MoCCA, wait, what?
by Frank Santoro
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
So, since we’re all recovering here at Comics Comics from the insane heat wave of the last few days and the MoCCA festival I thought I’d try to jot down a few things for posterity. It was a good show, I thought, no? PictureBox table was killing it all day. Lauren Weinstein held it down both days debuting the magnificent Goddess of War, which may just be the best comic to come out this year so far. Gary Panter hung out for a bit, signing. CF was there. Michel Gondry arrived when we were all signing and it sort of became surreal. Especially during the fire drill when we were all standing on the corner of Houston and Lafayette and I thought to myself this is like a dream sequence in one of Gondry’s movies, weird. Fun, but weird.
Um, I did my lecture at the MoCCA gallery (thanks Kent!) and it probably couldn’t have gone better. It was a big relief. So for all of you folks who missed it fear not because it was recorded. More on that soon. (Thanks Tucker! Thanks Nina!) And thanks to everyone who came out and supported my wacky rantings, specifically: Tim Hodler, The CCC crew, Alex Holden, Tom K, Dash Shaw, Jon Vermiliyea, Blissy Higgs, R Siroyak, Chris Mautner, Jog, and everyone else who was there whom I can’t remember by name. It was your enthusiasm and interest that made it a good talk or at least fun for me. There were like 7 or 8 people who came up to me afterwards and were extremely positive, which was really rewarding. Thank you, thank you. Honest.
Oh, and for all of you who were there who didn’t get one of my handouts, I will be reprinting them and will make them available. Just send me an email and I’ll get you one eventually.
I’m planning on doing a nice article on the Closed Caption Comics crew who were out in force at this year’s MoCCA. They are a pretty amazing group of artists with strong individual voices. I recommend their blog to get acquainted, CCC, until the article finds its way on to this blog and into the magazine. Most of the CCC artists are printmakers and they embody a particular spirit in comics that I think is extremely important to cultivate. Meaning that if you don’t learn how to make your own books from scratch and familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of how do it all: writing, drawing, printing, distributing, selling, promoting at shows — then you are missing something. And the CCC crew do it all.
Labels: C.F., Closed Caption Comics, Frank Santoro, Gary Panter, Lauren R. Weinstein, Michel Gondry, MoCCA
You were on fire, Frank!
Indeed, it was an amazing performance. I loved every minute of it.
Perhaps it should be a yearly event?
It was a good show, yes. We sold really everything really well and I had a decent time. Or, at least, I wasn’t totally miserable, like usual. For me, of course, Gondry and Weinstein dominated the show. I really enjoyed my chat w/ CF for the audience. Also, I agree, the Baltimore crew is the most refreshing new presence in quite some time. They brightened up an otherwise somewhat mediocre crop of new stuff. I bought and enjoyed Ken
Dahl’s new book, and have Eamon Espey’s new one waiting to be read. I need to write a longer thing on the Post Bang panel, but I’m a little short on time…
I’ve had a half-assed half-start of a post about the CCC gang for the Fanta blog for about two months now. They’re doing some fantastic work but I’ve got no time to do posts; I look forward to your views on their work Frank.
I keep Noel Freibert’s “Troggy’s Little Brother” on my desk at home to remind myself what a compelling, beautiful art object a person can make sitting in a room with hardly a nickel. The ambitiousness and vision is incredible. The fact that Noel could make it even if the computer was never invented is even better.
it was a great talk.
it’s refreshing to see someone jumping up and down and screaming about layouts and format. comics need some fucking enthusiasm.
Are you going to bring some of those handouts to (harumph, harumph) HeroesCon? Because I would like to have one. I will pay you, Frank Santoro. I will pay.