The Short Run Comix & Arts Festival had its 10th anniversary on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center where the famous Space Needle is at. A great location for general foot traffic and a beautiful setting, which the diehard indie comics fan could experience the festival in a park-like setting and take breaks outdoors. It's definitely an indie comics festival the connoisseur fan will appreciate for the well-known and venerable cartoonists with long careers along with up and comers who tabled as exhibitors, like Sarah Romano Diehl, Antoine Maillard, Jasper Jubenvill, Josh Pettinger, Nate Garcia, Alex Graham, Max Clotfelter, Avi Jetter, Mannie Murphy, Cole Pauls, Cristian Castelo, Yasmeen Abedifard, James Spooner among others and special guests, like Shary Flenniken, Casanova Frankenstein, Lale Westvind, Gareth Brookes, Megan Kelso, Anna Haifisch, Natalia Novia and Claudia Chinyere Akole. Also, the casual or curious reader of mini-comix and young adult comics could find something to try as their gateway into the world of indie comics. As well as children just starting out as comic readers or curious about making comics and prints and such; the festival had workshops and demonstrations onsite.
There were also satellite events with readings, a drawing workshop, an interview in conjunction with a gallery exhibition opening and an after party with dancing and photo taking with background set, which started on Wednesday and ran to Sunday with Natalia Novia, Anna Haifisch, Claudia Chinyere Akole, Gareth Brookes, Lale Westvind, Shary Flenniken, Larry Reid and Megan Kelso. I was able to attend events on Thursday night, Friday morning and evening, the festival itself and the after party. I enjoyed the experience of everything I attended immensely because Seattle is a great comics community, from the cartoonists to the fans! Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable about the world of indie comics, which made for great conversation and socializing at the satellite events and the festival. And everywhere a fan turned, there were cartoonists just milling around having fun at all the events and easy to approach and to meet and to talk to! I am grateful to have made your acquaintances, each and every one of you!
Kudos to Kelly Froh, her team and the festival volunteers who organized and manned the festival for all of us to enjoy. I also admired how the satellite events took place in different neighborhoods, so a visitor could sight see many parts of Seattle, from attending the satellite events. Short Run is the premiere indie comics festival on the west coast that I attended in 2022, and I hope it continues for many years to come for current and future generations of fans and comics creators to experience, enjoy and connect with each other! I hope my photos convey that sense of community, that brought everyone together, which Short Run and the Seattle comics scene made possible! Thank you for the joyful memories, Short Run Comix & Arts Festival! - Christopher Diaz
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Short Run was held at the Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center on Saturday, November 5, 2022.Anna Haifisch, outside in front of the show banner on Saturday morning.Short Run sandwich board.An official Short Run tote bag.Short Run show prints.
Complimentary gift bags for the first attendees.Haifisch and the Seattle Center's iconic Space Needle.Short Run attendee line prior to opening.Sarah Romano Diehl.A closer look at the attendee line prior to opening.South wall of the Fisher Pavilion, featuring work by Brandon Vosika, Mary Anne Carter and Veronica Graham.Antoine Maillard.Jasper Jubenvill.Josh Pettinger.Chris Cilla, Tim Goodyear & Max Clotfelter.Jessica Hoffman and Justin Quinlan of Paper Press Punch.Arabella Bautista, Kat Wong, Chris Wong & Nicole Okada.Nate Garcia.Megan Kelso.Patrick Keck & Josh Simmons.Anders Nilsen.Natalia Novia.Megan Kelso prior to a tour of her outdoor public art piece, "Crow Commute", an 85-foot comic etched on steel plates.Kelso with fans gathered to view "Crow Commute".Kelso in front of "Crow Commute".A closer look at "Crow Commute".Casanova Frankenstein.Conrad Groth of Fantagraphics Books.Harry Nordlinger.Avi Ehrlich of Silver Sprocket.Avy Jetter.Toshi Vale of RE/Search.Outgoing Vancouver Comic Arts Festival Executive Director and Inkstuds host Robin McConnell, in black, seated under the striped canopy.Shary Flenniken.Alex Graham.Alex Graham, Nate Garcia & Josh Pettinger, with Sean Watkins of Athenaeum Comic Art, their art representative.Lale Westvind.Claudia Chinyere Akole.Mannie Murphy.Gareth Brookes.Cole Pauls.Matt Davis of Perfectly Acceptable Press.Cristian Castelo & Yasmeen Abedifard.James Spooner.Patrick Crotty of Peow Studio.Short Run Executive Director and Co-Founder Kelly Froh, with Max Clotfelter.Froh addresses the exhibitors and attendees at the close of the show.
The show from Froh's perspective.
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ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING
Anna Haifisch, one of three cartoonists reading and performing in the Special Guest Showcase/Short Run Kick-Off on Thursday evening, November 3, 2022, at The Grocery Studios in Beacon Hill.Haifisch.Ariel López V. & Natalia Novia, with Janet Galore of The Grocery Studios galleries.Megan Kelso and Anna Haifisch, prior to the latter's reading.Haifisch & Claudia Chinyere Akole, prior to their readings.
Scenes from the Claudia Chinyere Akole reading.
Scenes from the Anna Haifisch reading.
Scenes from the Natalia Novia reading.A model sits for Lale Westvind at her Dynamic Drawing Workshop on Friday morning, November 4, 2022 at Common Area Maintenance in Belltown.Attendees of Westvind’s workshop.
Westvind lectures at her workshop.Larry Reid interviews Shary Flenniken at the Marathon Art Show and Pre-Fest Reception at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery in Georgetown on Friday night, November 4, 2022.Flenniken.Cartoonists and comics aficionados turned out for Shary Flenniken’s interview and meet & greet at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery.Flenniken.Attendees of the Shary Flenniken interview and meet & greet.Kelly Froh & Larry Reid.Cartoonists Harry Nordlinger, Jasper Jubenvill, Nate Garcia & Josh Pettinger.Cartoonists Handa, Sarah Romano Diehl & Kat Wong.
