Writers Old Fashioned » Conventions

NPR’s Snap Judgment Features Stephenny Godfrey & STORM

STORM — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 22:08:08 +0000

Last WonderCon, NPR Producer Stephanie Foo had one question on her mind: What was the first superhero that you created? She asked this question to many comic book artists and Stephenny Godfrey and I were included in her project (I found it rather serendipitous that she wanted to know about the heroes I created as a kid as I am drawing them now as an adult for my self-published memoir fantasy comic Princess Witch Boy). A week later, Stephanie wrote us, asking for images from our childhood to be used in a slideshow to compliment the interviews!

I found Stephanie’s project to be quite extraordinary and I was excited that the pop culture zeitgeist of comics had reached National Public Radio in such a way as to warrant its own segment, but I had no idea about the level of comic brilliance in which Stephenny and I would be included! I have been a fan of David Mack ever since my first issue of Kabuki and the art of Paul Maybury is super inspirational (I’ve even blogged about him)! I adore Miriam Libicki and have much love for my fellow compatriot in Writers Old Fashioned Stephenny Godfrey! In fact, all of the creators involved are amazing and everyone shares some great stories! Listen to the interviews and watch the artist slideshow which compares the artists’ childhood drawings with their adult work. Episode 107 of Snap Judgment has more stories tied to the theme of Superheroes: Origin Stories.

Check out my blog for images of my childhood drawings paired with their modern counterparts.

Stumptown Wrap-Up.

Greg — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:08:43 +0000

Stephenny, Storm, and their Trophies.

Boy, Portland, you sure know how to make creators feel welcome.

Ever since I was welcomed into the fold here at Writers Old Fashioned, I’ve heard about how much fun the Stumptown Comics Fest is. Its been nothing but “Well, the Portland fest is sooo cool!” and “Just wait until we get to Stumptown and you’ll see.” And after spending three days mingling with the people of Portland, I’ve got to admit that it may be the most comic-friendly city I’ve ever been to.

The convention floor was absolutely packed for most of Saturday, and even a good portion of Sunday. But for as busy as it was, creators were still easily accessible and ready to visit. In stark contrast to WonderCon earlier this month, one could look out across the room and see what was happening across the hall. I’ve heard that there were a lot more vertical displays this year than at past cons, but from our table I could see the Drawn & Quarterly table all the way at the far end of the room. The airy setup combined with windows galore made for a more pleasant, open experience than WonderCon or San Francisco’s own indie-fest, APE.

And for the second year in a row, Writers Old Fashioned has come back to San Francisco with a Trophy Award! Stephenny’s mini Panorama won the Trophy Award for Outstanding Publication Design! Her handcrafted books beat out some pretty impressive competitors, like Dark Horse’s Mesmo Delivery. If that wasn’t enough, Storm accepted this year’s Mystery Award for Portland’s Mayor Sam Adams. So the Writer’s table had an impressive amount of Trophy’s on Sunday. Next year we’ll sweep ‘em.

It was a treat to get to hang out with such amazing fellow exhibitors and bask in the creative energy of everyone in attendance. Getting back into the groove of every day life has been especially hard after this convention. All I’ve wanted to do is draw comics. Or read comics. Or write about comics. Frankly, I think my girlfriend is gettin’ a little tired of it at this point…

Jason, STORM, Greg, and Stephenny

Thank you so much Portland, and all those folks behind the scenes keeping this how running as smooth as it did. Without the coordinators and the tireless efforts of the scores of volunteers the show could’ve been a real mess. Instead the Stumptown Comics Fest remains one of the most anticipated shows for Writers Old Fashioned!

(I’ve written a little more about my own personal experiences at the fest over at my blog.)

On the Road Again

Matt — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:01:51 +0000

The Writers Old Fashioned crew makes its annual trip to Portland this weekend for the Stumptown Comics Fest. This year, we’ve landed multiple Trophy Award nominations!

Congratulations to STORM, Stephenny, and Greg.

They have racked up SIX nominations between the three of them. Be sure to find the Writers Old Fashioned table and vote for these amazing projects if you are at the show!

Nominees for Outstanding Debut: Greg Hinkle – BeardMonth 2010: Vol 1

Nominees for Outstanding Art: Greg Hinkle – BeardMonth 2010: Vol. 1, Gran.pa, tell me a story…

Nominees for Outstanding D.I.Y.: Stephenny Godfrey – Panorama/STORM – Princess Witch Boy

Nominees for Outstanding Writing: STORM – Princess Witch Boy

Nominees for Outstanding Publication Design: Stephenny Godfrey – Panorama

And the winner is…

Emily — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:19:36 +0000

Brazilianoir! That’s right, you heard it here first (or maybe here). Emily Stackhouse and Nicholas Shahan’s first mini comic, Brazilianoir, brought home the gold for Outstanding D.I.Y. at Stumptown Comics Fest 2009.

Thank you Portland for sharing your love!

photo credit greyaenigma flickr

Trophy Award Nominations

Emily — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:05:10 +0000

This just in! Writers Old Fashioned now has two, count ‘em, two contenders for the the majestic Trophy Award!

Emily Stackhouse and Nicholas Shahan are up for Outstanding D.I.Y with their comic, Brazilianoir!

Jason McNamara and Paige Braddock are in the running for Outstanding Small Press with, The Martian Confederacy !

If you’re going to Stumptown Comics Fest, check out our books and then vote! vote! vote!

Go team!

Look out, Portland!

Emily — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:18:02 +0000

Stumptown 2009. It’s that time of year again, when the fine city of Portland, Oregon, opens it’s arms to the world of comics! The city has even dubbed the month of April, Comic Month, how cool is that?

This is something that Writers Old Fashioned wouldn’t miss for the world. So we’re packing up our wares and heading up North. Also, check out fellow Old Fashioned Writer, Jason McNamara’s Trophy Award nomination for Outstanding Small Press. And please, look out for us. Stop by booth 85 and say hi, will ya?

Wonder Con 09: The 24 Hours that almost killed me

Danger — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:39:26 +0000

Hi there intrepid reader I’m Danger Bob, sorry if we’ve met before but I have trouble with names. Sit for a minute and read the story of how I almost died. Okay, it’s just one of the stories where I almost died, but this one takes place during Wonder Con 09.

I won’t go into the specifics of the pub-crawl-to-end-all-pub-crawls, the world famous Isotope Tiki Tour. I will say however, that I made it to the end, holy crap! That’s never happened in the past, but I have achieved veteran status and even made it to an after party. Thank you moderation and thank you strong liver.

Saturday began with this sound to shock me out of 4 hours of what resembled sleep. I instantly had a flash nightmare about being spotted and surrounded by guards because I wasn’t wearing the right camo pajamas. Turns out I was just lying as comfortable as I could be on a couch of my good friend and fellow member of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Josh Richardson. As it turns out Josh, being a high priest of the temple of video games, has that sound effect as an alarm clock. It took about four or five taps at the snooze button before we woke up.

Still wearing my suit and tie from the Tiki Tour, I made the walk of shame at 10am back to my truck which was 12 blocks away. Thankfully, my truck had no tickets, flat tires, or shattered windows. In true nomad fashion, I changed in my truck (doing a double take at the coming traffic before swapping boxers). Now in a fresh suit with a new tie, I brushed my teeth on the side walk. Cars whizzing by and people out and about must have looked at me and thought, “wow, that is a well-dressed homeless guy.” Bright as a daisy, I tramped on over to the Isotope then embarked for the con.

It’s always a great experience to enter a convention center and hear the roar of thousands of comics fans and think, my people! I had an absolute blast at the Writer’s Old Fashioned table. Dishing out books and handing out “Ramen Old Fashioned“ our group‘s gift to a world in search of a cheap food substitute. I didn’t walk away with any sweet buys but I did leave with a ton of awesome memories. That sounds cheesy but I’m fucking serious as a heart attack here.

I saw people from work and my town that I had no idea were into comic books, and have been since before I was born. It was the realization that you really don’t know who shares the same kind of love for comics as you do.

I even got to met a Spider-Man with a British accent.

Who knew that a weekend consisting of drinking, poor diet, and no sleep, would make me sick. Towards the end of the Con I started to feel really haggard, but it was all ignored when I got a phone call, like the Bat signal, from James Sime. He was in trouble, the Isotope party of the year was about to start and the store was no where near ready. Ditching the Con early, I raced over to the Isotope, forgetting all the shitty feelings going on in my body. Things were chaotic and all in the air but under Simes guidance, his baby, and my second home: the Isotope, was ready for a horde of people in celebration of comics (including Brian Azzarello and Dave Johnson). In the calm before the storm, I started to get the cold sweats. Feeling achy all over and staring at my orange juice in a beautiful Isotope exclusive event pint glass, I realized; ‘holy shit buddy, you better sit this one out’.

As I drove home I felt all my bodies defenses just drop and die. Feeling like crap, the only thing I was thinking about was the days when societies made sacrifices for rain or for a bountiful harvest. By getting sick and sitting this party out, I was making the sacrifice the night needed to be off the walls crazy. I was also thinking that next year I’m going to tear Wonder Con 2010 a new one!

I Still Believe in Comics.

Emily — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:13:37 +0000

I originally wanted to write a recap of my 2009 WonderCon, but I just can’t get into the details. It seems if I focused on the specifics (like the fact that Mike Mignola’s table was two tables away from our own!) I’d be missing the big picture of WonderCon.

Does anyone remember this song?

(click “continue reading” to rock out)

Really listen to the lyrics (no seriously, listen to this song while you read this post!). This was my theme song for WonderCon weekend: I Still Believe. All details aside, let me tell you about what this convention, and all the others, mean to me.

It’s tough making comics; it’s an isolating experience. Writing and drawing are lonely activities. When we make comics we are totally alone, don’t get me wrong, being alone is nice and all but after awhile it can really get you down. This is why I love cons so much: they bring us together.

Not only is making comics a lonely business but it’s also esoteric. Sometimes people in your life simply don’t “get” what it is that you do. This is true for any profession, but with comics, outsiders may find it hard to take seriously. Believe it or not, but there are people out there who see our beloved comic books as just silly cartoons, or to use the phrase I’m quite fond of, “funny books”. A good pal of mine, (and everyone else’s in this little comic world) James Sime, uses this phrase in the same way I like to. We have to reclaim this word. Come on, say it together now, “funny books”. It’s these little grubby, pulpy books that we all live for. And it’s the meeting together to discuss, sell, buy, draw, write and read these little funny books that makes us a community.

Writers Old Fashioned is a little slice of the comic community pie. What we do is support each other. What the comic community does, as a whole, is support each other. See? It’s all about love and support. Whether it was from the hundreds of people who stopped by booth AA103 or from my fellow comrades at Writers Old Fashioned, (check out STORM’s post) love and support were all I felt last weekend.

So, without giving you all a play by play of my weekend, I just want to say:

I still believe in comic books and I still believe in what WE do.

The Freaks Come Out at Night

Emily — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:27:26 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I love some good ol’ homemade costumes and comic book fans are especially good at do-it-yourself fashion. Wonder Con is like a pop culture safari; cruise around the convention halls and you’ll be sure to spot several icons in their natural habitat. They’ll be a Wonder Woman eating a bag of Doritos or a Storm Trooper using the water fountain. I can’t wait! The ladies and gentlemen of Writers Old Fashioned may not be in superhero attire this year at Wonder Con, but you can bet we’ll be looking sharp. Just for your amusement, here’s some of our past costumes to show you our true colors.

Jason as Spiderman (black suit)

Kirsten as Lady Blackhawk

Josh is Tony Stark

Matt- a perfect Doctor Ock

Danger Bob is Captain Portugal!

STORM as Black Widow

Emily as Checkmate

and the votes are in,

Danzig IS a superhero, as Ash displays here. See you at Wonder Con.

Rain, Bloody Marys, and Comics

Emily — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:26:28 +0000

Well, I just poured another cup of tea and am ready to tell you about my experience at APE 2008. First up, let’s talk about the weather. How amazing was that rain? I’ll tell you what, everyone with a massive hangover from Halloween was thankful for those dark skies. And chances are that if you attended the Isotope’s All Hallows Eve Extravaganza you were massively hungover. I was lucky enough to have attended said party and let me tell you, I had, as Bill and Ted would say; a most excellent time. There were Evel Knievels there were Pornbots, there were powdered wigs and electric guitars. And of course, there were Whiskey Sours…

The next day, first day of APE, started with an aspirin or two, along with an excitement in my gut much like Christmas morning. After parking and running through the rain (don’t get the comics wet!) Nick (the light of my life) and I were greeted by Jason “Sweetheart” McNamara. Jason was up and running on all cylinders, proudly displaying his new graphic novel; “Martian Confederacy”. He had the table looking like a real gem. And guess where that Jason wanted to put my comic? Right in front! By all means Jason, you’re the boss! Then Matt and Serena showed up. Matt, bless his heart, had TWO tables this year at APE. Matt, none of us know how you did it, between the two APE tables and the three Isotope parties. I think your Halloween costume summed it up best.

Another thing that made Matt super was his offer to buy Jason and I a drink. And that’s where the Whiskey Sours make yet another appearance. That’s one for Jason and a Bloody Mary for me, thanks. Freshly energized, I was ready to take this Con on. Hand sell a few books, take a stroll around, and even yuck it up with a few so and sos. The party really got going though when good ol’ boys Danger Bob and David Brothers showed up. Danger Bob brought by his hilarious mini comic; “Dwarves Behaving Badly”. And who could forget the go-to-girl Serena? A real sport that one.

With everyone showing up and stopping by the table, I truly felt like I had won the lottery. Who were all these fine people? Creative, professional, and all around swell. Well, don’t let me get too teary eyed on you, we still have one more day of APE left…

After a quick dinner and refresher at the old homestead, Nick and I were ready for round two at the Isotope. That’s right, the big night; Award For Excellence in Mini Comics. The night was a mix of the friendly faces from earlier on, plus some new ones. I even caught sight of the elusive Josh Richardson making cozy on the couch upstairs. And of course, Storm graced us all with his most elegant presence. And we all know I didn’t win the Award for Excellence, this guy did (and truly deserves it!) but I still managed to feel like the biggest winner of the night.

Day 2 started off much better than day 1. First off, I wasn’t nursing a hangover, secondly I was even more prepared to sell books, having done it the whole day before. There was a time there when I was working the table with Matt and we were really feeling it. It was like we had reached some kind of Comic Zen. Matt was slinging books like hash. And I watched in awe. Meanwhile, Jason rocked his interview at the spotlight panel for Paige Braddock. James Sime, of the Isotope, showed up and hung out for a bit attracting “oohs” and “ahs” with his aquamarine suit. The day really got good though when Kirsten Baldock and Storm came to help. Again, how do these people do it? Managing to not only look good after planning three Isotope parties and working the shop into the wee hours of the night, but to look AMAZING! Kirsten and I took a look-see around the place sipping on our Pink Malt Beverages and I have to say, the table looked real nice when just us girls (Kirsten, Serena and I) held down the fort. Then, before I knew it, it was time to pack up and ship out. There was yet another Isotope party after but this girl was too worn out to attend. It was time for me to get back in my pumpkin and go home.

To sum it all up, I would just like to say “Thanks”. To everyone who showed up and stopped by, to anyone I forgot to mention, to you all. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, THIS is what it’s all about, seriously.

Emily Stackhouse