STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo is an annual

convention Convention may refer to: * Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct ** Treaty, an agreement in international law * Convention (meeting), meeting of a (usually large) group of individuals and/or companies in a ...

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, for

alternative comics Alternative comics cover a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to mainstream superhero comics which ...

minicomic A minicomic is a creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding. In the United Kingdom and Europe the term small press comic is equivalent with minicomic, reserved for those publications measuring A6 (105&n ...

webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be ...

zine A zine ( ; short for '' magazine'' or '' fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very s ...

underground comics Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...

, and

graphic arts A category of fine art, graphic art covers a broad range of visual artistic expression, typically two-dimensional, i.e. produced on a flat surface.

. Chris Nicholas founded the conference as a gathering place for professional artists and amateur creators, "a showcase for the folks who publish comics and zines and possible literary masterworks out of their own apartments." The show is sponsored by

Austin Books Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous ci ...

, an Eisner-nominated comic book store and the site of the largest gathering of artists for the worldwide 24-Hour Comics Day held in 2005. Additional sponsors include Rogues Gallery: Comics + Games, ECPrinting.com, Dragon's Lair: Comics & Fantasy,

KOOP (FM) KOOP (91.7 FM) (pronounced 'co-op') is a noncommercial community radio station owned and operated by its members and staffed by volunteers. The station broadcasts in Austin, Texas on 91.7 MHz at an effective radiated power of 3 kilowatts and is ...

, Motorblade Postering Services, CKP communication agency of record, and Bumperactive.com.

History

Guests at the

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...

convention included

Shannon Wheeler Shannon Wheeler is an American cartoonist, best known as a cartoonist for ''The New Yorker'' and for creating the satirical superhero Too Much Coffee Man. Early life Shannon Wheeler grew up in Berkeley, California, brought up by his mother. Hi ...

Scott Kurtz Scott R. Kurtz (born March 15, 1971) is an American webcomic artist. Known for creating the daily online comic-strip '' PvP'', Kurtz is among the first professional webcomic creators. Career Kurtz was born to a Catholic household in Watsonville ...

, Terry Moore, and

Michael Lark Michael Lark (born 1966) is an American comics artist and colorist. Lark has provided pencils for DC Comics' ''Batman'', '' Terminal City'', '' Gotham Central'' and '' Legend of the Hawkman''. His work for Marvel Comics includes '' The Pulse'' a ...

. Guests at the 2006 convention include

Tony Millionaire Tony Millionaire (born Scott Richardson in 1956) is an American cartoonist, illustrator and author known for his syndicated comic strip '' Maakies'' and the '' Sock Monkey'' series of comics and picture books. He lives in Yarmouth, Maine at Pl ...

Jim Mahfood Jim Mahfood (born March 29, 1975), a.k.a. Food One, is an American comic book creator. Apart from his creator-owned comic book series ''Grrl Scouts'' and his comic strip ''Stupid Comics'' (which appears weekly in the ''Phoenix New Times'') he al ...

, Dave Crosland, David Hopkins, and winners of the

Xeric Foundation The Xeric Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation based in Northampton, Massachusetts, which for twenty years awarded self-publishing grants to comic book creators, as well as qualified charitable and nonprofit organizations. The Xeric Fo ...

grant for comic book self-publishers. Guests at the

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...

convention include

Dean Haspiel Dean Edmund Haspiel (born May 31, 1967 in New York City) is an American comic book artist, writer, and playwright. He is known for creating Billy Dogma, The Red Hook, and for his collaborations with writer Harvey Pekar on his '' American Splendor ...

Brian Keene Brian Keene (born September 22, 1967) is an American author and podcaster, primarily known for his work in horror, dark fantasy, crime fiction, and comic books. He has won the 2014 World Horror Grandmaster Award and two Bram Stoker Awards. In ad ...

, and

Danielle Corsetto ''Girls With Slingshots'' is a completed webcomic series by Danielle Corsetto that premiered on September 29, 2004. The series follows several friends as they deal with life events like unemployment, marriage, and their sexuality. Corsetto self-pu ...

. Returning guests included

, Dave Crosland, and David Hopkins. 2007 also marked the first Independent Animation Panel at STAPLE! In 2011, the show expanded to two days. Guests included

Jill Thompson Jill Thompson (born November 20, 1966) is an American illustrator and writer who has worked for stage, film, and television. Well known for her work on Neil Gaiman's '' The Sandman'' characters and her own ''Scary Godmother'' series, she has wor ...

Alex Robinson Alex Robinson (born August 8, 1969) is an American comic book writer and artist. Early life Alex Robinson grew up in Yorktown Heights, New York, and graduated from Yorktown High School in 1987. After a year spent at SUNY Brockport, he went to t ...

Brian Clevinger Brian Clevinger (born May 7, 1978) is an American writer best known as the author of the webcomic '' 8-Bit Theater'' and the Eisner-nominated print comic '' Atomic Robo''. He is also the author of the self-published novel ''Nuklear Age''. Care ...

, Scott Wegener, and

James O'Barr James O'Barr (born January 1, 1960) is an American comics artist, writer and graphic artist, best known as the creator of the comic book series ''The Crow''. Early life O'Barr, an orphan, was raised in the foster care system. Career In 1978, O ...

. Special guests of the 2012 show were

Kevin Eastman Kevin Brooks Eastman (born May 30, 1962) is an American comic book artist and writer best known for co-creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Peter Laird. Eastman was also formerly the editor and publisher of the magazine '' Heavy Metal ...

, Jason Neulander, Brian Hurtt,

Cullen Bunn Cullen Bunn is an American comics writer, novelist, and short story writer, best known for his work on comic books such as ''Uncanny X-Men'', '' X-Men: Blue'', ''Magneto'' and various ''Deadpool'' miniseries for Marvel Comics, and his creator-own ...

, Monica Gallagher,

Liz Prince Liz Prince (born 1981) is an American comics creator, noted for her sketchbook-style autobiographical comics. Prince initially started publishing on her own on the internet and later became a published author with Top Shelf Comics. She currentl ...

, Kagan McLeod, and

MariNaomi MariNaomi (born as Mari Naomi Schaal; born August 2, 1973) is an American graphic artist and cartoonist who often publishes autobiographical comics and is also well known for creating three online databases of underrepresented cartoonists. Caree ...

. 2013 guests included

Steve Niles Steve Niles (born June 21, 1965) is an American comic book author and novelist, known for works such as '' 30 Days of Night'', '' Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery'', '' Simon Dark'', ''Mystery Society'', and '' Batman: Gotham County Line'' ...

, and

Bernie Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017), sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson, was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his o ...

Francesco Francavilla Francesco Francavilla is an Italian comic book artist known for his creator-owned series '' The Black Beetle'' and pulp-inspired comic covers. Other notable works include ''The Black Coat'' (which he co-created), Dynamite's ''Zorro'' series, and ...

Chip Zdarsky Steve Murray (born December 21, 1975), known by the pen-name Chip Zdarsky, is a Canadian comic book artist and writer, journalist, illustrator and designer. He has also used the pseudonym Todd Diamonte. He worked for ''National Post'' for over a ...

, Rob Harrell, and Paul Benjamin appeared at the show in 2014. In 2015 the show featured a primarily female line-up of comics guests:

Babs Tarr Barbara Tarr (also known as Babs Tarr) is an American freelance comic book artist who has worked for DC Comics and Image Comics. She is best known for her work on ''Batgirl'' and for her Japanese-style illustrations. Early life Babs Tarr grew ...

, Jess Fink,

Kate Leth Katrina Jade "Kate" Leth (born 1988) is a Canadian comic book creator, known for works such as ''Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!''. Career Leth was born in Ottawa and lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and attended NSCAD University, studying photograp ...

, Brooke Allen, and Grace Ellis; and two panels were conducted by

Janelle Asselin Janelle Asselin is an American former comic book editor and writer, known for creating the now-defunct publishing company Rosy Press. As of 2017, Asselin works as a claims adjuster and resides in Omaha, Nebraska. Personal life Asselin was born ...

. The 2016 guest line-up included

Benjamin Marra Benjamin Marra (born 1977 in Halifax, Nova Scotia) is a Grammy-nominated American illustrator and comic-book artist. His work has been mostly self-published under his own imprint, Traditional Comics, and mainly consists of black and white comics, ...

Gene Ha In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian inheritance#History, Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanin ...

, Emily Carrol, and Sophie Goldstein, and a Webcomics panel featured C. Spike Trotman,

, Dave Mercier, and Matt Melvin. In 2017 the show moved to the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex and was held in the second weekend of September.

Hope Larson Hope Raue Larson (born 1982) is an American illustrator and cartoonist. Her main field is comic books. Biography Larson grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and attended Carolina Day School.Anne Fitten Glenn"Graphic Insight" ''Mountain Xpres ...

, Keith Knight,

Ngozi Ukazu Ngozi Ukazu is an American cartoonist and graphic novelist. In 2013, she created the webcomic ''Check, Please!'', which later became a ''New York Times''-bestselling graphic novel. Early life and education Ukazu grew up in Houston, Texas. ...

, Fabian Rangel Jr., Natasha Alterici, Jake Wyatt, Kyle Starks, and Kengo Hioki were among the featured guests. The 2020 show, scheduled for October, was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

Event dates and locations

* March 5, 2005:

BPOE The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City. History The Elks began in 1868 as a soc ...

#201 * March 4, 2006: Red Oak Ballroom * March 3, 2007: Red Oak Ballroom * March 1, 2008: Monarch Event Center * March 7, 2009: Monarch Event Center * March 6, 2010: Monarch Event Center * March 5–6, 2011: Marchesa Hall and Theatre * March 3–4, 2012: Marchesa Hall and Theater * March 2–3, 2013: Marchesa Hall and Theater * March 1–2, 2014: Marchesa Hall and Theater * March 7–8, 2015: Marchesa Hall and Theater * March 5–6, 2016: Marchesa Hall and Theater * September 9–10, 2017: Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex * September 8–9, 2018: Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex * October 12–13, 2019: Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex * : Cancelled due to

* : Venue not reopened as of Aug 2021, and organizer busy https://www.facebook.com/stapleaustin

References

External links

* {{Texas SF Conventions Comics conventions in the United States Recurring events established in 2005 Conventions in Texas

History

Event dates and locations

See also

References

External links