My application for the full scholarship to attend the Women Who Frame the World Symposium @ ODC DANCE April 12-13
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pencil & ink on Bristol board – all content (c) Liz Brent 2011
Last week I went to my friend and role model Amy Martin’s reception at the Cartoon Art Museum here in SF. I’ve been meaning to check out this museum since I moved here, and it was a great occasion to do so. It was awesome to see Amy’s originals and really great to see the museum’s collection. I was actually teared up when I saw an original Bill Watterson Calvin and Hobbes.
There’s just something about seeing the originals that really hits me. Seeing the faint traces of the sketch lines still visible, appreciating the quality of the ink on paper in the way that only the naked eye can, and witnessing something of the artist’s process in those aspects.
And what is it about comics that I love so much? I think that simple things are often the best and comics are SIMPLY AWESOME. Comics are art that tell narratives and how they do it – what characters and worlds comic artists create – seems limitless. I think comics are an incredible testimony to human imagination and skill. In high school I fell in love with Japanese manga, even more so than anime at times, because the personality of the artist really showed through in the styles of drawing and characters. Even as technology, media, and the publishing world change dramatically, comic artists inspire me because they create work by hand, and are more and more self-published. Some of my favorite comics are now online, but owning them in book form is incredibly important to me.
I am definitely pretty low on the the comic nerd spectrum compared to some of my friends, and I actually wish I knew a lot more about comics. I recently tried my hand at creating my very own comic and I want to do more!
Here is a list of my all time favorite comics & manga, new and old!
Calvin & Hobbes
Doonesbury
Sailor Moon
Battle Angel Alita
Trigun
Ghost in the Shell
Gunnerkrigg Court
Amy Martin Comics
Questionable Content
Girls with Slingshots
Tiny Kitten Teeth
A week later, I’m finally recovered enough to do this post…
Last week, my BFF from CO and DIY/zinester counterpart, MQ, came out to San Francisco. We had a lovely time eating various forms of deliciousness in the Mission, shopping on Valencia, going to the beach (It’s a big deal to girls from Colorado!), hanging out in the Haight, and of course, assembling our zines and other materials for the 2010 SF Zine Fest.
I really think this year was our best festival ever. We featured 3 artists from CO: MQ, Adan Delagara, and Kelly of shortandqueer. From CA we had myself and KokoroKara. We had the most cohesive table display we’ve ever assembled, we sold more than ever before, and we had nothing but positive experiences and interactions with other exhibitors and attendees all weekend. Utterly fantastic. Lots of friends came to support and check out the festival. And of course, I walked away with a huge stack of zines and art that will keep me busy for many weeks.
I’m really proud of my and MQ’s new zines. I created a collection of 10 years of my poetry titled “Pop Tarts and Really Good Beer” and my first comic zine, “The Adventures of Kitty & Monkey.” Both will be on sale on my Etsy shop in the next week. MQ’s new zine, “The People We Might Be” featured 3 new essays that connect to mysterious photos from her grandmother’s collection. MQ is an amazing writer and as usual, I was moved by her essays. My favorite was definitely the one about her boyfriend and his gun collection!
What did we learn this year at the Zine Fest?
Finances: We did a lot better this year managing our finances and keeping track of our inventory (I’m happy to report that everyone got paid!) but next year I’d like to have an actual cash box that can lock. That would help soooo much – no more digging around in envelopes for change!
Pricing: I really struggle with knowing how to price my stuff. I’ve been dealing with this on Etsy, as well. MQ and I discussed this a lot – how do you balance the hours you put in both designing and creating, the materials you use, and predicting what people will actually pay for something? I think my break through moment with this was when MQ put it simply – “Is this in my budget range? Would I be able to buy this?” Instead of pricing for some phantom “rich folks,” I should just price for someone like me and make my work affordable and accessible.
Self-promo: I’m really bad at talking up my own stuff, but great at promoting my friends’! Why is this? MQ agreed – so we’d talk up each others’ work a ton AND try to be better about promoting our own stuff.
Customers: I took note of what people were drawn to on our table. Bold lines and colors are an obvious choice, but it was interesting how people automatically went for the zine with the thick, touchable, textured paper. Materials really do make a difference.
Above all, I don’t know what I’d do without MQ! A table buddy makes life so much easier. You have someone to talk to when there’s a lag or when exhaustion sets in, someone to double check the inventory while you chat up customers, someone to watch the table if you need a break, and one of you can go get coffee/lunch/walk around the festival!
We declared this year’s SFZF a total success and we can’t wait for next year! MQ’s visit made me ridiculously happy and I can’t wait to see her again soon.
Right now I’m focusing on my Etsy inventory and catching up on projects. Onwards and upwards, friends!
And lastly, the tip of the iceberg…
Some favorite folks we ran into!
Some new favorites!
There were so many more… Yay Zine Fest!
My DIY counterpart, MQ, and I were featured in the SF ZineFest’s Creator Q+A blog back on August 20th!
At the time, neither one of us noticed… LOL
I finished inking my comic today. MQ will be in SF next week! The Zine Fest fast approacheth…