Donna Barr's Blog

Olympic Collectibles Expo 2024

This is such a great little comicon that I drive a round trip of six hours to get to it.

They work to have good relationships with the staff of the Kitsap Mall - who provide us all the fancy black table covers. Pretty elegant, huh?

This also keeps the table prices quite low. It's getting better every year. I always pay my costs, and make a tiny profit.

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

SquatchConPA 2024

 Need I say morre? SquatchconPA is huge a money maker for any creative person! You don't have to do squatch stuff. It's just the name. Get up here. 

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

ShortRun Seattle, 2023

If you want all the details, you need to keep an eye on ShortRun's link. The show happens every year in early November. There were great events, talks, and just a bunch of wonderful creative people at the show. Thunder, lightning and a downpour turned into a beautiful autumn day, the bright yellow trees around the Seattle Center fountain sparkling in the sun, and as the sun set, the winter lights came on. 

This report leads off with the beautiful railing art across from the Fisher plaza, detailing the history of the Duwamish people's area. There are 85 panels in the metal sequence, making it a very large and durable comic book.

The evening before, Fantagraphics Bookstore presented the usual author party, that's always such a treat at ShortRun. For more details, and even some interviews, including with the delightful people pictured below, check out the ShortRun episode of my podcast, A Bazillion Ghost Stories.

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

An Old Mural in Bremerton, and Misery Whip

I went back to Bremerton for a friend's son's party, and stopped in to get some shots of a mural I helped on in 2001. I was amazed it still existed.

First of all, let me show you a photo of Jack Moriarty's band, Misery Whip. They were wonderful. I'm not necessarily fond of country, but when it's done well, I enjoy it. I've been watching Jack play since his guitar was bigger than him. He plays the pedal steel, too. The band is really something. The lead-in band was Jack Habegger's Celebrity Telethon, which was - well, if I can describe it - kind of like if Laurel Canyon went HARD rock. I really enjoyed those guys. 

Then we'll have the mural photos. I expected the colors in the deer mural to fade to autumn, because we'd been running out of paint as we got to the right side of the art. But somebody's been doing more green trees on it, which is just fine. I was amazed to see any of it was left. The street kids originally suggested the deer, and the bear, and the two cubs, which they named Frick and Frack. I think the stream is new, too.

Appropriately, the homeless of Bremerton seem to treat the area around the murals as a forest sanctuary. Yeah, there's a lot of tagging, but what the street kids can't reach, still remains. It looks cool and pleasant. Enjoy.

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

Bremerton Zine Fest 2023

 Weird and hot, in a city park, but satisfying, and promising more for the future - that's the Bremerton Zine Fest. I was later at Pat Moriarity's art gallery show, also in Bremerton, at the Ridgeline cafe (no photos posted of a gallery show, of course). But photos of a few friends are included at the bottom of this post. It was really nice to see Pat again, and David Lasky - both long-time colleagues and dear friends. 

Got to talk to the Parks people, the Zine Fest organizers, and the Bremerton mayor, about maybe hooking up with SquatchConPA, so the two shows support each other and each other's communities. You know me - Little Miss GoBetween.

This really should be a better report, with more and better labeling, but it was 91 degrees Fahrenheit all day in that field, and hot for the rest of the evening, and the brain don't do so good in the heat. Every time I regret moving up to Clallam Bay, because it's so far away from my friends and industry, the weather reminds me of why it was a good idea.

I'll do a better job in the podcast. I'll add that link as soon as it goes active.

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

Olympic Collectibles Expo 2023

JD Sweet always puts on a nice little show at the Kitsap Mall. For some reason, it doesn't feel so exposed as so many mall shows do. I think it's because it concentrates in the central hallway, and the tables all come with fitted black floor-length covers. It gives it a concentrated, connected feeling. So here are some of the vendors and tables. 

There are two shows a year, one in April and one in November. Plenty of free parking at the Kitsap Mall. A nice little show, and one that adds to the world of comicons out here on the west end of Washington State.

You can see the artwork I did in thanks for SpankyLoco at Olympic Collectibles Expo, 2023 | Donna Barr on Patreon

SpankyLoco, presenting me with a print I admired. 
Melanie Kohn, the voice of Peanuts Lucy.

Comic.Rat, a good guy!

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

We lost our Kiki in 2021

Sometimes it just takes a while to post when a loved one passes. Our little cat Kiki passed away in 2021. I didn't even realize until I went back to see the photos, and saw which folder they were in. Kiki's story is pretty complete on Facebook for that year. Her passing was a fight, but she was so happy to Dr. Pat when we finally took her in to let her go. Her little face relaxed, and she smiled and was gone. At least she got to enjoy Halloween with her little rat buddy, and catnip on pressie papers, as is traditional in our household. She was the last of our cats, and we haven't had any since. MAYBE.

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

SquatchconPA 2023 - the second annual

These all showed up early on my Patreon account, so I can post them now. Here's the link that takes you to the podcast, the basic Squatchcon report, and the photos! SquatchConPA 2023, photos | Donna Barr on Patreon 

This might be a comparatively small even now, but it is a GEM. The plan is to take over the whole town of Port Angeles, Washington, out on the Olympic Penninsula. If you want table space or a room, you'd better get on it as soon as they have the links up at SquatchCon's website. It will always be held on the week before Easter - moveable feast!

Here is where I'm going to post some of my favorites, AND the Ka-Blam shirt, that gets me more print money. This time there are two photos - me showing the shirt at my shirt - and the young lady who bought the shirt! So now I'll have to get another shirt the show off at the conventions, where I tell folks about Ka-Blam being the only real POD printers for floppies (what are usually called "comics," in their earlier staple-spine form).
Me and the Ka-Blam shirt






The Ka-Blam shirt finds a new home!

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

Olympic Collectible Expo 2022

I only have one excuse for not posting more photos, but I had to drive three hours, mostly in the dark, to get to this little Kitsap Mall pop-up Saturday convention, November 5, 2022. Wait - that's Guy Fawkes Night. Maybe we can do a theme next year. Go get your table at OCE on Facebook.

But I DO use Ka-Blam.com for print-on-demand singles comics (floppies), for nearly '80's prices. And I always show their tshirt at convention, and each time get $10 print credit. It works - I've printed enough book for shows, and am still in the black! So here's my Ka-Blam shirt at the Olympic Collectibles Expo. The guy who took the photo is Steven Valentine, of Comic Rat. Hook up with him and his great art at ComicRat, Instagram.

OCE has comics, publishers, gamers, jewelers, and even a couple of cosplayers - and definitely needs more cosplayers! I had fun saying "Welcome to the comicon!" to surprised mall wanderers. The conversation usually went like this:

"Welcome to the Comicon!"

Startled look. "I've never been to a comicon."

"You have now."

I'll probably podcast more about the convention itself, and the nasty drive home, including getting stuck at the Hood Canal bridge.

I promise more photos next time. 

 

 

 

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

Emerald City Comicon 2022 Photos

Took photos of all kinds of folks, including vendors featured in the podcast. I've put notes on some of them, especially of the vendors that were part of the Emerald Ghosts episode of A Bazillion Ghost Stories (Spotify, Apple, Google), available August 25. Enjoy. A few things are posted twice, but hey. Better that than accidental deletions.

I always think it's fun when the cosplayers take a break.


The vendor for Ghosts Betwixt.






The girls from Geek Girl Con!
Tattoos appropriate to a ghost podcast.
Are demons close enough for a ghost podcast?
Had to get this vendor, showing solidarity with SquatchConPa.com
My Immortal! The parody Harry Potter fanclub.



This has always been one of my favorite booths, Pop Art Saints










The Maid Cafe - Dark Maids soon?

ShePop represents.


The manuscript in the podcast


They said their dino wasn't complete, because it had no back frill - so I said it was a juvenile, and they seemed fine with that.

The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...