 minute cut)".

Reception will be 6-10pm on First Thursday, February 2nd, with wine, beer, and snacks. You can also pick up a pair of the artist's Zombie blood splatter panties, just in time for Valentine's Day! Some content in this show may be considered "mature".

Carolyn Main is an award winning animator and Internet authority on dick jokes (her words). The prolific artist is known for her cutting humor and flourish. You may recognize her art from Portland's weekly alt newspaper, The Mercury, or from the cult hit comic strip Sex Wizards. Visit her website to check out more of her art: www.carolynmain.com.

Opens: First Thursday, February 2, 2012, 6-10pm
Closes: Saturday, February 25, 2011
Open Thursdays 3-7pm, Saturdays 11am-5pm, or by appointment

Stumptown Comic Arts Awards 2012 Open for Submissions

The Stumptown Comics Fest, the largest creator-focused comics convention in the Pacific Northwest, is now accepting submissions of comic work for consideration by our judges for the 2012 Stumptown Comic Arts Awards. Publishers and creators interested in submitting work should include one copy of each title to be considered, accompanied by an official Entry Submission form which can be downloaded from the link below:

2012 Comic Arts Awards Submission Form

Please include one form with each work being submitted.

Categories for this year's awards include Best Artist, Best Writer, Best Cartoonist, Best Letterer, Best Colorist, Best Publication Design, Best Small Press, Best Anthology, and Best New Talent. Any work published after April 2011 will be eligible, and digital comics (meaning any comic published either online or for mobile devices) are also eligible for any category by following the instructions on the submission form. Submitters may not submit more than five distinct works per category, but works may be submitted in any number of categories.

Entries must be postmarked no later than the submission deadline of March 5, 2012 to be considered, and should be mailed to this address:

As with last year, all work submitted will be subject to consideration by a jury of industry professionals. The jury will issue a final ballot in March 2012, which will be available online for voting by any and all professionals, fans and readers of the comic arts. The votes will determine the final winners of each category, which will be tabulated and awarded at the Awards Ceremony to be held during the Stumptown Comics Fest on April 28 & 29 in Portland, Oregon.

Any questions about the Comic Arts Awards should be directed to the Director of the Comics Fest, Indigo Kelleigh at .

Curating the 2012 Comics Fest

This week we completed the bulk of our exhibitor confirmation and emailed all of our applicants informing them of their current status. Thanks to everyone who applied! We confirmed a lot of excellent exhibitors for our 2012 Fest, but unfortunately our space is limited, so we also also had to leave left a lot of excellent artists on the waiting list.

We consider every application we get, but our top priority is to grant space to people making comics. Some terrific game companies, non-comics illustrators, and designers of all kinds applied this year, but our mission is to support comics, and so we had to turn away these applications in favor of people making comics.

We strive to present as diverse a face of the artform of comics as possible, so we weighted table selection towards cases where applicants were able to show us where they fit in the creative spectrum. Other factors that account for how we evaluate your application include: Whether you've exhibited at Stumptown in the past, how familiar our committee is with your work, and how easily we were able to evaluate your comics on your website. In creating a curated comics show, we make every effort to be familiar with all the comics that our exhibitors make, and if we couldn't see a representative sampling of your comics on your site or with your application, it made it harder for us to see how your work would fit on the show floor.

This is only the second year where Stumptown has been a completely curated show. Previously it was simply first-come, first-served, and if you didn't get your application in quickly you simply didn't get a space. Our hope was that the Curated approach would increase the overall quality of the experience for our attendees, and we feel that proved true with last year's show. Attendance was up, and the consensus was that it was the best Comics Fest we've ever held. We believe that our 2012 Exhibitor List will continue this tradition of excellence, and we regret that we can't provide space to everyone who wants it. But we still want you to be a part of the show, and encourage you to come to the Festival, meet us, and continue to apply in the future. Stumptown is about creating a great event for Portland and the comics community, and we're grateful that you're a part of it!

-indy

Original artwork by Emi Lenox & Natalie Nourigat Location: Floating World Comics, 400 NW Couch St., Phone: ()
Date: Thu, Feb. 2, 2012 - Wed, Feb. 29, 2012
Artist Reception & Print Release: Thu, Feb. 2, 2012, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Visit Website

This February, Floating World is proud to exhibit original artwork by local artists, Emi Lenox and Natalie Nourigat. Each artist will display pages from their two new books, EmiTown Vol. 2 and Between Gears, which will be released later in the month by Image Comics.

Emi and Natalie have each created a brand new archival print which will also be available at the show.

Art on display until Feb. 29

BIO INFORMATION:

Based out of Portland, Oregon, Emi Lenox is a comic creator widely known for EmiTown which was released into a printed collection by Image in Dec. '10. She has also had work in Mike Allred's Madman and Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth. She has just finished working on the second collection of EmiTown. Basically, she's just a nutty girl with a case of the munchies and a deep fond love for comics, cats, bassets, and iPods.

http://emitown.blogspot.com/

Natalie 'Tally' Nourigat, is a sequential artist living in Portland, Oregon. Natalie graduated from the University of Oregon's Clark Honors College in 2010. Her first book, Between Gears, is about to be published by Image Comics. She is currently working on a new graphic novel and a children's book series. She appeared in Image Comics' anthology 'This Is A Souvenir' in 2009 and is a member of Periscope Studios.

http://natalienourigat.com/

Frank Santoro's Comic Book Layout Workshop Location: Floating World Comics, 400 NW Couch St., Phone: ()
Date: Thu, Feb. 9, 2012
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Why do some comics read easier than others? Is it the story, the cartooning or the page design? Frank Santoro will demonstrate how some cartoonists such as Hal Foster and Herge used visual harmonies and structures in their page designs much like classical oil painters. Discover the similarities between visual and musical harmonies and how some of the great cartoonists used dynamic symmetry like a map to organize their stories.

Also, after the talk, Frank will lead an informal FREE workshop focusing on formats available for the comic book maker in 2012. Everyone is welcome. Come see what Frank Santoro's Correspondence Course is all about - or come on down just to argue with Frank - maybe even buy a book and get it signed.

Frank Santoro is the artist behind the acclaimed comic books Storeyville and Cold Heat. His work has also appeared in Kramers Ergot. He has exhibited his drawings and paintings internationally. Based in Pittsburgh, Santoro is well known for his visionary colors and evocative sense of place.

http://www.tcj.com/layout-workbook/

Frank Reade Book Launch Event: AIR Location: Hollywood Things From Another World, 4133 NE Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR 97212 ()
Date: Wed, Feb. 22, 2012
Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Visit Website

Before Jules Verne's flying machines and H. G. Wells's spaceships, there was Frank Reade, globe-trotting inventor and original steampunk hero. Starting in the nineteenth century, Frank Reade magazines were the world's first science fiction periodicals. Now Frank Reade and his progeny are back in a new book: Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention! To celebrate the launch of this stunningly designed book, authors Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett--of Boilerplate fame--are hosting a series of events that any Reade family member would be proud to attend.

The events will be held on three consecutive Wednesdays in February, at three Portland comic book stores. Each will have a different theme--Land, Sea, and Air--the three realms Frank Reade explores in his electric vehicles. The authors will also display each of the three model vehicles Guinan himself built for the Frank Reade book, which are rarely shown in public. Attendees will have the chance to talk with the authors and get books signed, as well as meet local steampunks (Land), pirates (Sea), and superheroes (Air).

BONUS: There's a prize at the grand finale event! The first ten attendees who make it to all three events and get their "Land, Sea, and Air" passports stamped will receive a print of an original Frank Reade engraving signed by both authors, plus custom-stamped Frank Reade chocolate "gold coins" (which will also be available for purchase).

Publishers Weekly predicts Frank Reade will "satisfy even the hardest to please of readers" and praises it as "a stunning multimedia confection of the highest order that creates a detailed and delightful world."

Frank Reade Book Launch Event: SEA Location: Bridge City Comics, 3725 N. Mississippi Ave, Phone: ()
Date: Wed, Feb. 15, 2012
Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Visit Website

Before Jules Verne's flying machines and H. G. Wells's spaceships, there was Frank Reade, globe-trotting inventor and original steampunk hero. Starting in the nineteenth century, Frank Reade magazines were the world's first science fiction periodicals. Now Frank Reade and his progeny are back in a new book: Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention! To celebrate the launch of this stunningly designed book, authors Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett--of Boilerplate fame--are hosting a series of events that any Reade family member would be proud to attend.

The events will be held on three consecutive Wednesdays in February, at three Portland comic book stores. Each will have a different theme--Land, Sea, and Air--the three realms Frank Reade explores in his electric vehicles. The authors will also display each of the three model vehicles Guinan himself built for the Frank Reade book, which are rarely shown in public. Attendees will have the chance to talk with the authors and get books signed, as well as meet local steampunks (Land), pirates (Sea), and superheroes (Air).

BONUS: There's a prize at the grand finale event! The first ten attendees who make it to all three events and get their "Land, Sea, and Air" passports stamped will receive a print of an original Frank Reade engraving signed by both authors, plus custom-stamped Frank Reade chocolate "gold coins" (which will also be available for purchase).

Publishers Weekly predicts Frank Reade will "satisfy even the hardest to please of readers" and praises it as "a stunning multimedia confection of the highest order that creates a detailed and delightful world."

Frank Reade Book Launch Event: LAND Location: Floating World Comics, 400 NW Couch St., Phone: ()
Date: Wed, Feb. 8, 2012
Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Before Jules Verne's flying machines and H. G. Wells's spaceships, there was Frank Reade, globe-trotting inventor and original steampunk hero. Starting in the nineteenth century, Frank Reade magazines were the world's first science fiction periodicals. Now Frank Reade and his progeny are back in a new book: Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention! To celebrate the launch of this stunningly designed book, authors Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett--of Boilerplate fame--are hosting a series of events that any Reade family member would be proud to attend.

The events will be held on three consecutive Wednesdays in February, at three Portland comic book stores. Each will have a different theme--Land, Sea, and Air--the three realms Frank Reade explores in his electric vehicles. The authors will also display each of the three model vehicles Guinan himself built for the Frank Reade book, which are rarely shown in public. Attendees will have the chance to talk with the authors and get books signed, as well as meet local steampunks (Land), pirates (Sea), and superheroes (Air).

BONUS: There's a prize at the grand finale event! The first ten attendees who make it to all three events and get their "Land, Sea, and Air" passports stamped will receive a print of an original Frank Reade engraving signed by both authors, plus custom-stamped Frank Reade chocolate "gold coins" (which will also be available for purchase).

Publishers Weekly predicts Frank Reade will "satisfy even the hardest to please of readers" and praises it as "a stunning multimedia confection of the highest order that creates a detailed and delightful world."

Graphic Novel Reading Club: February 2012 Location: Bridge City Comics, 3725 N. Mississippi Ave, Phone: ()
Date: Thu, Feb. 9, 2012
Time: 7:00 pm
Visit Website

Join us on the second Thursday of every month for Portland's first Graphic Novel Reading Club! We meet at Bridge City Comics at 7pm (directions). Bring a chair and something to drink, if you'd like!

The very first Graphic Novel Reading Club (GNRC) was held on October 27, 2005 and we've been doing it every month since. It's a great opportunity to talk in-depth about comics and graphic novels. Every session, we discuss a book that we've previously chosen. We tend to pick new books two months out in order to give people time to buy, borrow or get them from the library so that they may be thoroughly read and digested for that book's session.

We have a wide range of people join us every month for the GNRC; Male, female, young (well, 21+), old, those who have read comics for years and those folks brand new to it! We also read books from every genre so there's always something new and interesting to discuss. It's not just the latest super-hero exploits! The books we've read include mysteries, science fiction, autobiographical, fiction, historical and much more.

SELECTION FOR February 9, 2011:

20TH CENTURY BOYS GN VOL 01
Failed rock musician Kenji's memories of his past come rushing back when one of his childhood friends mysteriously commits suicide. Could this new death be related to the rise of a bizarre new cult that's been implicated in several other murders and disappearances? Determined to dig deeper, Kenji reunites with some of his old buddies in the hope of learning the truth behind it all.

Jan. 19: Guests Announced!

Jeff Lemire
Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Jeff launched into the local comics scene with the 1-2-3 punch of his Essex County trilogy published by Top Shelf. Though he continues to create graphic novels for Top Shelf (his latest, Underwater Welder is due in July), last year Jeff expanded his repertoire by taking on a scripting role for three of DC Comics's 'New52' line of relaunches: Frankenstein, Agent of SHIELD, Superboy, and Animal Man.

We're also excited to be hosting the entire Spell Checkers creative team! This trio's international collaboration is reaching its third volume, and it's a rare treat to have them all in the same place at the same time to talk about their work.

Jamie S. Rich
Author of books like Cut My Hair, The Everlasting, and 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, Jamie's latest novel is Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?. He wrote the comics series Love the Way You Love drawn by Marc Ellerby, and his second book with Joëlle Jones, You Have Killed Me, was released in the summer of 2009. Jamie is a pillar of the local community, having worked in the past with many of Portland's seminal comics institutions.

Joëlle Jones
Joëlle's work has appeared in comics as diverse as DC's Fables, the Dark Horse anthologies Noir and Sexy Chix, the Minx YA novel Token, written by Alisa Kwitney, and has also worked with writer Zack Whedon on a comic book spin-off of the popular Dr. Horrible web series. Joëlle's collaborative relationship with Jamie began with the graphic novel 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, and they've also done short stories for Popgun, Portland Noir, and Madman Atomic Comics.

Nico Hitori de
Nicolas Hitori de is a French comic artist and illustrator currently living in Portland. Having studied at Les Ateliers des Beaux Arts of Paris and Disney Accademia in Milan, he has created works in print (Disney, Milan), publicity, tv (M6, Nolife) and music (Virgin Princesse). After collaborating on Josh Howard's Dead@17 series, he met Jamie S. Rich on Myspace and began the collaborative effort that became Spell Checkers.

Stumptown Comics Expands Board of Directors

After an extensive search for new board members, Stumptown Comics is proud to announce the confirmation of three new members to our team: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Charles Brownstein, acclaimed Boilerplate co-author Anina Bennett and Eisner award-winning editor Shawna Gore.

Brownstein, Bennett and Gore will join the current board members, Stumptown Comics President Joe Keatinge, current Secretary Pollyanne Birge, interim Treasurer Matt Bors, Andy Johnson and Shannon Stewart as they continue to expand the organization's efforts promoting education about the art form of comics on both a local and international level, including the long-running Stumptown Comics Fest. In addition, Bennett will chair the Development Committee as Gore takes over the role as the board's Secretary.

ABOUT CHARLES BROWNSTEIN Charles Brownstein has served as the Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund since 2002. During his years at the helm of the organization, the CBLDF has successfully managed several First Amendment cases, including a notable win in Georgia v. Gordon Lee, and been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. EMA. The CBLDF has also successfully participated in a wide variety of challenges to unconstitutional legislation. Under Brownstein's watch, the CBLDF has also grown its budget to accommodate a full-time staff of three people, a move to New York City, and an increasingly vital program of events across the United States.

ABOUT ANINA BENNETT Writer Anina Bennett is the co-author (with her husband, Paul Guinan) of the steampunk sensation Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel and the new book Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention (Abrams 2012). She and Paul also created the Eisner-nominated science fiction series Heartbreakers, one of the first comics to feature clones and female action heroes. Anina is a recovering comic book editor, having previously shepherded titles such as Nexus, GrimJack, and Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor for First Comics and Dark Horse Comics, as well as Disney stories for the European market.

ABOUT SHAWNA GORE Shawna Gore is a writer and editor who has worked professionally in the world of comics since 1997, when she joined the staff of Dark Horse Comics as the company's first publicist. In that role, Shawna worked alongside comics greats such as Will Eisner, Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Harvey Pekar, and others, to bring broader media attention to the world of comics and bridge the cultural gap that seemed to separate comics from other forms of entertainment. In 2001 and 2002, Shawna served a key role representing Dark Horse in the industry-wide effort to build a wider audience for comics through the creation of Free Comic Book Day. In 2003, Shawna transitioned into a more creative role and became an editor for Dark Horse, working on a broad range of material, from original creator-owned horror and humor comics, to archival collections of hard-to-find classics. She accepted two Eisner awards for her work on archival books in 2009 and won accolades for her dream project--the 25th anniversary edition of Bernie Wrightson's illustrated version of Mary Wollstonescraft Shelley's Frankenstein. Now working as a freelance editor and creative consultant in Portland, Shawna spends her free time reading, gardening, and playing music with friends.

Stumptown Comics is looking forward to having such dynamic, accomplished and passionate new board members and all of the new energy and ideas they will bring to the organization.

Seattle Graphic Novel Panel with Megan Kelso and After-Party Location: Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, 1201 South Vale Street, Seattle, WA 98108 ()
Date: Sat, Jan. 28, 2012
Time: 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Visit Website

Fantagraphics is proud to be one of the sponsors of the 2012 Graphic Novel Panel, held by the Seattle Graphics Arts Guild!

On Saturday, January 28th, join us at the Seattle Design Center in Georgetown for a discussion on creating, publishing and marketing the graphic novel.

Panelists include Fantagraphics artist Megan Kelso, as well as Matthew Southworth (Stumptown), Brandon Jerwa (Battlestar Galactica, Highlander, G.I. Joe), Emi Lenox (EmiTown), and Chuck Messinger (owner of Comic Evolution, Editor-in-Chief at Creative Edge Press).

Led in conversation by moderator Mark Monlux (The Comic Critic Presents Seldom Seen Films), they'll discuss:

Writing: structure, how to write a graphic novel, what tools you need to market your ideas.

Artwork: developing a storyboard, what to consider ahead of time, existing guidelines, examples, good & bad

Publishing & Marketing: establishing business, marketing, and production plans, how publishing is changing.

This event is open to the public, and you can get your tickets here. The Graphic Novel Panel runs from 1:00-4:00 PM at the Seattle Design Center [ 5701 6th Avenue South, Plaza Building, Suite 370 ].

And then join us for the after-party at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery from 4:30-6:00 PM. It'll be a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists, and discuss what you've learned from the panel!

Fantagraphics co-sponsors this event with Emerald City Comicon and AIGA Seattle.

Ladies Night at TFAW: Q&A With Women Creators + Drink & Draw Location: Hollywood Things From Another World, 4133 NE Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR 97212 ()
Date: Sat, Feb. 4, 2012
Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Following the positive response to Drink & Draw Like a Lady: West, hosted with the blessing of original event creators Lucy Knisely and Hope Larson, Things From Another World (TFAW) is proud to announce the debut of Ladies Night on Saturday, February 4. This female-only event will kick off with a Q&A featuring notable local women connected to the comics industry, including Colleen Coover, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Cat Farris, Alison Hallett, Emi Lenox, Jen Van Meter, and Dark Horse Comics Executive Editor Diana Schutz, with a Drink & Draw to follow. Complimentary food and beer/wine (21+ with valid ID) will be provided.

"We had such a great response to Drink & Draw Like a Lady, and personally, I really enjoyed getting to know other women who love comics," said TFAW Marketing Manager Elisabeth Forsythe. "I'm especially excited about our guest speakers, a group of writers, artists, and editors who are a neat cross-section of the local community."

Do you make comics, love reading comics, or just want to learn more about comics? Come spend the evening with Periscope Studio artists Colleen Coover (Gingerbread Girl) and Cat Farris (Legend of Larsha 2), writer/artist Emi Lenox (Emitown), comic book writers Kelly Sue DeConnick (Supergirl) and Jen Van Meter (Avengers Solo), Portland Mercury Arts Editor Alison Hallett, and Dark Horse Editor Diana Schutz on February 4.

TFAW is also offering 10% off everything in the store during the event. The Q&A will begin promptly at 7 p.m., followed by a Drink & Draw and socializing!

Comics Fest 2012 Guests: Round One

We're excited to announce the first round of Special Guests who will be appearing at the 2012 Stumptown Comics Fest!

Stan Sakai
Stan Sakai's celebrated ronin rabbit, Usagi Yojimbo, celebrates its 30th year of publication in 2012, and Stan will be on-hand to share his experiences. Stan is joining Stumptown for the first time in 2012.

Kurt Busiek
Kurt is a prolific comics writer whose most prominent works include Marvels and Astro City. 2011 also saw the debut of Kirby: Genesis with Alex Ross, a reintroduction of dozens of classic Jack Kirby characters in new forms and stories!
Batton Lash
Batton Lash returns to Stumptown in 2012 to celebrate over 30 years of Wolff & Byrd: Counselors of the Macabre comics, and to share the first full-color volume of the long-running series, The Life-Partner of Frankenstein.
Mike Allred
Mike's work on X-Force and X-Statix with Peter Milligan, and I, Zombie may have kept him busy in recent years, but it's his snazzy work with his own character Madman that has kept Mike going for more than 20 years.
Laura Allred
Eisner-award winning colorist Laura Allred has worked with her husband Mike for most of his career, rounding out his art in Red Rocket 7, The Atomics, and Madman, as well as hundreds of other issues for Dark Horse Comics and others.
Randy Emberlin
Long-time comics inker Randy Emberlin returns to Stumptown this year to share his love of comics, and also the tricks of the inking trade! Come learn from one of the best!
Bill Ayers
A once-controversial figure, Bill Ayers now spends his retirement as an educational theorist. Join Bill and Ryan on Saturday, April 28th for a special talk about their views on how to use comics as a teaching tool as proposed in their collaboration To Teach: The Journey, in Comics.
Ryan Alexander-Tanner
Ryan is a local comics artist and educator, specializing in teaching children how to make comics every week at Cosmic Monkey Comics. His latest work is a collaboration with Special Guest Bill Ayers, To Teach: The Journey, in Comics.
Correction: Due to an unfortunate scheduling conflict, Geof Darrow will not be able to join us at Stumptown in 2012 as earlier announced. We regret the error, and hope to be able to bring him out in 2013!

New Year, New Site!

Welcome to the new website of Stumptown Comics, Inc! As the year begins, our organization is shifting our focus a bit, in order to better serve the comics-loving people of Portland! Throughout the year we'll be posting news of upcoming and ongoing comics events in and around our beloved Stumptown, as well as continuing to bring you the latest news and announcements regarding our annual Comics Fest!

We're also increasing our participation on several of the social sites, like and , where we'll be pulling together all of the photos and videos we can find, so you can find them more easily! And if you're a Google Calendar user, you can simply subscribe to our public Events Calendar to keep up with the latest!

If you've got a comics-related event you want to have posted here on the site, just click the email link just below the Upcoming Events list on the right of our home page, and you'll get a handy email format to plug your event's information into.

It's our hope that this newly renovated website will become your first destination when you're looking for information about local appearances, author signings, workshops, galleries, comics readings, conventions, and any other comics-related events in town. We're also open to if there's something else you think the site needs.

Enjoy!

-indy

Graphic Novel Reading Club Location: Bridge City Comics, 3725 N. Mississippi Ave, Phone: ()
Date: Thu, Jan. 12, 2012
Time: 7:00 pm
Visit Website

Join us on the second Thursday of every month for Portland's first Graphic Novel Reading Club! We meet at Bridge City Comics at 7pm (directions). Bring a chair and something to drink, if you'd like!

The very first Graphic Novel Reading Club (GNRC) was held on October 27, 2005 and we've been doing it every month since. It's a great opportunity to talk in-depth about comics and graphic novels. Every session, we discuss a book that we've previously chosen. We tend to pick new books two months out in order to give people time to buy, borrow or get them from the library so that they may be thoroughly read and digested for that book's session.

We have a wide range of people join us every month for the GNRC; Male, female, young (well, 21+), old, those who have read comics for years and those folks brand new to it! We also read books from every genre so there's always something new and interesting to discuss. It's not just the latest super-hero exploits! The books we've read include mysteries, science fiction, autobiographical, fiction, historical and much more.

SELECTION FOR January 12, 2011:

SIXTH GUN VOL. 1 TP
During the darkest days of the Civil War, wicked cutthroats came into possession of six pistols of otherworldly power. In time, the Sixth Gun. the most dangerous of the weapons, vanished. When the gun surfaces in the hands of an innocent girl, dark forces reawaken. Vile men thought long dead set their sights on retrieving the gun and killing the girl. Only Drake Sinclair, a gunfighter with a shadowy past, stands in their way.

Cosmic Monkey Kids Comics Club Location: Cosmic Monkey Comics, 5335 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR, Phone: ()
Date: Sat, Jan. 7, 2012 - Sat, Feb. 11, 2012
Time: Weekly, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Visit Website

All Kids Ages 8+!

Held every Saturday from 3-5 PM, this workshop is taught by local cartoonist Ryan Alexander-Tanner!

3-4 pm is the Comics Reading Club! 4-5 pm is the Comics Art Class!

Sessions are structured flexibly to accommodate both new and returning students each week!

$5 admission, parents welcome.