The con that ate Austin

If you happen to be anywhere near the Austin area next weekend and you have any love for comics or the small press, I'm guessing Staple! has already been added to your to-do list. If not — what's the matter with you?

Staple! is a great little expo that gets bigger every year, and features the talent of both local and national creators. This year's big names are Eric Powell (who provided the art for the 2008 version of the Staplegator) and Brian Wood, and favorites like David Malki, Danielle Corsetto and Scott Kurtz are scheduled to be there, too (check out the link for more details).

One of the things I always like about Staple! is how laid-back the whole thing tends to be; the creators are always very cool and willing to just kind of hang out with attendees, and there's usually a good mix of participants to check out. Austin's a good comic book and media town, and it's not uncommon to run into folks like Paul Benjamin, Harry Knowles and Rivkah. All in all, it's a lot of fun for a $5 ticket. Seriously, if you think about it that's just ridiculous.

I plan on being there this year, so let me know if you might be going — it'd be cool to meet up!

And really, doesn't that Eric Powell poster kick 10 kinds of ass?