Maine Comics Arts Festival
Sunday, May 20, 2012 Portland, ME
THIS WAS OUR GUEST LIST FOR 2011. THE LIST FOR 2012 WILL UPDATE ONCE WE HAVE OPENED REGISTRATIONS.
Guests
Guests
SPECIAL GUEST ANDY RUNTON,
CREATOR OF "OWLY"!
CREATOR OF "OWLY"!
Guests and Exhibitors:
Many more to follow plus bios coming soon
Updated May 10
Anne Barrett: Anne has quietly cartooned in the background while supporting herself as an animation in-betweener, a multimedia developer, and a web designer. Her “Another Day Comics” strip was featured in publications in Hawaii and the New York metropolitan area back in the 90’s. After relocating to Vermont in 1995 she withdrew the cartoons from the public arena and focused on making a living at a “real” job. She spent two years in Maine in the late “Oughts” where her work resurfaced at Portland’s First Friday Art Walk. Her latest plan is to make her work available for viewing and purchasing at her web site www.anotherdaycomics.com. In addition to the comic strip, Anne is also an award-winning animator and a performance artist, routinely participating in “Women in Limbo Presents” at the Knitting Factory in New York.
Art School Fraud is an art's and entertainment website and podcast revolving with a focus on the North American comics scene. It is owned and operated by Matt Young and Christopher "Radical" Warren, two New England independent cartoonists and CCS alumni.
www.artschoolfraud.com
Cara Bean: Cara Bean is a cartoonist, painter, and art teacher. Her favorite color is
green and she is fond of hiking around, eating nachos, drinking tea, and coveting people’s dogs. She lives and makes art at Lincoln Studios in Waltham, MA. Cara will be debuting a comic at MECAF that she began at the Center of Cartoon studies last summer. You can get a peek at her sketchbook here: http://beandoodling.blogspot.com/
Eric Boeker is a Beverly-Mass-based cartoonist and the creator of the Gen-X zombie sitcom comic "Commute of the Living Dead", which can be seen on-line as part of the Sunday Comics Project at digboston.com . He is a proud member of Boston Comics Roundtable and has published stories in their anthology "Inbound", as well as "Outbound: the Science Fiction Anthology" and "Hellbound". You can check out the comics of Eric Boeker on-line at: http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eboeker/
Carol Burrell is editorial director for Lerner Publishing Group’s Empire State Building-based graphic novel imprint, Graphic Universe, and on the side creates the webcomic SPQR Blues about life in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. In addition to a scary number of years editing children’s books, she has worked as an art director for a roleplaying-game company; as an online game developer; for a newspaper in London; and for the Children’s Book Council.
http://spqrblues.com/IV/
The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) offers a two-year course of study that centers on the creation and dissemination of comics, graphic novels and other manifestations of the visual narrative. Experienced and internationally recognized cartoonists, writers, and designers teach classes. CCS programs include a two-year Master of Fine Arts Degree, One- and Two-Year Certificates in Cartooning, and annual summer workshops. The school is located in historic downtown village of White River Junction, Vermont, in the old Colony Surprise Department Store.http://www.cartoonstudies.org
Jon Chad has been producing handmade mini comics and zines since 2006. He has illustrated children's books published by Mascot Books, including one for the FBI. Jon teaches screen printing and book making, and offers weekly lab intensives at the Center for Cartoon Studies. His book, "Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth" has been picked up by Roaring Book Press and is scheduled for release in Fall 2011. http://www.jonchad.com
Robyn Chapman: Since receiving her BFA in Sequential Art, Robyn Chapman has been independently producing, publishing and printing her own comics and zines.
Robyn’s work has been featured in several anthologies and publications,
including Scheherazade, Stuck in the Middle, the NY Metro and Seven Days.
She also edits and publishes a hand-crafted journal dedicated solely to
eyeglasses titled Hey, 4-Eyes! In 2005 Robyn became The Center for Cartoon
Studies' first fellow, in 2008 they awarded her with an MFA. She is
currently a CCS adjunct faculty member, and has taught cartooning in
after-school programs, workshops, and at the New School in New York City.
Jerel Dye is an artist, cartoonist, illustrator, designer and teacher, and enjoys seeing how wide he can stretch and still maintain structural integrity. He is based in Boston, Massachusetts and has only recently begun his foray into the wonderful world of comics. You can check out his work, and read about his myriad of projects at: www.jereldye.com
Ariel Finkelstein BestPestStudio is a pair of cartoonists who have come together to fight evil and draw comics. (Mostly the second one.) http://www.bestpeststudio.com/
Bob Flynn was born in Buxton, Maine and raised on a steady diet of cartoons. He currently lives in Boston where he works as Director of Animation for the children’s media company, FableVision. Driven by an obsession with offbeat cartoons, he keeps busy drawing nonsensical creatures and characters to spin into comics. He is the co-creator of Heeby Jeeby Comix, and his work appeared in Nickelodeon Magazine, including several SpongeBob Squarepants comics.
website: http://www.jinxthemonkey.com
blog: http://bobjinx.blogspot.com
Heeby Jeeby Comix: http://heebyjeebycomix.blogspot.com/
Justine & Ron Fontes: Google Justine & Ron Fontes and you’ll find tens of thousands of listings for children’s books: Movie and TV tie-ins like the top-selling LION KING Little Golden Book; the popular GRUMPY BUNNY series from Scholastic; the award-winning CAPTURED BY PIRATES choose-your-adventure graphic novel from Lerner, and many more!
Artist/author Ron worked at Marvel Comics before the couple moved to Maine. Justine graduated Phi Beta Kappa from NYU while working in publishing. Together they are well on their way to achieving their goal of writing 1001 tales.
Colleen Frakes graduated from comic book college and works in a library. She was awarded a Xeric Grant to publisher her book "Tragic Relief" in the fall of 2007. In 2009, her second comic "Woman King" won an Ignatz award for Promising New Talent. http://www.tragicrelief.com
Zack Giallongo: Zack Giallongo was born in the snowy month of December in 1979. He was educated at the Francis J. Burke Elementary School in Medway, Massachusetts. He went on to complete other higher levels of education, too. Zack draws pictures and writes words. His greatest ambition is to become a minor-enough celebrity to be on either NPR’s "Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me" show, or one of VH1’s decade-remiscience shows so that he can say "Aw, yeah! I remember He-Man!" http://www.zackgiallongo.com/
Lawrence Gillette
Mike Gorman is a cartoonist and web designer living in Westbrook Maine. Mike's work has appeared in many national publications, including The New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, and elsewhere. A long time comic artist, he will be releasing the long-overdue Air Guitar #6 at the Festival. He has illustrated Pamela F. Services's "Alien Agent" book series for Carolrhoda Books, and is currently illustrating Ms. Services's new series of books, starting with Escape from Planet Yastol. www.mikegorman.com
Clayton McCormack is a Boston-based illustrator whose work has been featured in such places as on Topps trading cards, and in the pages of Heavy Metal Magazine. He currently writes and illustrates a free, online horror graphic novel called Dead Meat.
Robyn Chapman: Since receiving her BFA in Sequential Art, Robyn Chapman has been independently producing, publishing and printing her own comics and zines.
Robyn’s work has been featured in several anthologies and publications,
including Scheherazade, Stuck in the Middle, the NY Metro and Seven Days.
She also edits and publishes a hand-crafted journal dedicated solely to
eyeglasses titled Hey, 4-Eyes! In 2005 Robyn became The Center for Cartoon
Studies' first fellow, in 2008 they awarded her with an MFA. She is
currently a CCS adjunct faculty member, and has taught cartooning in
after-school programs, workshops, and at the New School in New York City.
Brian Codagnone is the creator of the comic strips "Misfits", "S1019" and "In The Zone" and the humor column "Emotional Chaos", all of which can be seen at http://www.corbettfeatures.com/. He is also the author of the books "The Hartford Whalers", "Hey, America! It's Misfits Time!" and co-author of "The Boston Garden" and "The Bruins in Black and White" volumes 1 and 2, all of which should be required reading for every man, woman and child in North America and the more enlightened parts of Europe (sorry, Luxembourg).
Well known to all the hipsters, glitterati and bouncers in town, he's a cartoonist, writer, historian, international playboy by day and crime fighter by night. Living by the credo "What's in it for me?", he'll do almost anything to sell cartoons short of ghosting "The Family Circus". He lives under an assumed identity somewhere in Massachusetts.
Well known to all the hipsters, glitterati and bouncers in town, he's a cartoonist, writer, historian, international playboy by day and crime fighter by night. Living by the credo "What's in it for me?", he'll do almost anything to sell cartoons short of ghosting "The Family Circus". He lives under an assumed identity somewhere in Massachusetts.
Barry Corbett: Corbett Features is a cartoon and illustration syndicate supplying content for print and multi-media. Co-owners Barry Corbett and Brian Codagnone display their work at http://www.corbettfeatures.com/.
Barry is a freelance magazine cartoonist and self-published author of 3 trade paperbacks. His panel cartoons have appeared in national publications including Barron's, American Legion, Lacrosse Magazine, Medical Economics, Christianity Today, and many others.
Barry released his first book in 2006. "Embrace the Pun!" is a collection of pun-based panel cartoons. He followed that up in 2010 with "Revenge of the Pun!" which is also available in e-book format. "Kitty Nirvana: The First Ginger & Shadow Collection" won a Silver Medal at the 2008 IPPY Awards, presented by Independent Publisher Magazine.
A graduate of the Vesper George School of Art in Boston, Barry teaches Cartooning, Photoshop and InDesign at local colleges. Barry's panel cartoons can be licensed for PowerPoint and business presentations through http://www.corbettcartoons.com/.
Doug Cowan's recent artwork credits include Star Wars Insider, Heavy Metal Magazine, "New Visions" for Topps' Star Wars Galaxy 4, 5, and 6 card sets. He has also done work for Indiana Jones, Marvel, and The Lord of the Rings. His original artwork has been at the Skywalker Ranch in CA, the Salmagundi Club in NY and The Society of Illustrators.
Ellen Crenshaw:Ellen T. Crenshaw grew up in south Florida, but moved to the unpredictable Northeast to pursue her illustration career. Her clients include Beer Advocate Magazine and Boston's The Weekly Dig (among others); she freelances at children's media company, FableVision; she is a member of the lady illustrators group, Girls Drawin' Girls; she has been published in comics anthologies Inbound and ZombieBomb!; and she regularly exhibits her work all over the United States. Currently, Ellen lives in East Boston with her animator husband and military kitty-cat. Her work can be found at www.etcillustration.com. For most recent updates, see her blog at etcillustration.blogspot.com.
Travis Dandro is the creator of the comic strip Mr.Gnu which has been featured in dozens of college newspapers since 1997. His most recent project Journal was selected as a notable comic in the 2010 The Best American Comics anthology. Travis lives in Maine with his wife and three sons.
http://www.travisdandro.com
http://mrgnucomic.blogspot.com/
Christian DiBari's comic career has seen him working on titles such as The Warriors, Magician Apprentice, The Hunger, Pale Horse, Starship Troopers. Chris is currently working on covers for the Darkness and a new horror series "Cutter" for Top Cow Productions. He currently lives in NYC with his girlfriend and three cats.
Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon are the artists for The Last Unicorn series from IDW. In addition, they have worked on numerous other comics including Rogue Angel and Sonic the Hedgehog. http://raydillon.blogspot.com/
Randall Drew: Randall Drew is an Upstate NY illustrator and cartoonist who now lives and works in Vermont, where he graduated from the Center for Cartoon Studies' class of 2010. Under his RKDIA COMICS label he continues to work on his fledgling fantasy comic Citadel, as well as do illustration work for albums, books and the web. http://randalldrew.com
Barry is a freelance magazine cartoonist and self-published author of 3 trade paperbacks. His panel cartoons have appeared in national publications including Barron's, American Legion, Lacrosse Magazine, Medical Economics, Christianity Today, and many others.
Barry released his first book in 2006. "Embrace the Pun!" is a collection of pun-based panel cartoons. He followed that up in 2010 with "Revenge of the Pun!" which is also available in e-book format. "Kitty Nirvana: The First Ginger & Shadow Collection" won a Silver Medal at the 2008 IPPY Awards, presented by Independent Publisher Magazine.
A graduate of the Vesper George School of Art in Boston, Barry teaches Cartooning, Photoshop and InDesign at local colleges. Barry's panel cartoons can be licensed for PowerPoint and business presentations through http://www.corbettcartoons.com/.
Doug Cowan's recent artwork credits include Star Wars Insider, Heavy Metal Magazine, "New Visions" for Topps' Star Wars Galaxy 4, 5, and 6 card sets. He has also done work for Indiana Jones, Marvel, and The Lord of the Rings. His original artwork has been at the Skywalker Ranch in CA, the Salmagundi Club in NY and The Society of Illustrators.
Ellen Crenshaw:Ellen T. Crenshaw grew up in south Florida, but moved to the unpredictable Northeast to pursue her illustration career. Her clients include Beer Advocate Magazine and Boston's The Weekly Dig (among others); she freelances at children's media company, FableVision; she is a member of the lady illustrators group, Girls Drawin' Girls; she has been published in comics anthologies Inbound and ZombieBomb!; and she regularly exhibits her work all over the United States. Currently, Ellen lives in East Boston with her animator husband and military kitty-cat. Her work can be found at www.etcillustration.com. For most recent updates, see her blog at etcillustration.blogspot.com.
Travis Dandro is the creator of the comic strip Mr.Gnu which has been featured in dozens of college newspapers since 1997. His most recent project Journal was selected as a notable comic in the 2010 The Best American Comics anthology. Travis lives in Maine with his wife and three sons.
http://www.travisdandro.com
http://mrgnucomic.blogspot.com/
Christian DiBari's comic career has seen him working on titles such as The Warriors, Magician Apprentice, The Hunger, Pale Horse, Starship Troopers. Chris is currently working on covers for the Darkness and a new horror series "Cutter" for Top Cow Productions. He currently lives in NYC with his girlfriend and three cats.
Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon are the artists for The Last Unicorn series from IDW. In addition, they have worked on numerous other comics including Rogue Angel and Sonic the Hedgehog. http://raydillon.blogspot.com/
Randall Drew: Randall Drew is an Upstate NY illustrator and cartoonist who now lives and works in Vermont, where he graduated from the Center for Cartoon Studies' class of 2010. Under his RKDIA COMICS label he continues to work on his fledgling fantasy comic Citadel, as well as do illustration work for albums, books and the web. http://randalldrew.com
Jesse DuRona is a native Vermonter now in Senior year at the Center for Cartoon Studies, as a part of the class of 2011. His All-ages, sci-fi adventure comic Capek follows the adventure of a space cowboy bounty hunter, an alienated robot and a curious toddler across the universe as they try to stop a galactic war from breaking out! http://therealdurona.com/
Jerel Dye is an artist, cartoonist, illustrator, designer and teacher, and enjoys seeing how wide he can stretch and still maintain structural integrity. He is based in Boston, Massachusetts and has only recently begun his foray into the wonderful world of comics. You can check out his work, and read about his myriad of projects at: www.jereldye.com
Ariel Finkelstein BestPestStudio is a pair of cartoonists who have come together to fight evil and draw comics. (Mostly the second one.) http://www.bestpeststudio.com/
Bob Flynn was born in Buxton, Maine and raised on a steady diet of cartoons. He currently lives in Boston where he works as Director of Animation for the children’s media company, FableVision. Driven by an obsession with offbeat cartoons, he keeps busy drawing nonsensical creatures and characters to spin into comics. He is the co-creator of Heeby Jeeby Comix, and his work appeared in Nickelodeon Magazine, including several SpongeBob Squarepants comics.
website: http://www.jinxthemonkey.com
blog: http://bobjinx.blogspot.com
Heeby Jeeby Comix: http://heebyjeebycomix.blogspot.com/
Justine & Ron Fontes: Google Justine & Ron Fontes and you’ll find tens of thousands of listings for children’s books: Movie and TV tie-ins like the top-selling LION KING Little Golden Book; the popular GRUMPY BUNNY series from Scholastic; the award-winning CAPTURED BY PIRATES choose-your-adventure graphic novel from Lerner, and many more!
Artist/author Ron worked at Marvel Comics before the couple moved to Maine. Justine graduated Phi Beta Kappa from NYU while working in publishing. Together they are well on their way to achieving their goal of writing 1001 tales.
Colleen Frakes graduated from comic book college and works in a library. She was awarded a Xeric Grant to publisher her book "Tragic Relief" in the fall of 2007. In 2009, her second comic "Woman King" won an Ignatz award for Promising New Talent. http://www.tragicrelief.com
Zack Giallongo: Zack Giallongo was born in the snowy month of December in 1979. He was educated at the Francis J. Burke Elementary School in Medway, Massachusetts. He went on to complete other higher levels of education, too. Zack draws pictures and writes words. His greatest ambition is to become a minor-enough celebrity to be on either NPR’s "Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me" show, or one of VH1’s decade-remiscience shows so that he can say "Aw, yeah! I remember He-Man!" http://www.zackgiallongo.com/
Lawrence Gillette
Mike Gorman is a cartoonist and web designer living in Westbrook Maine. Mike's work has appeared in many national publications, including The New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, and elsewhere. A long time comic artist, he will be releasing the long-overdue Air Guitar #6 at the Festival. He has illustrated Pamela F. Services's "Alien Agent" book series for Carolrhoda Books, and is currently illustrating Ms. Services's new series of books, starting with Escape from Planet Yastol. www.mikegorman.com
Griffin has been illustrating and web designing professionally since 2006 and is currently in school full time for forensic psychology. His newly blossoming comics career has him working with Homeless Comics on the HEALED series and Fat Cat Funnies. View more of his work at ShadedAreas.com.
Howard Hopkins HOWARD HOPKINS (www.howardhopkins.com) is the author of 33 westerns under the penname Lance Howard, six horror novels, three children’s horror novels (The Nightmare Club series) and numerous short stories under his own name. His most recent western, The Killing Kind, is a Dec. 2010 release and his most recent horror series novel, The Chloe Files #2: Silver of Darkness, is available now. He’s written and edited widescreen and panel comic books, graphic novels and short story anthologies for Moonstone, along with editing and writing for The Avenger Chronicles and Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook. He’s also created a new pulp heroine called The Veil and has published stories in The Spider Chronicles, The Green Hornet Chronicles and The Captain Midnight Chronicles.
Dave Kender is the creator of The Ragbox graphic novel series, which features a new artist for every chapter. The fourth installment of The Ragbox, illustrated by Joel Christian Gill, is debuting at MeCAF 2011. Dave Kender is also the founder of the Boston Comics Roundtable and co-editor of the Inbound anthology series. Read more at www.theragbox.com and www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com.
Cathy Leamy is a Boston-based cartoonist and the creator of the autobio/humor minicomic series Geraniums and Bacon. Her anthology work includes stories in I Saw You? and The Girls' Guide to Guys' Stuff as well as historical research and co-writing for the Marvel Comics anthology Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades. She is a long-time member of Boston Comics Roundtable and has published stories in their anthology Inbound. Read more at her website: www.metrokitty.com
Ron LeBrasseur Caught in the heart of a nuclear explosion, victim of gamma radiation gone wild, Ron LeBrasseur now finds himself transformed in times of stress into five and a half feet of unfettered cartooning fury. He is an active member of the Boston Comics Roundtable.
Sara Lindo is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts. She has created several comic books, including the "Carl Finds Love" series, "Wall Street Cat" and "Lobotomy". http://www.thelindo.com
Mike Lynch's distinctive work appears in books, magazine and online throughout the world. His clients include Reader's Digest, Playboy, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Random House, McGraw Hill, The New York Daily News and many others. He has curated and participated in cartoon gallery shows in SoHo and Long Island.
In 2005 Mike organized a group of cartoonists to create a mural on the wall of The Overlook Restaurant (formerly Costello's) in New York City that would serve as a counterpart to the famous wall decorated by cartoonists a generation earlier. His efforts brought together a number of legendary artists and received significant media coverage.
For five years, Mike served as chair of the National Cartoonists Society Long Island chapter, the famous "Berndt Toast Gang." Since 2006, he has spearheaded the "Oscars of cartooning" as the Award Coordinator for the annual National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Awards. Mike currently serves on the NCS Board as its National Representative.
He writes the popular Mike Lynch Cartoons blog on the business of cartooning, one of the most recognized and trafficked comic art industry sites on the Web.
Andrew McKenzie
Dan Mazur is a Boston-based artist and writer, and long-time member of the Boston Comics Roundtable. He created the comics "Lummox," "Palindramas," and "The Way it Crumbles," and is a contributor and co-editor of the BCR anthology "Inbound." He recently founded the Ninth Art Press, which published "Show and Tell: a Collection of Comics About Teaching and Learning."
www.danmazurcomics.com, www.ninthartpress.com, www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com
Howard Hopkins HOWARD HOPKINS (www.howardhopkins.com) is the author of 33 westerns under the penname Lance Howard, six horror novels, three children’s horror novels (The Nightmare Club series) and numerous short stories under his own name. His most recent western, The Killing Kind, is a Dec. 2010 release and his most recent horror series novel, The Chloe Files #2: Silver of Darkness, is available now. He’s written and edited widescreen and panel comic books, graphic novels and short story anthologies for Moonstone, along with editing and writing for The Avenger Chronicles and Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook. He’s also created a new pulp heroine called The Veil and has published stories in The Spider Chronicles, The Green Hornet Chronicles and The Captain Midnight Chronicles.
Dave Kender is the creator of The Ragbox graphic novel series, which features a new artist for every chapter. The fourth installment of The Ragbox, illustrated by Joel Christian Gill, is debuting at MeCAF 2011. Dave Kender is also the founder of the Boston Comics Roundtable and co-editor of the Inbound anthology series. Read more at www.theragbox.com and www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com.
Cathy Leamy is a Boston-based cartoonist and the creator of the autobio/humor minicomic series Geraniums and Bacon. Her anthology work includes stories in I Saw You? and The Girls' Guide to Guys' Stuff as well as historical research and co-writing for the Marvel Comics anthology Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades. She is a long-time member of Boston Comics Roundtable and has published stories in their anthology Inbound. Read more at her website: www.metrokitty.com
Ron LeBrasseur Caught in the heart of a nuclear explosion, victim of gamma radiation gone wild, Ron LeBrasseur now finds himself transformed in times of stress into five and a half feet of unfettered cartooning fury. He is an active member of the Boston Comics Roundtable.
Sara Lindo is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts. She has created several comic books, including the "Carl Finds Love" series, "Wall Street Cat" and "Lobotomy". http://www.thelindo.com
Mike Lynch's distinctive work appears in books, magazine and online throughout the world. His clients include Reader's Digest, Playboy, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Random House, McGraw Hill, The New York Daily News and many others. He has curated and participated in cartoon gallery shows in SoHo and Long Island.
In 2005 Mike organized a group of cartoonists to create a mural on the wall of The Overlook Restaurant (formerly Costello's) in New York City that would serve as a counterpart to the famous wall decorated by cartoonists a generation earlier. His efforts brought together a number of legendary artists and received significant media coverage.
For five years, Mike served as chair of the National Cartoonists Society Long Island chapter, the famous "Berndt Toast Gang." Since 2006, he has spearheaded the "Oscars of cartooning" as the Award Coordinator for the annual National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Awards. Mike currently serves on the NCS Board as its National Representative.
He writes the popular Mike Lynch Cartoons blog on the business of cartooning, one of the most recognized and trafficked comic art industry sites on the Web.
Andrew McKenzie
Dan Mazur is a Boston-based artist and writer, and long-time member of the Boston Comics Roundtable. He created the comics "Lummox," "Palindramas," and "The Way it Crumbles," and is a contributor and co-editor of the BCR anthology "Inbound." He recently founded the Ninth Art Press, which published "Show and Tell: a Collection of Comics About Teaching and Learning."
www.danmazurcomics.com, www.ninthartpress.com, www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com
Clayton McCormack is a Boston-based illustrator whose work has been featured in such places as on Topps trading cards, and in the pages of Heavy Metal Magazine. He currently writes and illustrates a free, online horror graphic novel called Dead Meat.
Carl Mefferd is a caricaturist from Connecticut who is working on his MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies as a part of the class of 2011. His Senior Thesis Project is "Waking Dreams" a story that crosses reality with a fantasy dream world!
Justin Mound started Lush Comics to be a platform for aspiring comic book artists to easily and freely publish their artwork digitally. He grew up with an affinity for both technology and comics, so it's a natural fit. Based out of New York City, the Lush Comics website can be found at http://lushcomics.com/
George O’Connor: George likes to write. A lot. He’s created over 60 short films and the webseries 664-The Neighbor of the Beast (lazyhorde.com). He’s currently writing the ongoing comic series HEALED for Homeless Comics (homelesscomics.com). He also juggles playing guitar in his metal and punk rock bands. By day, George is a mild-mannered copywriter in the advertising world. He once put a truck on the moon.
Corey Olmstead Maineland Studios/Pillage Comix is the love child of local Portland, Maine graphic artist Corey Olmsted along with creative writer and classic "that guy", Jesse Savage of Boston, Ma. Originally started in the Basement of Mousse Cafe in Monument Square, 2008. We are a small indie publishing company that has self produced over 7 comic titles in the past two years with many more to come. Check our blog @ www.mainelandstudios.wordpress.com
Rick Parker is widely known as the artist of "MTV's Beavis and Butt-Head Comic Book" and also draws the Introductory Pages of "Tales From The Crypt" and the graphic novel "Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid" for Papercutz …
Shelli Paroline
Lincoln Peirce is a cartoonist/writer and the creator of the comic strip Big Nate. It appears in more than two hundred U.S. newspapers and online daily at comics.com.
Jeff Pert is an award-winning cartoonist whose work can be seen on tacky merchandise throughout New England and other parts of the US, maritime Canada, and the Caribbean. Enamored of cartoons and comics since he was a boy and his Dad gave him the very first two "Peanuts" collections (the selling of which would now allow Jeff to retire, if only he hadn't nearly destroyed the books), his work has appeared in newspapers, magazines and on the sides of vans. One of his bumper stickers was spotted in Hawaii, which is not nearly as satisfying as being spotted in Hawaii himself. Jeff lives in mid-coast Maine with a jumpy cat and too many books. You can see his work at www.jeff-pert.com and www.entertainyamania.com.
Morgan Pielli: INDESTRUCTIBLE UNIVERSE QUARTERLY. Morgan Pielli's acclaimed series continues with more tales of science fiction and the surreal! Experience the terror of the "Living Room." Learn the secret of "Picker." Feel the pull of "The Twisting Kiss." And so much more! Find INDESTRUCTIBLE UNIVERSE 7 and author Morgan Pielli at the bright red table and say hi! http://www.morganpielli.com/
Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli all-ages graphic novel series. http://www.captneli.com
He has been making state-of-the-art children's entertainment for nearly 20 years. His passion for using the computer as his canvas led him to develop his unique signature style of combining 2D characters with 3D backgrounds.
He served as an art director at Tom Snyder Productions, where he led the creative team in the production of educational CD-ROMs, including the award-winning Fizz and Martina Math Adventures and was as an animator on the ABC Saturday morning show Squigglevision.
He was also the co-creator of the internationally distributed comic book series featuring the world’s first disabled superheroes, The Scrap City Pack Rats, which he created in partnership with Goodwill Industries. They published a six issue series which received national media attention for its groundbreaking approach and subject matter.
Jay is an engaging presenter who has conducted hundreds of comics workshops and classroom events teaching drawing and storytelling techniques. He resides in his home town of Portland, Maine.
John Platt is a journalist and cartoonist living in central Maine. His mini-comics include "My Exploding Head" and "Bigfoot Does Not Appear in this Comic." In addition to writing for magazines like Scientific American and Mother Nature Network, John draws the irregularly updated webcomic, "Plattitudes." For more information, visit http://www.johnrplatt.com/
Joe Quinones has worked for Marvel, DC and Dark Horse Comics and is quickly establishing himself as one of the top comic cover artists working today. He also was the artist of the Green Lantern story in the critically acclaimed "Wednesday Comics" series from DC Comics. His covers have included Amazing Spider-Man and Star Wars, just to name a few. See more of his work here.
Aya Rothwell currently lives in Arlington, MA. Aya was recently attacked by a Canada Goose when she foolishly walked too close to its nest. (She apologized and ran away.) Aya's minicomics include "The Wolf and the Sun" "Mark and the Aliens". She also has stories published in the "Inbound" and "Show and Tell" anthologies. www.AyaRothwell.com
Kenan Rubenstein
Emily Sauter
Steve Seck is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies. He currently resides in Jersey City, NJ, where he makes "Life is Good", a comic about the continuing non-adventures of an unemployed beer bottle & his homeless alligator friend. http://www.secktacular.com
Israel Skelton is a sculptor who makes his home in the wilds of Maine and through his Skelton Crew Studio has the exclusive license to produce prop replicas for the popular comic “Locke & Key.” (The comic, created by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, and published by IDW, has been optioned as a TV series this fall by FOX.) Israel loves bringing the keys from the series to life. He’s also got other plans, and sculpts, in the works, and should Marvel come calling, he makes a mean Mjolnir.
Studio website: www.skeltoncrewstudio.com
Rick Silva has been involved in small press publishing since his college days. He published and edited Kinships magazine. Along with his wife Gynn, Rick is a partner in Dandelion Studios (www.dandelionstudios.com), a small press comic book company. Rick co-writes the Dandelion Studios comics Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire, Stone, Kaeli & Rebecca, Stone, and Perils of Picorna. He publishes his own zine, Caravan, and he is one of the featured contributors for the fiction webzine The Edge of Propinquity (www.edgeofpropinquity.net). Rick Silva grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, attended Cornell University, and currently teaches chemistry at a high school on Cape Cod, where he resides with his wife and son, and three cats.
Gynn Stella Silva Originally from New Hampshire, Gynn received her degree from Massachusetts College of Art with a major in filmmaking. She currently lives and works on Cape Cod with her husband, Rick Silva and their son. Together they make up Dandelion Studios (www.dandelionstudios.com), a small press comic book company. Gynn does all of the artwork for their comic Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire as well as for her minicomics and her upcoming graphic novel, Knifeclaw Company. Her artwork has appeared in Space & Time magazine, and she was selected to be published in the 2005 24-Hour Comics Day anthology. In addition to doing her artwork, Gynn is involved in animal rescue. She is a volunteer at the Cape Wildlife Center, and has adopted three special-needs cats.
Christina Siravo
Matt Smith
Kristi-lyn Stevenson: kristilyn is an artist of many mediums and many methods residing in boston with a small flock of felines. she has and always will enjoy making comic zines and drawing lurid and lovely things. website: zombie-romance.com
kristilyn.com
Betsey Swardlick & Team Werewolf
Hugh Tims is a surfer, farmer, tai chi teacher, yoga instructor and part time disability insurance examiner who would give it all up to be a full-time Comic Book Manifester, but alas admits liking some of the things that make up his life in Cornish and elsewhere in the great state of Maine. As you might acknowledge in your own great and compassionate life- things take time. Knowing that--it still kills Hugh Tims to admit that his comic books have difficulty meeting self-inflicted deadlines and he would like to personally apologize to that mom last year who asked if she could buy the next issue of Lightning Duck at stores in a couple of months. The great news though is that Lightning Duck #2 will be available at this year's MECAF! Let the world rejoice! Visit www.bettercomicsinc.com and we'll see you there!
MRTIM is a lowly comic shop employee and sometimes a cartoonist. He is less than gainfully employed in a large US city. He draws the webcomic OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS about the people who come into his store. This will be his first area appearance.
Mort Todd was raised in Yarmouth, Maine and immediately moved to New York City after high school graduation and ended up as writer, artist and/or editor at Marvel Comics, DC, Fantagraphics and other publishers. He became Editor-in-Chief of the infamous Cracked magazine at 23, where he also started the popular Monsters Attack title. At Marvel he launched the Marvel Music line where he worked personally with the Rolling Stones, KISS, AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and others to create comics based on their bands. He has collaborated with a wide variety of comic legends ranging from Steve Ditko, Don Martin and John Severin to Dan Clowes, Neil Gaiman and Peter Bagge. Characters he has worked on include Superman, Conan, Spider-Man and Speed Racer. He is also an animator and filmmaker through his company Comicfix. He produced the film The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal about the Sadistik photo comics he publishes and is developing an animated series based on the character with Iggy Pop as voice actor.
Underburbs
Colleen AF Venable grew up in the trees of Walden, New York….well, not very high up the trees, since she always got scared, but she did carve her name in a lot of low hanging boughs. Colleen had an older sister, a dog, a cat, a million fish, and an imaginary pet hamster named, yup you guessed it, Hamisher. Why have an imaginary friend when you can have an imaginary friend that can fit in your pocket! Colleen went to Wagner College and double majored in English and Studio Art, winning the award of "biggest dork" (aka first in her class) and writing plays which went on to be produced Off-Off-Broadway. Her whole life she always loved reading comics—Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, and she wore out her copy of the Muppets: Short, Green and Handsome—but it wasn't until she started to get into webcomics that she also fell in love with the idea of writing comics. Now Colleen lives in New York City and her day job is designing graphic novels for First Second Books while her night job is writing graphic novels about a not-so-imaginary-anymore hyperactive hamster named Hamisher for Graphic Universe, the graphic novel imprint of Lerner Publishing Group. She thinks the world is a very lovely place.
http://www.colleenaf.com/
Jason Viola writes and draws the depressing webcomic, "Herman the Manatee" (www.hermanthemanatee.com). He lives near Boston with his wife and cat.
Maris Wicks
Justin Mound started Lush Comics to be a platform for aspiring comic book artists to easily and freely publish their artwork digitally. He grew up with an affinity for both technology and comics, so it's a natural fit. Based out of New York City, the Lush Comics website can be found at http://lushcomics.com/
George O’Connor: George likes to write. A lot. He’s created over 60 short films and the webseries 664-The Neighbor of the Beast (lazyhorde.com). He’s currently writing the ongoing comic series HEALED for Homeless Comics (homelesscomics.com). He also juggles playing guitar in his metal and punk rock bands. By day, George is a mild-mannered copywriter in the advertising world. He once put a truck on the moon.
Corey Olmstead Maineland Studios/Pillage Comix is the love child of local Portland, Maine graphic artist Corey Olmsted along with creative writer and classic "that guy", Jesse Savage of Boston, Ma. Originally started in the Basement of Mousse Cafe in Monument Square, 2008. We are a small indie publishing company that has self produced over 7 comic titles in the past two years with many more to come. Check our blog @ www.mainelandstudios.wordpress.com
Rick Parker is widely known as the artist of "MTV's Beavis and Butt-Head Comic Book" and also draws the Introductory Pages of "Tales From The Crypt" and the graphic novel "Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid" for Papercutz …
Shelli Paroline
Lincoln Peirce is a cartoonist/writer and the creator of the comic strip Big Nate. It appears in more than two hundred U.S. newspapers and online daily at comics.com.
Jeff Pert is an award-winning cartoonist whose work can be seen on tacky merchandise throughout New England and other parts of the US, maritime Canada, and the Caribbean. Enamored of cartoons and comics since he was a boy and his Dad gave him the very first two "Peanuts" collections (the selling of which would now allow Jeff to retire, if only he hadn't nearly destroyed the books), his work has appeared in newspapers, magazines and on the sides of vans. One of his bumper stickers was spotted in Hawaii, which is not nearly as satisfying as being spotted in Hawaii himself. Jeff lives in mid-coast Maine with a jumpy cat and too many books. You can see his work at www.jeff-pert.com and www.entertainyamania.com.
Morgan Pielli: INDESTRUCTIBLE UNIVERSE QUARTERLY. Morgan Pielli's acclaimed series continues with more tales of science fiction and the surreal! Experience the terror of the "Living Room." Learn the secret of "Picker." Feel the pull of "The Twisting Kiss." And so much more! Find INDESTRUCTIBLE UNIVERSE 7 and author Morgan Pielli at the bright red table and say hi! http://www.morganpielli.com/
Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli all-ages graphic novel series. http://www.captneli.com
He has been making state-of-the-art children's entertainment for nearly 20 years. His passion for using the computer as his canvas led him to develop his unique signature style of combining 2D characters with 3D backgrounds.
He served as an art director at Tom Snyder Productions, where he led the creative team in the production of educational CD-ROMs, including the award-winning Fizz and Martina Math Adventures and was as an animator on the ABC Saturday morning show Squigglevision.
He was also the co-creator of the internationally distributed comic book series featuring the world’s first disabled superheroes, The Scrap City Pack Rats, which he created in partnership with Goodwill Industries. They published a six issue series which received national media attention for its groundbreaking approach and subject matter.
Jay is an engaging presenter who has conducted hundreds of comics workshops and classroom events teaching drawing and storytelling techniques. He resides in his home town of Portland, Maine.
John Platt is a journalist and cartoonist living in central Maine. His mini-comics include "My Exploding Head" and "Bigfoot Does Not Appear in this Comic." In addition to writing for magazines like Scientific American and Mother Nature Network, John draws the irregularly updated webcomic, "Plattitudes." For more information, visit http://www.johnrplatt.com/
Joe Quinones has worked for Marvel, DC and Dark Horse Comics and is quickly establishing himself as one of the top comic cover artists working today. He also was the artist of the Green Lantern story in the critically acclaimed "Wednesday Comics" series from DC Comics. His covers have included Amazing Spider-Man and Star Wars, just to name a few. See more of his work here.
Aya Rothwell currently lives in Arlington, MA. Aya was recently attacked by a Canada Goose when she foolishly walked too close to its nest. (She apologized and ran away.) Aya's minicomics include "The Wolf and the Sun" "Mark and the Aliens". She also has stories published in the "Inbound" and "Show and Tell" anthologies. www.AyaRothwell.com
Kenan Rubenstein
Emily Sauter
Steve Seck is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies. He currently resides in Jersey City, NJ, where he makes "Life is Good", a comic about the continuing non-adventures of an unemployed beer bottle & his homeless alligator friend. http://www.secktacular.com
Israel Skelton is a sculptor who makes his home in the wilds of Maine and through his Skelton Crew Studio has the exclusive license to produce prop replicas for the popular comic “Locke & Key.” (The comic, created by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, and published by IDW, has been optioned as a TV series this fall by FOX.) Israel loves bringing the keys from the series to life. He’s also got other plans, and sculpts, in the works, and should Marvel come calling, he makes a mean Mjolnir.
Studio website: www.skeltoncrewstudio.com
Rick Silva has been involved in small press publishing since his college days. He published and edited Kinships magazine. Along with his wife Gynn, Rick is a partner in Dandelion Studios (www.dandelionstudios.com), a small press comic book company. Rick co-writes the Dandelion Studios comics Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire, Stone, Kaeli & Rebecca, Stone, and Perils of Picorna. He publishes his own zine, Caravan, and he is one of the featured contributors for the fiction webzine The Edge of Propinquity (www.edgeofpropinquity.net). Rick Silva grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, attended Cornell University, and currently teaches chemistry at a high school on Cape Cod, where he resides with his wife and son, and three cats.
Gynn Stella Silva Originally from New Hampshire, Gynn received her degree from Massachusetts College of Art with a major in filmmaking. She currently lives and works on Cape Cod with her husband, Rick Silva and their son. Together they make up Dandelion Studios (www.dandelionstudios.com), a small press comic book company. Gynn does all of the artwork for their comic Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire as well as for her minicomics and her upcoming graphic novel, Knifeclaw Company. Her artwork has appeared in Space & Time magazine, and she was selected to be published in the 2005 24-Hour Comics Day anthology. In addition to doing her artwork, Gynn is involved in animal rescue. She is a volunteer at the Cape Wildlife Center, and has adopted three special-needs cats.
Christina Siravo
Matt Smith
Kristi-lyn Stevenson: kristilyn is an artist of many mediums and many methods residing in boston with a small flock of felines. she has and always will enjoy making comic zines and drawing lurid and lovely things. website: zombie-romance.com
kristilyn.com
Betsey Swardlick & Team Werewolf
Hugh Tims is a surfer, farmer, tai chi teacher, yoga instructor and part time disability insurance examiner who would give it all up to be a full-time Comic Book Manifester, but alas admits liking some of the things that make up his life in Cornish and elsewhere in the great state of Maine. As you might acknowledge in your own great and compassionate life- things take time. Knowing that--it still kills Hugh Tims to admit that his comic books have difficulty meeting self-inflicted deadlines and he would like to personally apologize to that mom last year who asked if she could buy the next issue of Lightning Duck at stores in a couple of months. The great news though is that Lightning Duck #2 will be available at this year's MECAF! Let the world rejoice! Visit www.bettercomicsinc.com and we'll see you there!
MRTIM is a lowly comic shop employee and sometimes a cartoonist. He is less than gainfully employed in a large US city. He draws the webcomic OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS about the people who come into his store. This will be his first area appearance.
Mort Todd was raised in Yarmouth, Maine and immediately moved to New York City after high school graduation and ended up as writer, artist and/or editor at Marvel Comics, DC, Fantagraphics and other publishers. He became Editor-in-Chief of the infamous Cracked magazine at 23, where he also started the popular Monsters Attack title. At Marvel he launched the Marvel Music line where he worked personally with the Rolling Stones, KISS, AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and others to create comics based on their bands. He has collaborated with a wide variety of comic legends ranging from Steve Ditko, Don Martin and John Severin to Dan Clowes, Neil Gaiman and Peter Bagge. Characters he has worked on include Superman, Conan, Spider-Man and Speed Racer. He is also an animator and filmmaker through his company Comicfix. He produced the film The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal about the Sadistik photo comics he publishes and is developing an animated series based on the character with Iggy Pop as voice actor.
Underburbs
Colleen AF Venable grew up in the trees of Walden, New York….well, not very high up the trees, since she always got scared, but she did carve her name in a lot of low hanging boughs. Colleen had an older sister, a dog, a cat, a million fish, and an imaginary pet hamster named, yup you guessed it, Hamisher. Why have an imaginary friend when you can have an imaginary friend that can fit in your pocket! Colleen went to Wagner College and double majored in English and Studio Art, winning the award of "biggest dork" (aka first in her class) and writing plays which went on to be produced Off-Off-Broadway. Her whole life she always loved reading comics—Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, and she wore out her copy of the Muppets: Short, Green and Handsome—but it wasn't until she started to get into webcomics that she also fell in love with the idea of writing comics. Now Colleen lives in New York City and her day job is designing graphic novels for First Second Books while her night job is writing graphic novels about a not-so-imaginary-anymore hyperactive hamster named Hamisher for Graphic Universe, the graphic novel imprint of Lerner Publishing Group. She thinks the world is a very lovely place.
http://www.colleenaf.com/
Jason Viola writes and draws the depressing webcomic, "Herman the Manatee" (www.hermanthemanatee.com). He lives near Boston with his wife and cat.
Maris Wicks