What do paintings of corgis romping with fairies, a comic about a nervous boy and his dog and stories from the local bar have in common? They’re all artworks made by some of the 40 local creators participating at the Denton Comic Art Expo this Saturday at the Denton Civic Center.
Curious to know why Denton and the Expo are teaming up, KERA Morning Edition Host Andrew Garcia and I spoke with a few artists who think comics, art and Denton just naturally go together.
"A REALLY COMFY COUCH"
Comic creator Bryan Kelly is a bartender in Denton who has turned his interactions with customers into six-panel comic strips called True Tales from the Bar. He’s also one of the founders of the annual comic art convention. Kelly, who refers to Denton and the surrounding area as ‘The Greater Dentroplex,’ says the city is the perfect place for a showcase of independent artists.
“We love art,” Kelly said. “We love our culture and community. And when you throw a show or a party, people come out and support it in a big way.”
Kelly speculates that all the love for Denton is the result of being a two-university town with a constant influx of youth. Some of those students don’t leave, and that, he says, has enriched the soil of the community.
“I have always called Denton a very comfy couch,” Kelly said. If you sit down too long, you're not going to want to get back up again.”
A VERY GOOD BOY
The Expo features activities such as a cosplay contest, nerd trivia and panel discussions. But meeting independent artists from across North Texas is the big opportunity here. Like cartoonist Andy Hirsch, from Framer’s Branch.
Hirsch's most recent graphic novel, Good Boy, takes place in the world of dog agility. The story follows an anxious boy named Charlie and his rescue dog Ralph as they learn to compete. Good Boy was released in May, but it will be making its convention debut at the Denton Expo at Hirsch’s table.
Hirsch says it was the ritual of the comics in the daily paper when he was a child that inspired him.
“I'd have my cereal before school, and this whole range of different comics and stories and characters would just magically show up every day and I loved it,” said Hirsch.
Hirsh is excited to connect with fans in Denton who have read his book.
“The nice thing is when you do a book about dogs, when you meet somebody and you do a sketch in their book, you get to draw a dog,” Hirsh said. “Gosh, I love it.”
MAGICAL CORGIS AND FAIRY SADDLES
Ashley Cassaday is a DFW based digital painter who is bringing her own unique collection to the Expo. She makes tiny enamel pins of dragons sitting in teacups and frameable prints of fairies riding around a maypole on the backs of corgis.
Cassaday says her corgi fantasy art is inspired by Welsh folklore.
“In Wales, fairies would ride corgis into battle,” Cassaday said. “And so, if you ever see a corgi with like a little patch of dark fur on its back, that's called a fairy saddle. So, it's a fun little spin on that.”
As an independent artist, Cassaday feels all her work is an authentic representation of who she is, and she finds joy seeing that work go out into the world.
“There’s so much reward in it because you know you when someone buys a piece of your original work, that's you,” Cassaday said. “It still boggles my mind that people have my art hanging up in their house somewhere.”
MAKING CLOSE CONNECTIONS
The larger fan conventions often draw thousands, but Kelly says smaller expositions allow visitors to closely connect with artists.
“There's something nice, maybe quaint, but also personal about having a smaller show., Kelly said. “You can have a one-on-one with a creator, meet that person and that's a very special experience. The first creators I ever met at comic conventions left a lasting impression on me.”
Kelly said he didn’t see a lot of people who were comic creators when he was growing up, so now he’s being the change he wants to see in the world, by showing there are all kinds of artists and comic creators right in Denton's backyard.
“Denton loves this sort of thing,” Kelly said. “It's one of the reasons why I live here still, and I don't want to move despite the heat and the terrible. terrible allergies.”
