Monthly Archives: October 2012

Philly Zine Fest 2012 Memories

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I went back to Philly for the tenth annual Philly Zine Fest at the Rotunda. It is hard to imagine that the Zine Fest is that old, but it is. I remember visiting the Zine Fest while I was in college and thinking that it was cool, and something I really wanted to do. After college I began working a lot. Since the Zine Fest is almost always in October, I couldn’t make it because it is a super busy time in my work life. Fortunately for me the 2011 Philly Zine Fest last year was in November and I got a table. There I met one of the organizers, Sarah Rose, whom I had the great pleasure of spending a lot of time with in 2012.

Somehow, I forgot to sign up this year although I remembered to take off from work well in advance. Luckily I managed to get a table once I got there. My table was smooshed up against a bunch of loudspeakers on the stage. People asked me if I minded being right next to the speakers, but I actually liked it. It wasn’t mind-bogglingly loud and I was grooving to the tunes the DJ was playing. I could actually hear the music. If my memory serves correctly, he played a less upbeat selection of music that including The Smiths, M83, Robyn, and Aphex Twin. Plus, the position of my table on stage made me feel like I was a teacher about to give an important lecture, which I liked. Here is my picture at my table.

It truly was a great spot, because I was near by some of my homies like Dan Strauss, Kelly Phillips, and Cyn Why. Therewas lot of people I knew tabling at the Zine Fest including Sarah Rose, Bangarang Photography, 3:00 Comics, Awakening comics, Bianca Alu-Marr, Andria Alefhi, Annie Monk, and the Soapbox collective to name a few.

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Comix Gone Rogue DC Series

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My friend Edwin puts together a project called Comix Gone Rogue. In this project artists are asked to recreate or invent a cover that is a tribute to certain heroes of comics. The artwork is donated by the artist and the profits benefit the Hero Initiative an organization that helps out comics book artists in need. The first round of the project artist was a tribute to Marvel Comics. In the second part of the project focused on DC Comics.  Luckily, I was a part if it this time.  I redrew a cover of Action Comics from the 90s with Lois Lane’s bewildered face as she sees the alter ego of her homeboy Clark Kent.


“Action Comics” No. 662. January 1991. This is the cover I was inspired by.

Image via blog.newsok.com

Have you ever recognized that people tend to get a little bit cray when they turn 30? Every 29.5 years, Saturn enters the same constellation it was in when you were born. Your first Saturn return occurs when you are between the ages of 28 and 30. Does that sounds familiar?  Does it make you think of No Doubt’s album Return Of Saturn? It isn’t a coincidence.  Gwen Stefani wrote that album when she was going through her Saturn return in the year 2000 and named the album directly after that. According to astrologists everywhere, especially those who specialize in horoscopic astrology, the Saturn return creates an array of challenges and new tests in your life. Continue reading →

Absury Park is the the rock ‘n’ roll capital of New Jersey. It is the hometown of rock legend Bruce Springsteen, my favorite media queen Wendy Williams, and now the Asbury Park Comic Con. Some of the featured guests at the Asbury Park Comic Con were Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dryer, Dean Haspiel, Larry Hama, Seth Kushner, J.C. Luz, and the shows organizers Cliff Galbraith and Rob Bruce.

As I was approaching the second Asbury Park Comic Con, the weather was dreary with dark menacing clouds twirling in the sky. Dark, unpromising weather could not discourage attendees. The show was inside one of Asbury’s most quirky and well-known venues, Asbury Lanes. The venue is actually a real bowling alley, which hosts punk shows and other subculture events at night. Asbury Lanes is completed with strange pop art, a bar and a grill that serves a variety of grilled and fried food. The whole day they played great music through the PA system, the playlist included songs by the Runaways, Plastic Bertrand, Sonic Youth, and the Wipers.

One the most interesting guests there in my opinion was young artist and New Jersey native Sean Pryor. He actually lives a few steps away from Asbury Lanes, so he probably had the shortest commute. He is well known for his work in Royal Flush Magazine and The Pekar Project. Sean also has a vast knowledge on the universe of music, too.

Also, Emmy Award-winning New York artist Dean Haspiel was there. He writes and draws superhero and semi-autobiographical comics which include a long list of household titles such as Spiderman, Batman, X-men: First Class, Cyclops, The Thing, Deadpool, Spider-Girl, Wildcat, Godzilla, Mars Attacks, and American Splendor to name a few titles. This guy has been a part of so many projects, it would take too much time to list them all.

Another Asbury Park resident that was exhibiting was long-time comics maker Megan Gale of Rock Candy Magazine. Her work is very funny and focuses on alternative music and subcultures. I have been reading her zines and keeping tabs on her since 2004. She is somewhat anti-internet so it isn’t to easy to keep up with the her. The best way to check out her work is in person, at an event like the Asbury Park Comic Con.

Carolyn Belefski and her partner Joe Carabeo came to the Jersey shore all the way from Virginia! Carolyn is an indie comics creator  and her work has appeared in Indie Comics Magazine, Magic Bullet, Team Cul de Sac, Queen Crab, and District Comics. Check out her online web comic Curls.

Here is Bryan G Brown and  me at our table. He writes and illustrates indie comic First Fight, and has done illustration work for Image Comics, the American Heart Association, Revolver Magazine and more. My comics series called Dee’s Dream is an ongoing comedy about a girl in a garage band. We had quite a few commissions and overall really enjoyed ourselves.

After the Comic Con was officially over, the creators poured out onto the boardwalk for some chats and snacks. We grabbed tacos from a new stand that opened up on the boardwalk called Mogo. Pictured above from left to right is Evan Dorkin (Milk and Chesse), Cliff Galbraith (Crucial Comics), Dean Haspiel (American Splendor), and Larry Hama (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero). The moon was full and very mystical looking above the ocean.  There couldn’t have been a nicer way to end the night.