Ben and I just got back from SPX (Small Press Expo) in Bethesda, Maryland. I enjoy this indie comics show a lot more than MOCCA in NYC. The Marriot in Maryland is cleaner and cooler (temperature-wise) than the NYC venue. Also, all the tables are closer to one another which makes for a more cozy atmosphere. Overall SPX is the best convention I’ve ever been to…and I’m never going back. Over the past 2 years I have grown to hate going to conventions. It’s physically taxing to sit at a table for 8 hours straight trying to persuade people who have no interest in talking to you to talk to you. Just getting them to talk is a challenge…trying to then sell them a book is nearly impossible. Most people have their excuses ready at hand: “I’ll be back later,” “I have no money,” “I’m just taking a quick tour of the whole show”…all lies. It can be frustrating when you know you have the best and cheapest books at the whole show. At one point I encountered someone who told me that he would’ve bought one of my books except he spent his last $15 on a mystery package. This man spent $15 on a brown bag wrapped with a shoe string filled with unknown contents. He’s lucky I didn’t come across the table and slap him in the face! Who are these people?! …Maybe I just don’t know anything about marketing.

Some highlights of the show:

1) Getting to meet Kevin Huizenga and forcing him to autograph my new Simpsons Treehouse of Horror comic (which ended up being the biggest piece of indie shit I’ve ever read).

2) Having to wait 2 hours for our food to arrive at the hotel restaurant as the Top Shelf guys at the table next to us received a 5 course meal.

3) Discovering the comic “Rice Boy” by Evan Dahm.

4) Having someone recognize my sketch of WWF wrestler Ravishing Rick Rude (I gave her the drawing as a gift afterwards).

5) Selling my last copy of “The Poonies” to an old woman.

–Dov