Creators, hobbyists, and the intellectually curious came from across the country to participate in Webcomics Weekend, which was held on March 20 - 22 in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Organized by Octopus Piecreator Meredith Gran, the initial show began as an informal get-together amongst fellow cartoonists and slowly evolved into something far more akin to "Webcomics Woodstock"—part learning symposium /part comic convention /part love-in.
Featured comic creators lined the first floor hallway of the Eastworks building. Here, fans came to buy books, t-shirts, prints, and original art to support their favorite webcomickers. Other fans supported their favorite cartoonists in other ways by buying them drinks at the bar, or in at least once case, sponsoring a cartoonist’s airfare to the event.
Throughout the day, the series of well-attended panels offered a broad range of insights from “Drawing with the Cintiq” to “Creating Memorable T-Shirt Designs,” which emphasized craft, professionalism, and the business of working in webcomics. But it wasn’t all serious business as creators like Jonathan Rosenberg, R. Stevens, Ryan North, Chris Hastings, and Scott Kurtz were among the creators showing off the sillier side of their profession.
In the second floor gallery, attendees could see the works of Spike, Danielle Corsetto, David Maki, and Dave Kellet on display. The gallery was also home to the interactive, participatory project The Infinite Canvas Room, which celebrated the idea that the size of a digital comic page is limited only by one’s imagination.
But, the Infinite Canvas Room wasn’t the only interactivity going on. The popular micro-blogging site Twitter acted as a public bulletin board allowing attendees to find one another during the pubcrawl, panels, and various afterparties.
Friday evening’s pubcrawl through Northampton unofficially kicked off the event. Despite the palpable excitement in the air, more than a handful of cartoonists were desperately trying to arrange an impromptu viewing of the Battlestar Galactica finale, twittering to one another the best place to enjoy a cold beer and a cool show. But whether they were avoiding BSG spoilers, drinking a $3 Guinness at Hugo’s, hobnobbing at the Toasted Owl, or watching their favorite cartoonists spin a few yarns at the Tunnel,all of the pubcrawlers were in good spirits, while sharing some good spirits.By Saturday morning, crowds were lined up at the doors ready to take part in the festivities. Despite a larger than expected turnout, the roomy venue—Eastworks, an old brick factory refitted into offices—never led to the overwhelming sense of claustrophobia one might feel at San Diego or New York Comic Cons. While there was no official attendance tally for the event, Christine Lawrence, a volunteer for the show, believed the number of guests to be roughly four or five hundred, noting that she personally registered at least one hundred guests.
When asked why she volunteered for the event, Ms. Lawrence noted, “I only read two webcomics, Girls With Slingshots and Hijinks Ensue , but I came to this event from New York to learn more about what the world of webcomics has to offer. There are so many talented people here and this is as good a place as any to find some new comics to read and be a part of something fun.”
David Willis, creator of the popular webcomic series Short-Packed, drove from Ohio to attend the show but wasn’t disappointed by the turnout. “This really is one of the best shows I have ever attended. It’s really fun, it’s really focused. The atmosphere here is amazing. There’s an enthusiasm here that you just don’t find anywhere else.”
While the crowds were noticeably lighter by Sunday afternoon, convention goers and guests alike were already buzzing about next year’s show. For a show in its infancy, Webcomics Weekend has a very bright future ahead of it, which is great, considering it will be back next year!
