Olympia Comics Festival

Comics 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 flyer by Chris Baldwin - littledee.net

This 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

6A - Morgan, Terrence & Chels

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

A splash page from The Eternal Smile

Gene 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.

After 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.