September 28, 2012 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Convention News, Massachusetts
Press Release:
The Boston Comics Roundtable, in partnership with River Bird Comics, is pleased to announce the publication of Hellbound III: Darkness, an anthology of all-new horror comics by artists and writers from greater Boston.
The Art Edition of Hellbound III: Darkness will debut on Saturday September 29 at the third annual Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE), and be available at selected comics shops in the region and online. The Art Edition, at 8.5 x 11 inches, features black and white art with a wraparound full color cover nearly a yard long, designed by Roho and featuring art by Jerel Dye. Following this initial printing, a regular edition will be available at local comic stores, shows, and online.
The Boston Comics Roundtable’s annual Hellbound collections have won the praise of many comics critics. Roz Young at Sequential Tart called last year’s edition “a wonderful set of frighteningly fiendish stories.” Brigid Alverson at Robot 6 wrote, “The craftsmanship in this volume is impressive.” Jen Vaughn of the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont called the collection “perfect for the horror fan.” That edition, Hellbound II, was nominated for a New England Art Award in the category of best book.
Hellbound III: Darkness continues in the same horrifying tradition with eleven chilling tales that examine the darkness that lies within all of us. These gruesome narratives feature some of New England’s best artists and writers. Tak Toyoshima, creative director at Dig Publishing, offers a quick taste of zombies. Poet and “horror burlesque” impresario Janaka Stucky teams with tattoo artist Josh Wallis for a story set in a mortuary. Lindsay Moore, Donna Martinez, and Joey Peters explore the dark side of high-school overachievers. Even baseball gets the horror treatment in “America’s Pastime” by Stephen Cartisano and Ellen T. Crenshaw.
The creators work in a variety of styles. Kimball Anderson’s “No, He Can Come” uses totally black backgrounds while James the Vampire’s art may look light and airy but hides terror underneath. Jacob Oley and Gregery Miller collaborate on a nightmarish character sketch named “Vimshaw.” Alison Burke and Tara Harris of Arrocomic.com explore the woods at night. Joshua D. Hoaglund’s “Vengeance” and Adrian Rodriguez’s “Pedestrian” are both nearly wordless, with one story taking place on a whaling ship and the other in a modern city. Jon Clark’s “Void” closes out the volume with the chilling words of a love too far.
The editorial team for Hellbound III included Jerel Dye as story editor and Kyle Anderson as art editor with supplied additional illustrations by Gregery Miller and Roho. This volume was designed and produced by Uruguay born Roho, owner/publisher of River Bird Comics and creator of Hellbound.
The Art Edition of Hellbound III: Darkness costs $25.00 and it’s available for preorder here.
September 26, 2012 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Comic Strips, Convention News, Horror, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Top Stories, Webcomics
The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo has released their Panel and Workshop Schedule for 2012
WORKSHOPS
11:00AM – 11:50AM
September 21, 2012 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Comic Strips, Convention News, Massachusetts, Other, Top Stories, Webcomics
ATTENTION BOSTON COMIC ARTISTS! The Dig will be at the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) next week doing portfolio reviews of your comic work. This is your chance to submit work in person, get feedback, and get a shot at being the newest members of our Sunday Comics Project! Get crackin’!
MICE occurs on Saturday September 29, 2012 at Lesley University (Porter Square campus) in Cambridge, MA. For more information, please visit www.masscomics.com.
September 11, 2012 by Colin Solan
Filed under Art Show, Comic Books, Comic Strips, Convention News, Horror, Massachusetts, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Top Stories, Webcomics
Press Release:
Boston Comics Roundtable (BCR) and the Art Institute of Boston (AIB) are proud to announce the third annual Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE). MICE is Boston’s only show dedicated to alternative comics, ‘zines, and web comics. The 2012 expo features talented regional cartoonists, including Ignatz Award-winning Box Brown (Everything Dies), veteran comics parodist Robert Sikoryak (Masterpiece Comics), and 100 more indie artists on the rise.
With free admission, MICE 2012 is a great opportunity for anyone interested in the local independent comics scene to get a first-hand look at thousands of unusual, entertaining and interesting comics, as well as meet the creators. Over 100 comics artists and small publishers will be exhibiting. The show will include demonstrations with professional artists and panel discussions on topics central to comics and an exhibit of original art.
“There’s so much exciting work being done in independent comics these days, but it’s a rare opportunity to be able to see such a great sampling of it one place,” said Dan Mazur, a MICE organizer. “The great thing about a show like MICE is that so many local creators get to gather together and connect with their fans, and with potential readers.”
The popularity of last year’s show was reflected in the fact that exhibitor tables for MICE 2012 sold out within three hours of going on sale online.
MICE will present a day-long slate of panel discussions and creative workshops, on topics including Comics and Medicine, Comics and the Art World, Comics and Religion, Injury-avoiding Exercises for Artists, and others.
Another new wrinkle for MICE this year is the addition of the NECAC (New England Comic Arts in the Classroom) Symposium, as an associated event. NECAC is an organization that promotes the use of comics as an educational tool in K-16 classrooms. The symposium will be a three-hour event, offering workshops and discussions specifically aimed toward educators. It will be held on the same morning as MICE, and in the same building, creating a unique synergy between a creator-focused and educator-focused approaches to the art of comics.
MICE occurs on September 29 at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. For more information, please visit www.masscomics.com.
ABOUT BOSTON COMICS ROUNDTABLE
Boston Comics Roundtable draws local cartoonists and writers to collaborate, workshop and socialize since 2006. BCR publishes Inbound, an anthology of Boston-area independent comics, Outbound, a science-fiction comics anthology, and the horror anthology, Hellbound. Visit bostoncomicsroundtable.com for more information.
ABOUT THE ART INSTITUTE BOSTON / LESLEY UNIVERSITY
The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University is a college of visual arts offering the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the two-year Advanced Professional Certificate, and the low residency Master of Fine Arts degree. In addition, continuing and professional education, intensive workshops, and pre-college courses are all available.
ABOUT R. SIKORYAK
MICE 2012 Guest of Honor R. Sikoryak’s cartoons and illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker, Nickelodeon Magazine, Drawn & Quarterly, Raw, Fortune, Esquire, GQ, among many other publications, and on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He is the author of the graphic novel Masterpiece Comics (Drawn & Quarterly), and the co-author, with Michael Smith, of The Seduction of Mike (Fantagraphics), a comic book funded by the NEA. He was awarded an Artist’s Fellowship from The New York Foundation for the Arts for his comics adaptations of classic literature. He is in the Speakers Program of the New York Council of the Humanities. In his spare time, he creates performances, slide shows, and animation for downtown theater and independent films.
August 30, 2012 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Comic Strips, Convention News, Massachusetts, Webcomics
MICE, the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, returns for a third year on Saturday September 29th, 2012 from 10 AM–7 PM with special guest R. Sikoryak (Masterpiece Comics)! The Second Floor Atrium of University Hall, at Lesley University’s Porter Square campus in Cambridge, will once again be the site of the Boston area’s only show dedicated to independent and alternative comics, small publishers, webcomics, and ’zines.
The event also includes an exhibit of original comic art and a day-long series of panel discussions which will focus on the growing interaction of comics and graphic novels with other spheres of modern culture. Admission to the show and all related events will be free.
About the Boston Comics Roundtable
Formed in 2006, the Boston Comics Roundtable brings local cartoonists and writers together to collaborate, workshop and socialize. Among BCR’s publications are Inbound, an anthology of Boston-area independent comics, Outbound, a science-fiction comics anthology, and the upcoming 2nd issue of the horror anthology, Hellbound. If you’re in the Boston metro area, join us for our next meeting. Visit bostoncomicsroundtable.com for more information.
About the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University
The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University is a college of visual arts, located in the student- friendly Kenmore/Fenway area of Boston. AIB offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the two-year Advanced Professional Certificate, the low residency Master of Fine Arts degree, as well as continuing and professional education, intensive workshops, and pre-college courses.
September 16, 2011 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Comic Strips, Convention News, Horror, Massachusetts, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Video Games, Webcomics
The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo has released the schedule for this weekend’s show!
Workshops & Artist Demos
Panels
Comics & …! is a day-long program of panel discussions exploring diverse topics in independent comics. Each panel will take place in University Hall’s Amphitheater, 2nd Floor.
11:00 AM - Comics such as Spiegelman’s Maus and Satrapi’s Persepolis have found a solid foothold as legitimate classroom texts. However, there are many other noteworthy graphic novels that could also find their way into the K-16 curriculum. This panel will explore specific strategies for teaching comics and teaching with comics, looking past the “canonical” texts noted above.
MODERATOR: David Marshall PANELISTS: Michael Gianfrancesco, Director, New England Comic Arts in the Classroom; Educator, North Providence High School; Maureen Bakis, author The Graphic Novel Classroom; Alexander Danner, instructor, Emerson College Graphic Novel Program; Robert Shreefter, Professor, Lesley University.
12:15 PM – This panel of writers, artists, and reviewers will discuss today’s comics storytelling for kids, the challenges of appealing to different age groups, and the changing roles of such “gatekeepers” as librarians, comic shops, publishers, parents, and digital portals.
MODERATOR: J. L. Bell, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators PANELISTS: Robin Brenner, creator of noflyingnotights.com, Jef Czekaj, author-illustrator. Gareth Hinds, author-illustrator, Shelli Paroline, artist, Colleen AF Venable, scripter and designer
1:30 PM – Our panelists discuss ways in which the comics medium can be valuable in political discourse, and how independent comics can be an important focus of community activism as well as provide voices for — and representations of — minorities and other marginalized groups.
MODERATOR: Che Salazar PANELISTS: Rebecca Migdal, World War Three Illustrated; Colin Tedford, Trees & Hills Comics Group; Tak Toyoshima, creator Secret Asian Man; Anna Mudd, Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies
2:45 PM – Since 2006 the Project : Rooftop website has examined the trend of independent illustrators redesigning superhero costumes, and now the discussion goes live at MICE! This panel will focus on a few comic book characters, looking at how they’ve been visually interpreted over the years by professionals and fans alike.
MODERATOR: Braden Lamb PANELISTS: Joe Quinones (Wednesday Comics, Amazing Spider-Man), Ming Doyle (Tantalize, The Loneliest Astronauts), and Jennifer Ngan (Instructor, Art Institute of Boston).
4:00 PM – Many of the best comics and graphic novels are created through collaboration between a writer and artist. This panel will present several experienced teams of artists and writers, to share their insights on the pleasures and pitfalls of creative teamwork. How are comics partnerships formed and successfully maintained to produce the optimum results? What surprises have writers and artists encountered in the process of collaboration? What should less experienced creators seeking collaborators look for or be wary of?
MODERATOR: Alexander Danner PANELISTS: TBA
5:15 PM – Digital creation and distribution of comics are here to stay and will only get more important to the future of the medium. What are the best platforms – currently, or on the horizon — for the production and delivery of digital comics? How can artists and writers adapt themselves to new devices and software, and what improvements can be anticipated? What are the implications of these new technologies for the artist’s work and income?
MODERATOR: Dirk Tiede (Paradigm Shift) PANELISTS: Kevin Church (Writer, The Line), Christopher Baldwin (Little Dee) Box Brown (Everything Dies)
September 14, 2011 by Colin Solan
Filed under Art Show, Comic Books, Massachusetts, Signing and Appearance Profiles, Webcomics
Press Release:
From September 10th – October 16th, 8am – 10pm every day, the Atrium Gallery will present an ongoing display of original comic pages by exhibitors at MICE and other area comic artists. The exhibit will include work in traditional illustration media such as pen, brush and ink, as well as examples of watercolor and collage comics, and prints from digitally created work such as webcomics.
Opening: Saturday, September 17th 6 – 9pm
Sponsored by the Art Institute of Boston @ Lesley University and the Boston Weekly Dig
Atrium Gallery
2nd Floor, University Hall, Porter Square, 1815 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
Artists
Kimball Anderson
E. J. Barnes
Cara Bean
Eric Boeker
Jim Bredt
Heather Bryant
Ellen Crenshaw
Doug DeRocher
Jerel Dye
Bob Flynn
Daniel Gessel
Joel Gill
Lawrence Gillette
Tyler James
DeAnna Marie Johnson
Patt Kelley
Renee Kurilla
Laurel Leake
Leann Leake
Cathy Leamy
Ron LeBrasseur
John Lechner
Kyle Lindholm
Joel Lolar
Jesse Lonergan
Clayton McCormack
Dan Moynihan
Adrienne Nunez
Line O
Cherry Ogata
Shelli Paroline
Hallie Jay Pope
Ansis Purins
Gabe Robinson
Roho
Aya Rothwell
Carl Tsui
Jason Viola
Matt Young
Keith Zulawnik
August 16, 2011 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Comic Strips, Convention News, Massachusetts, Other, Science Fiction and Fantasy
The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, a show dedicated to independent, alternative, small-press and self-published comics, webcomics and ‘zines, returns for its second year September 24th, 2011 from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm! This year’s expo has been relocated to University Hall at Lesley University (Porter Campus: 1815 Massachusetts Avenue,Cambridge, MA) conveniently next to the Porter Square station. MICE welcomes independent comics artists, writers, publishers, distributors and dealers who serve the independent community; avid fans, casual readers, and those curious about the New England independent comics scene. Presented by The Boston Comics Roundtable and The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.
September 21, 2010 by Colin Solan
Filed under Comic Books, Comic Strips, Convention News, Massachusetts, Other, Webcomics
Press release:
First-ever Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo will be held at Art Institute of Boston on September 25, 2010
The Boston area’s independent and alternative comics scene has grown by leaps and bounds during the past few years, and it takes another step with MICE, the first-ever Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo. Presented by the Boston Comics Roundtable and the Art Institute of Boston (who also teamed up for the 2008 Boston ‘Zine Fair), MICE will be held at AIB’s 700 Beacon Street campus on Saturday, September 25th, from 10 am – 6 pm.
With over 50 comics artists and writers offering their work, as well as comics-themed panels and workshops, MICE will be a treat for local comics readers or anyone interested in the unusual, the creative, the entertaining and the outrageous. While most of the exhibitors will be from the Boston area, comics creators from all over New England and New York will be represented, including a contingent from the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont.
Visitors to MICE will find comics of all subjects and for all ages: serious graphic novels, exquisite hand-made artists’ books and photo-copied mini-comics and ‘zines, as well as traditionally-formatted comic books of all genres from outside the mainstream publishing world.
“The subject matter and art styles of these comics are as varied as the packaging,” says Dan Mazur, a member of the Boston Comics Roundtable and one of the show’s organizers. “The only limit to what indy cartoonists can create is their own imagination.”
Susan LeVan, Illustration Department Chair at the Art Institute of Boston, says that hosting an indy comics show complements the school’s comics-friendly curriculum. “MICE is the perfect event for AIB ,” says LeVan. “Many of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff are involved in the production or study of independent comics, graphic novels, webcomics, ‘zines, artists’ books, and related genres – all of which are part of the AIB curriculum. A number will participate as exhibitors, and the whole AIB community is eager to see what’s new on the Boston scene.”
MICE will also feature the debut of the latest anthology from the Boston Comics Roundtable: “Inbound 5: Comics About Food.” Featuring over 40 stories by Boston and New England cartoonists centered around the wide-ranging theme of “food,” this is the follow-up to 2009′s successful “Inbound #4: A Comic Book History of Boston,” which will also be available at the show.
MICE will also interactive workshops to learn techniques from comics artists, and panel discussions on the world of independent comics.
Besides the new “Inbound 5: Comics About Food,” several notable local comics creators will be presenting new books at MICE:
KARL STEVENS, (whose weekly strip “Whatever” ran for three years in the Boston Phoenix), will debut his autobiographical graphic novel, “The Lodger.”
Dorchester cartoonist PATT KELLEY (whose work graced the Weekly Dig’s cover earlier this year) will unveil the 2nd issue of his comic, “Parasitic Twins,” about the lives of circus freaks and the many hilarious tragedies that befall them, as well as a short-story collection, “All of Them Witches.”
LIZ PRINCE (whose “Will You Still Love Me if I Wet the Bed?” went from locally printed mini-comics to being published by indy heavyweight Top Shelf Productions), will be presenting the 2nd issue of her ongoing series, “I Swallowed the Key to My Heart.”
Brooklyn-based artist/writer PAT BARRETT will unveil issue #3 of his anthology comic, “Oak & Linden,” featuring the on-going story, “Petrified Girlfriend.”
Other Boston-area comics artist exhibiting at MICE will include:
Maris Wicks (“Romantic,” “Project Superior”)
Joe Quinones (“Wednesday Comics,” “Teen Titans Go!”)
Jesse Lonergan (“Joe and Azat,” “Flower & Fade”)
Cathy Leamy (“Geraniums and Bacon,” “Greenblooded”)
Dirk Tiede (“Paradigm Shift”)
Tim Fish (“Cavalcade of Boys,” “Trust/Truth”)
Zack Giallongo (“The Tenth Life of Pishio the Cat”)
Shelli Paroline (“Muppet Snow White,” “Harvest is When I Need You Most”)
Craig Bostick (“Go-Go Girl,” “Boy Trouble”)
Adam Miller (“ZombieBomb!”)
About the Boston Comics Roundtable
Formed in 2006, the Boston Comics Roundtable brings local cartoonists and writers together to collaborate, workshop and socialize. Among BCR’s publications are “Inbound,” an anthology of Boston-area independent comics, “Outbound,” a science-fiction comics anthology, and the up-coming collection of New England-based horror comics, “Hellbound.” If you’re in the Boston metro area, join us for our next meeting. Visit www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com for more information.
About AIB
The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University is a college of visual arts, located in the student-friendly Kenmore/Fenway area of Boston. We offer the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the two-year Advanced Professional Certificate, the low residency Master of Fine Arts degree, as well as continuing and professional education, intensive workshops, and pre-college courses.
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