BookExpo is over, so take a short break and rest your tired feet. Next up is the second annual Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival, which will take place Sunday, June 22, at the Puck Building in New York City. And in July, look for the San Diego Comic-Con International, the biggest comics, cartoon and animation convention and pop-culture industry gathering in the world.
The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is a museum in the making. While it does not have a permanent space at present, it has a business office near Union Square in New York City. For more information on the museum-to-be, try the MoCCA Web site at www.moccany.org. The MoCCA festival brings together indie publishers, artists, comics vendors, art dealers and comics professionals of all kinds.
This year's festival will feature Pulitzer Prize—winning artist and all-purpose comics scholar Art Spiegelman as special guest honoree. The event will held all day June 22, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. A donation of $5 is suggested.
Comic-Con International is scheduled for July 17—20 at the San Diego Convention Center. This convention is the BookExpo America of the comics industry. It attracts more than 6,000 artists, editors, publishers, rights folk and assorted media professionals for a weekend of comics, panels, retailing and assorted events.
Unlike BEA, it is also a consumer event that attracts hordes of fans. More than 40,000 people are expected to pay to wander the mammoth exhibition floor of the convention center, looking to buy comics, get autographs and check out all the cool comics stuff. Fans often dress as their favorite comics and movie characters. It makes for a wild weekend. For more information, go to www.comic-con.org.
