A casual visitor entering the Wordstock Book Fair this past weekend would have quite happy with the range of publishers, authors, and retailers present. There was a long list of speakers and programs, and numerous volunteers to assist anyone with questions. The only visitor who might not have had as good a time would have been one searching for the Stumptown Graphic Novel Garden he remembered from years previous. Nowhere to be seen was the sign indicating a spacious section dedicated to comics, with information about the upcoming Stumptown Comics Fest, or any readings or lectures dedicated to sequential art. Theories abound as to why comics were so underrepresented at this year’s Wordstock, including the pull of New York Comic Con and the Frankfurt Book Fair, but it was clear that this was not going to be the year to spotlight comics in Portland. Nevertheless, the Portland Comic Books Examiner spoke with the select group of comic folk in attendance, and came back with some interesting news.
Sharing a table at the event were Shannon Wheeler (The New Yorker, Too Much Coffee Man) and Mike Rosen, manager at the Watershed Division of the city’s Bureau of Environmental Services. An odd pairing at first glance, but in August the two men traveled with a group of twenty-four Oregonians to witness the BP Oil Spill first hand and bring their news back. The project was called PDX 2 Gulf Coast, and was funded by local businesses and individuals. Wheeler and Oregonian columnist Steve Duin are currently talking with Seattle’s Fantagraphics Books about publishing a book based on their experience, with Wheeler’s sketches and Duin’s commentary about their “Felliniesque moments,” as Rosen put it. “Fantagraphics’ books address a lot of social issues, but this would be their first environmental effort,” said Rosen. “It’s a great opportunity for comics to step up and be heard.” Expect to hear more on this project as next September approaches. Wheeler also claimed to be “three-quarters” complete with his Bible project, a collaboration with author Mark Russell which condenses each book of the Bible to three or four paragraphs, accompanied by a cartoon from Wheeler. There are no firm deals on the table as yet, but according to Wheeler, Atlanta GA’s Top Shelf Productions professed to be “very interested” in the book.
Bo Johnson, publisher at Bowler Hat Comics, was proud to talk about the company’s flagship title, Kid Beowulf. Young Beowulf and Grendel travel far afield and find themselves in the events of the world’s epic poems. Following The Blood-Bound Oath and The Song of Roland, creator Alexis Fajardo plans to take the pair to visit Spain’s most famous crusader in El Cid, which Johnson hopes to be able to debut at next year’s Wordstock. He was also showcasing an illustrated novel, Visibility, which is enjoying renewed interest because of the Twilight phenomenon, but not for the reason one would think. “It fits in with Young Adult paranormal [fiction], which is popular,” said Johnson, “but it’s not romance-driven, and YA paranormal fans are fed up with female leads who are only concerned with love.” Both titles did well, and Johnson reported having sold more books than at previous Wordstock events.
Goldendale WA’s Maryhill Museum of Art had their very first table at Wordstock, in order to inform people about their current exhibit, Comics at the Crossroads, Art of the Graphic Novel, which runs through November 15. The exhibit features original comic art from Pacific Northwest artists, mainly from Portland, and a custom poster for the event was raffled off. Rachel Bucci, the museum’s Media Officer, also made sure attendees knew about their upcoming lecture Comics in the Extended Field, given by artist Daniel Duford. To be held on November 14th, the lecture will focus on the physical presence of images, and how their format informs their transmission. “It really has been worthwhile,” said Bucci, pleased with the museum’s first Wordstock.
Another new exhibitor was David Shapiro, the creative director of Craigmore Creations and author of their new book Terra Tempo: Ice Age Cataclysm, a adventurous yet educational graphic novel about kids who time-travel to experience the prehistoric Missoula Floods that shaped the Pacific Northwest. Shapiro was happy to point out that the book, which debuted at Wordstock, was written, drawn, colored, and printed all in Portland.
Third-largest comic publisher Dark Horse Comics attended, but only had a single table with a handful of selections for sale. According to their three representatives, the event was intended more as a way to “get to know the public other than at comic shows.” Being a local publisher, they felt it was important to keep their roots in the community. They did report selling out of their book Avatar:The Last Airbender - The Art of the Animated Series on Saturday, which indicated a decent turnout, especially of younger readers. Next year’s Wordstock may see more kid-oriented programming from Dark Horse as a result.
Stumptown Underground, a local zine collective, celebrated their first year in existence with a Birthday Bash issue of the zine. The organization accepts submissions from all interested parties for their monthly themed issues, and editor Christina “Blue” Crow was on hand to give her opinion about the book fair. She agreed that there was much less representation from the comics industry than in previous years. “In 2008, most of the people attending Wordstock were going for the comics,” Crow said. The festival had a reputation as a comics-heavy event, but that was not the case this year, in her view. “I’d love to see more comics people,” she added. “It’s important to keep that valuable relationship alive between comic and literary art.” Crow fondly remembers 2009’s Wordstock, which was the collective’s first. Despite having only two issues printed at the time, the experience was so rewarding that the members worked hard for the group to be able to return this year. In a display of cooperative bargaining, Stumptown Underground offered to accept table space in exchange for hosting a kids’ zine workshop. Encouraged by the positive experience she had this year, Crow hopes that the graphic arm of literature will continue to be supported in Wordstocks to come: “In a society that struggles with youth literacy, Wordstock shows reading as something to be celebrated.”
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