~BROOKLYN COMICS & GRAPHICS FESTIVAL

Brooklyn Comics & Graphics festival
(poster illustration: CHARLES BURNS)

the first ever BROOKLYN COMICS AND GRAPHICS FESTIVAL took place this past SAT DEC 5, 2009, 11am-7pm – at OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION CHURCH – 184 METROPOLITAN AVE – in WILLIAMSBURG.
presented by PICTUREBOX and DESERT ISLAND, with over 50 exhibitors and a full schedule of panel discussions and book signings, admission was free.
check out: BROOKLYN COMICS & GRAPHICS FESTIVAL for details . . .

. . . so, if you were in New York City – this weekend – this was the only game in town. and it was fun, despite the fact that the organizers DAN NADEL of PICTUREBOX and GABRIEL FOWLER of DESERT ISLAND seemed a little frazzled, and I guess understandably so. one can only guess at what kind of drama and mini-struggles went on behind the scenes – these comic books guys are some serious dudes . . . don’t ever mistake ‘comics’ – as in comedians !! with comics as in small mostly soft bound books !! it’s a whole world apart. if not a whole other planet. Gabriel Fowler in particular – does much better in the quiet calm of his Desert Island, than he does in the midst of a teeming Williamsburg church basement on a stormy night !!
The crowd was mostly male, and seemed to be comprised of pretty serious comics aficionados. but nobody was really laughing, except maybe GARY PANTER – who seemed to be in the best mood – of anybody !!
and Frankie Santoro !! who had had a good day – as in, “raked it in” – selling classic ‘collector’ comics, and let’s leave it at that. my gut feeling was that not many of the youngest exhibitors manged to cover their minimal participation table costs.
($150 for artists, $200 for publishers). the new SMOKE SIGNAL #3 – made its debut at the fest – but appeared to be somewhat of a dud – except for the front cover. just joking, guys !! – its great. esp the front cover by ANDERS NILSEN !!
also loved the center spread by DASH SHAW !!

It was the very first day of real snow, preceded by a very heavy windy cold rain – so they weren’t sure if this brought out the huge, mostly robust guy crowd – or if they were lucky !! conversely: that it was bad weather – which might have discouraged the less die-hard of the breed from slogging through the cold wet misery outside – cause they didn’t have any crowd control plans . . . and it was crowded. super crowded. all day from the get-go.
for me, it was way more fun to be at, esp since it was the first time they ever did this – than running around at any played-out art fair in Miami, mostly because of the (genuine) talent – that popped up, with such startling & graphic !!
appeal. put it this way, if forced to pick between Vito Schnabel parading around the one-trick pony, not to mention, visually challenged Bruce Almighty ‘nerds’ (the New York Times word for them, not mine !!) – in thrift shop polo shirts – no less.
then, yes. I considered myself damn lucky, even in a New York City snowstorm, as opposed to that Florida hotel pool heat – to see CHARLES BURNS in person !! signing books, a gracious GARY PANTER offering a brief chat, an intense DAVID SANDLIN unraveling his 27 ft. long foot self-produced artist book. not to mention RON REGE Jr – who can actually be made to crack a smile – and, meeting the very influential and under-rated (in the rat world !! I mean art world) MAT BRINKMAN – for the first time – I consider just that – a super special moment. and to cap it off – to actually have had, a somewhat grumpy DAN NADEL hand me over a comp copy, the very first time ever, after almost a decade of covering his adventures !! of explicit JAPANESE MANGA !! – yo, give me New York City – even a tiny church basement, in Brooklyn no less – over Miami Basel – any day.

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you have to give GABRIEL FOWLER credit for producing this great silkscreen over-size poster for the event.
the one and only CHARLES BURNS provided the intense black and white imagery – and even DAN NADEL – had a hand in it. he designed the text lay-out. nice job all around. it goes for $30 – if all you had was $30 – this is where you’d put it. beautiful job. one of the best posters of that quality – I’ve ever seen.

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CHARLES BURNS !!

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CHARLES BURNS inscribing his book – ‘BLACK HOLE’ – in white !! for some lucky fan.

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GABRIELLE BELL – ‘CECIL AND JORDAN IN NEW YORK STORIES’.

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GARY PANTER.
Mr. Panter teaches at SVA.

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he was signing the top of his hard cover boxed book.
well, actually most of these guys will draw some little doodle for ya, as well as sign the book.

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DAVID SANDLIN.
he also teaches at SVA.

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DAVID SANDLIN

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DAVID SANDLIN

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DAVID SANDLIN – ‘SLUMBURBIA !!
this is a self-produced book that incorporates silk screen prints into one long 27 ft contiguous banner – that opens up in a series of Japanese art book-like gestures – is the best way I can explain it. Mr. Sandlin produces the silkscreens, and assembles the over-size books in his silkscreen shop at SVA. The prints are in an edition of 40 each – of which 15 sets were assembled into the hard cover ‘portfolio’ type book. The books go for $6,000.
hey, if all you had was $6,000 – you’d most def – go for this !! I wouldn’t hesitate for a momento !!

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DAVID SANDLIN – how the prints begin to appear in the book.

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DAVID SANDLIN.

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DAVIS SANDLIN.

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DAVID SANDLIN.

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we finally get to meet MAT BRINKMAN !!
we’ve been a big fan of his – since forever !!
he is one comic artist who has been able, like MATT LEINES – to cross the unspoken divide between fine art and cartoon art – and his work – does pop up in art shows here in NYC, and in L.A., and elsewhere.

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MAT BRINKMAN.

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MAT BRINKMAN – I think that is his logo ??!!

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MAT BRINKMAN.

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MAT BRINKMAN.

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MAT BRINKMAN.

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MAT BRINKMAN – no doubt about it – great stuff.

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DAN NADEL of PICTUREBOX and a co-organizer/founder of the event.

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GABRIEL FOWLER of DESERT ISLAND – the other co-organizer/founder of the fest.
but, seriously dude – you bit the dust with me. maybe there is a reason – you’re marooned on a desert island.

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moving on – JAMES McSHANE.

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JAMES McSHANE.

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NOAH LYON – looking good.

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with array of his small, politically charged and seriously funny dude – self-published books !!

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NOAH LYON. his latest – LOL !!
a collaboration with MATT LEINES !! what a wicked & funny combo – or what !!

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the awesome RON REGE Jr !!

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RON REGE Jr. – ‘AGAINST PAIN’ !!

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RON REGE Jr. – these are – DRAWN AND QUARTERLY – publications.

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RON REGE Jr.

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inside a RON REGE Jr. book – !!

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Uninhabitable Mansions !!

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CHRIS DIKEN, ROBBIE GUERTIN and SARA JONES – of Uninhabitable Mansions.

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‘TWO WOUNDS’ – by CHRIS DIKEN

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ROBBIE GUERTIN’s strangest little book – ever.

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a glimpse behind the scenes.

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SAM GASKIN and KEN DAHL – at the SECRET ACRES table.

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SAM GASKIN.

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a good natured SAM GASKIN – cracked a grin – when asked if it was a self portrait !!

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a serious KEN DAHL.

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and KEN DAHL’S – intense ?!! – is that the right word – flight of dark imagination.

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SAM GASKIN – a church basement burstin’ full of talent – or what !!

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MOLLY COLLEEN O’CONNELL and CHRIS DAY of CLOSED CAPTION COMICS – outta Philly !!

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JAMES TURK.

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VICTOR KERLOW.

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VICTOR KERLOW contributed to this collection.
‘SUPERTALK 2009’.

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PANAYIOTIS TERZIS.

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exhibited his ‘PANRAY’.

Becca
BECCA KACANDA – she did that wonderful abstract color paisley design – on the back cover of SMOKE SIGNAL #2.
but otherwise, the comic world evidently is pretty much – a man’s world.

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PAKITO BOCINO of LA DERNIER CRI – outta PARIS, FRANCE.
DERNIER CRI currently have a show up at – CINDERS – its up through DEC 19, 2009.
check it out: CINDERS !!

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PAKITO BOCINO. LA DERNIER CRI – a legendary crew out of FRANCE.

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JOSEPH LAMBERT, SEAN FORD and ALEX KIM.

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‘OILY SKIN’ by SEAN FORD.

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JACK TURNBULL.

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illustration by JACK TURNBULL.

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JACK TURNBULL – also responsible for this wicked piece !!

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CYRUS LUBIN aka FAMOUS CLASS, also in the band BOOGIE BOARDER. and MAURA in the Brooklyn band, DARLINGS.

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and last, but not least, hometown fav – FRANK SANTORO – who made out like a bandit selling rare collector comics !!

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FRANK SANTORO with his own book.
he is also one of the few comic artists who can cross the line into “fine art”.

yo, that’s it, folks !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH