SPX - Small Press Expo 2006

High school car, all the dings had stories and all your friends knew them. The back window leaked and the heat and air didn’t work. That’s OK, you’d been through it all, you and good old buddy Mr. Big Green Monster. Gave it hell and it took it, the days and what not.

Time. Time to get something built this decade. Electric windows! Wow, the seats adjust! Heat and Air! Man-o-man in the big time now. The life. How could you have ever done without this stuff?

Wait, was that it? Driving down the road? The Big Green Monster? Could that be it? Oh the grand ole times you had together. It sure would be swell to drive it again. Golly. Why’d you get rid of it? Done its duty, time to move on. Right? You couldn’t possibly have driven it any longer.

The new car is bigger, safer, faster and better on the go juice. Sure, every other car on the road looks like you. Part of the pack now, running with the big dawgs and all.

Seeing it pass you can’t help but miss it and wonder if they still sell those little green pine trees?

WIDE AWAKE 666

Wide Awake 666
This is the show where everyone got to finally see the already classic horror anthology Wide Awake 666. Order your copy now!!

Full Color, 112 pages
5” x 8” Perfect Bound
$9.95 US funds


Sorry no international orders at this time.


We also had copies of J Chris Campbell's new mini with google eyes. Additionally we had Ben Towle's very first mini with Wide Awake Press, Gravity. Go here and buy it and other things from Ben.


Jamie proudly presents Spectacle George which was created on the trip up to SPX. More details at the bottom of the page.


Josh Cotter and J Chris pour through Mr. Cotter's amazing sketchbook. Until J Chris got dizzy from all the cross hatching.


If you could rock as hard as Leah rocks then you'd be rocking and not reading about how much she rocks!


This lovely couple known to some as Ted and Mandy are very helpful when you purchase comics from their comic book publishing company Little Houses. But their real names are Drew Wieng and Eleanor Davis and they bring it like it's never been brung before. Brought? Oh, like it's never been brought before, sorry.


Rob Venditti can't hide his mad skills at shilling books. Heck, all he has to do is stand there and people just walk up and give him money. He's really good. Plus he can write a pretty mean sci-fi comic book.


Scott Morse worked his ass off at the show. He was constantly painting the entire from beginning to end. We don't think he looked around more than an hour the entire time. J Chris was extremely lucky enough to snag this one-of-a-kind amazing custom robot painting. Lucky dog.


Mark was most funny when he was alone... at least that's what he told people right after his jokes bombed.


Hi, my name is Scott Ellingburg? I enjoy comics, writing, driving long distances by myself and sleeping in other people's beds when they are away. If you'd like, we could make fun of gay people. That is if you're into that sort of thing. Are you?


Hello, I am Justin Gammon and I have no qualms with telling you how badly you draw. Usually just by talking with you for a few minutes. It's not that I'm judgemental, it's just that I can usually tell how intelligent you are and thus can determine if I'm better than you based on a simple conversation. It's kind of my super power.


Hi, I am Joel Priddy. I draw comics that people love and talk about for years. For that reason I only draw comics when people have stopped talking about the comics I have already drawn. I'm just that good.


Hi, my name is Mark something. I've never been formally introduced to anyone, so you'll never know my last name. Or if I have been formally introduced then you've probably forgotten my surname because of the underwelming impression I made on you at the time. It's okay, I'll see you next year and we can start all over like we've never meet. After 7 years of SPX I'm use to it by now.
As always WAP had a spread that would make the sharpest customer lose focus. A technique common to flashing a light in a deer's eyes right before you blow its head off. That's when Duane was our bullet!


Mark hung around the booth often talking about all the great comic books he would do if only he had the time. Maybe when he gets disability from work for falling off a rafter or something.


Wide Awake Press had a table next to the always intangible Rob Ullman. Here he is now showing off his Flash impersonation (which oddly enough he can only do with his right hand) as a very attentive Duane folds a wad of money.


Mr. J Chris Campbell was too good to sit with the rest of the Wide Awake Press gang. Having way too much stuff to cram on the already crammed WAP table. He thinks he's a super star standing behind the AdHouse Books table. He does not realize that he is way too overweight to ever be a real super star.


A prime example of how to really pack a table with little things that most people can do without. Add a large pale man behind the table and you've got a combination sure to attract comic fans of all ilks. Comics about robots and bugs don't hurt much either.


At SPX people were walking in the door on two feet and making their way around the room and leaving with the same two feet they came in on. It was an amazing thing to behold, if you were a cripple. I'm sorry if you're a cripple, that's not very funny. It was suppose to be funny and perhaps would be if you aren't a cripple.


Justin Gammon, Duane Ballenger and J Chris Campbell pose in their ceremonial Wide Awake 666 garb. Their chanting summoned a demon who went by the name Charlito who blew flames from his nostrils and fanta orange drink from his finger tips. Sweet sweet Fanta, don't cha wanta? Indie Spinner Rack, please help me!


Andy Runton sold a ton of original art at the show along with a large quantity of plush Owlys. He won another award and drew Owly in people's copies of Owly that they bought from him. I saw him smile a couple of times. If you see him, give him a hug and tell him he's doing a good job. Then slowly slide your hand in his front pocket and swipe a twenty. He'll never miss it.


Chris Pitzer of AdHouse Books debuted the final in his anthology trilogy. Project: Romantic and it sold out halfway through the second day. Paul Pope showed up on time both days and sold a ton of posters and Ashcans. Scott Morse painted his little heart out and Joel Priddy talked and sketched on and off all weekend. Josh Cotter was there almost the entire time both days and sold a ton of Skyscrapers of the Midwest, including the newest #3. Want to make a smart investment? Contact him about buying some of the original art it's very reasonable and he's soon to be a very famous cartoonist. Now, what part of this paragraph was a joke?


"Stop cheating off me Jamie," says Duane. "You draw your own smoking cat."
"Settle down boys, or I'll make you draw naked ladies the rest of the day," Rob threatens.


Can you count the shiney globes? How about people with facial hair? Yes, that lady does count.


The hardest part about the new show location was not being able to figure out when the lasers would shoot from the ceiling cannons. They were on some sort of algorithmic variance even Joel Priddy couldn't calculate.


J Chris Campbell can not draw without his computer. If you ask him to he will, but you will be disappointed and he'll usually end up drawing a robot with a pattern of loops around it. He's really not very talented.


Now Rob Ullman can turn out doodle after doodle of really cool things. Like woman wearing tiny bikinis or ladies in reveling super hero outfits or girls in slinky spacesuits. He's a real artist.


Chris informs Sgt. Duane that their plan to infect everyone at SPX has failed. Apparently the Vapors aren't as contagious as they both had been told.


After the show we liked to walk the halls of the hotel looking for trouble. Mostly we just got told not to use the stairwells. But we did anyway, we don't care much for rules. That's just how we roll.


Jamie slowly realized that he and Josh Cotter would make a wonderful married couple. He just had difficulty on how to pitch the idea to the already happily married Cotter.


When we arrived on the scene we noticed this on the sidewalk.


Justin decided to try it on for size, and it fit perfectly.

Duane and Andy are buddies. They are pictured here fighting back the urge to embrace and talk about Star Wars quotes. They are strong men indeed.


A rare shot taken of Rob in the middle of his Venditti Tongue Twirl. Sorry ladies, he is a happily married man.


Wait, wait. Make that face again.


What, this one?


Oh yeah, that's perfect. You look so stupid I can't believe you did it again.


You better believe it. I'm a funny man.


Ha, Ha. I can see that Whopper stain on your shirt also. You're such a slob.


Oh yeah, well you better watch your tongue or I'll cast some crazy spell at you.


Ha, Ha. You stupid man, your magics can't hurt me. For the devil lives inside me and will not let you harm me until my task here on earth is done.


I'll end your task if you aren't careful.


You threatening me?


Ah... No. Do you want me to?


Wait, let me get a shot of you threatening me. It'll be classic.

The Ullmans were extremely nice in letting us crash at their house on the way to the show. Even ran out and got some BBQ for us to chow on.


Thanks for having us, we almost ran out of material. I guess we shouldn't have started with the racial jokes so early in the trip. We burned through that pretty quick so it was just vomit and fart jokes the rest of the way. Speaking of fart jokes, do you have any food?


Greg and Brooke discuss how they had never been to a party that had such interesting conversations not to mention smells.


Rob Venditti and Andy Runton stopped in on the way also. Just in time to hear a rivetting story from Greg about a voodoo lady and a terrible itchy rash he once had on his buttox.


The boys are in the house and the house is full of boys. Bring the noise. What? You'd rather I just not type anything?


Well maybe I will. Maybe I'll just stop doing captions. You'd like that wouldn't you. Heck, you try doing this. It's not as easy as it looks. You're probably the only person to read this far anyway. Unless of course your Rob or Jamie. Who most likely just skipped around to the pictures of themselves. Hi Rob, Hi Jamie.


"Ha, that thing you said was funny," Jamie snorts.
"Of course it was. I said it didn't I," replies Justin.


"Man I am so high right now." "Dude, what did you smoke." "What?" "You said you were high, what did you smoke?" "What?" "What did you smoke?" "Dude, I have no clue what you are talking about." "What?" "Dude, why don't you leave me alone. You're harshing all over my ride." "Whatever." "Don't make me eat that book." "Dude, you are so high." "How did you know man?" "Shut up and eat this book." "Alright man, alright."


The crowd is utterly enthralled with the previous exchange.


Jamie tells about the time a wizard came to his house and made all the bad men stop screaming at him.


Ha, ha, ha. Let's save this moment to share with the world!


Andy and Rob pretend to enjoy flipping through the new anthology Wide Awake 666. Luckily there was a lot going on and they didn't have to pretend for long.


"Wow, this looks great! And you didn't place mine across from anything terribly offensive. How cool is that? I can show this to my mom. Just these 2 pages though."


Each book sold at SPX had a handy little map stuck inside.


J Chris and Duane debate what they could take without Rob noticing it.


Rob and Brooke were excellent hosts. I recommend you staying with them if you get a chance. If it's not booked, request the library room.


Brooke was a hoot. A genuine hoot. I think Jamie thought she was also. Actually we are not really sure what he was thinking here.


J Chris and Duane wait for a call from the Indie Spinner Rack guys. For an interview that will no doubt never be aired. But it was an OK interview. You didn't miss much.


I'll be the first to admit, Jamie was way too comfortable in Rob Ullman's attic. Almost like he'd been there before.


Don't even ask.


The artist at work in his studio.


The following images will be listed with no comments. Instead there will be lines from the popular children's story The Wizard of OZ.


Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife.


The next morning Dorothy kissed the pretty green girl good-bye, and they all shook hands with the soldier with the green whiskers, who had walked with them as far as the gate.


When the Guardian of the Gate saw them again he wondered greatly that they could leave the beautiful City to get into new trouble.


But he at once unlocked their spectacles, which he put back into the green box, and gave them many good wishes to carry with them.


"You are now our ruler," he said to the Scarecrow; "so you must come back to us as soon as possible."


"I certainly shall if I am able," the Scarecrow replied; "but I must help Dorothy to get home, first."


As Dorothy bade the good-natured Guardian a last farewell she said: "I have been very kindly treated in your lovely City, and everyone has been good to me. I cannot tell you how grateful I am."

Luckily the security at SPX wasn't this harsh. Or perhaps unluckily depending on the type of person you are.


Does that mean that if you're a guy and you're grinning then you aren't wearing panties but that you would have been if you weren't grinning?
Seems like a nice place to throw some pictures from another convetion from Mr. Terry Cronin of 3 Boys Productions.


3 Boys Productions were intromental in making Wide Awake 666 possible. So I want to take a moment to thank Terry for helping out and for pushing the WA666 on impressionable young women everywhere.

A container of sauce is no obstacle for young Fletcher.


His stomach is true and thusly rewarded for his efforts.
This is spectacle George. Bare witness to how he was won by a fine young lad by the name of Fletcher.


His peers have judged that the task is worthy and if completed he would receive the reward.

J Chris Campbell is eating some food and showing you what is in his mouth. We find this humorous because he is fat and he is eating a double cheese burger. It will cease to be a funny picture and will become poignant once he dies of a heart attack. Humor is fickle like that.
Justin Gammon is mad hungry for a Whopper.


Justin Gammon is very helpful at travel centers.


Justin Gammon packs a Jeep like no ones business.


Justin Gammon is not afraid to tell you when to move out of his way.


Jamie explains his plan to help unify the WA666 effort at the show.


He then pulls out reflective skull shirts for everyone to wear. A sort of uniform of the damned. He then cut and applied stickers to the eye and nose holes. See the pictures above for the finished look.


The thought that he will be missing an incredible concert performed by one of his favorite bands slowly sinks into Justin's mind. He may have just made a huge mistake.


Thanks for coming Justin. You're a swell friend.


A huge mistake.


"Yehaw, I'm a Duke boy cept I ain't got no hair," Jamie proclaims as he gets in his truck the only that the law will allow.



On the way back home we stopped to eat at Kahill's restaurant.


It was not as good as we had remembered. We will probably return again next year and never get the same thing that made us so happy about the first time we stopped.