San Francisco Zine Fest 2016

I dropped in on the 15th annual San Francisco Zine Fest this last Sunday in Golden Gate Park. It's a lively event with a lot of creative energy and lacking the corporate aura surrounding most 'comic' cons these days. The focus is on do-it-yourself print media by local Bay Area creators.

             Here's the illustrious Jaime Crespo and publisher Francis Kohler

                             Here's the equally illustrious Mark Badger

I only picked up a few items at the Fest and didn't notice until I got home the curious aquatic theme to my purchases.

A nice strange book by Anna Zusman

                                  Sea Creature Story is by Skip Wrightson

           
    The all-Creature of the Black Lagoon edition of Monster Nerd

But I did get a copy of David Enos' enigmatic Bat-Man is Lost in a Woods

This poster I saw at one of the booths probably best spells out the Zine Fest ethos:

For future reference:

Jaime Crespo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEt8jtT5Cxw

Mark Badger:  markbadger.org

Anna Zusman:  AnnaZusman.com

Skip Wrightson: skipsflips.com

Monster Nerd: facebook.com/primitiveprimatepress

David Enos: davidedwardenos.blogspot.com

San Francisco Zine Fest: sfzinefest.org

A Glimpse at the APE

This weekend I attended the Alternative Press Expo (aka APE). This year it was held at Ft. Mason along the Marina in San Francisco. An ideal setting for the event. Over the years, APE has presented a slew of often fascinating alternative books, comics and prints. In the past I recall seeing more adventuresome projects (involving letterpress chapbooks, hand sewn binding, screenscreen covers, art books and many aesthetic surprises). Of late that seems to have given way to a more small entrepreneur approach--less wacky and experimental but still pretty exciting.

I always come away with a lot of paper. Here are a few scraps from APE 2014:

Here's just one page from illustrator Mike Lee's book Bodega. The drawings in Bodega are all in pencil   (My first take was they must be digital art). 

For more about this excellent illustrator check out www. mlee. us

 A card announcing a new book by Veronica Graham and Jesse Eisenhower.

A digital print and business card by Yoshi Yoshitani. (Thanks to Val for the print).

A postcard of the mural Whole Cluster by Koak. (The 10 x 12 ft. chalk mural is at the Terroir wine bar on Folsom St. in San Francisco).

Here are a few business cards.

New business card by the talented Josh Ellingson

Veteran cartoonist and illustrator Rick Geary

Here's Vincent Kukua, R.R. Werner and  Jose Moreno.

Avy Jetter

Monstark otherwise known as Mark Thompson.

Here's some monstrous art from his new mini comic Hybrid Moments.

Veronica Graham and Jesse Eisenhower.

Louis M. Brill

Sushu Xia creator of China Comics

The Drink and Draw group.

I attended only one panel talk this year: Robert Williams, painter, Zap cartoonist and founding father of

Juxtapoz magazine.

There were lots (and lots) of young creative artists at APE but I somehow managed to hang out with the old timers like Al Gordon, Bruce Simon and Mark Badger.

Here's comic book artist Al Gordon channeling Steve Ditko.

Seriuosly talented artist and teacher, Mark Badger, has worked on all manner of comic book projects but is currently working on an adaption of Bill Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

He also created this remarkable Abstract Kirby (as in Jack Kirby).

Underground cartoonist Bruce Simon (People Are Phony, Mindshaft) and Mark Badger.

Unfortunately, this is APE's last year in San Francisco. It will be moving to San Jose (and according to current rumors will be scaled down). We will see.