MECAF 5 roundup

Hats off once again to the wizards at Casablanca Comics for producing another stellar Maine Comics Arts Festival. With this, their Fifth Annual event, a packed house proved there’s a big appetite for this kind of brew. There was a robust line for Jeff Smith, who headlined the whole shebang. I was just as excited to see two of my students from Maine College of Art jumping into the mix. Miles Cooke and Declan McCarthy show off their latest here:

In fact, MECA talents were in full force. Here’s alum Christina Siravo next to MECA faculty Michael Connor and his partner, Maria.

Another MECA alum, Hannah Godbey, was the lovely assistant for Jay Piscopo, mastermind of Shipyard’s Captain Eli comics.

Kori Handwerker, MECA alum also, is the happy author of Prince of Cats.

In fact, all of MECAF is a purdy happy bunch. Raina Telgemeier personifies her work.

I was pleased to meet fellow Flatlander Mark Scott Rickets. It’s not easy being From Away, and now his swell book, A Flatlander’s Guide to Maine will make things clearer. I’ve only lived on Peaks Island 21 years, so I’ll never be a Native. Sigh.

I attended MECAF with my family, but we immediately split up, following our own noses. We united in fandom at Cara Bean’s corner.

I finally introduced myself to a favorite illustrator, Renee Kurilla.

And I found the latest from Ellen Crenshaw, whose zines I’ve bought in festivals past.

Marty found a rare gem, 3D Death Curses, a limited edition collection of 3D art sure to unhinge your eyeballs, from the fellow below, aka Scarecrow Oven.

Here’s our combined haul, not too shabby.

Bravo to Casablanca Comics! Every year MECAF is unique, and the flavor just gets more KA-POW.

My ode to comic forces is still on view at Pinecone & Chickadee. Sha-ZAM.