Black Comix Arts Festival SF.
2018 seems like it’s flying by so fast already. Every January I look forward to MLK day weekend not only because we celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King Junior and we get a day off from our 9-5′s but because I know there will be hundreds if not thousands of comic book fans going through rooms and panels and libraries and various other venues exploring Black artists,comics creators, writers and publishers. This is the Blackity Blackitiest Black Comix weekend ever! Not only is there a Black Comix Arts Festival in San Francisco but also at the Schomburg Center for research and Black culture in NYC. I typically write about my craft fairs and festivals or comics events but someone asked me about this weekend and what made it so great. I tabled at the first Black Comix Arts Festival in SF and back then 2015 had an in depth conversation with Eugene Randolph Young about how good it felt just to be in the space with so many other Black creatives. I thought about it this year and there’s more. It’s not just about the fellowship and shared experiences of being a Black creative surrounded by other Black Comics creators etc. but the attendees. The attendees at the Black Comix arts festival are so hungry for visual representation that it’s as if you are seeing them see themselves for the first time as they want to be portrayed. That is truly an honor that is so humbling and hard to take in. It’s an almost overwhelming emotional experience to know that a such a large group of people have been missing something that they may or may not be aware of. That to see so many visceral reactions to not only my work but to other Black artists work and the shine the undeniable glow that folks are walking around the venue with and their chests puffed out with pride and grateful for proper representation that they can relate to and actually engage with the makers. Yeah it’s a surreal experience to be apart of. I am deeply moved and honestly uplifted and inspired by it. One of the best parts is talking to folks who have their own stories to tell and meeting new artists and looking forward to starting new friendships. It’s always nice to see friends and I’ve compared it to a homecoming or family reunion. The positive energy is healing and re-balances all the time spent alone late night,early morning working away on projects. So I Thank not only the organizers and numerous other entities connected to this weekend like SF Library, Metreon and ebay and the MLK foundation but all the volunteers and family and partners of the organizers for supporting them. Huge big ups and Thank you for a great event. Huge shout out to all the folks that stopped by my table to chat,give hugs or check on me and support my new comics and zines. It is much appreciated and hope to see you all soon. Here are some photos of folks that came by and more photos will be on flickr here, https://www.flickr.com/photos/storm1sky/albums