Your New Religion

As you may know, Goodreads is a nifty site where readers can post book reviews. As I have had some leisure time with internet, I have spent a little more time there.

Like every good thing, it has limits. For example, I just tried to write a review of Joey Sayer's Your New Religion, as a recovery from the sweet earnestness of Rilke. They didn't have a listing for it. Then I tried to "manually" add the title. Turns out that comics don't count unless they are an anthology or collection. Even worse, YNR is a mini-zine. I did find an entry for Teen Power, which I haven't read. Coincidentally, the entry for Teen Power was posted today. Did the Great Computer in the Sky somehow know I was looking for her?

If I was really perseverant, I'd look for a GoodZines site, but all I can find are yahoo groups and a page full of eZine listings. eZines, isn't that like, a nineties thing?

I am going to give up and go to the park.

Another 10 Minute Post

, originally uploaded by acrofish.

Through the Wonders of Modern Science, you can see me as I appeared two Saturdays ago at the Bay Area Book Arts Jam. If you look very carefully, you can see the fantastic-liable-to-be-windblown ants-on-the-picnic-table skirt the Pod Post girls gave me at the Zinefest. Its always a kick hanging out with the Podsters.

SF Zine Fest

SF Zine Fest 2007, originally uploaded by Steve Rhodes.

I am not sure I met Mr Rhodes (maybe I did) but this is exactly as my table appeared, sans moi. Sailor GI Joe was a huge hit, nearly every visitor had to pick him up (germs! ew). I sold a surprising number of photos (hm, maybe I should pick up that camera again), but harldy any of the beautiful, hand printed postcards, and none of the bags (that is okay, they are selling now). And that fabulous fabric? From mi abuela.

The View from Above the Fest

SF Zine Fest 2007, originally uploaded by le_poulet.

This was the cool-kids side of the Fest. Woo Hoo!

Favorite Things

picture from Clutch

Things I loved about the Alternative Press Expo in no particular order:

Clutch McBastard was my neighbor. I have to highlight and put a few happy faces around this entry. When I was but a wee lass of 28, I went to my first zine fest with Weird Mike (the Wobbly) and this man not only smiled and said "hello," he also, upon hearing I was from Flip Flop, got up from behind his table and introduced me to all the other Floppers at the show. His upbeat attitude and genuine smile have since made every other zine-comic convention I have ever attended a joy. Plus, he always gives me cool zines.

Shannon O'Leary gave me about ten hugs. For reals. And she screamed when she saw me, like I was a rock star.



John and his new issue of Painkillers. What is better than drawings of bald men? Drawings by bald men! Especially if the man in question is a good artist.


Clutch's photo of H wearing her shirt from Only In Cambodia

The H graciously shared a table with me this year. Her rubber beetles were a hit, just about every table visitor had to pet them. (ew, gross!) She not only let me take pictures of, um, expansive derrieres (you are going to put them on flickr, aren't you?) with her digital camera, she also was a mellow and low-key table-mate.

The Son of the Steppes. If one finds oneself incapacitated at a party, and too retarded to figure out how to call a cab, one prays that one will run into a good Kosak. Such was my luck Friday night at the

Last Gasp party. I arrived too late to partake of the food (see the above entry), but just in time to finish the Chardonnay. The place has an amazing selection of WWI propaganda art, circus freak show signs and fun-house mirrors, in addition to a whole warehouse full of books and cartoonists.



XIP One of the XIP principals, Robert Syrett, is one of my favorite art-store clerks. I made the mistake of wrongly guessing the make of the beautiful all cotton paper covers he had on his zines. Don't try to argue over art paper makes with an art store clerk! He graciously forgave me my ignorance. I still have one of his fantastic drawings hanging over my bed.

Buttons Everyone loves Too Much Coffee Man and it was great rubbing shoulders with Shannon himself, but the surprise treat was buying custom buttons from his sons. I was the crazy lady who kept coming by. I bought two originals, and designed two more. I wonder if the Knee Biter would like to run a button machine at my table next year?

The Lower Haight I am familiar with the Upper, but this was the first time I had spent much time eating my way through the LH. Hanging out during the evenings/mornings with the H and one of the Js was a gastronomic delight. We had great coffee, Indian and Thai. I even found parking. I fell in love with the City all over again.