Official Press Release

Small Press Expo announces debut works from Takashi Murakami, Matt Thurber, Mike Dawson, and others at SPX 2011

Bethesda, Maryland; August 16, 2011 – The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons, announces new graphic novels and comics being debuted at the festival.. For summaries, cover images, and details of all the debuting work, please visit http://www.spxpo.com/debuts

SPX has always been a showcase for new talent and a great place to debut new works. This year’s debuts — 38 at the time of this release! — represent a diverse range of cartooning styles, narrative approaches and topics, audiences, and cartoonists.

Takashi Murakami’s Stargazing Dog, the latest bestseller by the internationally renowned designer, will be available in an English-language version from NBM Publishing. The Japanese version has sold over a half a million copies and is slated to become a feature film.

Mike Dawson debuts the graphic novel compilation of last year’s Ignatz-award winner for Outstanding Online Comic, Troop 142.

Matt Thurber introduces 1-800-Mice, an imaginative and ambitious narrative set in the imaginary city of Volcano Park, where flying mouse couriers have replaced Federal Express.

Jennifer Hayden releases the print compilation of her popular and acclaimed autobiographic online comic Underwire. The comics previously appeared on ACT-I-VATE.com..

The festival features additional debuts from: 1RODHWY, Troy-Jeffrey Allen and Jay Payne, Americans UK, Pat Barrett, Jonathan Baylis, Carolyn Belefski, Jeffrey Brown, Marjee Chmiel and Sandra Lanz, Ernie Colon, the Draw Sucka! artists, Mario A. Gonzales, Seamus Heffernan, Jeph Jacques, James Jarvis, Jim8ball, Josh Kramer, Molly Lawless, Eric Leland, Joel Lolar, Renee Lott, Kyle Magnan, Jeremy Massie, Tom McHenry, Shawn Padraic Murphy, Jamie Noguchi, Melody Often, Katie Omberg, Desiree Pittman, Peter Quach, Ashley Quigg, Ethan Rilly, Justin Rivers and Courtney Zell, Jon Reed, Matthew D. Smith, The Sequential Artist Workshop, Andrea Tsurumi, Sara Turner, Joey Weiser, Jeremy Whitley and Jason Strutz, K. Sekelsky, Robert Ullman, Yuichi Yokoyama, and Chris Yura.

Interviews and review copies may be available. Please contact the SPX press office at the number above.

About SPX

SPX is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit that brings together more than 300 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators, as well as a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year’s guests.

As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, go to their website at http://www.cbldf.org.

The hours for SPX 2011 are 11am–7pm Saturday, September 10, and 12–6pm Sunday, September 11. Admission is $10 for a single day or $15 for the weekend.