Monday, October 20, 2008

STAPLE! 2009

Hey everybody,

Mark your calendars!

We are back and proud to announce that the 5th annual STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo will be happening on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at the Monarch Event Center in Austin, Texas!

To commemorate five amazing years of celebrating the best in independently created comics, zines, arts, crafts and animation, we've arranged to bring you a very special guest: the legendary creator of Usagi Yojimbo - Stan Sakai! Stan's been producing comics for over twenty-five years and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Eisner, Harvey, Inkpot, and the American Library Association Award. We are truly pleased and honored to welcome Stan to STAPLE! In 2009!

As usual we'll keep posting lots of interesting interviews and podcasts to the STAPLE! website. To kick things off we've put up audio from Goon creator Eric Powell's panel at this year's show. To listen to it and subscribe to future episodes go to http://www.staple-austin.org/podcast/ and stay tuned for lots more to come! Recording services generously provided by the fine folks at Dial-a-Stranger http://dialastranger.com/

Exhibitor tables are now on sale for next year's show! These always sell out very quickly, so if you would like to be an exhibitor at STAPLE! 2009 go to http://www.staple-austin.org/register/ to secure your spot today!

There's lot's more exciting announcements to come so be sure to stay tuned!

See you soon!

Chris "Uncle Staple" Nicholas
www.staple-austin.org
http://www.myspace.com/staple_austin


Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Eric Powell on the podcast

We posted a new podcast episode, a recording from STAPLE! 2008 with Eric Powell. Check it out in the podcast section and subscribe to get future episodes automatically. Next up: our web comics panel and another interview with Brian Wood.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Dusting off for 2009

The date for STAPLE! 2009 has been announced! Plan to be in Austin on March 7, 2009 for our special guest Stan Sakai and much more. We are dusting off the web site and will be adding new content soon, including podcasts of last year's sessions if you missed it.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Good morning!

STAPLE! is today! Come join us at the Monarch Event Center for the best of independent comics and art, with great exhibitors, featured guests, prizes and more.


Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Parties Pre and Post!

One of my favorite parts of STAPLE! is of course the parties! As has become tradition the STAPLE! Pre-party will be held Friday night at Austin Books and Comics at 5002 North Lamar Boulevard. Festivities begin at 8pm and run till 11, but feel free to come in early and browse!

This year's after-party will be held at Red's Scoot Inn at 1308 E. 4th Street (4th and Navasota), just a few blocks east of I-35. Once again there will be a Live Art Show, another staple of STAPLE!, and the whole thing is a benefit for KOOP Radio!



Drive safe! Take a cab if you have to!

STAPLE! Program Schedule!

Lot's of amazing stuff happening throughout the day at this year's STAPLE! We'll be kicking everything off with a last minute addition:

1:00-1:30pm Lord Vile Rally - Come see who Lord Vile is and what he and his Henchmen are up to.

2:00-3:00pm Q&A with Brian Wood - Hear from the award winning creator of DMZ, Northlanders, Local and Demo. Moderated by Scott Hinze of Fanboy Radio.

3:30-4:30pm Webcomics Discussion Panel - Hot webcomics stars Scott Kurtz (PvP), Danielle Corsetto (Girls With Slingshots), David Malki ! (Wondermark!), and Kris Straub (Starslip Crisis) discuss the art and business of the webcomics revolution. Moderated by Randy Lander of Rogue's Gallery Comics & Games

5:00-6:00pm Q&A with Eric Powell - Madcap antics with award winning creator of The Goon! Ask him questions if you dare! Moderated by Scott Hinze of Fanboy Radio.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

The Onion at STAPLE!



Representatives from the Austin office of The Onion, America's Finest News Source, will be...well, representing...at this year's STAPLE! I've been a loyal reader for years so I'm personally pretty stoked to see them come out to the show.

For those sub-mineral dwellers not familiar with it, The Onion is a national publication and website with millions of readers, offering award-winning news and views that can't be found anywhere else. Every week, their attention grabbing headlines and photojournalism paint a unique and hilarious picture of the world. The New Yorker calls it "The Funniest Publication in the United States".

A print version of the paper that includes local entertainment news and reviews is distributed at over 1000 locations in Austin, so pick one up - it's free! Several members of their super-hip and attractive staff will be on hand at STAPLE! for you to ogle and admire. Become their BFF at http://www.myspace.com/theonionaustin

Yours Truly,
Uncle Staple


Thursday, February 14, 2008

Sorry - there are no tables left!

Hey folks,

I've had about a dozen emails in the last couple weeks from people asking about exhibitor tables at this year's show. As of January 17 all tables were sold out (scroll down to see the news item below that I posted at that time). There's currently a waiting list with about 10 people on it and there have been no cancellations.

Demand for tables was really high this year. If you wanted to exhibit this year and couldn't get in I hope that you will still consider attending the show. With the 80+ exhibitors who DO have a table, and all our fantastic guests, 2008 is is a STAPLE! not to miss. Not that anyone should EVER miss a STAPLE!

Again, very sorry but there are NO tables available for STAPLE! 2008. Some folks may be willing to share their space but it's up to you to contact them - check the Blog and the Exhibitor List to see who you can persuade, otherwise, better luck next year, kid.

Thanks,
Chris "Uncle Staple" Nicholas
www.staple-austin.org
http://www.myspace.com/staple_austin

Second podcast episode

The second episode of the STAPLE! Podcast is now available. Randy Lander interviews Danielle Corsetto, creator of the popular web comic Girls With Slingshots. Danielle is a featured guest on our web comics panel at STAPLE! 2008, along with Scott Kurtz, David Malki, and Kris Straub.

For download and subscription links, check out the podcast section. And watch for the third episode next week!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

STAPLE! Podcasts!

Very excited to announce a brand spanking new feature of the STAPLE! website - STAPLE! Podcasts!

In this first episode Randy Lander of Comic Pants and Rogue's Gallery Comics talks to Fred Van Lente, author of Action Philosophers and a brand new work Comic Book Comics, a comic book history of comics, which will be making its world premiere at STAPLE!

We'll be posting a new podcast every week, so be sure to keep checking back. Upcoming episodes include Danielle Corsetto (Girls With Slingshots) and featured guest Brian Wood!

iTunes users can subscribe here.

All podcasts graciously recorded by the studios of Dial A Stranger: When you don't know who to turn to, turn to who you don't know.


Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Eric Powell at STAPLE!

Hey Folks!

Big news here in a little press release composed by STAPLE! Press Secretary, horror novelist, and rakish man-about-town Nate Southard (www.natesouthard.com). Add'l comments by Uncle Staple at the bottom:

"STAPLE! RETURNS TO AUSTIN WITH ERIC POWELL AND BRIAN WOOD AS GUESTS OF HONOR

Comic creators Eric Powell (The Goon) and Brian Wood (DMZ, Demo) will be the Guests of Honor at the fourth annual independent comics, animation, and literature convention STAPLE! on March 1st at the Monarch Event Center.

'I'm really excited about the 2008 show,' said STAPLE! founder Chris Nicholas.
'Having Brian Wood and Goon creator Eric Powell is not only great for STAPLE!, but for me personally. I'm a huge fan of both these cats.'

Eric Powell has won three Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards and an International
Horror Guild award for his horror/comedy series The Goon. Published by Dark Horse Comics, The Goon tells the story of a punch-happy palooka with a penchant for swigging booze and busting monster craniums.

Brian Wood released his first series, Channel Zero, in 1997 to considerable critical acclaim and has continued to produce comics and graphic novels
at a brisk pace ever since. Buzz book DMZ is Wood's story of a demilitarized New York City in the wake of a second Civil War. Currently under exclusive contract for DC/Vertigo, Wood has received several Will Eisner nominations as both a writer and a cover artist.

Now in its fourth year, STAPLE! is a celebration of the independent artistic spirit,
drawing creators from all over the United States. 'I'm looking forward to getting
together with the great friends and indie creators who are coming back this year,
and meeting all the new folks who are making this their very first STAPLE!' says
Nicholas.

In fact, the growth of STAPLE! has necessitated a change in venue from the Red Oak Ballroom to the recently completed Monarch Event Center. The former movie theater will give STAPLE! the room it needs to grow for years to come.

STAPLE! will take place at the Monarch Event Center, 6406 North IH-35, Suite 3100, Austin, TX, on March 1st, 2008 from 11AM until 7PM. Admission is $5 at the door. All ages welcome. For more information, visit www.staple-austin.org or email info@staple-austin.org.

###

Staple founder Chris Nicholas is available for interviews. To request one, please
email info@staple-austin.org with the words 'interview Request' in the subject
line."

Nice job, Nate! Some newspaper should totally hire you. Also worthy of note at this year's show is the Webcomics panel discussion with Scott Kurtz (PvP), David Malki ! (Wondermark!), Daniealle Corsetto (Girls With Slingshots), and Kris Straub (Starslip Crisis)!

Like to help promote the show? Webmaster Manton Reece has designed handy web buttons you can use to link to STAPLE! Grab'em at:

www.staple-austin.org/promote

And don't forget to check out the new STAPLE! Community Blog for all the latest
scuttle-butt on this year's show and what you can expect to see!

I say it often but it bears repeating - STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo is the Southwest's only convention for independently produced comics, zines, graphic arts and animation. If you don't go you will be sad! Forever!

See you soon!

Chris "Uncle Staple" Nicholas
www.staple-austin.org
http://www.myspace.com/staple_austin

Thursday, January 17, 2008

SOLD OUT!

As of today's mail run STAPLE! 2008 tables are sold out! Any registrations received after this point will be wait-listed in the order they arrive.

For everyone who has a table, congratulations! We'll see you at the show. Please let us know if you cannot make it - we'll send you a refund and give your spot to someone on the waiting list.

Hotcha!

Love,
Uncle Staple