MeCAF announces our first featured guest for 2013- Jeff Smith!

The Maine Comics Arts Festival is pleased to announce our first featured guest for 2013. To celebrate the 5th year of MeCAF, we are extremely thrilled to announce that Jeff Smith will be joining us in 2013. Jeff Smith is the award winning creator of "Bone" and "Rasl".

The Maine Comics Arts Festival will be held in Portland, Maine on Sunday, May 19th, 2013.

MeCAF 2012 announces Featured Guests!

This year's Maine Comics Arts Festival will be held on Sunday, May 20th in Portland, Maine. We are very pleased to announce our first two featured guests.

Kate Beaton, creator of "Hark, A Vagrant" !

Hark! A Vagrant takes readers on a romp through history and literature—with dignity for few and cookies for all—with comic strips about famous authors, their characters, and political and historical figures, all drawn in Kate Beaton’s pared-down, excitable style. This collection features favorite stories as well as new, previously unpublished content. Whether she’s writing about Nikola Tesla, Napoleon, or Nancy Drew, Beaton brings a refined sense of the absurd to every situation.

In just four years, Beaton has taken the comics world by storm with her non sequiturs, cheeky comebacks, and irreverent punch lines. With 1.2 million monthly hits on her site—500,000 of them unique—and comics appearing in Harper’s Magazine, the National Post, and The New Yorker, her caricatures of historical and fictional figures filtered through a contemporary lens display a sharp, quick wit that knows no bounds.

Kazu Kibuishi is the author and illustrator of the popular Amulet graphic novel series for young readers, including Amulet 1: The Stonekeeper, which was honored with the Rhode Island Children's Book Award in 2010 and the Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award in 2011; Amulet 2: The Stonekeeper's Curse; Amulet 3: The Cloud Searchers; and Amulet 4: The Last Council.

Copper, his popular web comic, was published in January 2010. Kazu is also founder and editor of the Flight Anthologies, a critically acclaimed comics series, as well as the creator of Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, a winner of the YALSA Best Books for Young Adults Award in 2006. Born in Tokyo, Kazu moved to the U.S. with his mother and brother when he was a child. He graduated with a degree in Film Studies from the University of California Santa Barbara, and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He currently lives with his wife and son in Alhambra, and works full-time as a comic book artist.

Festival Dates for 2012

The dates for the 2012 Maine Comics Arts Festival will be May 19-20. The festival will be held in Portland at Ocean Gateway. We should be opening exhibitor registrations in January.

We have big plans for 2012 and hope to make this the biggest festival yet. Look for guest announcements in beginning in December.

Programming schedule!

Programming schedule!

Saturday, May 21:

Portland Public Library Main Branch

5 Monument Square

11:00 am: ANDY RUNTON- "Owly" creator Andy Runton will present an all ages reading from his "Owly" books. This will take place in the children's program area of the library.

3:00 pm: Comics in World History & Cultures

A whirlwind look at comics around the world and throughout human history, featuring specific classroom models to stimulate discussion, facilitate student exploration, and encourage creative synthesis. Experienced teacher and cartoonist Marek Bennett (M. Ed.) presents units on modern Japanese history, medieval European history, ancient Mayan culture and mathematics, local history research, and more, including ways these primary sources engage and develop students' powers of graphic literacy, non-linear reading and synthesis, focused research, and other 21st century skills!

Sunday, May 22

Ocean Gateway, Portland

Maine Comics Arts Festival

Doors open at 10:00 am, festival ends at 5:00 pm

Meet over 100 comic writers, artists, publishers and cartoonists who will be exhibiting all day.

Programming (at Ocean Gateway, lower level)

10:30 am:

Colleen AF Venable is the author of the kids’ graphic novel series GUINEA PIG, PET SHOP PRIVATE EYE illustrated by Stephanie Yue. Join her for a fun interactive reading and hands-on storytelling workshop for kids. Learn how to come up with characters, create your own stories, and make your own comics!

11:30 am:

Meet Lincoln Peirce, creator of "Big Nate".

We will discuss the history of his nationally syndicated comic strip Big Nate and his new series of books, and find out what makes Nate tick.

12:30 pm:

The Center for Cartoon Studies Presents:

The One-Sheet Workshop!

Join us for an introduction to the Center for Cartoon Studies and a discussion of some quick, easy and inexpensive ways to publish your own comics. Participants will create an 8-page minicomic using only one sheet of paper!

1:30 pm:

Portfolio reviews from the Center for Cartoon Studies:

Robyn Chapman and Jon Chad from the Center for Cartoon Studies will provide artists with reviews of their portfolios.

2:30 pm: Rick Parker's 1 Hour Crash Course in Cartooning:

Rick Parker is widely known as the artist of "MTV's Beavis and Butt-Head Comic Book" and also draws the Introductory Pages of "Tales From The Crypt" and the graphic novels "Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid" and "Harry Potty" for Papercutz. Join him as he teaches what you need to know about drawing the human figure as a cartoon character.

4:00 pm: A live reading/ performance from AudioComics!

"What if someone crossed The Munsters with The Addams Family— and dumped this crazed creation in a place where monsters are normal, bad is good, and ugly is in demand? You’ll find out this spring, when The AudioComics Company records its first full-cast audio comedy for children and creatures of all ages! Meet…The Batsons!

"The Batsons", a backwards bunch of green-skinned ghouls hatched by the demented brains of best-selling children’s book writers Justine & Ron Fontes, are a spooky-kooky family of misfit monsters who reside in Flemme Falls, the capital of Halloween where 'awful is lawful and everyone’s mean.' As a special preview of the forthcoming audio series, Ron and Justine Fontes will be joined by AudioComics director Bill Dufris (the voice of TV's "Bob the Builder") between 4 and 4:30 for a reading of short Batsons stories for kids ages 5 to 105, including The Champ of Camp Damp, The Thingasaur Who Wanted More, and The Terrible Thang About Ying and Yang. Think your family’s strange? Try spending time with The Batsons at the Maine Comics Arts Festival!"

Guests for MeCAF

SPECIAL GUEST ANDY RUNTON,
CREATOR OF "OWLY"!

Guests and Exhibitors:
Many more to follow plus bios coming soon

Anne Barrett: Anne has quietly cartooned in the background while supporting herself as an animation in-betweener, a multimedia developer, and a web designer. Her “Another Day Comics” strip was featured in publications in Hawaii and the New York metropolitan area back in the 90’s. After relocating to Vermont in 1995 she withdrew the cartoons from the public arena and focused on making a living at a “real” job. She spent two years in Maine in the late “Oughts” where her work resurfaced at Portland’s First Friday Art Walk. Her latest plan is to make her work available for viewing and purchasing at her web site www.anotherdaycomics.com.

In addition to the comic strip, Anne is also an award-winning animator and a performance artist, routinely participating in “Women in Limbo Presents” at the Knitting Factory in New York.

Art School Fraud is an art's and entertainment website and podcast revolving with a focus on the North American comics scene. It is owned and operated by Matt Young and Christopher "Radical" Warren, two New England independent cartoonists and CCS alumni.
www.artschoolfraud.com


Cara Bean: Cara Bean is a cartoonist, painter, and art teacher. Her favorite color is
green and she is fond of hiking around, eating nachos, drinking tea, and coveting people’s dogs. She lives and makes art at Lincoln Studios in Waltham, MA. Cara will be debuting a comic at MECAF that she began at the Center of Cartoon studies last summer. You can get a peek at her sketchbook here: http://beandoodling.blogspot.com/

Carol Burrell is editorial director for Lerner Publishing Group’s Empire State Building-based graphic novel imprint, Graphic Universe, and on the side creates the webcomic SPQR Blues about life in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. In addition to a scary number of years editing children’s books, she has worked as an art director for a roleplaying-game company; as an online game developer; for a newspaper in London; and for the Children’s Book Council.
http://spqrblues.com/IV/

Center for Cartoon Studies

Jon Chad has been producing handmade mini comics and zines since 2006. He has illustrated children's books published by Mascot Books, including one for the FBI. Jon teaches screen printing and book making, and offers weekly lab intensives at the Center for Cartoon Studies. His book, "Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth" has been picked up by Roaring Book Press and is scheduled for release in Fall 2011. http://www.jonchad.com

Robyn Chapman: Since receiving her BFA in Sequential Art, Robyn Chapman has been independently producing, publishing and printing her own comics and zines.
Robyn’s work has been featured in several anthologies and publications,
including Scheherazade, Stuck in the Middle, the NY Metro and Seven Days.
She also edits and publishes a hand-crafted journal dedicated solely to
eyeglasses titled Hey, 4-Eyes! In 2005 Robyn became The Center for Cartoon
Studies' first fellow, in 2008 they awarded her with an MFA. She is
currently a CCS adjunct faculty member, and has taught cartooning in
after-school programs, workshops, and at the New School in New York City.

Brian Codagnone is the creator of the comic strips "Misfits", "S1019" and "In The Zone" and the humor column "Emotional Chaos", all of which can be seen at http://www.corbettfeatures.com/. He is also the author of the books "The Hartford Whalers", "Hey, America! It's Misfits Time!" and co-author of "The Boston Garden" and "The Bruins in Black and White" volumes 1 and 2, all of which should be required reading for every man, woman and child in North America and the more enlightened parts of Europe (sorry, Luxembourg).

Well known to all the hipsters, glitterati and bouncers in town, he's a cartoonist, writer, historian, international playboy by day and crime fighter by night. Living by the credo "What's in it for me?", he'll do almost anything to sell cartoons short of ghosting "The Family Circus". He lives under an assumed identity somewhere in Massachusetts.

Barry Corbett: Corbett Features is a cartoon and illustration syndicate supplying content for print and multi-media. Co-owners Barry Corbett and Brian Codagnone display their work at http://www.corbettfeatures.com/.

Barry is a freelance magazine cartoonist and self-published author of 3 trade paperbacks. His panel cartoons have appeared in national publications including Barron's, American Legion, Lacrosse Magazine, Medical Economics, Christianity Today, and many others.

Barry released his first book in 2006. "Embrace the Pun!" is a collection of pun-based panel cartoons. He followed that up in 2010 with "Revenge of the Pun!" which is also available in e-book format. "Kitty Nirvana: The First Ginger & Shadow Collection" won a Silver Medal at the 2008 IPPY Awards, presented by Independent Publisher Magazine.

A graduate of the Vesper George School of Art in Boston, Barry teaches Cartooning, Photoshop and InDesign at local colleges. Barry's panel cartoons can be licensed for PowerPoint and business presentations through http://www.corbettcartoons.com/.

Ellen Crenshaw:Ellen T. Crenshaw grew up in south Florida, but moved to the unpredictable Northeast to pursue her illustration career. Her clients include Beer Advocate Magazine and Boston's The Weekly Dig (among others); she freelances at children's media company, FableVision; she is a member of the lady illustrators group, Girls Drawin' Girls; she has been published in comics anthologies Inbound and ZombieBomb!; and she regularly exhibits her work all over the United States. Currently, Ellen lives in East Boston with her animator husband and military kitty-cat. Her work can be found at www.etcillustration.com. For most recent updates, see her blog at etcillustration.blogspot.com.

Travis Dandro is the creator of the comic strip Mr.Gnu which has been featured in dozens of college newspapers since 1997. His most recent project Journal was selected as a notable comic in the 2010 The Best American Comics anthology. Travis lives in Maine with his wife and three sons.
http://www.travisdandro.com
http://mrgnucomic.blogspot.com/

Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon are the artists for The Last Unicorn series from IDW. In addition, they have worked on numerous other comics including Rogue Angel and Sonic the Hedgehog. http://raydillon.blogspot.com/

Randall Drew: Randall Drew is an Upstate NY illustrator and cartoonist who now lives and works in Vermont, where he graduated from the Center for Cartoon Studies' class of 2010. Under his RKDIA COMICS label he continues to work on his fledgling fantasy comic Citadel, as well as do illustration work for albums, books and the web. http://randalldrew.com

Jesse DuRona is a native Vermonter now in Senior year at the Center for Cartoon Studies, as a part of the class of 2011. His All-ages, sci-fi adventure comic Capek follows the adventure of a space cowboy bounty hunter, an alienated robot and a curious toddler across the universe as they try to stop a galactic war from breaking out! http://therealdurona.com/

Ariel Finkelstein BestPestStudio is a pair of cartoonists who have come together to fight evil and draw comics. (Mostly the second one.) http://www.bestpeststudio.com/

Bob Flynn was born in Buxton, Maine and raised on a steady diet of cartoons. He currently lives in Boston where he works as Director of Animation for the children’s media company, FableVision. Driven by an obsession with offbeat cartoons, he keeps busy drawing nonsensical creatures and characters to spin into comics. He is the co-creator of Heeby Jeeby Comix, and his work appeared in Nickelodeon Magazine, including several SpongeBob Squarepants comics.

website: http://www.jinxthemonkey.com
blog: http://bobjinx.blogspot.com

Heeby Jeeby Comix: http://heebyjeebycomix.blogspot.com/

Colleen Frakes graduated from comic book college and works in a library. She was awarded a Xeric Grant to publisher her book "Tragic Relief" in the fall of 2007. In 2009, her second comic "Woman King" won an Ignatz award for Promising New Talent. http://www.tragicrelief.com

Zack Giallongo: Zack Giallongo was born in the snowy month of December in 1979. He was educated at the Francis J. Burke Elementary School in Medway, Massachusetts. He went on to complete other higher levels of education, too. Zack draws pictures and writes words. His greatest ambition is to become a minor-enough celebrity to be on either NPR’s "Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me" show, or one of VH1’s decade-remiscience shows so that he can say "Aw, yeah! I remember He-Man!" http://www.zackgiallongo.com/

Lawrence Gillette

Griffin has been illustrating and web designing professionally since 2006 and is currently in school full time for forensic psychology. His newly blossoming comics career has him working with Homeless Comics on the HEALED series and Fat Cat Funnies. View more of his work at ShadedAreas.com.

Howard Hopkins HOWARD HOPKINS (www.howardhopkins.com) is the author of 33 westerns under the penname Lance Howard, six horror novels, three children’s horror novels (The Nightmare Club series) and numerous short stories under his own name. His most recent western, The Killing Kind, is a Dec. 2010 release and his most recent horror series novel, The Chloe Files #2: Silver of Darkness, is available now. He’s written and edited widescreen and panel comic books, graphic novels and short story anthologies for Moonstone, along with editing and writing for The Avenger Chronicles and Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook. He’s also created a new pulp heroine called The Veil and has published stories in The Spider Chronicles, The Green Hornet Chronicles and The Captain Midnight Chronicles.

Cathy Leamy is a Boston-based cartoonist and the creator of the autobio/humor minicomic series Geraniums and Bacon. Her anthology work includes stories in I Saw You? and The Girls' Guide to Guys' Stuff as well as historical research and co-writing for the Marvel Comics anthology Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades. She is a long-time member of Boston Comics Roundtable and has published stories in their anthology Inbound. Read more at her website: www.metrokitty.com

Sara Lindo is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts. She has created several comic books, including the "Carl Finds Love" series, "Wall Street Cat" and "Lobotomy". http://www.thelindo.com

Andrew McKenzie

Dan Mazur is a Boston-based artist and writer, and long-time member of the Boston Comics Roundtable. He created the comics "Lummox," "Palindramas," and "The Way it Crumbles," and is a contributor and co-editor of the BCR anthology "Inbound." He recently founded the Ninth Art Press, which published "Show and Tell: a Collection of Comics About Teaching and Learning."
www.danmazurcomics.com, www.ninthartpress.com, www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com

Carl Mefferd is a caricaturist from Connecticut who is working on his MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies as a part of the class of 2011. His Senior Thesis Project is "Waking Dreams" a story that crosses reality with a fantasy dream world!

George O’Connor: George likes to write. A lot. He’s created over 60 short films and the webseries 664-The Neighbor of the Beast (lazyhorde.com). He’s currently writing the ongoing comic series HEALED for Homeless Comics (homelesscomics.com). He also juggles playing guitar in his metal and punk rock bands. By day, George is a mild-mannered copywriter in the advertising world. He once put a truck on the moon.

Corey Olmstead Maineland Studios/Pillage Comix is the love child of local Portland, Maine graphic artist Corey Olmsted along with creative writer and classic "that guy", Jesse Savage of Boston, Ma. Originally started in the Basement of Mousse Cafe in Monument Square, 2008. We are a small indie publishing company that has self produced over 7 comic titles in the past two years with many more to come. Check our blog @ www.mainelandstudios.wordpress.com

Rick Parker is widely known as the artist of "MTV's Beavis and Butt-Head Comic Book" and also draws the Introductory Pages of "Tales From The Crypt" and the graphic novel "Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid" for Papercutz …

Shelli Paroline

Lincoln Peirce is a cartoonist/writer and the creator of the comic strip Big Nate. It appears in more than two hundred U.S. newspapers and online daily at comics.com.

Jeff Pert is an award-winning cartoonist whose work can be seen on tacky merchandise throughout New England and other parts of the US, maritime Canada, and the Caribbean. Enamored of cartoons and comics since he was a boy and his Dad gave him the very first two "Peanuts" collections (the selling of which would now allow Jeff to retire, if only he hadn't nearly destroyed the books), his work has appeared in newspapers, magazines and on the sides of vans. One of his bumper stickers was spotted in Hawaii, which is not nearly as satisfying as being spotted in Hawaii himself. Jeff lives in mid-coast Maine with a jumpy cat and too many books. You can see his work at www.jeff-pert.com and www.entertainyamania.com.

Morgan Pielli: INDESTRUCTIBLE UNIVERSE QUARTERLY. Morgan Pielli's acclaimed series continues with more tales of science fiction and the surreal! Experience the terror of the "Living Room." Learn the secret of "Picker." Feel the pull of "The Twisting Kiss." And so much more! Find INDESTRUCTIBLE UNIVERSE 7 and author Morgan Pielli at the bright red table and say hi! http://www.morganpielli.com/

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli all-ages graphic novel series. http://www.captneli.com

He has been making state-of-the-art children's entertainment for nearly 20 years. His passion for using the computer as his canvas led him to develop his unique signature style of combining 2D characters with 3D backgrounds.
He served as an art director at Tom Snyder Productions, where he led the creative team in the production of educational CD-ROMs, including the award-winning Fizz and Martina Math Adventures and was as an animator on the ABC Saturday morning show Squigglevision.
He was also the co-creator of the internationally distributed comic book series featuring the world’s first disabled superheroes, The Scrap City Pack Rats, which he created in partnership with Goodwill Industries. They published a six issue series which received national media attention for its groundbreaking approach and subject matter.
Jay is an engaging presenter who has conducted hundreds of comics workshops and classroom events teaching drawing and storytelling techniques. He resides in his home town of Portland, Maine.

Joe Quinones has worked for Marvel, DC and Dark Horse Comics and is quickly establishing himself as one of the top comic cover artists working today. He also was the artist of the Green Lantern story in the critically acclaimed "Wednesday Comics" series from DC Comics. His covers have included Amazing Spider-Man and Star Wars, just to name a few. See more of his work here.

Aya Rothwell currently lives in Arlington, MA. Aya was recently attacked by a Canada Goose when she foolishly walked too close to its nest. (She apologized and ran away.) Aya's minicomics include "The Wolf and the Sun" "Mark and the Aliens". She also has stories published in the "Inbound" and "Show and Tell" anthologies. www.AyaRothwell.com

Kenan Rubenstein

Emily Sauter

Steve Seck is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies. He currently resides in Jersey City, NJ, where he makes "Life is Good", a comic about the continuing non-adventures of an unemployed beer bottle & his homeless alligator friend. http://www.secktacular.com

Rick Silva

Christina Siravo

Matt Smith

Kristi-lyn Stevenson: kristilyn is an artist of many mediums and many methods residing in boston with a small flock of felines. she has and always will enjoy making comic zines and drawing lurid and lovely things. website: zombie-romance.com
kristilyn.com

Betsey Swardlick & Team Werewolf

Hugh Tims

Mort Todd was raised in Yarmouth, Maine and immediately moved to New York City after high school graduation and ended up as writer, artist and/or editor at Marvel Comics, DC, Fantagraphics and other publishers. He became Editor-in-Chief of the infamous Cracked magazine at 23, where he also started the popular Monsters Attack title. At Marvel he launched the Marvel Music line where he worked personally with the Rolling Stones, KISS, AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and others to create comics based on their bands. He has collaborated with a wide variety of comic legends ranging from Steve Ditko, Don Martin and John Severin to Dan Clowes, Neil Gaiman and Peter Bagge. Characters he has worked on include Superman, Conan, Spider-Man and Speed Racer. He is also an animator and filmmaker through his company Comicfix. He produced the film The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal about the Sadistik photo comics he publishes and is developing an animated series based on the character with Iggy Pop as voice actor.

Underburbs

Colleen AF Venable grew up in the trees of Walden, New York….well, not very high up the trees, since she always got scared, but she did carve her name in a lot of low hanging boughs. Colleen had an older sister, a dog, a cat, a million fish, and an imaginary pet hamster named, yup you guessed it, Hamisher. Why have an imaginary friend when you can have an imaginary friend that can fit in your pocket! Colleen went to Wagner College and double majored in English and Studio Art, winning the award of "biggest dork" (aka first in her class) and writing plays which went on to be produced Off-Off-Broadway. Her whole life she always loved reading comics—Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, and she wore out her copy of the Muppets: Short, Green and Handsome—but it wasn't until she started to get into webcomics that she also fell in love with the idea of writing comics. Now Colleen lives in New York City and her day job is designing graphic novels for First Second Books while her night job is writing graphic novels about a not-so-imaginary-anymore hyperactive hamster named Hamisher for Graphic Universe, the graphic novel imprint of Lerner Publishing Group. She thinks the world is a very lovely place.
http://www.colleenaf.com/

Jason Viola writes and draws the depressing webcomic, "Herman the Manatee" (www.hermanthemanatee.com). He lives near Boston with his wife and cat.

One month to go!

More updates!

The poster is finished and will be ready for distribution this week. The artwork is by Zack Giallongo, one of our guests since year one. Great job!

If you live in the Portland area and can help distribute posters please let us know. We print hundreds of posters.

We continue to update the web page and Facebook group. If you are on Twitter you can follow us there at http://twitter.com/MEComicArtsFest. Please retweet to your followers.

The guest page and bios continue to be updated: http://mainecomicsfestival.com/Guests.html

Watch for more updates!

Updates

We have started updating this year's website: http://mainecomicsfestival.com/ .

We have added more guests and will be updating the list this week. We will also have programming again this year on Saturday, May 21 at the Portland Public Library AND on Sunday at the festival.

Exhibitor registrations are currently on hold while we confirm our final table count. If you would like to be put on the waiting list to exhibit please e-mail me. Thanks!

Updates

We are working on updates. There is a lot going on.

We do have a block of hotel rooms booked at the Hilton Garden Inn on the Portland waterfront. This is within walking distance of the festival. Follow this link. If you are interested in other places to stay we can make other suggestions.

Exhibitor tables are over 75% gone at this point (and we have added more tables this year). We will probably close these out in the next week or so.

We are currently looking for someone to design this year's festival poster. If you are interested please e-mail me directly at rick@casablancacomics.com.

2011 Guest announcement-Andy Runton, creator of Owly!

We are very pleased and excited to announce our first featured guest for 2011: Andy Runton, creator of Owly!

Visit Andy's website for more Owly goodness at http://www.andyrunton.com/ .

MeCAF 2011 plans and updates

Now that we are in 2011 we are moving forward with MeCAF 2011. The date(s) will be May 21-22 with programming and other events on Saturday and the festival on Sunday. We should begin making guest announcements very soon (as they confirm). We are excited about this year's show. Please help spread the word.

MeCAF 2011 dates

Just a quick update. The date(s) for the Maine Comics Arts Festival 2011 are May 21-22. We will begin updating things with more information as we have it. Thanks!

Skottie Young at MeCAF

Due to a family medical emergency Skottie Young is unable to attend the festival this year. He will be missed at the show and our thoughts are with him and his family.

http://twitter.com/skottieyoung

We plan on having Skottie join us at the store later this year for a special event so you will get to meet him soon, just not this weekend.

In other news, 99% of the other guests will still be attending so it will be a great time for everyone. We hope that you can join us.

Sponsor Spotlight- Shipyard Brewing Company

Thanks to our sponsor Shipyard Brewing Company. The brewery itself is about 100 yards away from the festival site at Ocean Gateway. Shipyard's products are available at most area stores.

http://www.shipyard.com

Shipyard is committed to brewing the freshest, most flavorful, full-bodied ales available. We use only the finest ingredients, including top fermenting multi-strain yeast from Ringwood Brewery. All our beer is handcrafted with pride at our brewery on the historic waterfront in Portland, Maine.

Shipyard first began in 1992 at Federal Jack's Restaurant and Brew Pub in Kennebunk, which is one of Maine's original brew pubs and working breweries. Within two years, demand for Shipyard beer outpaced the small operation and, in April 1994, founders Fred Forsley and Alan Pugsley opened the Shipyard Brewing Company in Portland. Stop by and visit us when you're in Maine and see first hand why Shipyard is excellence in brewing.

Sponsor Spotlight- Portland Phoenix

The Phoenix is very excited to help sponsor the Maine Comics Arts Festival – a HUGE shout out to Casablanca Comics for putting it together!

Since its first issue hit the streets in September of 1999, the Portland Phoenix has combined the best arts-and- entertainment listings and local news and arts coverage available in the Great State of Maine with the experience and nationally recognized critical expertise of its parent paper, the Boston Phoenix. Each week the Phoenix offers readers a unique editorial perspective not found in daily newspapers. Phoenix writers take the headlines one step further, not delivering just facts but looking behind the story and asking why. The Portland Phoenix is an indispensable resource for entertainment coverage, local news analysis, and complete and comprehensive listings of arts and entertainment events happening from Portsmouth to Bangor.

Guest list update

Here is a nearly complete list of the creators who will be exhibiting at MeCAF. We have a few still to add but this will give you a good idea. If you see any errors or omissions please let us know so that we may correct them. Thanks!

The list is alphabetical by last name.

Mark Anderson

Josh Alves

Jack Bachman

Daniel Barlow

Cara Bean

Marek Bennett

Ben Bishop

Eric Boeker

Heather Bryant

ByrenLee Press/SPQR Blues

Nicole Chaison

Robyn Chapman

Brian Codagnone

Michael Connor

Barry Corbett

Alexander Danner

Seth Desjardins

Katie Megaphone Diamond

T. J. Dort

Nate Doyle

Bob Flynn

Colleen Frakes

Penina Gal

Jaime Garmendia

Cayetano Garza

Thomas Gause

Zack Giallongo

Sam Girdich

Mark Gonyea

Joe Haley

David Jacobson

Joseph Peters

Nomi Kane

Dave Kender

Stacey Kettler

Renee Kurilla

Braden Lamb

Joseph Lambert

Cathy Leamy

Ron LeBrasseur

Jeff Lemire

Jeffrey Lok

Mike Lynch

Daniel Mazur

Joe McGlone

Caitlin McGurk

Christopher Mills

Dave Naybor

Kit

Neko

Jennifer Ormand

Shelli Paroline

Nick Patten

Jeff Pert

Jay Piscopo

John Platt

Caitlin Plovnick

Tina Pratt

Joe Quinones

Joel Zane Rivers

Roho

Dave Roman

Josh Rosen

Aya Rothwell

Kenan Rubenstein

Matt Ryan

Che Salazar

Emily Sauter

Charles Schneeflock Snow

Sarah Searle

Jessica Shea

Gynn Stella Silva

Rick Silva

Christina Siravo

Israel Skelton

Kathryn Skelton

Everett Soares

Susan Soares

Kristilyn Stevenson

Betsey Swardlick

Adam Szymczak

Matt Talbot

Team Werewolf

Colin Tedford

Raina Telgemeier

Dirk Tiede Cartoons

Hugh Tims

Carl Tsui

Jennifer G Vaughn

Jason Viola

Jason Weeks

Maris Wicks

Lee Wilson

Brian Wood

Skottie Young

Stephanie Yue

FAQ's

I just wanted to cover some of the FAQ's we have had about the festival. If anyone has other questions please feel free to e-mail them to me.

What can I expect from the festival?
The festival is really a showcase for the creators. We will have over 100 comic writers and artists on hand for this event. There will be everyone from mini comics publishers to seasoned professionals. There will be comic book writers and artists, gag cartoonists, newspaper cartoonists, web comics creators and more. The guests will have their own work available for sale. Some people will be doing sketches and selling original artwork. Others will have t-shirts, buttons and posters. All of them have one thing in common... a love of comics.

What are the panel discussions?
We will be holding panel discussions on Saturday at the Portland Public Library. These will feature various guest creators who will be discussing a specific topic. A full schedule is posted on the festival website. The topics include how to create your own comics and mini-comics, web-comics and much more. This is free and open to the public.

How much does it cost?
Admission is only $5.00. Children 12 and under get in free. There is also no charge for educators and librarians attending.

What is the schedule?
The festival opens to the public on Sunday at 10:00 am and closes at 5:00 pm. You may leave and re-enter the festival as many times as you like. There are lots of places to eat and shop close to the festival site.

Will there be dealers at this show?
There will not be any dealers in the traditional sense. There will not be any tables with long boxes of back-issues for sale. There will be plenty of books available for sale, but all of the books will be produced and sold by the guests that we have on hand. If you are looking for lots of Marvel and DC comic back-issues this may not be the show for you. Still give it a try though....I think you will be able to find some pretty cool comics in the room. (Note: Bring cash, as most of the exhibitors will not be accepting credit cards. There is an ATM on site).

If you are looking for a more traditional show, I recommend the Granite State Comic-Con on May 23 in Manchester, NH. In Massachusetts check out the fine shows from Larry's Comics.

So where is Ocean Gateway?

The question that we seem to get asked the most is "where is Ocean Gateway"? The short answer is that it is on the waterfront. Turn left onto Commercial Street from Franklin Street (at Casco Bay Ferry Terminal) and drive 2/10 of a mile and you will see it. If you are using a GPS system use 14 Thames Street as your address.

Driving North
Take the Maine Turnpike (Interstate 95) toward Portland to Exit 44, I-295. Proceed on I-295 North to exit 7, the Franklin St. exit, and continue straight on Franklin Arterial Street until it ends at Commercial Street. Turn left on Commercial St. (Commercial St. becomes Thames St.). Ocean Gateway will be on Thames Street, on the right, just past India Street.

Driving South
Take exit 103 off the Maine Turnpike (Interstate 95), which will take you to I-295. Head south. Proceed on I-295 South to exit 7, the Franklin St. exit, and continue straight on Franklin Arterial Street until it ends at Commercial Street. Turn left on Commercial St. (Commercial St. becomes Thames St.). Ocean Gateway will be on the right, just past India Street.

From the Portland Airport
Turn right at the Jetport exit onto Congress Street (Rt 22). Stay on Congress Street 1.8 miles and turn onto the ramp to South Portland/ I-295. Keep left at the fork to pick up Fore River Pkwy. Continue straight through intersection with Valley Street, proceeding onto West Commercial Street. Remain on Commercial Street for 2 miles, following the waterfront. Commercial Street becomes Thames Street. Ocean Gateway will be on your right, just past India Street.

One week to go!

The countdown begins. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask.

The art show will be hung tomorrow and be on display at the Portland Public Library (Main Branch) starting on Tuesday until Saturday.

We hope to post a full guest list in the next few days. The website has been updated but still does not include everyone who will be there.

Up next: a FAQ blog!

Exhibitor e-mail update

A new exhibitor e-mail just went out with lots of updates. If you are an exhibitor at the festival and did not receive it please let us know.

Festival schedule of events

Here is the schedule for the festival:

Portland Public Library

Main Branch, 5 Monument Square

Tuesday, May 18-Saturday, May 22

Maine Comics Arts Festival Art Show-

Lewis Gallery, Portland Public Library

This exhibit will showcase the artists participating in the Maine Comics Arts Festival.

Saturday, May 22

All Saturday events will be held in the Rines Auditorium unless otherwise noted.

Kids Cartooning Workshop 10:00 AM

Children ages 7-12 are invited to try their hand at cartoon art. Using simple shapes, comic book artist Jay Piscopo will demonstrate how to build figures and perspective to create art that tells a story. Stand by for adventure in this hour-long, interactive workshop! Video clip: http://www.captneli.com/schooldemo.php

Portland, Maine artist Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli all-ages graphic novel series. Piscopo also co-created The Scrap City Pack Rats, art directed the award-winning Fizz and Martina Math Adventures, and was an animator for ABC TV’s Squigglevision.

The World of Graphic Novels 11:00 AM

Presenter: John Shableski, Diamond Book Distributors

“The graphic novel is to publishing today very much as rock and roll was when it first entered the music industry mainstream: a strange format already familiar to the popular culture but not yet understood by the established distribution channels."

~ John Shableski, Diamond Book Distributors

This free presentation is for librarians and educators who are interested in the world of graphic novels and are looking for definitions, explanations, and advice on where to begin or expand your collection or how to effectively use graphic novels in the classroom. John conducts this workshop nationally with librarians and educators and is known for his interactive, conversational style. This is his first time presenting in Maine. You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity!

THE PRESENTER: John Shableski is sales manager at Diamond Book Distributors, the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books, and one of the biggest distributors of graphic novels in the U.S. through its Diamond Book Distributors division. John has been a panelist at BookExpo America, a moderator for graphic novel panels at the New York Comic Con, a guest speaker at library events, regional book shows and a symposium coordinator. He's currently collaborating on several graphic novel symposiums across the country. His focus is on the independent bookstore market, public and school libraries.

Cartooning Styles 12:30

A humorous presentation about art styles, featuring images of popular cartoon characters like Sponge Bob Squarepants and Mickey Mouse, and how different artists interpret them. We'll talk about designing characters, and then give an interactive drawing demo, in which the audience will instruct Raina in creating characters and images.

Age range: 5 – 12

Center for Cartoon Studies Presents:

Page Building Workshop 1:30

This hands-on workshop will take a closer look at the basic building blocks of the comics page. Cartoonist and teacher Robyn Chapman will explain how to use page composition to control pacing and create effective stories. No matter how little experience you have, you will leave this workshop having composed a comics page! All supplies will be provided.

Live Comics Reading: Smile & Astronaut Elementary 2:30

Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will read (and perform) chapters from their all-ages graphic novels, as the illustrated panels are projected onto a large screen for all to see. They’ll also ask for some volunteers from the audience to play some of the characters.

Age range: 5 and up.

Featured Guest Discussion:

Jeff Lemire, Brian Wood and Skottie Young 3:00

This panel discussion will cover the works of the festival's featured guests and will include a question and answer session.

The Pros and Cons of Small Press Publishing 4:00

When a writer or artist decides to pursue the comic book industry, the 21st century has provided them with several different options, one of them being small press publishing. But how does one decide the best route to take. Join the creator of Sky Pirates of Valendor, Everett Soares along with Promotions Consultant, Susan Soares as they discuss the Pros and Cons of small press publishing as they share their journey through the industry.

Sunday, May 23

10:00 AM- 5:00 PM

Ocean Gateway, Portland

Maine Comics Arts Festival

Meet over 100 comic writers, artists and publishers, see exhibits and shop for cool comics and graphic novels.