The Small Press Expo, the annual gathering of independent comic artists, graphic novelists and web illustrators, will mark its 20th year next month in North Bethesda.
All 20 of the events have been held in Bethesda or North Bethesda. On Saturday, Sept. 13 and Sunday, Sept. 14, it will be held for the eighth time at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center (5701 Marinelli Rd.). Before that, it was held each year at the then-Holiday Inn in downtown Bethesda (now the DoubleTree).
The event, organized by the nonprofit Small Press Expo, is a chance for artists of many comic-related and graphic design genres to sell their work, gain exposure and chat with fans and other artists in an informal setting.
A number of symposia are held during the two-day festival, where artists talk about their work.
And for comic and cartoon enthusiasts, the big-name artists slated for this year’s event are in good supply.
Jules Feiffer, a Pullitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and creator of the syndicated cartoon strip “Feiffer,” will be in attendance. So will Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor for The New Yorker, cartoonist Lynda Barry, Charles Burns and Raina Telgemeier.
There will be about 700 artists at 280 tables selling their wares, plus about 20 different interviews and panel discussions.
Tickets are $15 for Saturday, $10 for Sunday and $20 for both days. For more info, visit the event website.
Photos via Small Press Expo
