This honest, autobiographical account of a college senior's life will transport you to the land of Jell-O shots, term papers, job interviews, road trips, and sanguine optimism in the face of uncertainty and change. Trade paperback collects the comic in its entirety, with 30 pages of new material!

Come help us celebrate Natalie's impressive accomplishment of not only having her first book published, but having it published by Image Comics, the comics industry's third largest publisher! Beverages will be provided and there may be cookies! No Jell-O shots, though.

About the Author:
Natalie Nourigat was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She went to college at the University of Oregon and majored in Japanese with a minor in business. She wrote her senior thesis for the Clark Honors College on sequential art and storytelling in comics. Natalie interned at Periscope Studio in 2008 and was delighted to join the studio in 2011. She works alongside some of the best writers and artists in comics. Natalie is studying French and hopes to visit France with her mom in 2013. She enjoys travel, piano music, Ghibli movies, martial arts, and coffee.

For Frank Castle, death comes easy--life is where things get complicated. As New York City's body counts continue to rise, the city's streets are teeming with more criminals than ever. The Punisher has returned with everything's he's got to serve his own brand of justice . . . but can he survive the darkness stored in his own arsenal?

"We've wanted to do an event with Greg Rucka for years," said TFAW Marketing Manager Elisabeth Forsythe. "His Punisher series offered the perfect opportunity. It's been a huge hit with our customers, and we're excited to have him at our store."

Greg Rucka is one of the most acclaimed creators in comics today, and the writer behind Stumptown, Queen & Country, Batwoman: Elegy, and more. Winner of multiple Eisner Awards, Rucka has also been honored by the Harvey Awards and GLAAD. Don't miss out on your chance to pick up the first chapter of his epic Punisher series and get it signed February 29!

The works presented will include varied renderings of couplings, both romantic and lewd, and a collection of prints. This will also be the premier of Carolyn's brand new pixel animation sequence, titled "Burn it Down (extended 3 minute cut)".

Reception will be 6-10pm on First Thursday, February 2nd, with wine, beer, and snacks. You can also pick up a pair of the artist's Zombie blood splatter panties, just in time for Valentine's Day! Some content in this show may be considered "mature".

Carolyn Main is an award winning animator and Internet authority on dick jokes (her words). The prolific artist is known for her cutting humor and flourish. You may recognize her art from Portland's weekly alt newspaper, The Mercury, or from the cult hit comic strip Sex Wizards. Visit her website to check out more of her art: www.carolynmain.com.

Opens: First Thursday, February 2, 2012, 6-10pm
Closes: Saturday, February 25, 2011
Open Thursdays 3-7pm, Saturdays 11am-5pm, or by appointment

2012 Comic Arts Awards Submission Form

Please include one form with each work being submitted.

Categories for this year's awards include Best Artist, Best Writer, Best Cartoonist, Best Letterer, Best Colorist, Best Publication Design, Best Small Press, Best Anthology, and Best New Talent. Any work published after April 2011 will be eligible, and digital comics (meaning any comic published either online or for mobile devices) are also eligible for any category by following the instructions on the submission form. Submitters may not submit more than five distinct works per category, but works may be submitted in any number of categories.

Entries must be postmarked no later than the submission deadline of March 5, 2012 to be considered, and should be mailed to this address:

Any questions about the Comic Arts Awards should be directed to the Director of the Comics Fest, Indigo Kelleigh at director@stumptowncomics.com.

We consider every application we get, but our top priority is to grant space to people making comics. Some terrific game companies, non-comics illustrators, and designers of all kinds applied this year, but our mission is to support comics, and so we had to turn away these applications in favor of people making comics.

We strive to present as diverse a face of the artform of comics as possible, so we weighted table selection towards cases where applicants were able to show us where they fit in the creative spectrum. Other factors that account for how we evaluate your application include: Whether you've exhibited at Stumptown in the past, how familiar our committee is with your work, and how easily we were able to evaluate your comics on your website. In creating a curated comics show, we make every effort to be familiar with all the comics that our exhibitors make, and if we couldn't see a representative sampling of your comics on your site or with your application, it made it harder for us to see how your work would fit on the show floor.

This is only the second year where Stumptown has been a completely curated show. Previously it was simply first-come, first-served, and if you didn't get your application in quickly you simply didn't get a space. Our hope was that the Curated approach would increase the overall quality of the experience for our attendees, and we feel that proved true with last year's show. Attendance was up, and the consensus was that it was the best Comics Fest we've ever held. We believe that our 2012 Exhibitor List will continue this tradition of excellence, and we regret that we can't provide space to everyone who wants it. But we still want you to be a part of the show, and encourage you to come to the Festival, meet us, and continue to apply in the future. Stumptown is about creating a great event for Portland and the comics community, and we're grateful that you're a part of it!

-indy

Emi and Natalie have each created a brand new archival print which will also be available at the show.

Art on display until Feb. 29

BIO INFORMATION:

Based out of Portland, Oregon, Emi Lenox is a comic creator widely known for EmiTown which was released into a printed collection by Image in Dec. '10. She has also had work in Mike Allred's Madman and Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth. She has just finished working on the second collection of EmiTown. Basically, she's just a nutty girl with a case of the munchies and a deep fond love for comics, cats, bassets, and iPods.

http://emitown.blogspot.com/

Natalie 'Tally' Nourigat, is a sequential artist living in Portland, Oregon. Natalie graduated from the University of Oregon's Clark Honors College in 2010. Her first book, Between Gears, is about to be published by Image Comics. She is currently working on a new graphic novel and a children's book series. She appeared in Image Comics' anthology 'This Is A Souvenir' in 2009 and is a member of Periscope Studios.

http://natalienourigat.com/

Also, after the talk, Frank will lead an informal FREE workshop focusing on formats available for the comic book maker in 2012. Everyone is welcome. Come see what Frank Santoro's Correspondence Course is all about - or come on down just to argue with Frank - maybe even buy a book and get it signed.

Frank Santoro is the artist behind the acclaimed comic books Storeyville and Cold Heat. His work has also appeared in Kramers Ergot. He has exhibited his drawings and paintings internationally. Based in Pittsburgh, Santoro is well known for his visionary colors and evocative sense of place.

http://franksantoro.tumblr.com/

http://www.tcj.com/layout-workbook/

The events will be held on three consecutive Wednesdays in February, at three Portland comic book stores. Each will have a different theme--Land, Sea, and Air--the three realms Frank Reade explores in his electric vehicles. The authors will also display each of the three model vehicles Guinan himself built for the Frank Reade book, which are rarely shown in public. Attendees will have the chance to talk with the authors and get books signed, as well as meet local steampunks (Land), pirates (Sea), and superheroes (Air).

BONUS: There's a prize at the grand finale event! The first ten attendees who make it to all three events and get their "Land, Sea, and Air" passports stamped will receive a print of an original Frank Reade engraving signed by both authors, plus custom-stamped Frank Reade chocolate "gold coins" (which will also be available for purchase).

Publishers Weekly predicts Frank Reade will "satisfy even the hardest to please of readers" and praises it as "a stunning multimedia confection of the highest order that creates a detailed and delightful world."

The events will be held on three consecutive Wednesdays in February, at three Portland comic book stores. Each will have a different theme--Land, Sea, and Air--the three realms Frank Reade explores in his electric vehicles. The authors will also display each of the three model vehicles Guinan himself built for the Frank Reade book, which are rarely shown in public. Attendees will have the chance to talk with the authors and get books signed, as well as meet local steampunks (Land), pirates (Sea), and superheroes (Air).

BONUS: There's a prize at the grand finale event! The first ten attendees who make it to all three events and get their "Land, Sea, and Air" passports stamped will receive a print of an original Frank Reade engraving signed by both authors, plus custom-stamped Frank Reade chocolate "gold coins" (which will also be available for purchase).

Publishers Weekly predicts Frank Reade will "satisfy even the hardest to please of readers" and praises it as "a stunning multimedia confection of the highest order that creates a detailed and delightful world."

The events will be held on three consecutive Wednesdays in February, at three Portland comic book stores. Each will have a different theme--Land, Sea, and Air--the three realms Frank Reade explores in his electric vehicles. The authors will also display each of the three model vehicles Guinan himself built for the Frank Reade book, which are rarely shown in public. Attendees will have the chance to talk with the authors and get books signed, as well as meet local steampunks (Land), pirates (Sea), and superheroes (Air).

BONUS: There's a prize at the grand finale event! The first ten attendees who make it to all three events and get their "Land, Sea, and Air" passports stamped will receive a print of an original Frank Reade engraving signed by both authors, plus custom-stamped Frank Reade chocolate "gold coins" (which will also be available for purchase).

Publishers Weekly predicts Frank Reade will "satisfy even the hardest to please of readers" and praises it as "a stunning multimedia confection of the highest order that creates a detailed and delightful world."

The very first Graphic Novel Reading Club (GNRC) was held on October 27, 2005 and we've been doing it every month since. It's a great opportunity to talk in-depth about comics and graphic novels. Every session, we discuss a book that we've previously chosen. We tend to pick new books two months out in order to give people time to buy, borrow or get them from the library so that they may be thoroughly read and digested for that book's session.

We have a wide range of people join us every month for the GNRC; Male, female, young (well, 21+), old, those who have read comics for years and those folks brand new to it! We also read books from every genre so there's always something new and interesting to discuss. It's not just the latest super-hero exploits! The books we've read include mysteries, science fiction, autobiographical, fiction, historical and much more.

SELECTION FOR February 9, 2011:

20TH CENTURY BOYS GN VOL 01
Failed rock musician Kenji's memories of his past come rushing back when one of his childhood friends mysteriously commits suicide. Could this new death be related to the rise of a bizarre new cult that's been implicated in several other murders and disappearances? Determined to dig deeper, Kenji reunites with some of his old buddies in the hope of learning the truth behind it all.

On Saturday, January 28th, join us at the Seattle Design Center in Georgetown for a discussion on creating, publishing and marketing the graphic novel.

Panelists include Fantagraphics artist Megan Kelso, as well as Matthew Southworth (Stumptown), Brandon Jerwa (Battlestar Galactica, Highlander, G.I. Joe), Emi Lenox (EmiTown), and Chuck Messinger (owner of Comic Evolution, Editor-in-Chief at Creative Edge Press).

Led in conversation by moderator Mark Monlux (The Comic Critic Presents Seldom Seen Films), they'll discuss:

Writing: structure, how to write a graphic novel, what tools you need to market your ideas.

Artwork: developing a storyboard, what to consider ahead of time, existing guidelines, examples, good & bad

Publishing & Marketing: establishing business, marketing, and production plans, how publishing is changing.

This event is open to the public, and you can get your tickets here. The Graphic Novel Panel runs from 1:00-4:00 PM at the Seattle Design Center [ 5701 6th Avenue South, Plaza Building, Suite 370 ].

And then join us for the after-party at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery from 4:30-6:00 PM. It'll be a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists, and discuss what you've learned from the panel!

Fantagraphics co-sponsors this event with Emerald City Comicon and AIGA Seattle.