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 by special guests round out the events at the convention, but the main attraction remains the exhibitor’s hall. SPX’s policy is to not sell space to retailers; tables are staffed with creators, authors, artists, and publishers of independent and self-published comics. The atmosphere is casual, and the artists and authors are very approachable.

SPX can be easy to breeze through in under an hour, having spent only the admission fee. But you’re just as likely to find yourself short on time after talking to every artist and author or sitting in on panels while the flood of fifty-cent mini-comics, anthologies and other swag brings your spending tally over $100. For the new and uninitiated, two to three hours and $20 – $50 seems like a good place to start.

SPX will be held on Friday, October 13, from 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, October 14, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center, close to the White Flint Metro. Admission is $8 for a single day or $15 for the weekend.