I Wish I Could Draw: PIX - The Pittsburgh Indy Comics Expo

One thing I've been getting into since moving back to Pittsburgh is graphic novels/indie comics. Every couple months I pick up a few things from the library or am lent some indie comics from my friends Eric and Corey. I've really enjoyed delving into this world; although it has increased my jealously of anyone who is capable of putting pen to paper and coming up with something other than the mess of scribbles I usually come up with when I try.

PIX: The Pittsburgh Indy Comics Expo is a yearly event presented by the Toonseum and sponsored by Copacetic Comics. This was my second year perusing the labors of loves of comic artists, and I came away with a few awesome finds that I'm excited to dig into on the next cold, blustery fall night that comes around.


I picked up a couple things from Virginia Shields, including the "Words and Phrases for Getting Around Pittsburgh" (I'm a sucker for any comic that centers around Pittsburgh as two of my other purchases would have this theme as well.) She also had handmade puzzles for sale, so I got the "Orange Dude" puzzle (because of course - second to Pittsburgh things, orange things are another frequent purchase of mine).



The event was held on the top floor of the Guardian Storage Facility on Liberty Ave. in the Strip. It provided a great view of the Strip and Troy Hill in the background.

My other purchases of the day were both from Paulette Poullet and I'm really, really excited to sit down and read them soon. At first glance, they appear to be a collection of stories with Pittsburgh as the backdrop. The cover of one is the Cathedral of Learning. The cover of the other has a kid with a t-shirt that has a stegosaurus on a skateboard on it. I was beyond sold on both.


I'll end this with a quick plug for my friend Corey's comics discussion group held at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: Out of the Gutter. Here's an article written by Daniel McCloskey of Cyberpunk Apocalypse about Out of the Gutter. Enjoy the picture of the back of my head that accompanies the article (I'm on the right!).

So, until my wishes are granted and I magically wake up one morning with the ability to draw, I will continue to explore indie comics and graphic novels. Especially any with a Pittsburgh theme - of course.