Stumptown Comics Fest was a

comic book convention A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at con ...

, held annually in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

from 2004–2013. In the model of the

Alternative Press Expo The Alternative Press Expo (APE) was a comic book festival and alternative comics convention that operated from 1994 to 2017. Founded by Slave Labor Graphics publisher Dan Vado, APE focused on self-published, independent, and alternative carto ...

and the

Small Press Expo The Small Press Expo (SPX) is an American alternative comics convention. A registered 501(c)(3) that was created in 1994, every year since its inception, SPX has put on a festival, known as The Expo, that provides a forum for artists, writers and ...

, Stumptown was a forum for artists, writers and publishers of comic art in its various forms to expose the public to comics not typically accessible through normal commercial channels.

History

The Stumptown Comics Fest originated in early 2004 with a small group of Portland-area cartoonists (led by Indigo Kelleigh)Hallett, Alison
"10-Year Itch: Checking in with the Stumptown Comics Fest,"
''Portland Mercury'' (Apr. 24, 2013). who yearned for a convention that focused on the art of comics instead of the business of comics. In a space of four months they were able to put on the first comics fest on June 6, 2004, at the Old Church, a non-profit organization whose goal was to preserve an old church. The first show featured 22 exhibitor tables, and attracted 150 attendees. In 2005 the show moved to

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...

's Smith Memorial Ballroom, and grew to 80 exhibitor tables and 450 attendees. In 2006 the event moved to the

Oregon Convention Center The Oregon Convention Center is a convention center in Portland, Oregon. Completed in 1989 and opened in 1990, it is located on the east side of the Willamette River in the Lloyd District neighborhood. It is best known for the twin spire towers, ...

and expanded to two days. In 2007, the event began hosting the Stumptown Comics Fest Trophy Awards and Comic Art Battle. The awards honored outstanding small creators and comics, while the Comic Art Battle was described as "a cross between

Pictionary ''Pictionary'' (, ) is a charades-inspired word-guessing game invented by Robert Angel with graphic design by Gary Everson and first published in 1985 by Angel Games Inc. Angel Games licensed Pictionary to Western Publishing. Hasbro purchas ...

and wrestling." In 2012 the show changed hands, with Kelleigh passing on the reins to Shawna Gore; in addition, the new organizers achieved nonprofit status. After the 10th annual show in 2013, Stumptown went "on hiatus" and entered an operating agreement with Rose City Comic Con.Hallett, Alison
"Nerd Prom* Is Cancelled: Stumptown Comics Fest to Merge** with Rose City Comic Con,"
''Portland Mercury'' (DEC 17, 2013).

Dates and locations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stumptown Comics Fest Defunct comics conventions Minicomics 501(c)(3) organizations Recurring events established in 2004 2004 establishments in Oregon 2013 disestablishments in Oregon Annual events in Portland, Oregon Conventions in Oregon