Media Release -- The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce Paul Karasik, Jeff Lemire, Carol Tyler and Josh Neufield as guests for SPX 2009.
Carol Tyler is one of the original "Wimmen" cartoonists, has contributed to Weirdo, Drawn & Quarterly, Zero Zero, along with the anthologies Wimmens Comix and Twisted Sisters. She will be at SPX to talk about her latest graphic novel, You'll Never Know Book One "A Good and Decent Man", released by Fantagraphics. You'll Never Know has received acclaim from critics and librarians alike for its portrayal of not only her fathers story of his experiences in World War 2, but how those experiences shaped Carol and her family. See more of Carol's work at her web site http://www.bloomerland.com.
Josh Neufield, author of the Xeric Grant winner A Few Perfect Hours, spent time as a volunteer for the Red Cross in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This resulted on the online graphic novel A.D. New Orleans After The Deluge, which is now a full color book published by Pantheon that has garnered rave reviews. Josh also created the series The Vagabonds and as well as collaborating with Dean Haspiel on Keyhole. Visit Josh at his website at http://joshcomix.home.mindspring.com/.
Both Josh and Carol will be on discussion panels to talk about their works, in addition to being available for book signings while at SPX.
Paul Karasik is a contributor to both The New Yorker and Nickelodeon magazine. He is the former associate editor of the ground breaking RAW Magazine and a former teacher at the Rhode Island School of Design. As a graduate of the School of Visual Design, he studied with Art Spiegelman, Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman. He was the co-creator of the graphic novel "City of Glass", in collaboration with David Mazzucchelli. Paul's critically acclaimed "I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets" on the works of Fletcher Hanks won the 2008 Eisner Award for the category Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books. His latest book is another collection of the works of Fletcher Hanks "You Shall Die By Your Own Evil Creation!" published by Fantagraphics Books.
Jeff Lemire won a Xeric Award in 2005 for his book "Lost Dogs." Between 2007 and 2009 Top Shelf Productions published his Ignatz, Harvey, and Eisner-nominated "Essex County Trilogy" of graphic novels "Tales From the Farm," "Ghost Stories," and "The Country Nurse". They were collected into a single volume and issued earlier this year by Top Shelf as "The Complete Essex County". Jeff has won the 2008 Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist, the 2008 Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent, and the 2008 American Library Association's Alex Award (For Adult Books with Teen Appeal.) This year also saw the release of his original graphic novel "The Nobody" from DC/Vertigo. Jeff is currently writing and drawing the new monthly Vertigo series "Sweet Tooth," which will begin in September.
SPX will be held Saturday, September 26 from 11AM to 7PM and Sunday, September 27, noon-6PM at The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days.
For further information on the Ignatz Awards, the nominees or to request an interview, please contact Warren Bernard at warren@spxpo.com.
