“Save the date! We are excited to announce the debut of the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (or “CAKE” for short) in the summer of 2012! Taking place June 16th and 17th at Columbia College’s Ludington Building, CAKE is focused on celebrating independent and alternative comics of all stripes. The festival plans to feature over 100 exhibitors along with a two-day program of signings, panels, workshops and lectures. With Chicago’s long legacy as a stronghold for underground and alternative comics, the Windy City is an ideal locale to showcase some of the most wild, weird and wonderful contemporary comics talent.” – From the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo Press Release, http://www.cakechicago.com/
It looks like a new outlet for indy and art comics have thrown their hat into the ring! Everyone welcome the good folks from CAKE and mark June 16th and 17th on your calendars.
Meanwhile,
“The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce nominees for the fifteenth annual presentation of the Ignatz Awards, a celebration of outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning.” – From SPX’s email announcing the Ignatz nominees.
You can see the full list over at http://www.spxpo.com/
Finally,
“VanCAF has been about a year in the making up to this point–we just chose to keep it on the down-low until we had some definite guests, in order to get people more excited once the announcement was actually made. We knew that the now-defunct Anime Evolution was in its dying throes so we were eager to think up an event that could replace it, since the artist’s alley was always full of great local cartoonists. So we took the opportunity to fill the gap with a show that was more about comics.” – VanCAF organizer Shannon Campbell, chatting with Sequential.
You can read the whole interview at http://sequential.spiltink.org/?p=9268. I know quite a few people have pinged me about the name of this upcoming fest. I’ve expressed my concerns to the organizers, and I’m helping them out with opinions and advice where I can. I personally think it’s exciting that there are new events cropping up and, if they want to pattern themselves after TCAF and our vision of a comics event, well that’s pretty cool. I think I can say without hubris that they have a lot to live up to with the name they’ve chosen, but I’m confident they’ll succeed with flying colours. And if not they can change the name for year two ;).
– Chris