The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to offer a small film festival at this years show.

Mark Newgarden will show a series of shorts from the 1920’s to 1960’s about the old time comic strips and their cartoonist creators. You’ll be able to see rare film footage from Newgarden’s personal collection with Rube Goldberg, Otto Soglow, Al Capp and Fontaine Fox and others, as well as cartoons based on the comics strips Nancy, Krazy Kat and Popeye. This will be a once in a lifetime chance to see this series of extraordinary films that are not otherwise available, with half the shorts to be shown Saturday September 15, and the other half Sunday September 16.

Cartoon College is a documentary by Tara Wray and Josh Melrod about a dozen students working their way through the MFA program at the Center for Cartoon Studies, one of the top schools in the country focusing on creating comics and cartoons. Besides following the students through their academic paces, the film features cameos by such comic creator luminaries as Lynda Barry, Art Spiegelman, Chris Ware, Jules Feiffer and Charles Burns. The film will be shown once on Saturday, September 15.

For details about showtimes and additional information, go to the SPX 2012 Programming page at http://www.spxpo.com/programming.