Corollary: Comics and Community XIII

Sunday I woke early to head into Chinatown to catch an 8 a.m. Fung Wah Bus to New York City for the MoCCA Art Festival. I grabbed a quick breakfast and still arrived in time for the 7:30 shuttle. I was in New York by 11:30.



As I walked into the Puck Building, I ran into Greg Cook and his girlfriend. Small world! Made me feel like I was in Toronto for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival all over again. Inside, I quickly made the rounds of Alternative Comics, Top Shelf Comics, and Highwater Books -- as well as Dan Moynihan and Craig Bostick's tables -- to say hi before starting to browse in earnest.



There was a lot of amazing stuff on hand. The new edition of Top Shelf's anthology is awesome -- and the new Kramer's Ergot is even more impressive. What a piece of work! But I was most impressed by all of the individual minicomics makers who were tabling. Marc Ngui, Marcel Guidemond, and Jeff Kilpatrick, all of whom I met in Toronto, were there, as were a bunch of other self-publishers.



I took a quick break to grab a bite to eat for lunch and walk around the neighborhood before I ventured back to the increasingly crowded space to explore all of the exhibitors.



Some highlights of MoCCA:

My first Fung Wah Bus experience

Seeing so many Boston-area comics friends in New York -- as well as folks like Charles Brownstein, Chris Duffy, Jim Mortensen, and all of my publishing pals

Running into some of the TCAF crew again

The new Kramer's Ergot

My comics reviews in the new Top Shelf collection, as old as they may be

Jeff Smith, creator of Bone, buying me a beer at the bar across the street

Seeing Sarah

The weird, random moment in the alley chatting with an underground comics original art dealer from Miami Beach who offered me a joint

All of the minis, comics, and books I picked up to review for Media Diet



It was raining as I left MoCCA to head back to Fung Wah -- and to Boston. A tired and crowd-weary Heath stood on the curb for 20 minutes waiting for the second 6 p.m. bus to arrive. Spent much of the ride back sleeping, listening to my iPod, and reading Cosmic Trigger. Arrived back in Boston around 11:30 to hop the T home. All in all, a good day. And you can't beat going to New York round trip for $20!