Genghis Con 2010 Press Release!

UNDERGROUND SMALL PRESS EXPLOSION ROCKS CLEVELAND

The small press comic convention, Genghis Con, is returning to Cleveland on Saturday November 27th from noon to 6 pm at the Beachland Ballroom at 15711 Waterloo Road Cleveland, OH 44110. This is the second year for the independent press extravaganza which is both comic book convention and art show. Visitors to the show will get to meet graphic artists from around the Midwest who use sequential art as their primary means to tell a story. Admission is $5.00.

Further information and a list of creators can be found at the show’s website http://www.thegenghiscon.com/.

This year’s show will feature as many as fifty comic creators including local artists Derf, whose “The City” strip appears weekly in papers across the country and Gary Dumm, and Greg Budgett who worked closely as artists for the late Harvey Pekar. Many of the artists attending this year were excited to get back to the show after last year’s success.

The creators attending Genghis Con have worked at many different levels from professionally published work to photocopied zines. “There is such an incredible diversity of talent working in small press comic publishing,” says one of the organizers, Scott Rudge. “They are telling stories that are truly original and their work is often quite amazing yet it may never be read by more than a handful of people. We started Genghis Con to try to change that.”

Last year’s convention was such an incredible success because both attendees and creators had the opportunity to interact in a way not possible at a normal comic convention. One of the early innovations instituted by the organizers was to provide table space to the creators at no charge. Rudge believes this changed the dynamic by taking the presure off the artists to “make back their table fee.” This breaks down a huge barrier between the artists and the public.

“The Beachland Ballroom has been an amazing partner in this project. When we first thought of doing this show, we didn’t think about any other location and when we approached them, they were very enthusiastic about the idea. Thanks to their generosity, we are able to hold our costs down,” says Rudge. “We are not doing this show to make money, we are happy to break even. We are just very excited to give people the opportunity to interact with these amazing creators.”

One of the most popular features of the show last year was the four page “mini-comic” put together by each of the artists. This comic is free of charge and gives each attendee a sample of the kind of work a particular creator does. When they leave, each attendee will have an anthology of that year’s show in their collection of these comics.

“Last year it was very encouraging to see people walking out of the convention with a significant stack of amazingly original reading material for which they paid very little,” says Rudge. “I know it sounds ridiculous in light of the consumer onslaught people face on Thanksgiving weekend, but you can find amazing, unique, original and affordable gifts at this show.”

For more information contact Scott Rudge at Astound Comics, 440 835-8055 or e-mail at astoundpop@gmail.com.

Ganghis Con 2010 poster by Greg Budgett and Gary and Laura Dumm!

Genghis Con is happening Saturday November 27th from noon to six at The Beachland Ballroom at 15711 Waterloo over in Collinwood!

This piece is an awesome sequel to the poster this team did for last year's show, also featuring The Khan and Genghis Connie! This year we're set in the Siegel and Shuster's attic, where The Khan has found a pristine mint copy of Action Comics #1. Too badd Connie shot it, that comic sold for $1,000,000.00 earlier this year!

Big thanks to Greg and Gary! They will be at the show again this year! Definitely make it a point to stop by and say hi, and check out their new prints and offerings!

GENGHIS CON 2010

The small press, independent print media, underground comix exposition GENGHIS CON is back for year two in 2010, at The Beachland Ballroom, in Cleveland Ohio. We're taking over the same date, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, this year it's November 27th, from noon to 6pm.

Last year we had over 40 exhibitors holding down tables and ringing bells left and right. This year we're bringing back some familiar faces, and introducing all new young bloods. Comickers, cartoonists, printmakers, and zinesters of all kinds, from all over the region!

Stay Tuned for further information coming soon!

R.I.P. Harvey Pekar 1939-2010

From frequent collaborator Gary Dumm's Facebook page:


"I don't get on Facebook much, but with the passing of my friend and collaborator Harvey Pekar I thought I'd say something here. As irascible and curmudgeonly as Harvey might have truthfully appeared in the pages of American Splendor and certainly somewhat in his daily life NOT recorded there, I can only say that in 30 plus years of knowing and dealing with him there was much more. 

He was, first of all, without fail a generous and helpful friend to me, whenever possible finding work that I could do either with him or not. Our working together at first was somewhat cautious, as Greg Budgett and I found that Harvey knew what he wanted and that was ALL that he wanted - we'd sometimes "deviate" particularly pictorially from Harvey's vision. But we hit a rhythm and an understanding, and that's why I'm proud to say that my art brought Harvey and his stories to life in almost every issue of American Splendor published. I "got" Harvey early on, realizing and appreciating that his quasi-reportorial writings about his life was almost zen in approach (although that  appraisal Harvey would only laugh off). And so American Splendor became an integral part of my artistic life. 


I am so sorry for his passing, especially for his wife Joyce and daughter Danielle. We have lost a great talent, but they have lost so much more. Laura's and my thoughts are with them. I will miss talking with him and even hearing him kvetch about whatever: editors, publishers etc. So long, Harvey...like a Chekov from Cleveland, some episodes and memories of you are there for the ages to read. I know that I'll never forget you."

Genghis Con 2009 - Photos #1