#sparkplug comics

[squarehead333]

Eric Haven, first two pages of his story "I Killed Dan Clowes" in the second issue of his one-man anthology Tales to Demolish. Published by Sparkplug Comics, 2003.

[sparkplugbooks]

Hello y'all!  Sparkplug is heading to the Midwest for one final show.  We’ll be exhibiting at CAKE Chicago with Suzette Smith.  This is one of our favorite fests and it’s free and open to the public, so be sure to check it out!  Info below:

Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, 2016 11 am – 6 pm Center on Halsted 3656 N Halsted FREE and open to the public! http://www.cakechicago.com

Also, on Sunday, there will be a special panel about Sparkplug, hosted by Austin English!  Details below:

Sunday, 3:00–4:00 A Celebration of Sparkplug Comic Books

CAKE 2016 will mark the last show for Sparkplug Comic Books, a company that, throughout its 14 years, has played host to an exciting and fresh roster of diverse artists. Founded by Dylan Williams, whose strong ethical sense and personal taste drove the direction of the company, Sparkplug was a resolutely small press, focused on handmade and independently produced comics in a world veering ever toward mass production. After Williams passed away in September of 2011, his wife, Emily Nilsson, took over, and, in February 2013, passed the helm to artist Virginia Paine, who has been running the company since. This discussion will bring together a combination of artists who’ve worked with Sparkplug throughout the years, many of whom are also, in the vein of Dylan Williams, multi-hyphenates: artists, publishers, distributors and critics. Chris Cilla (Rattlesnake Dick, The Heavy Hand), Zak Sally (Sammy the Mouse, La Mano Press), Suzette Smith (Ce/Ze), and moderator Austin English (Gulag Casual, Domino Books) join together to celebrate 14 years of an amazing small press and the important work of Virginia Paine, Emily Nilsson and and Dylan Williams. This panel is sponsored by Comix Revolution

[sparkplugbooks]

Just a reminder:

May 17th - This is the last day to place any online orders, including wholesale orders. Marc Arsenault is picking up the books from me the weekend of Linework.  I’ll be taking the shop part of the site down after this. It would be really wonderful if you wanted to show your support in these last weeks by purchasing some of our books, either online or at one of these conventions.  I still have bills and other expenses to cover for Sparkplug, as well as making sure my artists get paid.   We have a lot of books on sale as well as regular priced titles.  I also appreciate any reblogs of this announcement!

Thank you!

-Virginia

[portlandzinesymposium]

Introducing Portland Zine Symposium 2016 Poster Artist: EBIN LEE

Ebin Lee is an illustrator, comic book artist and the author of A WRETCH LIKE ME: SAD/BLACK/UGLY/QUEER (published by Sparkplug Comics).  His autobiographical comics reveal intricately drawn linework on what it is to be Black and queer in white-dominated Portland. We are proud and honored to have Ebin draw this year’s Portland Zine Symposium poster!

For more on Ebin’s work, check out this rad interview with Bitch Magazine: https://bitchmedia.org/article/ebin-lee .

[geekbroll]

Geek B-Roll: Virginia Paine - The Whys Mar. 10 2016

With the announcement that Sparkplug Books was coming to an end, Geek B-Roll visited Virginia Paine to find out the whys of the situation and which is her least favorite episode of Babylon 5.

Opening and closing music: http://absentminds.net/

[sparkplugbooks]

Hello friends, It is with mixed feelings that I must announce that I will be shutting down Sparkplug this year.  I appreciate the opportunities that running Sparkplug has given me and the wonderful people it has introduced me to.  I know Sparkplug means a lot to many people and I want to assure you this is not a decision I've made lightly.  It's become increasingly difficult for me to balance my day job as assistant manager at an art gallery, my own comics career, and Sparkplug.  I don't have the time to put into nurturing the press and its artists that they deserve. I would like to express my gratitude to people who have joined and helped me on this journey, and everyone who has supported Sparkplug and me in the years since Dylan's passing.  You will always have a place in my heart. My plan right now is to spend about five more months as Sparkplug - tabling at LAZF, Linework and CAKE - and then close up shop.  The back catalog will be transferred to Marc Arsenault of Alternative Comics - a person who takes great care in promoting older titles. Until then, the online shop will remain open, with plenty of Sparkplug's wonderful selection to choose from.   Again, thank you all.  It's been an honor to publish in this community. -Virginia February 18, 2016

[noteworthycrap-blog]

Matter Summer Special by Philip Barret

2006, Sparkplug Comics

Matter Summer Special is by far the most visually dynamic comic I own. Measuring at 3 by 4 inches, the borders of each page serve as a panel and drawn within each is what other artists would naturally separate into multiple shots.

Having more than one scene overlapping each other gives Matter Summer Special a real sense of movement. Somehow the artist manages to keep both the speech and the sequence of events from clouding up the individual pages. 

On top of this unique visual style of story telling, the plot is hilarious, although difficult to summarize. I'll do my best.

Two pot loving buddies, Bruce and Mate(?), are in mid-joint when they start to talk about the police infiltrating the 1960's hippy movement.  

When the guys run out of pot and money, they sign up to be test subjects in a synthetic pot trial. They can't seem to catch a buzz on the fake dope until Bruce smokes a joint so big that it sends him into a  different dimension. Having smoked all their "pot", he realizes that the only way to save Bruce is to utilize a flaky skin condition to roll a joint out of his Hand-Dandriff in hopes that theres enough of the stuff embedded in it. 

Its such an odd and lucid plot that I really can't do it much justice. 

Clocking in at about 60 pocket-sized pages, Matters Special is a must have for anyone in search of something fun and  different. 

ps - one or both of the friends are Australian, which makes it all the more entertaining to read their bantering. 

www.sparkplugcommics.com

www.blackshapes.com for more from Philip

[mo-neek-a]

Sparkplug Comics is ready to take on new publishing projects and we'd like to ask your help!

This campaign is a fundraiser for three of Sparkplug Books’ upcoming publishing projects.  Our soonest release, scheduled for April of 2012, is the graphic novel Nurse Nurse, by Katie Skelly.  This book compiles the previously self-published first seven issues of Katie’s ongoing sci-fi saga of nurses traversing the planets of our solar system.  The new book includes an eighth chapter to conclude the story.  The book has a two-color cover and black and white interior.

Read more by clicking above. Note: I'm not part of Sparkplug, just passing the message along.