I’d like to thank everyone who’s signed up to receive this newsletter as an email. This will be my last missive of 2016. Please enjoy two weeks without me in your email box and have a happy holiday.
Quick note: I wrote a thing investigating Zendaya’s books in the new Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer.
Did you hear the news about the Castro’s Whatever… comics launching a GoFundMe so they can stay open? The shop managed to raise nearly $10,000 in five days with an average donation of $63. Whatever… is only one of a number of comic shops in the country reporting news of financial struggles as the year comes to a close. The Comic Beat’s Todd Allen wrote a solid piece about some of the theories behind the challenges local comic shops are facing. The piece inspired an equally solid Twitter thread from Dublin’s Big Bang Comics.
The discussion ties in with two events being hosted by Comix Experience in January. We’re spoiled in the Bay Area because we have more comic shops in our 6900 square miles than most comparable regions. We also have the highest cost of living in the country so our retailers are looking at new ways to cover the bottom line and keep the lights on. The Comix Experience response was to start two Graphic Novel Clubs: one for kids and one for adults. Having a club subscription gets members a curated graphic novel experience, access to private events, and unique swag.
January 2 – January 8, 2017
Mariko Tamaki signing at Mission: Comics and Art (writer Hulk, Supergirl: Being Super, Skim, This One Summer)
When: January 4 at 5 p.m.
Where: Mission: Comics and Art
32250 Mission Street, San Francisco
What: Writer Mariko Tamaki kicks off Mission’s new year with a signing. Tamaki is best known for the New York Times bestseller This One Summer (with illustrator Jillian Tamaki). This month she’s stepping in as the regular writer of the new Jennifer Walters-focused Hulk ongoing series at Marvel and the new Supergirl: Being Super mini-series at DC.
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/532542666949224/
Isabel Greenberg streaming at Comix Experience (The One Hundred Nights of Hero)
When: January 7 at 11 a.m.
Where: Comix Experience
305 Divisadreo, San Francisco
What: Isabel Greenberg will appear via video to discuss her new book The One Hundred Nights of Hero. Description from Hachette Book Group: In the tradition of The Arabian Nights, a beautifully illustrated tapestry of folk tales and myths about the secret legacy of female storytellers in an imagined medieval world. This event is a private for members of the store’s Graphic Novel Club.
More info: http://www.graphicnovelclub.com/events.html
Jeffrey Brown at Comix Experience (Darth Vader & Son, Unlikely)
When: January 8 at 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Comix Experience
305 Divisadreo, San Francisco
What: Jeffrey Brown, the creator of Darth Vader & Son, will be at Comix Experience celebrating the release of his new book Lucy and Andy Neanderthal. From Penguin: Lucy and Andy are a sister and brother who get into trouble much like any sister and brother. Only difference? Lucy and Andy live in the Stone Age! Discover their laugh-out-loud adventures as the Paleo pair take on a wandering baby sibling, bossy teens, cave paintings, and a mammoth hunt. But what will happen when they encounter a group of humans? This event is a private for members of the store’s Graphic Novel Club for Kids.
More info: http://www.graphicnovelclub.com/events.html
January 2017
Black Comix Art Festival
When: January 15-16, 2017
Where: San Francisco Public Library and City View at Metreon
What: “The Black Comix Arts Festival (BCAF) celebrates African Americans’ creativity in the comic arts and popular visual culture and is dedicated to the notion that all audiences deserve to be subject in the culture in which we participate. The two-day event includes a grand expo, kids activities, film screenings, panels and conversations, cosplay events and much more.”
More info: http://bcaf.norcalmlkfoundation.org/
February 2017
East Bay Comic Con (tentative)
When: February 12, 2017
Where: Concord Hilton
1970 Diamond Blvd, Concord
More info: http://eastbaycomiccon.com
April 2017
Colossus Con 2017
When: April 8, 2017
Where: Alameda County Fairgrounds
Pleasanton, Calif.
What: “Colossus Con is the ultimate pop culture convention event. Catering to the fans to enjoy the comforts of fandom without the corporate hustle and bustle.”
More info: http://www.colossuscon.com/
Queers and Comics
When: April 14-15, 2017
Where: California College of the Arts
1111 8th Street
San Francisco, CA
What: Queers & Comics features two days of discussion panels, workshops, readings, and comics galore, along with a multitude of off-site events. This year we will spotlight international and emerging LGBTQ cartoonists, the role of the San Francisco Bay Area, and the future of queer comics. Keynote speakers include Mariko Tamaki and Gengoroh Tagame.
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/655077967985077/
Silicon Valley Comic Con
When: April 21 – 23, 2017
Where: San Jose Convention Center
More info: http://svcomiccon.com/
September 2017
San Francisco Comic Con
When: September 1-3, 2017
Where: Moscone Center West
747 Howard Street in San Francisco
More info: http://sanfrancomiccon.com