The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo will kick off its third year’s festivities with a reading at Quimby’s Bookstore with three of its many exciting exhibitors. Join us the Friday before the festival to welcome comics makers, MariNaomi, Elisha Lim and Mike Dawson as they read excerpts from their new graphic novels.
MariNaomi will read from her book, Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories (2DCloud). In this collection of thought-provoking, emotionally honest graphic vignettes, MariNaomi explores a wide spectrum of topics including youthful rebellion, mortality, disillusionment and compassion.
Mike Dawson will read from his book Angie Bongiolatti (Secret Acres). Set in the same universe as Troop 142, Dawson’s much acclaimed tale of Boy Scouts gone wild, Angie Bongiolatti puts away childish things and moves into the city.
Elisha Lim will read from their book 100 Crushes (Koyama Press), which compiles five years of queer comics. It is an absorbing documentary that travels through Toronto, Berlin, Singapore, and beyond in the form of interviews, memoirs, and gossip from an international queer vanguard.
Entertainment Weekly called Mike Dawson’s debut graphic novel, Freddie & Me: A Coming-of-Age (Bohemian) Rhapsody, “undeniably contagious”, while the UK Daily Telegraph said it was “Charming, sincere and, above all, expressively drawn”. Troop 142, his second graphic novel, was nominated for multiple Ignatz Awards, including Outstanding Graphic Novel, and was the winner in the Online Comic category. Dawson is also the co-host of The Ink Panthers Show!, a comics-themed “lifestyle” podcast. http://mikedawwwson.tumblr.com
Toronto-based artist Elisha Lim’s work celebrates the dignity and power of being neither straight, nor white, nor cis-gendered. In 2011 they also successfully advocated for Canadian gay media to adopt the gender neutral pronoun “they.” http://elishalim.com
MariNaomi is the author and illustrator of the award-winning graphic memoir Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0 to 22 (Harper Perennial, 2011), the upcoming books Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories and Turning Japanese (2D Cloud), and her self-published zine, Estrus Comics (1998 to 2009). Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies, including I Saw You: Comics Inspired by Real Life Missed Connections, Cheers to Muses: Contemporary Works by Asian American Women, No Straight Lines, Anything That Loves, QU33R and Action Girl Comics.Her comics and essays have been featured on The Rumpus, The Weeklings, Truth-out, SFBay.CA, The Comics Journal, The Bay Citizen, XOJane and more. http://marinaomi.com
The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo [CAKE] is a weekend-long celebration of independent comics, inspired by Chicago’s rich legacy as home to many of underground and alternative comics’ most talented artists– past, present and future. Featuring comics for sale, workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions and more, CAKE is dedicated to fostering community and dialogue amongst independent artists, small presses, publishers and readers. This year’s CAKE is May 31 & June 1st at the Center on Halsted (3656 N Halsted), and is free and open to the public. http://cakechicago.com
Visit http://cakechicago.com or e-mail cakexpo [at] gmail.com for more information.
Fri, May 30, 7pm – Free Event
Quimby’s Bookstore Chicago, IL quimbys.com
Chicago artist, Jeff Zwirek self-published his debut Graphic Novel, Burning Building Comix, in late 2012. Less than a year later, Zwirek’s supply was nearly gone thanks in large part to the direct market distribution he received with Diamond Comics Distribution through alternative comic’s publisher Top Shelf. After a spate of universal acclaim, Zwirek has gone back to press with a 2nd printing. In that time, Burning Building Comix, was named in a few, year-end top ten lists, including USA Today, and it gained Zwirek the role of Slate.com’s featured artist for their July book review section, which also called the book, “The most inventively made comic of the year.” Join Jeff at Quimby’s to celebrate the second printing.
