Empezamos el día con Ghengis Con 2017; La Polola y #HumorAmenazado!
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Ghengis Con, the annual small press and independent comics convention run by John “draw hard” G. was held at the The Lake Erie Building, in Lakewood, Ohio on November 26th, 2017 from 2-7pm. (It’s always held on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.)
Ghengis Con is the embodiment of the best of what a regional show can offer: Tradition, support, reliability and low stress.
Since it’s move to the Lake Erie building spirits have been high, but I’ve felt that the crowds and exhibitors haven’t known how to best feel at home in the larger warehouse space. Not so this year! (It used to be held in the cozy, and what would become cramped, Beachland Ballroom) The long corridor that has been used in years past was abandoned and the impact was significant.This year, all 115+ exhibitors filled up the back room. Very few slumps in attendance. Lots of natural light, ample space to walk around, a nice hum of conversation. A miracle for a regional vendor fair like this.
After talking to several exhibitors it’s safe to say John G. organized a warm, profitable afternoon for comics sellers and zine makers. In my opinion he did an amazing job for this small show. This is my fourth year attending. It’s his 9th year organizing it. I grew up in Cleveland, so there’s something very personal about coming back to where I grew up annually. It’s a good rustbelt comics reunion.The local seasons cycle is nice. Healthy. Ghengis Con in Cleveland November as winter sets in. PIX in Pittsburgh in April as spring cracks apart winters icy clutch.
I was there representing the Comics Workbook gang. Just me and Jenn Lisa this year. No hawking comics this time around, just passionate hands on education with kids and adults. The traveling academy. Printer. Scanner. Rolling Writers. Index Cards. Crayons. Staplers.
I’d proposed the idea of doing a personalized workshop space right on the show room floor. We drew, copied and assembled entire zines. 8 page 1/4 Letter zines, One sheet foldies and some wildstyle zines concocted by a motley crew of kids. Kids learned how to assemble booklets and how to smash that “Copy” button on the scanner. If it wasn’t clear before, this isn’t pandering pedagogy, we’re teaching folks how to fish. It was a smash.
This is my attempt to create a parallel space for engagement at comics shows. A baby step in expanding the festival tool kit.
A huge thank you to John G. for inviting us to work our stuff.
I had a great time. Lots of fun. Spirits were high. Get in touch if you’d like to host Comics Workbook workshops at your show. You can email santoroschool@gmail.com to start a conversation.
– JF
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Spanish Cartoonists Release Free Expression Manifesto
Maren Williams brings it to you over on the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s website:
Dozens of Spanish political cartoonists have signed their names to a manifesto in defense of free speech, citing recent attempts to prosecute comedy under the country’s two-year-old ‘gag law’ as well as a recent string of cartoonists abruptly fired from their jobs.
Read it all HERE.
Read the English-language manifesto with the full list of signatories at CRNI’s website.
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Sol Díaz Castillo y Marcela Trujillo tienen una nueva edicion de La Polola Podcast!
Las chicas se reencontraron y hablaron de lo que fueron sus viajes, aprendizajes, charlas, feminismo y mucho más. Compartieron parte de su botín comiquero de los viajes y además podrán escuchar dos conversaciones que tuvo Maliki con dos de las invitadas al congreso, la primera con Marina Bettaglio acerca de maternidad y la segunda con Hoffy de feminismo.
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Suzy and Cecil – 11-29-2017 – by Sally Ingraham
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Joanie and Jordie – 11-29-2017 – by Caleb Orecchio