STUMPTOWN '08 Report!!!

[calwong]

My mantra for the last 3 years post-Stumptown has been "NEVER AGAIN" (re: dismal sales, exhausting travel, getting up at the ungodly hour of 9:00am) but for whatever reason I JUST KEEP GOING BACK. But the con just keeps getting better and better, and this year there were so many cartoonists and friendly faces from the Bay Area it just felt like an awesome family reunion. Maybe they all rushed in to fill the empty void APE dug in our hearts?

Highlights:

• Brunch with a bunch of comix peeps at Jesse and Andrice's house on Friday


• The sneak peak of Scrabulous buddy Rina Ayuyang's next issue of Namby Pamby Friday


• Watching Derek kick ass at Burgertime and Marvel Vs. Capcom @ Ground Kontrol!


• Dinner + Powell's with Hellen, Ryan G., Gariet, and Jason on Saturday. Surreal, hilarious times dudes!


• Hanging at the Lloyd Center Mall with Hellen :)

Anyway, special shout outs to Hellen, Gariet, Orly, Jason, Ryan G., and Derek for awesome goodtimes++.





On Saturday, me and Jason ditched the con for an hour and checked out Gariet Cowin's (of BEEFINGER fame) OLLIE movie premiere. It was a brilliant stop motion animated retelling of the story of the Turtle, the submarine invented during the revolutionary war.



The view from my table, stalking Hellen



View from Hellen's table, starring Tessa Brunton and Brian Kaas!



Ryan Germick, Derek Yu, and Hellen hijacking Matt's tablespace



Jason Martin checking out some hot indie girl booty



Weird art installation at Powell's City of Books



Hellen gives me the frowning of a lifetime. Maybe the ultra classy meal of ARBY'S I treated her to didn't quite agree with her.



Hellen a blur kicking ass at pinball



The darkest, most broodingest game of BURGERTIME ever.



And finally, SCORE! Original art by Lars Brown!