The breakdown in my professionalism at the sixth annual Stumptown Comics Fest (SCF), held Saturday, April 18th- Sunday, April 19th at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel Exhibition Hall in Portland, Ore. (I day-tripped down on Saturday), may have been because it was my third con in as many weeks; more likely, its focus on minicomics and self-publishing (Dark Horse, local to the convention, was the largest publisher represented, although Image's Shadowline had a booth, as well as Oni and my employer, Fantagraphics) overlaps the most with my personal taste, and so it was harder to compartmentalize. 
To be fair, there were at least two additional factors working against my good intentions: one, the con, with an entry fee of only $6 per day, was packed to bursting (from Douglas Wolk's overview at Publishers Weekly: "According to organizer Shannon Stewart, attendance was at 2500, up from 2100 last year."), which slowed me down, and (frustratingly for someone who dearly loves to chew the fat with this particular group of exhibitors) hard to hear without leaning across tables — a potentially ware-squishing move — and raising one's voice.[1] (My only real newsworthy tidbit was from Knisley, who said that French Milk had been optioned for a movie.) Although it moved to the Doubletree as recently as 2006 (I attended the Sunday of that year, when it was a smaller affair) it's entirely possible SCF has already outgrown this venue. 
Of course, it wasn't a busman's holiday for everyone: business appeared good, and there were portfolio reviews, primarily by Dark Horse editors, but also Steve Lieber of Periscope Studio, Jim Valentino of Image and DC Comics writer Gail Simone, a Comic Book Legal Defense Fund benefit dinner the Friday previous, parties at comic shops and galleries all weekend, and, as I and my two companions, Gavin Lees and Eric Buckler (Fanta coworkers, the former of whom graciously offered a ride) headed homeward clutching our blood-filled Voodoo Doughnuts, the Stumptown Trophy Awards were handed out that evening.[3]Kristy Valenti currently works for The Comics Journal and Fantagraphics Books, Inc.
Uncharted Territory is © Kristy Valenti, 2008
