Bob Corby has been publishing fine small press comics under the company name Back Porch Comics since 1986. In 1988, he started OH, Comics, an anthology supporting the work of comic creators throughout the Midwest. In 2000, Bob started the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo or S.P.A.C.E. which will be holding its 20th show this year at the Northland Performing Arts Center on April 27th and 28th. Admission is free and will be attended by comic creators throughout the country.
1. Who were some of your artistic inspirations growing up?
Jack Kirby, of course. And definitely Charles Schultz. I went through an Andy Warhol phase during high school after we visited the Guggenheim Museum with my summer school art class. I also enjoyed all of the Impressionists. Still love slapping paint on a canvas. On the literary front, I loved Kurt Vonnegut.
2. Why did you start the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo?
Somebody had to. Our hometown comic convention was becoming less and less comic friendly. Small Press comics were getting harder and harder to sell there. We had a Spirit of Independents show here in ’95 which went pretty well, but just disappeared. That was the inspiration to start S.P.A.C.E.
3. How does S.P.A.C.E. differ from other comic conventions and are there other conventions that you feel share its independent spirit?
S.P.A.C.E. is different from regular comic conventions or pop culture cons because it is focused on the creators. Everybody exhibiting is a creator or publisher and they are only selling their own work.
There are plenty of other small press shows across the country, such as SPX in Bethesda MD, MOCCA in NYC, Staple! in Austin TX, CAKE in Chicago IL. Back in Ohio, there’s Genghis Con in Cleveland, Yo-ICE in Youngstown and, of course, Columbus’ own CXC (Cartoon Crossroads Columbus). Although, APE in California and PIX in Pittsburgh were absent in 2018.
4. What were some of the biggest obstacles you’ve had to overcome in the 20 years you’ve been doing S.P.A.C.E.?
At first, it was just trying to get people to understand what I was trying to do. Back in 2000, I got a lot of blank stares when I tried to explain what it was about. There were only two shows like it at the time, SPX and APE.
In later years, the biggest problem were venues. We’ve had venues close down two months before a show, re-route our traffic, give us tables that were the wrong size or dirty. We are lucky to have been working with the Northland Performing Arts Center for the last five years and they have been great.
5. How has independent publishing changed since you started publishing your own books?
I started as a mini-comics guy back in the late 80’s. I’m told I belong to the “New Wave” era. At that time, most of the distribution was through the mail. There were a handful of review zines that would review your books which often ended in trades with other creators.
Putting together a comic back then involved a lot of photo copies, exacto-knives, white out and rubber cement. Copy machines only had certain reduction rates. Grayscale was an expensive proposition. Forget color. Today most of that stuff is done by computer. Including distribution through a print-on-demand printer. Now, I can produce a minicomic overnight from a jam with other creators and have it printed the next day.
6. OH, Comics! is an anthology you’ve been publishing for years. Can you tell us more about it and what it means to you?
I always loved comic anthologies. I still buy them whenever I see a new one. It’s a chance to buy one book and get a variety of work from different people in one spot. You also get some different stuff that might be too risky to be in a book by itself. Oh,Comics! has been a labor of love since 1988. At one point, it was the longest continuously running comics anthology, but has since missed a few years. It started as a minicomic and is now a trade paperback. It’s a reason to get something done, sets a schedule for people, and publishes work from people who don’t self-publish. At this point it’s a tradition.
7. How has the city of Columbus progressed as being a home for comics?
We’ve always had some great comic shops. I moved to town in ’78 and frequented the Monkey’s Retreat. There was the Cartoon Research Library at OSU, now the Billy Ireland, which is a showcase to the world.
I met a number of local cartoonists back in ’88 through the review zines which is what brought Oh,Comics! about. In the 90’s, the MidOhio Con moved to Columbus and was a gathering point for local and regional cartoonists. Suddenly, in the last 10 years or so, comics have become more accepted. We have both S.P.A.C.E. and CXC in town and comic courses being offered at OSU and CCAD. We have cartoonists appearing from everywhere. A big difference from when I would work on my comics alone in a vacuum in the early 80’s.
8. This being the 20th show of S.P.A.C.E., do you have any special memories or favorite moments you’d like to share about the event?
I really enjoyed the cartoon carnivals we’ve had where people would narrate their comics. I participated in a few myself. I enjoyed having the Columbus premiere of the Cynical Man Movie at S.P.A.C.E. The S.P.A.C.E. Prize presentations (when I’m on) are usually fun. Generally, I just love seeing all the comics and people that show up.
9. What kind of planning and effort does it take to put on a show of this size?
It’s actually a lot simpler now then it was originally. The first few years I went to SPX to recruit exhibitors. Advertising opportunities were in print medium as opposed to social media. I still ship flyers to 300 comic shops, independent book stores and record shops.
I need to reserve the venue more than a year out and figure out the layout. I process over 150 exhibitors and keep the website current with premiering comics. We have a panel program at each show. We run the S.P.A.C.E. Prize every year which entails reading over 100 books, organizing the judges, transporting books, counting votes, and getting plaques made.
We also put together a program and try to sell ads. The show needs flyers and posters. Luckily, I have people like Tom Williams and Michael Neno who do a great job at that. Another source of income comes from selling S.P.A.C.E. tee shirts which I print in my basement for $10 each. We’ve had designs from Tom Williams, B.A. Richardson, and myself. Then there’s sign making for the show. We get a lot produced by Millard Draught at Redi-Quik Signs.
We still send PR to all the local news outlets and enter info into as many online calendars as possible. Lots of accounting, which usually gets thrown to the side for that last few weeks before the show. Answering interview questions like this and doing podcasts. Now I’m panicking because I just laid out everything I still need to do this year!
10. You’ve spent years bringing the spotlight on to independent comic creators from across the Midwest and beyond. Why is this artform so important to you?
I have always been in love with this artform. It really is the only place where you can be in complete control. Most other media require more than one person to work on it. I was also always awed that somebody sat down and drew all those drawings to make up a story. It seems like such an insane thing to do.