by Mike Rhode

Anais Depommier is a young woman illustrator who has just had Sartre, her first graphic novel (really a graphic biography) come out in English from NBM Publsihing. She attended the 2017 Small Press Expo and I got the opportunity to interview her there.

Her NBM biography is charmingly translated rather literally (and a little outdated as you'll see later in the interview): Anaïs Depommier was born in the late 1980s in a small village in the Southeast of France. Growing up a close friend of Mathilde Ramadier, they can't do enough sleepovers from one's house to the other. Inseparable at school, they spend their weekends building huts in the bush, watching the gendarmes go by, playing "Mouse Stampede" on a Macintosh Classic, and reading many comics. When it becomes time to prepare for the entrance exam to art school, they meet later in the evenings at the painter Jean-Michel Pétrissans' workshop in Valence.

Anaïs studied drawing for four years, then co-created the OneShot workshop where regular life drawing classes and other exhibitions are held. She now lives in Paris and works in comics, graphics and animation design. 

For those not familiar with the French philospher Sartre, NBM's blurb for the book reads: For some he was the philosopher of existentialism, for others the constant provocateur, the politically engaged author, the uncertain militant, the repenting bourgeois, the life companion of Simone de Beauvoir… From his first readings in the Luxembourg Garden to his refusal of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Jean-Paul Sartre was all of this at the same time.

Mike Rhode: So SPX is your first American show... is it a little overwhelming?

Anais Depommier: Absolutely.

MR: And Sartre is your first book in English?

AD: Yes, and also my first graphic novel. And also for the writer Mathilde Ramadier, actually. It was our first book.

MR: Did you propose the book together to the publisher?

AD: We've known each other for a long time, so we created the project together and then asked some editors [if they would be interested in it].

MR: Biographical comics are fairy popular in France?

AD: Yes, that is true.

MR: You didn't serialize this in a newspaper first; this is an original graphic novel.

AD: Absolutely, we started everything through a contract with our French editor. Dargaud is our publisher; it's one of the main and oldest ones in France.

MR: Did you have the book already put together, or was it just a proposal when you approached them?

AD: It was just a proposal. Works like this in France are usually [done this way now].

MR: So they gave you an advance?

AD: Absolutely.

MR: Moving on from the business side to the subject, so why did you pick Sartre?

AD: At the beginning, it was the writer's idea. She got her masters degree in philosophy, writing about Sartre, and she's passionate about comics (like I am). She thought it would be a good idea to depict him in comics, so she asked the artist that she knew - me - and I totally agreed with her. We started like this.

MR: Did she give you a script that you then broke down?

AD: Absolutely. In the beginning, she explained to me in conversation what she wanted to say about him, and then she wrote all the script. I made my own layout. She didn't really criticize the scenes - I decided the layout myself.

MR: Right, so she didn't give you thumbnails or sketches?

AD: That's true.

MR: This is a fairly substantial book... how long did it take you?

AD: Oh, a little time. Two and a half years, more or less. 135 drawn pages, and [an appendix] at the end to explain who is who in the book, for 160 pages in total.

MR: Did you have a hard time illustrating any action in a philosopher's life? I saw in the early pages that he was a rough-and-tumble school boy.

AD: Absolutely. It was kind of fun actually to draw that part. [laughs] It was interesting to show this man not just as an intellectual philosopher, a serious guy, because he had a lot of humor. I liked the pages where there was more action, and all his travels, all the trips he made. It was interesting to read the documentation and get the atmosphere.

MR: Did you work from photo references?

AD: A lot. And also from videos. We still have some interview videos of him. He died in 1980. In his last fifteen years, he was not that active outside his house. He was really sick.

MR: Who is the audience for this in France? Is this an all-ages book in France?

AD: Yes, and that's interesting. In festivals, we meet a lot of professors who don't really read comics, but they are curious about it, so that's great for us. Also, the opposite - comics lovers who know Sartre by name but don't know his books and they buy our book because they are curious.

MR: Were you influenced by any of the other biographies that came out? Anne Simon was here last year [at the Alliance Francais] to talk about her books that had been published in English.

AD: Yes, Einstein and Freud... I met her because we have the same French publisher. I think her first book, Freud, was published during the time we were doing the first pages of our book. So she's not really an influence because she has a totally different point of view. I really like her work - it's totally another thing, another approach.

MR: So what's next?

AD: Right now, I'm just starting to work on another story. It's still really, really beginning. It's fiction, and kind of dark.

MR: Your own characters?

AD: Yes. I will work with another writer, an Italian one, and we'll see how it goes.

MR: Is this your first time in America?

AD: Yes it is, and it's really exciting.

MR: Where are you going next?

AD: Before I was in Baltimore at MICA and I met some students, and it was really interesting. Tomorrow I will be at the Brooklyn Book Festival, and then next week I will be in Miami in an art school and then a book store.* The counrty is really different already even between Bethesda and Baltimore so I cannot imagine New York and Miami.


MR: I'm sorry you don't have the time to see Washington while you're here since it was influenced by Paris. Any thoughts about the Small Press Expo? Have you been able to walk around?

AD: Just a little bit this morning, and I will go again now. It seems to have really cool work; so many different comics and illustratioins. It's full of variety and I love it. It's a little underground and I really like that.

SPX floor by Bruce Guthrie

MR: SPX isn't a normal American superhero convention. In France, do you usually attend Angouleme or other festivals?

AD: I've been there twice, but always just to visit. It's a huge festival, and editors send their author with a new book, but Sartre was published in March, and the festival is in January, so it didn't match. Still, it's a crazy festival and a really interesting place to go.

MR: Have you done other French shows then?

AD: Yes, in France - a lot. In Paris, a lot, in Lyon, a lot and so many in little cities.

MR: Do you see a difference about a show in France and one in America?

AD: Here in America everything is bigger. Also the buildings too. It's impressive. I can find the same family atmosphere, a relaxed and fun atmosphere is a common point, for sure.

MR: I should ask you about your background before we end...

AD: What I did before my book? I was in university, in École Émile Cohl, a traditional school with an academic program, and I studied comics and illustration there. After that, I created a studio with friends, and did exhibitions and drawing classes, still in Lyon. Then I went to Paris and I started this book. I've made a lot of little works for newspapers, and been a graphic designer for lawyers,. This book took me so much time. I'm also doing work in Lyon Capitale, a French newspaper that has several pages a month about the history of the city. It's not really serious. There's always a historical background, but the story can be fictional. I'm still working for newspapers as a graphic designer, and I'm starting a new book, but I've also moved to Rome. I don't live in France anymore.

MR: Why Rome?

AD: It's a personal choice, not a business choice. It's a gorgeous city and I really love the Italian south.

The drawing she did in my book

*If you're in Florida tomorrow:
 Anais Depommier Book Signing
Books & Books / September 20 at 8PM
265 Aragon Ave Coral Gables, FL
http://booksandbooks.com/event/anais-depommier/

by Mike Rhode

T.J. Kirsch was tabling at SPX for his new book,  Pride Of The Decent Man, which is getting some very nice reviews. I had actually made an appointment to interview French NBM cartoonist Anais Depommier  (which will appear later this week after I transcribe it), but Mr. Kirsch kindly agreed to do an interview by mail.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I'm a writer and illustrator of comics, webcomics, and graphic novels - or any combination of those three. I've illustrated comics for Oni Press, Archie, Image, NBM and others.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

For all of my recent books I've drawn and colored digitally using a Wacom tablet.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in 1981 in Albany, NY.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I completed a year of art school at Savannah College Of Art And Design, and then finished my training at The Kubert School, graduating in 2005. 

Who are your influences?

My big ones are Dan Clowes, Chester Brown, and Gilbert Hernandez.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I wish I would've had more confidence to start writing my own projects earlier. But along the way I've worked with many very talented writers and learned so much from each of them.

What work are you best-known for?

I co-created and illustrated a webcomic-turned-graphic novel called She Died In Terrebonne, written by Kevin Church. It's been highly acclaimed by critics and often cited as one of the best Noir comics ever published.

What work are you most proud of?

The comics I'm most proud of are all the minicomics that were eventually collected in Teej Comix, and the new book, Pride Of The Decent Man. I made them all in a similar process, using loose outlines and giving myself some room to change things on the page as I went along. Some things work better as comics if you stay flexible with the final product rather than sticking with a set script.

How did your new book end up with NBM?

Terry Nantier, the founder and publisher of NBM Graphic Novels, saw something he liked in my initial proposal submission, and made me an offer quite early in the process. I thought it was a good fit for their catalog, and seeing it finished and in book form, I feel that even more. There's a sensibility to all their books of trying to elevate the art form of comics, while also bringing in a general crossover audience. I like graphic novels I can hand to any random book or art lover on the street, and have them get something out of it - and maybe seek out other comics after that. I think many of the NBM graphic novels have that quality.

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?

I'd like to do more original graphic novels as well as shorter comics. Right now I'm in the very early stages of a nonfiction graphic novel project.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

As an artist, my recent solution to getting out of a rut is to redraw very old work of mine. It's great for self confidence, in that you see your improvement since the earlier version of the piece. 

As far as writer's block - I haven't been in this situation much yet, having worked with writers more than not - but I try to take breaks and let ideas come to me when I'm relaxed and daydreaming.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

Hopefully it will be more innovative comics being made, and respect for the work by the general public, but who knows? 

How was your SPX experience?

SPX was great, as always. It's a very inspiring atmosphere. I've been coming since 2008 and it's been my favorite show ever since - no contest. I've met several of my cartooning heroes, and made some great friends I see every time I come back. 

When you've been at SPX previously, have you been selling self-published books?

 My first time exhibiting I was with Oni Press, debuting a comic called Uncle Slam Fights Back. Most other times I shared space with Jonathan Baylis, who writes an autobiographical comic series called So Buttons. It's in the same vein as Harvey Pekar's work - only a bit more upbeat. I've been contributing art to that series since the first issue ten years ago. But yes, sometimes I'll be showcasing self published minis, or other work I'd done for Oni Press and others. 

Is the experience different when at a table of a mid-level publisher?

It's always easier, and far less stressful, when you can just show up and start signing books, rather than worrying about shipping your own or coordinating everything that goes along with exhibiting.

If you've been coming since 2008, any thoughts about how it's grown and changed?

I can say it's grown every year I've gone. More lines out the door for star cartoonists, more congestion in the aisle, but also the exhibitors all make amazing work and that never changes.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

My favorite things about DC are the closeness to SPX ( of course ), the fast, efficient and clean Metro system, and the fact that I have family there.

Least favorite?

It gets wayyyyy too hot in the summer! Maybe I just need to visit closer to the colder months.

What monument or museum do you like?

I like them all, but the Lincoln Memorial is one I always need to see. The Holocaust Museum is something everyone needs to see.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

There's a small place in Bethesda called the Lilit Cafe that has the most amazing gluten free crabcakes. I didn't have enough time this year to go since I was only around for a day, but that always a necessary stop. There's also Ella's Wood-Fired Pizza across from the National Portrait Gallery that has great gluten free pizza. I've got Celiac disease so these stand out for me.

Do you have a website or blog?

You can find out more about me and my work at www.tjkirsch.com - and you'll find links to all my various social media, info about my books and more.

Pictures of the graphic novels panel with Gene Yang, Lincoln Peirce, Ann Telnaes, Mike Lester, and Roz Chast moderated by Washington Post's Michael Cavna are now online. Arranged by Library of Congress's Sara Duke and Small Press Expo's Warren Bernard.

Bruce Guthrie's professional quality pictures: http://www.bguthriephotos.com/graphlib.nsf/(Merge)?OpenAgent&merge=DC_NBF_Graphics_170902&opt=event

My cell phone shots: https://www.flickr.com/photos/42072348@N00/albums/72157686243404783

Small Press Expo Announces Programming Schedule for SPX 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Warren Bernard Email: warren@spxpo.com Bethesda, Maryland; August 24, 2017 Media Release - Small Press Expo is pleased to announce the Programming Schedule for SPX 2017. SPX is continuing the festival's established tradition of rich, thought provoking programming featuring leading comics artists and critics in conversation. As in previous years, the Programming Schedule features 22 sessions with two simultaneous tracks on both Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17. Here are some highlights: Tillie Walden discusses her new work, Spinning, focusing on her decade spent in competitive figure skating, with Small Press Expo executive director Warren Bernard. Jillian Tamaki (Boundless) and Eleanor Davis (You And A Bike And The Road) are two of our generation's greatest cartoonists. Both create beautiful imagery while telling incredibly poignant stories which are thoughtful and evocative. With moderator Jim Rugg. Moderator L.Nichols will explore the recent movement in comics toward exploring genderfluidity within a science-fiction context, with an emphasis on technology and utopian ideals. Panelists Jeremy Sorese (Curveball), Carta Monir (Secure Connect), Kevin Czap (Futchi Perf) and Rio Aubry Taylor (Jetty) will each discuss how their own work fits into this bold new vision of comics, Gene Luen Yang has distinguished himself as a prominent voice in youth-friendly literature through his books American Born Chinese and Boxers and Saints. He continues to inspire young readers by championing diversity as the recently appointed National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Join us for a very special conversation with Gene as we spotlight Reading Without Walls. Moderated by Johanna Draper Carlson. Join moderator Jared Gardner, publisher Raighne Hogan and an array of 2dcloud artists as they celebrate and recount the history of this cutting-edge indy publisher and look toward its future. Additionally, several panels will focus on the cartooning into today's political climate: Tom Spurgeon moderates political cartoonists Ann Telnaes, Matt Wuerker, Keith Knight and Ben Passmore as they explore the role and responsibility of being a political cartoonist in a time when the freedom of the press is under attack. In a world that seems increasingly difficult to satirize, come see how cartoonists Tommi Musturi (Simply Samuel), Aaron Lange (Trim), Sabin Cauldron (Maleficium), and Katie Fricas (The New Yorker) use different comedic tools to address the absurd, the awful and the just plain ridiculous. Moderated by Heidi MacDonald. Celebrants and detractors alike are chewing on the fact that Donald Trump was elected president. Shannon Wheeler and Robert Sikoryak will help you swallow. In their books Sh*t My President Says from Top Shelf and The Unquotable Trump from Drawn & Quarterly (respectively), these two cartoonists illustrate Trump's words for comedic effect and insight.  The complete schedule with times and descriptions can be found at http://www.smallpressexpo.com/spx-2017-programming-schedule. Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together more than 650 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The expo includes a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests. The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show. As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, which funds graphic novel purchases for public and academic libraries, as well as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), which protects the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, visit their website at http://www.cbldf.org. For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.smallpressexpo.com.

Hobbes Holluck and Karly Perez at SPX 2016

by Mike Rhode

Hobbes Holluck of Winchester, VA participated in the Heroic Aleworks comic book fair this spring, and asked to postpone an interview until he launched his new Kickstarter campaign.  It's live now, so he's telling us about his career by answering our usual questions.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

The things that seem to be constantly recurring in my work are monsters and humor.  Right now I have two fairly distinct styles I work in.  One is a very colorful cartoony style that I use when I do my own storytelling.  The other is a much more dark and expressive style I developed working with Karly Perez.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I generally work traditionally if I can.  I use pencil, ink, inkwash, markers, airbrush, acrylic paint, gouache, etc.  I basically use whatever medium is appropriate for the effect I want.  For Fuzzbuquet, the current story I'm working on, I will generally start with a pencil sketch, ink it, color it using copic markers and then use airbrush for the background and special effects.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in San Juan Puerto Rico in 1981.  Growing up in the 80's had a substantial influence on my work.  Saturday morning cartoons, toy culture, Garbage Pail Kids, and that era of comics definitely resonated with me.  I could go on and on....

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I grew up in the suburbs of D.C. in Chantilly, VA.  I spent about 5 years in Richmond for grad school and then moved back to the area to work as an art teacher.  I recently moved to Winchester.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I have a BA in fine art from Virginia Tech but I didn't learn much about comics or cartooning there.  I probably learned more about the art of cartooning from the blog of John K than anywhere else.  Spending time studying my favorite artworks/cartoons/comics and trying to recreate techniques I see is also quite illuminating.  I learn a lot from artists who share their work on YouTube and social media.

Who are your influences?

The classic Looney Tunes and Disney shorts (especially those by Jack Hannah and Chuck Jones) John K, Ralph Bakshi, Dave Sim, Eastman and Laird, Brom, Tony Diterlizzi, Eric Powell... again the list could go on and on.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I wish I would have spent more time making things and less time playing video games.  

What work are you best-known for?

Fuzzbuquet.

What work are you most proud of?

Fuzzbuquet.  I finally feel like I am producing a story that's close to the way I envisioned it in my head.  It's a fantasy story that's heavily influenced by my love of the cartoons in the 80's and early 90's but it's also very much its own thing.  While it's a whimsical tale, I think once I get through the whole story it will be a meaningful one as well.  I also really identify with the main character- He's an idiot chasing his dreams. 

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?

If and when I finish Fuzzbuquet, I'd like to get into making wooden nutcrackers from scratch.
 
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

If I don't feel like drawing/painting I try to force myself work for at least 30 minutes.  If I'm still not feeling it I'll take a break and come back to it when I'm ready.  As far as writer's block, I usually let my best thoughts come to me when I'm driving to work in the morning or taking a shower and then record them as soon as I can.  My wife is also a phenomenal help when it comes to writing, critiquing and bouncing off ideas.

What do you think will be the future of your field? 

It seems things are going more and more digital.  Maybe that's why I enjoy working traditionally so much.

  

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

Small Press Expo, Awesome Con and Baltimore Comic Con.  I think each one appeals to a slightly different crowd.  I've had good experiences at all three. 

What's your favorite thing about DC?

Joining the DC Conspiracy and finding other people that love making comics as much as me.

Least favorite?

The traffic.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

The National Gallery holds a special place in my heart.  I vividly remember my trip there in 5th grade and it changed my life.  It has a little something for everyone and it always brings back great memories.

 

How about a favorite local restaurant?

This is outside the city but in Burke, VA there is a tiny little Spanish restaurant called El Pueblo.  If you go, get the Xango's for dessert.  Bananas and cheesecake never tasted so good.

Do you have a website or blog?

www.fuzzbuquet.com

hobbesholluck.weebly.com

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1995040525/fuzzbuquet-a-silly-and-spooky-all-ages-fantasy-epi

by Mike Rhode

Jasmine Pinales exhibited at the DC Zinefest and agreed to answer our usual questions afterward. She will be at SPX this fall if you'd like to meet her, and her comics are for sale now on her website. (All images are taken from her website).

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I write and draw fiction and autobio comics.


How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

My work is all traditional. I pencil, ink and letter on paper. I've used ink, markers and watercolor for my final pages depending on what best fits a project. I have produced some digital art but it never feels as strong as my traditional art, I don't think it's the best representation of my art. I lay out my comics on computer and do corrections and clean up.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

1988.

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I live outside of DC in Fairfax County. We moved here when I was 3 and I've been here most of my life. I went to Norfolk for college then returned.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

Most of my comics work is self taught. I spent my childhood reading the WashPo comics section, collected Garfield, Calvin & Hobbes and other strips. In late elementary school I got interested in anime and manga and started copying that while still be interested in  American cartoons and the eventual rise of webcomics on the internet. I've never taken a comics class, I've learned by example and reading all of the backmatter in comics about how pages are made. I've got Eisner's books on comics, and McCloud's which gave me more concrete ideas on how to make better comics. I have a BFA in Studio Art where I focused on comics for my Senior Show, so I have art training.

Who are your influences?

Everything. I really got into Will Eisner's work between The Spirit and his more personal projects after he was done with that. Piet Mondrian is one of my favorite painters, I love Dali and Caravaggio. Yuko Ota and Meredith Gran have some of the best comic timing and gorgeously clean art. Takako Shimura has comics fill of emotional characters and art that has a nice weight to it. So many cartoons, I loved The Weekenders and Recess as a kid. I've pulled visual cues I like from Jen Wang, I really like the was she draws eyes. Craig Thompson's work is gorgeous and made me want to try harder with brushes/brush pens. Internet discussions have made me more confident and inspired to try a broader variety in body types and more diversity, even though plenty of my early characters had variety.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

 All of my past experiences have brought me to where I am now and things would be different if I changed anything. That said, it'd be interesting to see how things could be different if I had gone into college focusing on comics and art and not transferring to comics after a few years in science.

What work are you best-known for?

I don't think I'm known for anything at this moment.

What work are you most proud of?

"How to Make Friends and Captivate People", it's my longest comic to date at 28 pages or so, the printed book has 40 because of an extra story. It was a struggle to produce as I had never tried such a long narrative and I misjudged how long it would take.

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?

 I'd like to continue working on my various stories and characters. I have a female knight and prince story; a group of theater nerd kids; a depressed robot and a myriad of others that I'm sketching out and thinking over slowly. I have a lot of ideas and just need the money and time to focus on them.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I'll step away from a project and create differently. Changing media or tools helps to reinvigorate me to focus on the main projects I'm working toward. This year I got into Hamilton and drew a mess of art, sketches and comics and in the past few weeks I've been listening to the audiobook of Jurassic Park and have had a wealth of ideas for mini comics about the first book that have relatively little to do with the movie. Sometimes indulging and receiving media is necessary to get a new spark, you'll see the right turn of phrase and everything starts turning again and you can keep creating. Another thing I've done, in 2013 after college I stopped drawing just to take a break and I felt awful not drawing anything after a few months so I forced myself to do a little sketch before bed.

 Those sketches turned into a sketchbook I have a shows for sale as I worked through being burnt out and getting back into the groove of production. In 2014 I did a daily sketchbook where I tried different ideas in the small spaces I had. These were for me but sharing them was a great experience too as I became more comfortable with what I could do in the space provided and looked up new topics.

What do you think will be the future of your field? 

More independent creators and creator owned work becoming popular and bigger powerhouses in comics shops. Image does an amazing job putting creators first and Fantom Comics in Dupont Circle works so hard to promote creator own material even as they stock DC and Marvel. They're still big in supporting local DMV creators.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

I've attended SPX since 2012 and this is my first year tabling it, I'm excited. It's a lovely show to attend, a large crowd but there's so much positivity and love for comics in everyone attending and tabling it's great. I'll have at least one new book there that weekend that I'm working on. I'm at L7.

BMore Into Comics in Baltimore is a fun little day show. It's tiny -- in a bar -- but as an attendee you would have plenty of time to talk to the local artists who are tabling. An upside to small shows over big shows and some great local creators go there.

The DC Zinefest - I've shown there since 2015, the audience is very enthusiastic. It's great seeing how many female creators there are.

The Richmond Zinefest, I've tabled there two times now, and it's been in different venues both years, but has been going on for a while in its previous venue. The way it was set up in the library felt confusing as a tabler, maybe it was better for someone who knows that library better, but I heard from many people as they stumbled to the room I was in they were surprised there was another room.

Locus Moon in Philly, I showed there in 2015, it was a ton of fun. Great creators and audience. Everyone there was super enthusiastic. I've heard they're focusing more on publishing and I'd like to go to the show again, not sure if it's happening anymore.

Comics Arts Brooklyn - a small show in a church in Brooklyn, NY. Like smaller shows you get a great change to meet and talk to a creator for a while. Attendance has been enthusiastic and it's at a pretty good time of year in November, chilly but not too cold.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

The variety of people and things to do.

Least favorite?

Metro. Also driving around here is a hassle, not always a direct way someplace. I can drive from where I am to Maryland in 30 minutes or to the middle of the city in 45.

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

I don't have many visitors, I'd want to show them the [National Gallery of Art's] East and West Galleries though; I'm a big fan of art history.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

Daikaya in Chinatown. Both the upstairs Izakaya and the downstairs ramen bar.

Do you have a website or blog?

jasmine-pinales.com also meisterjdraws.tumblr.com

by Mike Rhode

Michael Brace is a member of the DC Conspiracy comics co-op.  He was at DC Zinefest this summer, and finally agreed to answer our standard questions. He will be at SPX next month if you'd like to meet him.


What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I just finished my second black-and-white comic book its in a realistic style. I also contribute one-page stories to a local newspaper comic Magic Bullet and those tend to be a little more cartoony.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

Mostly traditional pen and ink. I used a computer for lettering and occasionally for adding color.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

1950s

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

Long-time Foggy Bottom resident. I came here to pursue an illustration career.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

Took a one-year commercial art vocational training class back in 1973.

Who are your influences?

Too many to name. I'm a big fan of turn-of-the-century book illustration (I should say turn-of-last-century book illustration) and woodblock prints.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

Would have focused more on writing skills.

What work are you best-known for?

Pages in Magic Bullet and artwork for District Comics.

What work are you most proud of?

Managing to finish two comic books.

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?

I would like to expand on my last comic "Never Rescue an Octopus from a Tree".

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I try to have a couple of projects going so I can switch off to keep things fresh.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

I think independent comics will continue to expand on both the web and in print. Flexibility is key.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

Zine Fest and Small Press Expo this year. Great to have an alternative to superhero cons.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

Don't need a car to get around.

Least favorite?

The local neighborhoods are being gobbled up.

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

Air and Space Museum and National Cathedral.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

No longer around "Dove and Rainbow." Made their pizzas with Greek cheeses, they were great.

Do you have a website or blog?

Not at this time.

For Immediate Release Contact: Warren Bernard Email: warren@spxpo.com Small Press Expo Announces International Special Guests Tom Gauld, Cyril Pedrosa, Aimée de Jongh and Pascal Girard for SPX 2016 Bethesda, Maryland; August 4, 2016 Media Release - Small Press Expo is proud to announce Tom Gauld, Cyril Pedrosa, Aimée de Jongh,  and Pascal Girard as Special Guests for SPX 2016. Small Press Expo is honored that all of these international creators are appearing at the festival for the very first time, This is in additon to previously announced special guests Daniel Clowes, Lisa Hanawalt, Jeffrey Brown, Trina Robbins, Charles Burns, Jaime & Gilbert Hernandez, Sarah Glidden Carol Tyler, Jim Woodring, Drew Friedman, Ed Piskor, and a rare festival appearance by Joe Sacco. Tom Gauld is reknown comic creator, designer and illiustrator. He has weekly comic strips in The Guardian and New Scientist, as well as having his work published in The New York Times and The Believer. In addition to his graphic novels Goliath and You're All Just Jealous of My Jetpack, he has designed a number of book covers, as well as a can for Diet Coke. This fall he releases Mooncop from Drawn & Quarterly. Gauld lives and works in London. Cyril Pedrosa studied animation design at the Gobelins, a Parisian school dedicated to careers in the moving image. He went on to work on Disney animated feature films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules. A rising star in graphic storytelling, his unique work is a product of his animation background combined with his literary influences of Borges, Marquez and Tolkien. His moving journal of going back to his family roots, Portugal, is a bestseller. NBM will release Pedrosa's latest, Equinox  this September. Aimée de Jongh is an award-winning animator, comic artist, and illustrator from the Netherlands. She has since created work for children's books, TV shows, music videos, and art installations, alongside numerous comic book series. Her animated film Aurora was screened widely in the Netherlands and Janus, a video installation she created with the L.A.-based artist Miljohn Ruperto, was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art. The Return of the Honey Buzzard, her first graphic novel, won the Prix Saint-Michel and is published in English by SelfMadeHero. Pascal Girard was born in Jonquière, Quebec, Canada, in 1981. He began filling his notebook with drawings on his very first day of school and never stopped. Since he was unable to rid himself of this habit, he naturally decided to make it his career. Girard is the award-winning author of Nicolas, Bigfoot, Reunion, and Petty Theft. He lives in Montreal. In September 2016, Girard is releasing an expanded hardcover edition of his first book Nicholas published by Drawn & Quarterly. In the next few weeks, SPX will announce more guests, the 2016 Ignatz nominees and a full slate of programming. SPX 2016 takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 17-18, and will have over 650 creators, 280 exhibitor tables and 22 programming slots to entertain, enlighten and introduce attendees to the amazing world of independent and small press comics. Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together more than 650 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The expo includes a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests. The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show. As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, which funds graphic novel purchases for public and academic libraries, as well as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), which protects the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, visit their website at http://www.cbldf.org. For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.smallpressexpo.com.