SuperSearnold - Comic Book Reviews

Greetings – once again – from your friendly neighborhood Searnold [Shár- Nŭhld]. Today is Saturday, November 1st, 2008. Welcome to my daily comic book review blog - thanks for tuning in. Are you interested in a comic book but not sure you want to shell out the cash? Let me know and I’ll review it for you - letting you know if it’s worth your hard earned money!

Today’s Issue:
Another slight deviation from the world of comic book issues to discuss comic book conventions. Specifically, the Alternative Press Expo (or APE) which is put on by the same people who run San Diego Comic Con.

Premise:
APE was a two day mini-convention held November 1st and 2nd in San Francisco, California. I call it “mini” only in comparison with San Diego Comic Con - there were somewhere around 200 artists with tables displaying their latest comic creations. APE focuses on local, independent, and self publishers.

Awesome Parts:
The vibe at APE was something that is difficult to explain. There was a sense of comradery amongst all of the artists. The auditorium was filled with people who all loved comic books. Not to put down Comic Con, but APE hasn’t been tainted by mass culture, television, or movies. It was intimate enough to have personal conversations with all of the creators. Everyone there was happy to talk to you about their art. It was just a general good time.

Un-Awesome Parts:
Rain rain. Go away. Come again some other day. There was a serious torrential downpour in San Francisco during APE. While this wasn’t the con’s fault, it made leaving the con a very unappealing idea. Wait a minute… maybe somehow it WAS the con’s fault. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to check out any of the panels. I’m not sure that really counts as an un-awesome part. It was un-awesome for ME. I also didn’t like having to pay $12 for parking. However, there was free admission with your Comic Con badge, so what am I complaining about?

My Recommendation:
If you enjoy art, I think you would enjoy checking out APE. It’s a great place to meet artists of all kinds and see their art. If you enjoy underground comics, you HAVE to check out APE, because it is THE place to be for underground comics. However, don’t come expecting to meet any big names or super stars. Don’t come expecting to find anyone who might want to publish your comic book - as everyone at APE is too small time to be able to afford that. APE is a great place to come and meet artists and self-publishers, but not a place to come if you want to meet the big-whigs of the comic book industry.

I’d like to mention another reason that I went to APE. For those who don’t know, I am the host of a comic book news show: SCCG TV - the hardest hitting news in the universe! We got some GREAT footage for the show at APE and are doing our APE episode from the perspective of Sacramento creators - talking about what it’s like to go out to San Francisco for a convention. Be sure to check out our website if you want more information about APE:
www.myspace.com/SCCGTV

That’s it for today. As always - thanks for reading - see you tomorrow. And don’t forget to let me know if there are any comic books (or conventions) you’d like me to review for you - I take requests!
-Searnold, SuperSearnold@yahoo.com www.myspace.com/SuperSearnold