A group of comics titans have united to form a new nonprofit dedicated to supporting and sustaining comics and graphic arts in Brooklyn and New York. Appropriately named the Brooklyn Organization Dedicated to the Endurance of the Graphic Arts (BODEGA) its inaugural initiative will be the Brooklyn Expo of Comics (BEC), a two-day festival taking place in November.
BODEGA’s Board of Directors consists of Bryce Gold, who serves as the nonprofit’s Executive Director; James Tynion IV, who serves as Board Chair; and Courtney Menard. Support staff includes Communications Manager Christina Lee; Outreach Manager Paloma Hernando; and BEC Panel Coordinator Gabe Fowler.
BODEGA’s goal is not just to champion current comics artists, but to foster future creators through financial grants and programming including readings, artist talks, and community-driven comics projects.
“Brooklyn has always been the home for groundbreaking comics and their creators, offering a community where tastemakers and visionary artists can produce genre-defining work,” Gold told The Beat via e-mail. “With the Brooklyn Expo of Comics, we’re building a curated display of what comics should be in our borough to the wider community, representing the best creators worldwide as a testament to Brooklyn’s legacy as the place where comics live and breathe.
“As BODEGA continues to grow, we look forward to building support for creators beyond the convention floor through independent educational programming and direct financial grants for creators who live and work in Brooklyn and New York. We’ll be revealing more about this in the coming months,” Gold continued.
Gold and Menard will co-direct BEC in November, which will feature Chris Ware and Lisa Hanawalt as guests, with more to be announced in coming months.
BEC will debut two additional BODEGA initiatives: the BODEGA Comic Arts Trophy (CAT), which honors standout publications presented at the convention, and the Brooklyn Annual of Graphically Elevated Literature (BAGEL), a magazine showcasing New York-based cartoonists. Future editions will premiere annually at BEC.
“When I started publishing comics and zines in New York, resources for comics creatives outside of educational institutions were few and far between,” said Gold in a statement. “So much of my approach to comics was through a ‘do it yourself and figure it out’ ethos, and I’ve always strived to pay that knowledge forward, providing the next generation of creators more accessible support than what was available when I was in their shoes. BODEGA is here to reshape that relationship, and I am so excited to offer future comics creators new opportunities to learn, create, and flourish here in Brooklyn.”
Menard and Fowler previously worked together on Comics Art Brooklyn (CAB), an annual indie comics festival run by Fowler’s Desert Island Comics from 2013 to 2019.
“Working with Gabe on CAB let me see firsthand what a great comics festival can do for the Brooklyn independent comics community,” said Menard in a statement. “It lets us get out of our own heads and apartments, and into a space where we can shake off the dust and celebrate our work with enthusiasts and fellow creators alike. A comics festival that fills that space in Brooklyn is long overdue. CAB set the bar incredibly high, and we feel honored to have Gabe contributing his experience and expertise to our programming slate.”
“I can’t tell you how many times my customers have begged me to bring back the Comic Arts Brooklyn show, and I’m psyched to join this incredible team to keep the spirit of independent comics alive in Brooklyn,” Fowler added.
Exhibitor applications for the first annual BEC, taking place on November 14 and 15 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, open April 2 at brooklynexpoofcomics.com/apply.
BODEGA and BEC are supported through an initial donation from Tynion.
“I’ve always loved the full and inspiring breadth of the comics medium, from its most mass market forms in newspaper strips and superhero magazines, to the cutting edge of the indie alternative scene and the brilliant artists pushing the limits of what comics can be,” said Tynion in a statement.
“For years I’ve wanted to find a way to use my stature in the industry to help support the people working on that cutting edge, and do what I can to support a thriving scene in the city I love,” Tynion continued. “It’s hard to live as a working cartoonist in New York, and we want to do what’s in our power to help.”
BODEGA Comics Group, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit bodegacomics.org.
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