Category Archives: Mini-Comics Day

Behold! The Stapler!

To add a little extra excitement to our Mini-Comics Day event in Minneapolis tomorrow (Saturday April 9th), we are giving out a prize for The Best Local Mini-Comic of the Day… also known as The Stapler.

In addition to The Stapler, the winner will get some cool prizes from some of our sponsors. The prizes will include a copy of the book Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s, courtesy of Big Brain Comics, two Lutefisk Sushi box sets full of Minnesota mini-comics (volumes C and D) and a copy of BIG FUNNY courtesy of Altered Esthetics, and possibly some other goodies.

For all the info about our event in Minneapolis go here. To find an event near you go here. And, of course, you can just participate at home or your local copy shop if you don’t have an event happening near you.

Mini-Comics Day just stared in Indonesia! Hopefully we will have lots of posts from around the world as the day commences at the Mini-Comics Day blog.

Mini-Comics Day is Tomorrow! (Saturday, April 9th)

Mini-Comics Day is tomorrow (April 9th)! On Mini-Comics Day, participating cartoonists from around the world will write, draw, and print copies of a mini-comic, completing the entire process from start to finish in a day or less. Anyone in the world can participate.

We currently have sixteen sites listed around the world planning events for Mini-Comics Day. If you are interested in hosting an event, let me know… email me at webmaster(at)cartoonistconspiracy.com.

Here is the scoop about the Minneapolis event:

As with all our events, it is free and open to anyone who wants to participate. Table space is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. We hope to be getting started at 10:00AM sharp.

The copier on site, provided by our generous hosts at The Minnesota Center for Book Arts, will be available for use for a $5 donation… however, Big Brain Comics is giving us $50 to put towards this fee, so the first 10 people to use the copier will have their fee covered. Obviously, there will be a lot of demand for the copier at certain times of the day, so please be courteous of others and don’t bogart the machine. You’ll want to bring a $5 bill if you plan on using the on-site copier.

Wet Paint will be providing some free supplies, and will have useful items for sale for part of the event.

Big Time Attic will be donating some paper.

The Cartoonist Conspiracy will be providing some copies of our How to Make Mini-Comics mini-comic for folks to assemble and refer to.

We’ll be having an after party, where we will be giving out the prize for the Best Local Mini-Comic of the Day. This will be a block away from Book Arts in the side room at Grumpy’s Downtown (1111 Washington Ave. S.) from 5:30 to 9:00PM. We’ll clear out of the side room at 9:00 (a band will be taking over the space), and the fun will continue until whenever in the main room of the bar.

There will be a prize given out for the Best Local Mini-Comic of the Day. The prize will include a copy of the book Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s, courtesy of Big Brain Comics, a Lutefisk Sushi box set and a copy of BIG FUNNY courtesy of Altered Esthetics, and probably some other goodies.

Obviously, only comics made entirely on the day of the event will be eligible for the prize. To enter your mini-comic, drop 4 copies of it in the box we will have at the Book Arts event, or bring it before 6:30 to the side room of Grumpy’s Downtown. Make sure to include your name, address, email address and other contact information you think is pertinent with your submission. All submitted comics will also be included in a reading rack at the upcoming Art? show at Altered Esthetics in May.

The submitted comics will be read and a winner will be determined by three local non-cartoonists; author of Superheroes, Strip Artists & Talking Animals: Minnesota’s Contemporary Cartoonists Britt Aamodt, Big Brain Comics proprietor Michael Drivas, and Altered Esthetics founder Jamie Schumacher.

Please do spread the word to everyone you know who likes to make comics! If you use facebook, you may want to check out the Mini-Comics Day facebook page.

The Minnesota Center For Book Arts
1011 Washington Ave S
Minneapolis, MN
April 9, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
(in the Flexispace and Gallery Space)
Copier will be available on site.
Table space will be provided on a first come, first served basis.
We’ll also be having an after party, where we will be giving out a prize for the Best Local Mini-Comic of the Day. This will be a block away in the side room at Grumpy’s Downtown (1111 Washington Ave. S.) from 5:30 to 9:00PM. We’ll clear out of the side room at 9:00 (a band will be taking over the space), and the fun will continue until whenever in the main room of the bar.
Contact: Steven Stwalley
webmaster(at)cartoonistconspiracy.com

Sat. Open Studio, April 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

[Artist large pencil]

MINI-COMICS DAY!

Special time for this Open Studio because it’s Mini-Comic Day. Click on the link above for all the details, but there will be mini-comics created, drawn and manufactured at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. It’s also Open Studio time, so if you just want to draw, that’s okay, too.

Saturday, April 9, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., MCBA FlexiSpace (metal tables)

This is an open studio — all are welcome.

Minnesota Center for Book Arts
(Just down the street from Big Brain Comics)
1011 Washington Ave S, Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: 612-215-2520

Future Sat. Open Studios:
May 7, FlexiSpace (metal tables)
June 4, Flexi Space (metal tables)
July 2, Bindery (high tables)
August 13, Bindery (high tables)

One Week Until Mini-Comics Day (April 9th)! Minneapolis Event Details! Prize for Best Local Mini-Comic of the Day!

There’s just one week until Mini-Comics Day (April 9th)! On Mini-Comics Day, participating cartoonists from around the world will write, draw, and print copies of a mini-comic, completing the entire process from start to finish in a day or less. Anyone in the world can participate.

We currently have sixteen sites listed around the world planning events for Mini-Comics Day. If you are interested in hosting an event, let me know… email me at webmaster(at)cartoonistconspiracy.com.

Here is the scoop about the Minneapolis event:

As with all our events, it is free and open to anyone who wants to participate. Table space is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. We hope to be getting started at 10:00AM sharp.

The copier on site, provided by our generous hosts at The Minnesota Center for Book Arts, will be available for use for a $5 donation… however, Big Brain Comics is giving us $50 to put towards this fee, so the first 10 people to use the copier will have their fee covered. Obviously, there will be a lot of demand for the copier at certain times of the day, so please be courteous of others and don’t bogart the machine. You’ll want to bring a $5 bill if you plan on using the on-site copier.

Wet Paint will be providing some free supplies, and will have useful items for sale for part of the event.

Big Time Attic will be donating some paper.

The Cartoonist Conspiracy will be providing some copies of our How to Make Mini-Comics mini-comic for folks to assemble and refer to.

We’ll be having an after party, where we will be giving out the prize for the Best Local Mini-Comic of the Day. This will be a block away from Book Arts in the side room at Grumpy’s Downtown (1111 Washington Ave. S.) from 5:30 to 9:00PM. We’ll clear out of the side room at 9:00 (a band will be taking over the space), and the fun will continue until whenever in the main room of the bar.

There will be a prize given out for the Best Local Mini-Comic of the Day. The prize will include a copy of the book Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s, courtesy of Big Brain Comics, a Lutefisk Sushi box set and a copy of BIG FUNNY courtesy of Altered Esthetics, and probably some other goodies.

Obviously, only comics made entirely on the day of the event will be eligible for the prize. To enter your mini-comic, drop 4 copies of it in the box we will have at the Book Arts event, or bring it before 6:30 to the side room of Grumpy’s Downtown. Make sure to include your name, address, email address and other contact information you think is pertinent with your submission. All submitted comics will also be included in a reading rack at the upcoming Art? show at Altered Esthetics in May.

The submitted comics will be read and a winner will be determined by three local non-cartoonists; author of Superheroes, Strip Artists & Talking Animals: Minnesota’s Contemporary Cartoonists Britt Aamodt, Big Brain Comics proprietor Michael Drivas, and Altered Esthetics founder Jamie Schumacher.

Please do spread the word to everyone you know who likes to make comics! If you use facebook, you may want to check out the Mini-Comics Day facebook page.

The Minnesota Center For Book Arts
1011 Washington Ave S
Minneapolis, MN
April 9, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
(in the Flexispace and Gallery Space)
Copier will be available on site.
Table space will be provided on a first come, first served basis.
We’ll also be having an after party, where we will be giving out a prize for the Best Local Mini-Comic of the Day. This will be a block away in the side room at Grumpy’s Downtown (1111 Washington Ave. S.) from 5:30 to 9:00PM. We’ll clear out of the side room at 9:00 (a band will be taking over the space), and the fun will continue until whenever in the main room of the bar.
Contact: Steven Stwalley
webmaster(at)cartoonistconspiracy.com

Mini-Comics Day in New Mexico

Mini-Comics Day / April 7000 BC Meeting | Saturday, April 9 | 1:00–5:30 | Lomas Tramway Library | 908 Eastridge NE | Albuquerque, NM

Grab your pencils and pens. Make a comic. In one afternoon.

7000 BC will present New Mexico’s only Mini-Comics Day event on Saturday, April 9 from 1:00–5:30 at the Lomas Tramway Library in Albuquerque.

No rules, no formats, no required subject matter — only fellow creators and resources to help and inspire you. Show off New Mexico’s creativity and create a comic that you can print and distribute.

Some supplies will be available and there are photocopiers at the library. You can prepare yourself by reading about Mini-Comics Day at the official site and checking out the resources. If you plan on participating, please send an email.

This will also serve as 7000 BC’s monthly meeting.

How to Make Mini-Comics Q&A This Thursday, March 24th, at Wet Paint 5:30PM

Want to participate in Mini-Comics Day, but have no idea how to make a mini-comic? Well, Mini-Comics Day sponsor Wet Paint will be hosting a q&a session with some Conspirators (Zander Cannon, Athena Currier, Danno Klonowski and myself) this Thursday to talk about making mini-comics. We’ll be bringing along examples and we’ll have copies of our How To Make Mini-Comics mini-comic textbook for folks to read and assemble. Hope to see you there!

Wet Paint
Thursday, March 24th 5:30-7:30PM
1684 Grand Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105
651.698.6431
email: info(at)wetpaintart.com

Mini-Comics Day Update

There’s a little over three weeks to Mini-Comics Day (April 9th)!

We currently have twelve sites listed around the world planning events for Mini-Comics Day. If you are interested in hosting an event, let me know… email me at webmaster(at)cartoonistconspiracy.com.

There are some new resources available on the Mini-Comics Day website that event planners and participants may find useful, including customizable promotional posters and flyers.

We also have templates available on that page that you can print or provide to people as an easy guide to lay out their mini-comics with (for 8-page and 16-page minis). Inexperienced mini-comics creators may want to print out the How to Make Mini-Comics mini-comic.

If you use facebook, you may want to check out the Mini-Comics Day facebook page.

For the Minneapolis event we plan to have an after-party event where we will give out a prize for the local “Best Mini-Comic of the Day,” judged by three local non-cartoonists; author of Superheroes, Strip Artists & Talking Animals: Minnesota’s Contemporary Cartoonists Britt Aamodt, Big Brain Comics proprietor Michael Drivas, and Altered Esthetics founder Jamie Schumacher. The prize will include a copy of the book Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s, courtesy of Big Brain Comics.

We also hope to also include the comics submitted for judging in an upcoming gallery show at Altered Esthetics… more information about that soon.

Please do spread the word.

Minneapolis Event Site Announced for Mini-Comics Day, April 9th 2011

April 9th, 2011 is the date for the first annual Mini-Comics Day, celebrating the art of cartooning and creating hand-made comic books.

On Mini-Comics Day, participating cartoonists from around the world will write, draw, and print copies of a mini-comic, completing the entire process from start to finish in a day or less. Anyone in the world can participate.

Mini-comics have been democratizing the art of making comic books since the 70′s or earlier… with the popularization of photocopiers, it became apparent that anyone with an inclination and some spare change could print a little comic book. Wildly varying in both form and content, mini-comics are a wonderful synthesis of cartooning and hand-made art objects.

In Minneapolis, the event will take place at The Minnesota Center For Book Arts. There will be open table space for participants to work at and a copier on site for printing purposes. Additionally, there will be an after-event at a to-be-determined location where participants will be able to swap their mini-comics, and prizes will be given for the best mini-comics produced during the day.

More information about participating can be found at minicomics.org.

Mini-Comics Day is sponsored by The International Cartoonist Conspiracy and The Minnesota Center for Book Arts.

The Minnesota Center For Book Arts
1011 Washington Ave S Minneapolis
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
(in the Flexispace and Gallery Space)
Copier will be available on site.
Table space will be provided on a first come, first served basis.
Please contact if you plan to participate so we can get a rough idea of the number of participants in advance.

Mark Your Calendars… April 9th, 2011 is MINI-COMICS DAY!

April 9th, 2011 is the date for the first annual Mini-Comics Day, celebrating the art of cartooning and creating hand-made comic books.

On Mini-Comics Day, participating cartoonists from around the world will write, draw, and print copies of a mini-comic, completing the entire process from start to finish in a day or less. Anyone in the world can participate.

Mini-comics have been democratizing the art of making comic books since the 70’s or earlier… with the popularization of photocopiers, it became apparent that anyone with an inclination and some spare change could print a little comic book. Wildly varying in both form and content, mini-comics are a wonderful synthesis of cartooning and hand-made art objects.

Guidelines: To participate, create a mini-comic from start to finish on April 9th, 2011 (including writing, drawing and printing it). You can make your mini-comic by yourself or with other artists.

Format: Your mini-comic can be any size, length and format you desire. A standard mini-comics size would be eight 4.25″x5.5″ pages (which can be made from one 8.5×11 sheet of paper printed on both sides).

Help: For more information on how to make a mini-comic, see the Cartoonist Conspiracy’s mini-comic tutorial How to Make Mini-Comics. More resources can be found here.

Submit: Optionally, you can post information and/or images from your comic on the Mini-Comics Day blog. Contact for an account to post here.

Bonus points: If you are working with a group of cartoonists, you may want to consider collecting your mini-comics together to distribute as a set. Bags, rubber bands, or boxes all work great for this purpose.

Also, you may want to consider trading copies by submitting some to the Mini-comix Co-op.

Events: There will be two kinds of events related to Mini-Comics Day:

Cartooning Events, where cartoonists meet to work on their mini-comics around their peers.

Mini-comic Swap Events, where cartoonists can trade and sell their minis.

If you would like to organize an event, contact us at so we can promote your event and add it to our event listing.

About The International Cartoonist Conspiracy: Founded in Minneapolis in 2002, The International Cartoonist Conspiracy is a loosely organized group of cartoonists with cells all over the world. The Conspiracy has been responsible for many collaborative projects, including anthologies, gallery shows, and numerous jams every month. Any cartoonist anywhere can start a cell, and anyone with a desire to draw comics is encouraged to participate.