MoCCA Fest 2013 Best Ever!

MoCCA Fest 2013

As I tweeted, this was the best MoCCA Fest ever! It was a fabulous show taken to a whole new level. I bought way too much (based on the luggage space I had to take stuff home), saw old friends, found new reads, and had a wonderful time.

MoCCA Fest 2013

The new management made all kinds of great improvements, from plenty of volunteer staffing to clear signage, good-sized aisles, and the pipe-and-red-drape booths that made the space look professional. All the key indy publishers anchored the show — Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly, Top Shelf, First Second, NBM, Oni — plus the publishers with GN lines, like Abrams and Pantheon. In between were artists tabling for the first time and those with plenty of experience and exciting new comics.

Jen Vaughn shows off The Adventures of Jodelle at Fantagraphics

Jen Vaughn shows off The Adventures of Jodelle at Fantagraphics

I’ll be writing more about the great books I found when I’m home and can read them, but I did fangirl a bit in getting some signed from Lucy Knisley (Relish), Laura Lee Gulledge (Will & Whit), and Darryl Cunningham (How to Fake a Moon Landing), shown here with Brigid Alverson as he signs my copy.

Brigid Alverson and Darryl Cunningham at MoCCA 2013

Brigid, Heidi MacDonald, Jennifer Hayden, Erica Friedman, and I had a wonderful lunch, full of great conversation, at the cafe downstairs. They only had a few sandwich and salad choices, but they were fresh and tasty, and the talk was terrific. It was the best way to relax and take a break from being on my feet, and it was very convenient to be able to stay on site to eat. After lunch, I returned to the show floor and wondered where all these people came from? It was crowded, which was hopefully good for business for the exhibitors.

Chris Pitzer at AdHouse Books at MoCCA 2013

It was also a good show for catching up with a couple of Richmond friends. Chris Pitzer’s AdHouse Books was there with Boulet’s Noirness, a much-anticipated and popular comic. I also chatted with Christopher Irving, who is prepping for a move back to Virginia. Later, when I visited the table of Dean Haspiel and Seth Kushner, I was surprised to see that Christopher had been one of the participants in Kushner’s new Force Field Fotocomix. That shouldn’t surprise me, since the two worked together on Leaping Tall Buildings.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to take in any of the programming. Instead, I tried filming a video interview with Brad Abraham, author of indy comic Mixtape. (I had a miniature video camera and wanted an excuse to try it.) I won’t know until I get home whether it worked, but if it did, I’ll post the clips. I really appreciated his willingness to play along with my experiment!

There’s still time, if you’re in New York City, to check out the show today from 11-6. Here are a few more of my photos:

Jana Christy shows off her happy punk paper dolls

Jana Christy shows off her happy punk paper dolls

Leigh Walton at Top Shelf demonstrates just how big the limited hardcover of Alan Moore's Unearthing is

Leigh Walton at Top Shelf demonstrates just how big the limited edition hardcover of Alan Moore’s Unearthing is

Johanna and Connie Sun at MoCCA 2013

I was really happy to meet Connie Sun, since I really like reading her webcomic. I was glad to note that she wasn’t always as morose as some of her strips seem — it’s artistic exaggeration! Just like the nifty animals she draws herself interacting with.

I haven’t read this guy’s alternative history steampunk comic, but I really liked the way he themed the booth to match his material, from the old-style front bunting to the muslin cover to the stovepipe hat with a hole in it.

Civil War alternate history comic



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