I recently rediscovered the archival webpage of SPXiles—an improvised SPX replacement event in NYC the weekend after 9-11—in my files. I thought I’d re-post it here for nostalgia and for the record. We’d already posted the photos on Flickr (as well as photos of the September 12 planning meeting) a year or so ago, but what the heck. What follows is what I posted back in late 2001 (minus the weird Dreamweaver-generated tables and plus a few new links and editorial notes, denoted in [brackets]).
SP-Xiles: Brooklyn, New York, September 16, 2001
SP-Xiles was an impromptu event organized in New York City as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This same weekend, SPX/The Expo, a small press comics convention, was supposed to take place in Bethesda MD [it was cancelled due to the attacks]. To make up for the cancellation of one of the most anticipated and important events of the year in the independent/literary comics scene, a group of local cartoonists decided to stage a make-up event. With the help of our host Charlie Orr, who made his Williamsburg loft available, we were able to pull it off. We succeeded in bringing together our community at a time when we were (and are) all still reeling from the attacks and sorely needed a forum to get together, be with friends and make new ones, and to share our comics with the local community. We took collections of a minimum of five dollars from all exhibitors and asked them to donate a portion of their take at the end of the day (many donated everything they had earned). We also invited guests to donate money at the door.
Thanks to everyone who came and made the event a big success. We collected $1925.00 (one half for the Red Cross and one half for the New York Fire Fighter’s 9-11 Relief Fund). This money was converted to two money orders which were sent out on September 18 with a note explaining where the donation came from.
If you are a NYC-area cartoonist or comics fan, please keep in touch, we hope we can get together again soon under better circumstances! (e-mail below)
If you have a web-page about another SPX make-up event, let us know, and we’ll link it here [at the bottom of this page].
SP-Xiles was organized by Jessica Abel, Leela Corman, Tom Hart, Ellen Lindner, Sara Varon, Matt Madden, Charlie Orr, Gabe Soria. Thanks everyone!
Take a look at our photo gallery and scroll down to see the list of exhibitors
Co-organizer Matt Madden arriving on the scene
Charlie Orr’s loft at the beginning of the day. All paintings seen throughout these photos are by Charlie.
Setting up on the floor…
People start to arrive.
a lavish brunch is offered (bloody marys not pictured)
Our host Charlie Orr, with his girlfriend Melissa, in front of his vertical Twister game.
Event co-organizer Sara Varon with her wonderful silkscreened books and prints.
Jason Brightman selling his new series, Frayed Ends.
Bishakh Som, Howard John Arey and Joan Reilly with their anthology Hi-Horse.
Tomer Hanuka introduced a new issue of his great comic, Bipolar, created with his brother Assaf.
Co-organizers Leela Corman and Tom Hart sell underwear and other wares.
The international section’s Alban Rautenstrauch (with Dave K) sells his STEREOSCOMICS from France.
Dino “Dean” Haspiel sketches on the thank you card while Gabe Soria mugs.
A view from the floor.
Tom Hart offering comics and spiritual advice.
Alex Holden shows his new comic “The City Is My Garden” to Tomer Hanuka.
Cartoonist/entertainers Tunde Adebimpe (we’re waiting for new work…!) and Lauren Weinstein (Notes from Vineyland)
Guys and Dolls in the kitchen.
Joey Cavalieri shares his cartooning wisdom with John Kerschbaum (The Wiggly Reader), Jason Paul, and Wendy Chin.
Mysterious man behind the scenes, K. Thor Jensen.
Dean and a blurry Josh Neufeld get ready to move out.
The Hi-Horse crew saddles up.
James Sturm came all the way from Vermont (via Philly). He had a few copies of his great new book, The Golem’s Mighty Swing. Here he assesses the scene with Tom Hart.
Co-organizer Ellen Lindner at the after-party at Enid’s in Greenpoint. Her latest minicomic is “The Egg Mysterious.”
Exhibitors
Here is a partial list of exhibitors who came to SP-Xiles to show their support, sell their work, and donate to the Emergency Funds. If you don’t see your name (or a friend’s) here (or if we’re missing the name of your comics), please send us a note and we’ll add you as soon as we can.
Jessica Abel (Artbabe, La Perdida)
Tunde Adebimbe
Josh Bernstein (Royal Flush)
Nick Bertozzi (The Masochists)
Eli Bishop
Jason Brightman (Frayed Ends)
Wendy Chin
Becky Cloonan (Social Unrest, Three-Way Kill Time)
Leela Corman
Abby Denson
Ryan Dunlavey (Tommy Atomic)
Chris Duffy (Nickelodeon)
Zena el-Khalil (A Beirut Tale)
Andrew Ford (Rib)
Steve Ellis and Fred Van Lente (Tranquility)
Ken Gale & Mercy E. Van Vlack (Dangerous Times)
Brandon Graham (Universe So Big)
Dylan Graham
John Green (Cryptic Press, Quicken Forbidden)
Jenny Gonzalez
Tomer Hanuka (Bipolar)
Tom Hart (Hutch Owen)
Dean Haspiel (Opposable Thumbs)
Danny Hellman (Legal Action Comics)
Jim Higgins (New Thing)
Hi-Horse (Howard John Arey, Joan Reilly, Bishakh Som)
Kathryn Hyatt (Marilyn)
Alex Holden (The City Is My Garden)
Kenichi Hoshine
K. Thor Jensen
Sabrina Jones (Girl Talk)
Dave K
Martha Keavney (Badly-Drawn Comics)
John Kerschbaum (The Wiggly Reader)
Michael Kupperman (Snake’n’Bacon’s Cartoon Cabaret)
Batton Lash & Jackie Estrada (Wolff and Byrd)
Ellen Lindner (The Egg Mysterious)
Jason Little (Bee Comix)
Heidi MacDonald (Vertigo)
Matt Madden (Odds Off)
Meathaus (Farel Dalrymple, Tomer Hanuka, and others)
Josh Neufeld (Titans of Finance)
Jason Paul
Alban Rautenstrauch (STEREOSCOMIC)
Dale Shaw
Bob Sikoryak (Drawn & Quarterly)
Chris Skokna (The Expo/SPX)
Leslie Sternbergh (Twisted Sisters)
James Sturm (The Golem’s Mighty Swing)
Jamie Tanner
Scott Teplin
Lauren Weinstein (Notes from Vineyland)
Sara Varon (Chickenopolis)
Rich Watson
for more information write the organizers.
Here are some other photos and reports (thanks to Dino for rounding these up): [if any of these still exist, let me know and I’ll re-link them]
Rich Watson’s reportage
Tim Hall’s digital snap-shots
Charles Brownstein & Comicon.com’s SP-Xiles coverage
Traci Vogel’s reporting on SP-Xiles and the 9-11 Emergency Relief book in Metro
Paul Harrington in ComicsStore.com’s feature column
Dean Haspiel’s photos
Other SP-XILES EVENTS nationwide [if you know if there are any traces of these online, let me know and I’ll re-link them]
if you were involved with an event and know of a web page, please send us the URL
SP-Xiles Gulf Coast (by Scott Gilbert)
Zinester BBQ/Left Coast BBQ (by Jesse Reklaw)
Ben Catmull’s left-coast photos
Left-coast sketches courtesy Hi-Horse
