This weekend, Bethesda welcomed the Small Press Expo to town. The event has developed into one of the biggest independent comic conventions there is, bringing comic artists and aficionados from all over the continent to the D.C. area. But despite its relatively high profile, it has a remarkably laid-back, D.I.Y. feel. Unlike the bigger, major comic cons, the level of full-scale geekery is scaled back at SPX: a minimum of costumes and dudes you suspect might still live in their parents' basements. Instead, there's just a huge group of friendly people with a shared interest in comic art. And that art comes in a lot of diverse forms here, so that within a few steps you can see slightly skewed super-hero fare, intensely personal and ornately drawn mini-comics, or even graphic novelizations of old Baby-sitter's Club books. You could make a weekend of just perusing all the work on display in the main hall, but SPX had a full schedule of panels, discussions, and workshops to go along with the exhibition. The highly sought-after Ignatz Award was given in ten categories to some of the best comics of the Expo, as rated by the visitors.
more ›

FRIDAY: >> Two shows for DAM! Fest tonight, with events at Rock and Roll Hotel and the Red and the Black. The former includes an appearance by recent Three Stars subject the Beanstalk Library, plus The Exit, Dragons of Zynth and The Teeth. Stick around for the free afterparty, We Fought the Hej, a combo of two of our favorite DJ nights, Hej Hej and We Fought the Big One. >> Don't forget to check... more ›

FRIDAY: >> In "sucks but it's true" news, the H Street NE scene, while awesomely fun, can still be a dangerous part of town. Argonaut bartender Luis "Quike" Morales was reminded of that fact the hard way late last month, when he was shot in the head while walking home from work. Amazingly, Quike survived, but his mounting medical bills are more than any service industry salary could handle. So head on down to the... more ›

Written by DCist contributor John T Porvaznik. The annual Small Press Expo (SPX) in Bethesda highlights the smaller and less publicized world of sequential art. Though it may be a small event, the Expo is dominated by one large room for exhibitors, from Matt Feazell and his stick-figure satire Cynical Man, to web comic groups like Dumbrella and special guests like Tony Millionaire. The Ignatz Awards (for outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning) and panels... more ›