On Friday April 17 2009, the Stumptown Comics Foundation is proud to present a chance-of-a-lifetime dinner event at which we would be honored to have you join us. Tailored for the discerning connoisseur of comic books, today's most vibrant artistic and cultural movement, this is a relaxing evening of food, drink and conversation with an intimate grouping of the medium's most respected and innovative storytellers. Held in the ArtBar & Bistro of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, located across the street from the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, this is a joint fundraising benefit for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Portland, Oregon's own Stumptown Comics Foundation.

Guests include: Jeff Smith; creator of Bone and Rasl and STCF09 special guest of honor, Craig Thompson; creator of Blankets, GoodBye Chunky Rice and the forthcoming Habibi, Farel Dalrymple; creator of Pop Gun War and illustrator of best-selling author Jonathan Lethem's Omega the Unknown, Matt Wagner; creator of Mage and Grendel; Gail Simone; creator of Unhinged and author of Wonder Woman, Brian Michael Bendis; author of Powers, Alias, The New Avengers and many more, Derek Kirk Kim; creator of Same Difference and Other Stories as well as Lowbright, and Mike Dringenberg; co-creator of Sandman and contributor to the Tori Amos comics anthology Comic Book Tattoo. Directors of the Foundation and Fund will also be in attendance.

Attendance to this excellently prepared traditional three course meal - salad, entree and dessert - is $100.00 per patron, and offers intimate seating at a table with one of our honored guests. Seating is assigned, and based on first-come, first served reservation by emailing to sts@stumptowncomics.com for an invoice. A vegan option is available upon request, evening casual attire or finer is requested of you. No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a ticketed adult companion, and proper identification will be necessary in order to imbibe spirits. Thank you for your understanding.

Prior to the dinner and beginning 5:30PM, an open attendance cocktail hour will take place in the Rotunda lobby of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, during which Portland Mayor Sam Adams will read a proclamation declaring Portland the City of Comics for the month of April 2009 and during which ticketed guests will enjoy hosted appetizers, beer and wine. At 6:30PM only ticketed guests will retire to the dining room for seating, and dinner will be served shortly afterward.

This gala evening gives you the opportunity mix and mingle with the creators of the works you love, to ask the questions you've always wanted answered, and get some of the inside stories beyond the comics page, as well as insights into the careers and lives of the incredibly talented men and women who create them. Wine, dine, meet and greet; all to celebrate comics and kick off the sixth annual Stumptown Comics Fest held April 18 & 19 at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel, as well as add your strength to two organizations dedicated to the support of comic books.

The Stumptown Comics Foundation is very pleased to announce that Mayor Sam Adams has declared April Portland Comics Month for the second year in a row. This proclamation officially recognizes both the cultural importance and creative influence of this unique art form on the city, and builds on the strength and success of 2008's inaugural Comics Month celebration.

Portland has deep roots in the comic-book publishing world, as it is home to scores of industry professionals and several of the nation's most prominent comics publishers (Dark Horse Comics, Oni Press, Top Shelf Productions, and Image--Shadowline). Moreover, the local comics community continues to see significant growth, which further bolsters the Rose City's defining ties to the creative arts and industries.

To champion and support Portland Comics Month, the Stumptown Comics Foundation has once again catalogued a staggering number of comics-related events in the Portland metro area for the entire month of April. The current list is is to be had at www.stumptowncomics.com/comicsmonth. Join us in this month-long celebration of sequential art--featuring the 6th Annual Stumptown Comics Fest, events from Multnomah County Libraries, galleries, bookstores, and organizations, and culminating in the annual nationwide Free Comic Book Day!

What
Stumptown Comic Fest/MacTarnahan's Brewing 1st ever "Drink and Draw" event.

Watch a group of celebrated local comic illustrators working their craft as inspired by the MacTarnahan's Taproom atmosphere. Evenings creations will be auctioned off for charity. MacTarnahan's Beer Specials and raffle prizes.

Visit the MacTarnahan's website.

When
Wednesday April 1st, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Who
Guest artists:
Monica Toth
Virginia Paine
Brian Churilla
Natalie Phillips
Mike Lawrence

Where
MacTarnahan's Taproom
2730 NW 31st Ave.
Portland, OR 97210 | Get a Map
ph. 503.226.7623
info@macsbeer.com

The response from comic book publishers, merchants, groups, and independent artists this year has been phenomenal. Exhibitor space filled at a record pace, even with the small cost increase. The Stumptown Comics Fest would like to thank everyone that chose to be a part and support the Fest for our sixth year.

The last of the confirmations are going out now, so if you did not make it in, and have submitted an application, you've been placed on our Waiting List. Should tables open up, we'll be assigning based on postmark and cashing your payment then. If you do not want to be placed on the wait list, please let us know and we will return or destroy held payments.

To those that weren't able to join the Stumptown Comics Fest as an exhibitor, we sincerely hope to see you as an attendee, the 2009 Stumptown Comics Fest is shaping up as the best one yet! As soon as dates and scheduling allow, we will post application information for the 2010 Fest.

The Stumptown Comics Fest would again like to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone that supports the comics industry, from fan to creator to publisher alike. ¡Viva Comics!

See you all soon at the Double Tree Convention Hall, April 18 and 19, 2009.

Portland, Oregon Festival to Celebrate Sixth Year

The 2009 Stumptown Comics Fest is officially open for exhibitor registration. A handful of eagle-eyed attendees watching the show's website have already beaten the registration rush--which sold out last year's fest before the Early Bird Deadline--so don't delay!

Longtime exhibitors will notice some improvements to our pricing structure, aimed at encouraging the greatest number of cartoonists, publishers, retailers, and small-press enthusiasts to participate in the show. While the Early Bird window has been eliminated, its discounted $70 price for a half table (which includes one exhibitor badge) is now the standard price. A full eight-foot table (with two badges) will put one back $150, and additional square-footage will accrue additional costs. Extra exhibitor badges are available for $10 apiece. All the details are available in a handy PDF registration form at the Fest's online headquarters, stumptowncomics.com.

The registration and payment deadline is February 18th, 2009. Checks should be made out to the Stumptown Comics Foundation, and mailed with a completed registration form to:

SCF 2009 Registration
P.O. Box 40715
Portland, OR 97240

The goal of each year's Fest is to outdo the offerings, operations, and low-key awesomeness of the prior year. Last year featured record attendance, industry veterans alongside brand-new creators, tours of comics-related gallery shows, and a staggering number of events coinciding with the mayor's "Portland Comics Month" proclamation--all in addition to the Fest's full slate of workshops, panels, signings, portfolio reviews, fantastic guests, and the Trophy Awards. Stay tuned for the announcement of this year's Special Guests and brand-new workshops!

The Stumptown Comics Fest is an annual festival celebration of comics and cartooning art in Portland, Oregon. Our Sixth Annual fest will be held on April 18th-19th, 2009, at the Doubletree Hotel Lloyd Center, 1000 NE Multnomah St, Portland, OR 97232. Hope to see you there!

The date for the upcoming 2009 Stumptown Comics Fest will be Saturday April 18th & Sunday the 19th, and the Fest will take place again at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel in Portland, Oregon. Price of admission has yet to be decided.

Exhibitor registration is now open, with tables running $70 for a half, $150 for a full 8-foot table, and $200 per full table afterwards. Each full table comes with two exhibitor badges, and half tables come with one. Previous exhibitors will notice some changes to the pricing structure - namely that additional tables are more expensive than a single table. After the crazy demand for tables last year, we're trying to encourage more exhibitors to get fewer tables, to allow more people to exhibit.

The Registration deadline is February 18th, 2009, and tables went quickly last year, so be sure to register soon! After we receive your registration and you're confirmed a table, you'll be notified via email, and your name will be added to our Exhibitors' List.

Download the form here!