Monday, April 13, 2015

Mocca 2015

It was a fun weekend with my homeboy and publisher (I also think a lot of people think we're married as well) Andy Brown of Conundrum Press in NYC at Mocca.
Andy already beat me to an action-packed recap of the weekend here. And the smashing Heidi Macdonald also has a great post here. Look, I got the same pictures and they stole all the good jokes, so this Mocca report is gonna be a real sad sack.
but here we go anyway, or BHWGA, as the kids say.
I met Andy at the Toronto Airport. “I'll be wearing a professorial
corduroy jacket” he told me.
He would later be taunted by NYC thugs who derisively called him “patches.” 

Our flight was cancelled, did we panic, no, we ate a veggie burger.
This photo was first ever Conundrum live social medi… (fart noise…)

Setting up is a sweaty, anxious business.
Oh my God, too many books, oh my god, not enough books.
It always works out.

See, it's fine. Let's do this. Nice venue, lots of light.
I liked the dark Armoury too though.
Love these two. Two of the nicest and best publishers in Canada.
and the order of Canada goes to Annie Koyama and Andrew Brown.
cutie buddies. Jeez. love.
Deforge updated me on the whole butter tart affair.
It's for real and it's on. I think I'm going to attend.
I am also going to get Michael one of my mom's butter tarts.
You know who makes the best butter tarts? My mom.
(I know that's a Regular Show reference and he's not affiliated with them, relax!)

big crowds!
braaaaains… I mean, boooooks… excited crowds.
Brownie got an iphone. Hilarity ensued with us trying to use it.
His “roaming charges” will be monumental, I suspect.
Old pal, Jillian Tamaki signs copies of her
Conundrum book, Gilded Lilies.
Great to see her and get her Youth in Decline book
which she signed to“old Joe.” Jillian is the best.
It was good to meet Ryan Sands, who is lovely and is publishing
some of the most exciting comics out there.
He also has books by Sam Alden and Emily Carrol
which I have to get, they look insanely good.


Andy said he got carded buying beer. I suspect it was a
misunderstanding or a practical joke. 

Andy in front of the Chelsea Hotel. respect.
the kids we were walking with didn't share the
enthusiasm of us two old guys.

Just three images from the Alt Weekly show. 
My camera died. The show was extensive and incredible and really 
showed what an influence these strips made on generations of cartoonists.
Kudos to Bill Kartolopoulos and Warren Bernard for putting the show together.

Just being in the Society of illustrators building
was a crazy experience. Then, they gave people free beer and a never-ending buffet.
Incredibly gracious hosts in a club filled with history and art,
my hair stood up looking at the original art on the walls.
I'm starting a club
for cartoonists in Hamilton soon.
It'll be only be me and Collier at first.
and it will be in a alley, or a treehouse.
more details to come.








I hope this gentleman will not mind me posting this image
of his trumpet seated trousers, which were excellent.


The intrepid Heidi Macdonald interviews
Kat Verhoeven about her new Book, Towerkind,
which looks excellent. Kat was fun to hang out with and a great help
at the table. Another good Conundrum kid.


Dakota, one of my favourite people and a great cartoonist, at work on more daily comics
People were very excited about his new Conundrum book, Don't Get Eaten by Anything.
Handsome smiling guy is Andrew Warner, cartoonist and publisher of the excellent anthology Irene .
He let Conundrum use and abuse his credit card swiper and saved our asses and was completely
kind and gracious about it. Glad to have got to meet him.



Two great guys, happily solving an argument using Ask Jeeves.
The great Sikoryak and Jon Chad.
The table near the end. Though in truth,
some of the books were eaten by the crowds in
that earlier picture.

Thanks to the organizers of Mocca for a great, well-organized show.
and thanks, as ever, old Andy Brown.