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.

Less than three weeks!

Time is flying! We should be finalizing the programming schedule this week. The room is sold out for exhibitors so we will have a full house. Full pages ads start in this week's Portland Phoenix. Lots happening over the next few days. Look for more updates soon.

One month to go!

The Maine Comics Arts Festival is one month from today! May 23, 2010!

Please spread the word. Anyone who would like to distribute posters should contact us and we will get them to you. Thanks!