I exhibited at Alternative Press Expo for the third or fourth time this year. Even though I could only exhibit on Sunday, this year was amazing. If you don’t know what APE is all about, on October 1 and 2, the Concourse in San Francisco was filled to capacity with indie zine publishers, comic nerds, and artists all selling their wares and checking the floor. It is like Comic Con for the indie audience. I sold out of my prints (yay!) and had fun exhibiting, but APE is way more fun as a spectator. Here are some of the books and art I picked up this year:

1 Dean Stuart Print – I love Dean’s art. He was a student of mine a few years back and he keeps elevating his game. I saw this piece on his blog before APE and I wanted a print immediately. Luckily he had some for sale. This is by far one of my favorite pieces I’ve seen recently. Gorgeously rendered and perfectly realized. Check out his work here:
http://deanstuart.blogspot.com
http://deandraws.com

2 Joko Budiono Print – I hadn’t heard of Joko before, but I am a fan now. Joko had the table next to mine. I paled in comparison. He teaches at the Academy of Art, but he is still an awesome guy (ha). His perspective work is madness. Check it out here:
http://jokosart.blogspot.com/

3 The Matter no. 2 – Someone traded with me for the collection. I usually don’t do too many trades, but the graphic design of this book is killer and it is a great collection of comic vignettes. There are five stories in here, I am still working my way through all of them. Their site is here (not working at the moment):
http://therseco.com/

4 Post Art – Marian Dilan and Helen Chau had the table next to mine. Both are former CCA all stars and this collection solidifies it. The book is a collaboration between Marian and Helen and features a ton of work done on post-its. This medium happens to be PERFECT for their styles. They also were selling post-its with original art. You better believe I picked up some. Check ‘em out:
http://helenchau.com/
http://www.helenchau.blogspot.com/
http://mariandilan.com/

5 Grim Wilkins Book – My Grim Wilkins fanboyism continues. This is a new book. WITH. ORIGINAL. ART. ON. COVER. Hell yes. Seriously, Grim can do no wrong. And if he does, he doesn’t publish it. I also picked up a print. I didn’t put it in this pic because he might think I am stalking him. If you don’t know, learn yourself up:
http://grimwilkins.com/
http://grimwilkins.blogspot.com/

6 A Caxcan Guerilla Takes Over the Awkward Girl and Outgrowing Plastic Dolls – I had known of Liz Mayorga-Amaya’s work for a bit, so I was hyped when I saw that she had her zines for sale at APE. While APE this year was a little more super hero heavy, Liz held down the other side of the spectrum with work that is subtle and thoughtful. Her combination of comics and writing should bring back memories of childhood for anyone. I’ve since picked up all her work, I only wish there was more. Check out her site here:
http://www.spunkycatcomix.com/

7 Fiona Meng Lookbook – Fiona had the table across from me. She is awesome and we had a long talk about art and style and all that good stuff. Her work is rad. Check it out!
http://fionameng.com/

8 Four prints by Mike Manomivibul – Wow that’s a mouthful! Mike’s work is sick. He recently got a full page in Spectrum and he earned every inch of it. My friend Brian Bowes introduced me to his work and I was hooked. His diver pieces are especially amazing. Crazy enough, he proposed a trade with me. I got the good end of that one. Word. Insanity awaits:
http://www.mikemanoart.com/

9 Sketchbook x 4 – A collection of the sketchbook work of George Cwirko-Godycki, Ben Jelter, Konstantin Pogorelov, and Nathan Sisler. I got this book in a trade with George. Anyone who knows me knows my love of sketchbook. This is a great example of four unique styles and the unbridled love of drawing. Massive book with several thousand awesome drawings. Check out their work:
http://freshzebra.blogspot.com/
http://theguture.blogspot.com/
http://klumsyk.blogspot.com/
http://www.nathansisler.com/

10 Zoo – I shared a table with Tony Huynh this year. His recent work is bananas. His minibook, Zoo, is a black and white showcase of his unique style and graphic design, retelling his childhood trip to the zoo. He is killing it right now, show some love!
http://thuynh.com/