Flame-Con, NYC’s First Queer Comic Con is happening today at the Grand Prospect Ballroom in Brooklyn, (which itself is an old drag queen of a building.)

It appears at a glance that Flame-Con has done a reasonable job of encouraging diversity in it’s guest lineup and I hope that I’m not wrong about that. But I’m not really there for the guests. I’m there for the exhibitors. I’m hoping like hell this will be the LGBTQ small press and self-published comic fest I’ve wanted to attend my whole adult life. A quick glance at the exhibitor list tells me I may very well get my wish. ^_^

The most exciting thing about today is that this will be the second Queer-focused comic events I’ll have attended in 2015. How amazing is that!?

On Sunday, I will be visiting AnimeNEXT, which is being held  in Somerset, NJ at the Garden State Exhibit Center. I was on the board of directors a while back for AnimeNEXT, and have seen it be run by many different chairs and I think the current set of organizers and senior staff is the best they have ever had.

2015 will be the last time AnimeNEXT is held in central New Jersey. They”ll be moving to Atlantic City for 2016, which is very exciting. Sucks for me, as Somerset is short ride from here, but yay for them. This means they’ll be growing into a space that will allow for 30K or more, putting them among the top tier cons in the country.

I’ll be presenting a workshop “Crowdfunding For Fun and Profit” on Sunday, June 14, at 12:30 in Panel Rm 4. We’ll talk about what works, what doesn’t, what you can expect and what you might not expect! I hope you can join me.

As an aside, I went to post the logo here and went “D’oh”! Dear Anime Cons, clubs, groups, fans – do not use the “rising sun” Japanese flag. It is emblematic of terrible things, and it may engender bad feelings especially among non-Japanese Asian guests…and anyone who knows history. (Kind of like trying to incorporate a swastika…it may look striking, but gives off bad signals.)

Also on Sunday, June 14, on the other side of the planet (so this evening my time,) Girls Love Fest returns to the Tokyo area, twinned with Ai Fest, once more.

You can find the Participating Circle List here. I’m kind of impressed, that among the Love Live!, and KanColle doujinshi, so many of the circles are listing themselves as doing original work. And there’s at least one each of  Yuri Kuma Arashi and Akuma no Riddle listed, so those might be fun.

Also fun, Takemiya Jin-sensei announces that she’ll be at GLF, and will also be doing a special autograph signing session…not in the circle space, but in a special guest booth. That’s fantastic! You go Takemiya-sensei!

So grab up your business cards and put on your walking shoes…we have a busy weekend ahead.

The Queer & Comics Conference was a truly historical event in every way.

I’m still processing a great deal of what I saw and heard.

CUNY has one of those “neoclassical ponderous” fronts. It’s very intimidating.

Organized by artist Jennifer Camper and Prof. Andre’ Carrington of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) at The Graduate Center, CUNY, Queer & Comics is the very first conference fully sponsored by an academic institution to talk about queer comics.

As a conference, it was one of most wholly diverse things I have ever been a part of, with panels on trans experience, genderqueer/fluid stories, creators of color, stories of dis/ability, acknowledgement and honoring of the generations that have preceeded us. As an example of inclusivity that made everyone openly welcome this was absolutely a gold standard event.

I arrived on Day 1 for LGBTQ comics for Young Readers. This was, unsurprisingly, of great importance to me. The panelists were fantastic:  Zan Christensen of Northwest Press moderated, Jay Fuller (The Boy in Pink Earmuffs), Ariel Schrag (Awkward and Definition), Rica Takashima (Tokyo Love~ Rica ‘tte Kanji?!) Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer) Dan Parent (Archie Comics). The discussion was fascinating, covering the changes they’ve seen – and been part of, and the challenge of what it means to be writing “for YA,” what it means to be labeled a YA author, how one decides what to include or not include, influences and suggestions for further reading (some of which I have already exhorted you to read, such as Lumberjanes and Ms. Marvel)

I then went out to lunch with four amazing women – Rica Takashima, Mari Morimoto (who translates a great deal of the manga you read in English), Keiko Nishimura (a grad student in Communications at UNC, who, in another of those weird coincidences that reminds me of what a small world this is, was in there in 2004 when I introduced the Utena movie for the Lesbian and Gay Film Festival in London) and Fujimoto Yukari-sensei, a professor of shoujo manga at Meiji University, who was a fellow contributor for Eureka magazine’s “Yuri Culture” issue. Did I mention how small a world it is?

We then went back to catch a “master class” with Howard Cruse and Alison Bechdel. I expect you’ll be familiar with Bechdel’s name, as she is one of the best known lesbian comic artists currently drawing, creator of Dykes to Watch Out For and Fun Home, but you may be less familiar with Howard Cruse, who is one of the first-wave LGBTQ comic artists in America, and founder of Gay Comix, the first ever gay comic in America. This talk was amazing, ranging from technical details (“What brushes did you use?” “Whatever I had.”) to discussions of coming out and life in the gay communities of the 70s and 80s and choices the artists made in the process of their defining works. It was both enlightening and endearing.

That was followed up the one session I absolutely, positively, definitely wanted to see : Pioneers of Queer Women Comics, moderated by Samantha Meier, who is writing a book on this topic, featuring names I hope you all know or will learn: Trina Robbins, Mary Wings, Roberta Gregory, Lee Marrs.

From Left to Right: Roberta Gregory, Trina Robbins, Samantha Meier, Jennifer Camper, Mary Wings, Lee Marrs

These amazing women talked about the challenges they faced in the underground comics world, contributing to Gay Comix, what they are doing now and in the future. It was a fantastic panel. I was able to shake their hands, and give them some of our ALC books, and have a great experience. What fantastic women. What an amazing chance to meet them and listen to them.

My Day 1 ended there and Day 2 started late for me.

I caught the last few minutes of This is What I Look Like: Creating Queer Characters of Color, Sina Shamsavari moderating, with panelists Carlo Quispe, Cristy C. Rhoad,  Rica Takshima, Jennifer Crute’, and Rupert Kinnard. (Thank you person who designed the program book, for including the panelists’ names on the schedule!! Thank you so much.) Event organizer Jennifer Camper came in at the end with an emotional and heartfelt thanks for the panelists, because when she first came up with the idea for this conference, this was the first panel she thought of and the entire event was about this moment for her.

Headed out to lunch with the same group, because lunch with amazing people is always the best part of an event. Fujimoto-sensei was heading up to TCAF after Queer & Comics and we talked a little bit about what makes TCAF special. I rendered it down to Q&C is about the stories that need to be told, where TCAF is about the love of comics in every form: the making of, the drawing, the publishing, the selling and the reading of comics.

Then it was time for the panel I was moderating – Wet and Sticky: Female Sexuality in Queer Comics. I had amazing panelists! Jennifer Camper, Ellen Forney, Jennifer Crute’, and Texta Queen. We talked about what we found hot and sexy, what inspired them – they had a fantastic conversation about the technical process of drawing sex scenes, the use of reference photos, and a lengthy discussion of objectification and whether it is a thing that is possible in regards to queer comics.  What a great set of panelists – I was so very lucky to have the honor of being a moderator for this.

I sat with a number of trans and genderqueer comics folks in between sessions and we had a lovely conversation about this event and their work, and cool gender neutral characters in manga. Quicky shoutouts to Sophie Labelle, and her comic Assigned Male, Alison Wilgus, and Kori Handwerker, who has been a Friend of Yuriko for ages. ^_^ So good to see you all.

We all went back to the auditorium once more to hear final thoughts from event founders Andre’ Carrington and Jennifer Camper.

Both of them discussed their vision for this event, which involves taking it on the road. They are hoping to shift this back and forth between the East and West Coasts, and Jennifer mentioned, in conversation, that she though it would be cool to maybe take it on the road to Europe.  (In case you were wondering, I missed the panel, but yes, LGBTQ Bande dessinée had a panel of its own, as did Bara, and webcomics and of course I brought up Yuri in Wet and Sticky.)

But you should also understand that this sort of thing is not just confined to this conference. There is a zeitgeist – second and third wavers are reaching out to have these conversations while the first wavers are still with us, as the new generation is discovering they are not alone through webcomics.

In the sales room (where Prism Comics was graciously handling sales for everyone) I met Soizick Jaffre, who is arranging LGBTQ comics talks in Europe, and Justin Hall, who is hoping to do similar things in San Francisco.

The final presentation was Alison Bechdel’s keynote. Of course she talked about the utter weirdness her life has become since the Fun Home musical, but before that she talked at length about Dykes to Watch Out For, and the constant tension in her between missing the sense of community of her youth and the desire to break away from being a niche community comic artist. She showed us a two-panel comic of two older folks discussing the new “Oppressed Minority to Watch Out For” comic in the paper then, jokingly wondered why her comic just never quite made it to that point, with this illustration.

Eye-opening for me was the fact that, although I have always said I didn’t much care for Dykes to Watch Out For, I laughed hysterically at the strips she showed us, walking us through the comic year by year from inception to ending. Apparently, I am now mature enough to appreciate the humor, and think I’d better go back and read it after all. ^_^

The conference had several satellite events, a “drink and draw”, a reading by artists and a few other social get-togethers that ran before and after the main conference. Everyone who attended had nothing but nice things to say about the event. I certainly hope that CLAGS considered it successful – I’d love to make this a regular event in my schedule.

Before we wrap up, let me give you the rundown on the swag I picked up. ^_^

The very first thing I nabbed was If This Be Sin by Hazel Newlevant, a former Prism Comics Queer Press Grant winner. All three of the stories were bittersweet, but for entirely different reasons. Two were historical –  the first of Gladys Bentley, a crossdresser and lesbian in 1920s Harlem, who went “straight”, married and lived…happily ever after? The second followed the “fictionalized” lives of two of Prince’s band – Lisa Colvin and Wendy Melvoin, watching as their contributions were minimized as his star rose. The final story was a fiction of ballroom dancing and what might have been.

I also had a chance to pick up How Much Queer Work! an anthology that includes Russian LGBTQ artists, as well as some familiar western names. The anthology was put out by the St. Petersburg-based Side by Side Film Festival, specifically to raise money for a Russian LGBTQ organization, in the wake of the re-criminalization of discussing any LGBTQ issues in Russia. This is no joke for Russian queer folks, who are seeing a massive uptick in violence and discrimination as a result of this “protective” legislation.

In an effort to throw a little more money at CLAGS and the event, I picked up the amazing, awesome and damn, I wish I could draw-inspiring Queer Pin-up Cards, published by Northwest Press, with art from pretty much every artist to be involved in this event! These are so damn cool. I found myself smiling at practically every single image.  I’m also (again) amazed and honored that I’ve gotten the chance to meet so many of these ridiculously talented people.

I’d been waffling for a year or two about getting Mariko and Jillian Tamaki’s Caldecott-award winning book, This One Summer. Not because I didn’t want it, but because I kept finding myself in situations where carrying it home would be work. I’m so damn lazy. ^_^; So, finally I had a bag with wheels and Mariko Tamaki had autographed it and I was bloody well going to buy the thing at last! I read it on the train home and it was, as I expected, totally compelling reading. Anyone who grows up anywhere knows this story, as one stops being a child, but is not yet an adult, but the concerns of the adult world start to be seen, but are still opaque.

Last, but not least, I want to thank Denis Kitchen,  a founder of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and a pioneer with Gay Comix, for making it possible for all panelists to get a copy of Howard Cruse’s The Complete Wendel. This is something I have been meaning to read for quite a long time; an important comic of the gay community of the 80s, when everything was changing. The free-wheeling community of the 70s was about to be hit…hard…with the reality of AIDS and coming out was becoming more critical than ever, but no easier. I’m looking forward to reading this immensely.

Thank you Andre’ and Jennifer for a fantastic conference!

I learned a lot at this event. About the artists, about stories I had never read, about myself. But I want to leave you all with what I consider to be the most important piece of wisdom I heard in these two days. Mary Wings said this and I echo her wholeheartedly:

“Don’t ever stop doing what you are doing. Keep on doing it.”

Yesterday was Day 1 of the first-ever, totally historical event Queers & Comics. Sponsored by Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) at The Graduate Center, CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, NYC, Day 2 has just begun!

If you can get over to CUNY for even one session, it’s absolutely worth it! I’ll be moderating Wet and Sticky: Female Sexuality in Queer Comics at 4:15 today in Room 201.

Full report as soon as I have a chance! See you there!

It’s been about ten years since I first attended a MoCCA event, and I have to say, MoCCA Fest really is a must-do comics event, along with Stumptown, Small Press Expo and TCAF.

In a discussion about the unfortunate timing of Flame-con, I pointed out that that there is a space that “comic cons” inhabit in between comic events and anime cons, in which 87% of the con is about the cosplay, another 8% is guest/industry and everything I like – the creating, publishing, enjoying of narrative – is shoved into the remaining 5%. As a result, while I think I should get to Flame-con, it would never be  a must-do, the way MoCCA is for me.

This year MoCCA Fest has a new home, the 548 Center over by the High Line. The 4-floor layout and terrifying walk up stairs reminded me of the original years squeezed into the attractive, but oddly built Puck Building. So, downtown once again, only way on the west side. A good thing for me, if they stay there for a bit.

Industry, such as it is, is located on the 2nd floor, and artists are arranged around the 3rd and 4th floors. All the floors were pretty well packed with artists and people. Panels were held about 2 blocks away at the High Line hotel, which looked to me like an old plant that had been converted into a hotel. It was confusing to get around, but staff was very helpful and the panel rooms were comfortable sizes.

I did a quick once or twice around looking for folks, then went around the floors a few more times with intent to buy. My first stop was Nobrow books, where I was able to confirm that Sam Bosma (who I had a chance to speak to later) is indeed continuing the series he began in Fantasy Sports No. 1. This was everything I’m looking for in a comic for kids and adults, so I was thrilled to  hear that we’d be getting more.

Also exciting was speaking to Molly Ostertag and Brennan Lee Mulligan about the collected volume of their delightful webcomic, Strong Female Protagonist. Ostertag is enthusiastic about the future of the webcomic, which she notes is ongoing, and hopes to do a second volume Kickstarter in the future. I certainly hope so. Their comic is refreshing, with a nice balance of  whimsy and realism.

Moving away from youth, I also picked up Jennifer Hayden’s Underwire, which is an almost maddeningly mature perspective. She and I chatted about the lie that is us as adults and how it always surprises us when we are capable of making a command decision that sounds sensible even as we make it. ^_^ It seems creepy, even to us.

I saw, but was unable to buy, Ladies of Literature, which was a lovely artbook, but learned that a second volume is currently in Kickstarter, which made me think that the one real limitation of crowdfunding is that it still doesn’t make it any easier to get a book that looks interesting. ^_^;

New York is an infinitely diverse and interesting place, and I’m sorry to say that MoCCA doesn’t really give one a good grasp of this. In past years I’ve seen more racial diversity…. Also, there is a shocking lack of queer comics at MoCCA – especially amazing since the queer comics scene in NYC is still a pretty thriving place. Since Prism Comics shifted their focus over to the west coast exclusively, there’s a bit of a gap.  Northwest Press was in attendance, but there were fewer LGBTQ creators among the tables than in past years. Perhaps because Queer & Comics is in a few weeks and they expect a more focused audience for their wares. I’ll hope so, anyway. I’m afraid to project, but have to imagine that increasing costs has something to do with the lack of diversity, as well. In the meantime, Paper Rocket Minicomics gave me a copy of Limp Wrist, a memoir by a trans comic creator.

I took a moment to congratulate Raina Telgemeier on her amazing year of accomplishments. In conversation, she mentioned that she still thinks there’s a lot more room for YA comics and while she’s glad to see Scholastic Press really wade into the fray with tremendous support for YA-focused graphic novels – and recognition by YA literary awards committees like the Newberry and Caldecott awards – she still feels there’s room for more.

Later in the day, this was echoed by Alison Wilgus, as we discussed how comics were treated as a genre, rather than a media and how the few non-comic book companies who publish comics are both bolstered by – and limited by – the larger publishing regimes that own them. Yen Press has better access to advertising, from being part of Hachette, but their marketing is still limited to either “this is a manga thing” or “this is a comics thing,” rather than marketing sports comics to sports lovers and mystery comic to mystery lovers.

Between the two conversations, I started to realize that we are just back at the point where comics were pre-Comics Code days, where romance, kids comics, war, biographical and superhero comics could live side by side and all have a place. With the help of the folks at MoCCA, we’ll get there yet.

Two last notes. The one comic I picked up unread was Jessi Sherron’s The Evil Queen.  No convincing needed, I flipped through, loved the art and the uncompromising character and was sold. ^_^

Thanks also to Marguerite, Christopher, Johanna , Brigid and Alison for a lovely dinner and a beautiful walk through midtown in full geek-out mode and especial thank to James, our kind and generous host. ^_^

Lastly, to quote Brigid Alverson, “There were no ugly comics” at MoCCA. I’d go so far as to say that MoCCA is my annual reminder that comics are alive, well, and thriving.