Comic Book Candy

In addition to being a panelist on the Star Wars Fan Panel , I will also take part in the  So You Want to Be a Nerd Organizer Panel at Wizard World Chicago this coming Saturday. The best part about being invited to speak on this panel is that I have plenty to share, but much more to learn. It will be as informative for me as the audience! I am most looking forward to hearing from other organizers about their successes, struggles, what they have learned, and what they plan to do in the future. There are a ton of amazing nerdy organizations here in Chicago; it can be tough to gain momentum while planning events for specific groups. In my case, moderating events for Graham Crackers Comics Ladies' Night also comes with the double duty of being Editor-in-Chief of Ladies' Night Anthology . I cannot wait to walk away from this panel with more ideas for tackling community planning and event organizing. If you are interested in starting your own group, or volunteering (we all need...

If I have learned one thing in my experience as an editor of Ladies' Night Anthology , it is that making comics takes time. So much time, in fact, that it leaves few opportunities to actually write about comics (let alone read them). My blogging has slowed down significantly over the last year and I apologize; it has been too long. But if you are wondering what I have been up to lately besides life stuff in general, this might give you a hint: It is not just the theme that has us filled with a sense of dread; our fundraising deadline is looming and we are still short of our goal. You only have until midnight today to support these independent creators!  Even if you are unable to monetarily support our efforts, signal boosts are free and much appreciated. Here are a few previews to whet your appetite for the bloody, sweet, and sensational stories to come from Ladies' Night Anthology Vol. 2: Death & Prom . If you're ready to crown this anthology prom queen, head ove...

Over the past several months, my roles as comic book fan and blogger have taken a back seat to a new position: come book collaborator. I have previously written about my role as moderator of Graham Crackers Ladies' Night, a monthly meeting of female comic book fans, but I have not devoted any time on my site to talk about the resulting comic book anthology. Ever since Hannah Chapman created the Ladies' Night event shortly over a year ago, participants kept bringing up the idea of creating our own comic. The initial concept was for it to be something the creators amongst us could work on and share with everyone and receive feedback. It didn't take long to realize what a large pool of talent we had in our group and we decided to make our project a little more ambitious. We assigned editors for each story, created deadlines for each stage of creation rather than setting a final date for completed stories, and organized  workshops for writing, penciling, and lettering. My ...

Graham Crackers Comics Ladies' Night is a monthly meeting of female comic book fans at the Chicago loop comic book store. The next event taking place tomorrow, August 1st, will be a charity benefit. In addition to the usual comic book related discussion, artist Jenny Frison will be on hand to create sketches and sign comics with all of the proceeds going towards the Hero Initiative , a charity that helps support creators in their times of need. All are welcome to join us, men and women alike, though the discussion will be the usual group of ladies only. The event begins at 6, but feel free to come early as we are expecting a large turnout.

  This past Wednesday evening Graham Crackers Comics located in the Chicago Loop looked a little different. As one keenly observant male customer opined a little too loudly, "You guys are swimming in estrogen today!" After manager Matt Streets pointed out that the store's first Ladies Night event was about to begin, he sheepishly took his books up to the register and went on his way. Considering the large turn out, it's safe to say this will be the first of a regular monthly event at the local comic shop. As an employee of Graham Crackers Chicago Lakeview location, I served as a store liaison for the event and also helped to moderate the conversation. Comic book creator and recent transplant to Chicago, Hannah Chapman spearheaded the event and organized it along with store manager Matt Streets. Ladies Night served a few purposes; first and foremost, it was a chance to meet and talk comics with other local female fans. Participants were encouraged to bring books they...