Loading up on Staple!

Another year has come and gone, and Staple! has another great show to notch in its straining belt. I don't have any numbers, or rumors of numbers, or anything beyond my own wobbly eye to judge by, but it seemed as if there were even more people there than last year — and that was nearly a sold-out show, if I'm remembering correctly.

But that's enough sloppy speculation — how 'bout some photographic proof? Staple! featured some great guests and exhibitors, with a good mix of styles and genres. It seriously took me hours to make my way through the two halls, mostly because I lingered over something neat at nearly every table. Here's a small sampling of what — and who — I saw:


B.P.R.D. artist Guy Davis (warning: sound) is one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet, and certainly one of the nicest comic book creators I've met. Davis was doing free — FREE — sketches for folks, and was cheerful and chatty even though a line stretched away from his table and down the aisle. I wasn't going to let a chance like that go by, and Davis did a sketch (which he's working on in this picture) that is so incredibly awesome that I can't wait to show it to you .

Except I'll have to, because like a dumb-ass I forgot it at home. Ahem.


Speaking of cool guys doing awesome sketches, Keith Quinn was also generously doing free sketches and drew this picture of the indomitable Perry White for me. When I asked for a Perry, Quinn at first was a little stumped because he couldn't remember what he looked like, but then got down to business. When he was done he told me the coolest thing ever: "I was thinking, 'What does Perry White look like?' And then I thought, 'Perry White is his job — he's a loose tie and rolled-up sleeves.'" That just about made my day. Be sure to check out Quinn's all-ages webcomic, Local Heroes.


Hell, yeah! Y'know, Staple! doesn't generally get a lot of people in costume, so it was a treat when these guys walked in. How often do you get to run into Lex Luthor, the Penguin, Superman (or is that the Death of Superman-era Eradicator?) and Doctor Fate? They all looked pretty great, but my favorite had to be Lex — just look at him! He's perfect! And you can't tell from the picture, but every green part of his gun was lit up to look like a Kryptonite-charged killer. I loved it.


Luthor and the Penguin seem to be reminding the Mike Pruitt (left) and Rod Nunley of Geek Bombast about the importance of "insurance." I'm assuming they paid up, because a podcast recorded at Staple! is at their site just waiting for your tender ears.

Some other people at the sixth annual Staple! indie expo included:

Austin artist and comic book creator, Diana Sprinkle

Paul Maybury, creator of Aqua Leung, Hard Candy, and
the Maxy J. Millionaire and Party Bear webcomics

Yehudi Mercado, creator of the awesome-looking Buffalo Speedway
(a graphic novel I'll be reading tonight)

Andy Runton of Owly fame, who was also giving people
a peek at an Owly cartoon.

There were many, many more folks there, and believe me, these pictures really don't do Staple! justice — it's a show you should see for yourself!