The 2010 Oly Comics Fest is just a few months away! Currently, our tentative date is Saturday, June 5th. Start drawin’ your comics now, folks. I’ll post more updates as well as table registration info as soon as possible.
Tentitive Date
February 4th, 2010Final Batch of Festival Photos - 2009
October 7th, 2009More Festival Photos - 2009
August 27th, 2009Festival Photos - 2009
August 4th, 2009Events Schedule
June 8th, 2009Comics Jam - 12:00-3:00 at Danger Room Comics
The best way to draw a single comic strip with a group of people: Draw a panel, pass it on, repeat.
Book Signings - 3:00 - 4:00 at Danger Room Comics
See Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim up close and in the flesh to have your book signed. There will be books available for purchase.
Autobiographical Comics - 12:00 - 12:50 at Capitol Theater
Get advice on the ins and outs of autobiographical comics with Derek Kirk Kim and Erika Moen.
Self Publishing 101 - 1:00-1:50 at Capitol Theater
Got questions about self publishing? Here’s your chance to ask ‘em! Join Chelsea Baker and Katy Ellis O’brien as they discuss drawing, printing, and distributing zines and comics.
Meet Gene and Derek - 2:00 - 2:50 at Capitol Theater
Watch in awe as our guests of honor, Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, interview each other!
Kids Comics Workshop - 3:00 - 3:50 at Capitol Theater
Join Chelsea Baker for this workshop, specially designed for kids between ages 5 through 12. Paper, pens and pencils will be provided. Artistic skill is not required, but imagination is.
Comics in Education - 4:00 - 4:50 at the Capitol Theater
See Gene Luen Yang and Frank Hussey discuss the benifits of teaching through comics.
Stage Show - 6:00 - 8:00 $1 suggested donation at the Capitol Theater
Introductory slide show
Interview and book reading with Gene Luen Yang
“The Worlds Greatest Comics”
Interview and book reading with Derek Kirk Kim
Fun, fun contests!
2009 OCF Exhibitors
June 2nd, 2009This year, we’ve certainly got some great tablers lined up. Here’s a complete list of tablers in the order of which table you’ll be able to find them at.
1 - Scubotch.com
2 - ZB Publications
3A - Little Dee
3B - Indigo Kelleigh
4 - Gunbaby Graphics
5 - Comfort Guide
6B - Move! Dance! Create! Publishing
7 - Wayfarer’s Moon
8 - Bumpstart
9 - Never Knows Heavy Manufacturing
10 - Palooka Press
11 - Wild Mind Creations
12A - Reid Psaltis
12B - Dustin Kruger
13 - Action Bookbinding
14 - Neo Trash Comix
15 & 16 - Sparkplug Comics/Teenage Dinosaur
17 - Darkslinger Comics
18A - Black Box
18B - Martine Workman
19 - OCF info table
20A - Bunny Squid Comics
20B - Olympia Timberland Library
21A - DAR
21B - Snow Leopard Comics
22 - Big Illustration Party Time (Kevin Cross and Joshua Kemble)
23A - Trumpetflower, Portland Zine Symposium and Cloudscape Comics
23B - Greg Fling
24A - Cameron Hawkey
24B - Alex Patia and Feonix Fawkes
25 - Art Bureau
Newsy News
May 6th, 2009Gene Yang and Derek Kirk Kim’s new book, The Eternal Smile, is now available in comic book shops nation wide. The artwork is stunning and the stories are mesmerizing. If you haven’t checked out Derek’s and Gene’s websites, you should! They’re filled with with even more comic-ey goodness.
If you’re thinking about getting a table at the fest, you’d better think fast! As of today, we only have 5 tables available. Don’t have much stuff to sell? Get a half table and/or split a table with a friend. It’ll save you a little money and save us a little space for more artists. If you’re curious about who’s exhibiting this year, keep checking back. As soon as we’re filled up, I’ll post a complete list of all the tablers and their websites so you can check out their stuff before you head to the festival.
This Sunday, May 10th, the Olympia Comics Foundation and the Timefighters are hosting a comics workshop from 4 - 7 P.M. at The Finger Complex (203 Rogers St. NW, Olympia, WA (it’s a house on the corner of Harrison and Rogers)) This workshop is designed to help people of all ages and skill levels improve their cartooning. A variety of materials will be provided, however we encourage you to bring your own pens, pencils, and whatever else you enjoy drawing with. No artistic skill necessary.
FAQ’s!
April 20th, 2009After spending the weekend promoting the Olympia Comics Festival at Stumptown, I’ve received some questions that, until now, our website hadn’t answered. So, for all of your inquiring minds, here’s a little list of FAQ’s that might be of some use to you.
When/where is the festival?
Northwest Cartoonist Expo - Noon-5 P.M. at The Vault (425 Franklin St. SE)
Stage Show - 6-8 P.M. at Capitol Theater (206 5th Ave. SE)
Book signings and various panels - TBA at Danger Room Comics (201 4th Ave. W)
How much does it cost to attend?
You can get into the expo, panels, and signings for FREE. The stage show has a suggested donation of $1, although more is appreciated. Your donations go towards paying for things like rental space and advertising so we can continue to hold this event year after year.
What are your table sizes and prices?
A whole table ($25) is 6′ x 30″. A half table ($15) is 3′ x 30″. The deadline to register for table space is May 22, 2009. Tablers can also get free admission to the stage show. You can print off a table registration form here.
What is your festival like?
The Olympia Comics Festival was created to promote comics as an art, not a commodity. We put emphasis on the art form and its creators; whether it’s our guest of honor or a local zine maker. At the expo, you won’t find people selling back issues of Superman. Instead you’ll find people selling new comics of their own creation they just finished Xeroxing the night before. The stage show consists of interviews with each guest of honor, contests, and slide shows.
How long have you guys been doing this?
June 13th, 2009 marks the 8th annual Olympia Comics Festival. In 1997, Danger Room Comics began hosting an annual event for Comics Appreciation Day. Each year the celebration grew and, by 2001, it morphed into an all-out festival.
What about . . .
Drat! I hadn’t thought of that one. Email it to me at olympiacomicsfestival@gmail.com and I’ll get back to you in a jiffy.
2009 Festival
January 9th, 2009The 2009 Olympia Comics Festival is rapidly approaching (too rapidly, if you ask me). This year’s festival will take place on Saturday, June 13th and will feature an expo of Northwest cartoonists, a variety of workshops and panels, a stage show and last but not least, our guests of honor: Derek Kirk Kim (author of Same Diference and Other Stories, which won both the Eisner and Harvey award) and Gene Yang (author of the Printz Award winning comic, American Born Chinese). They’re currently working together on The Eternal Smile which is scheduled to be released by First Second Books at the end of this month.
If you want a table at the expo, you’re in luck! We still have plenty of space available. You can swing by Danger Room to pick up a table registration form, or print it yourself - ocf-registration1
Email us at olympiacomicsfestival@gmail.com with any questions.


































