Day Prize to become SPACE Prize

Little did I know when posting my video of this year's Day Prize ceremony last week that it was apparently to be the last such event. Seems Dave Sim has taken himself off the convention circuit for next year and taken his award with him. SPACE promoter Bob Corby has announced that he plans to institute his own award tentatively dubbed the SPACE Prize
Here's the straight poop in Bob's own words from the e-mail he sent to all 2008 SPACE exhibitors on Thursday:
"Many of you may have already heard that Dave Sim has cancelled all his convention appearances including SPACE 2009. He has also recently informed me that the Day Prize for the books we collected at SPACE 2008 is also canceled. He did give me the okay to pick it up myself. What I plan to do is take the submitted books and start the SPACE Prize (working title). I will review the books and pick 4 to 6 finalists and then have the registered SPACE 2008 Exhibitors vote for the winner. One of the few rules will be that you can't vote for yourself (or a book you're in). The winner will win a cash prize of $300.00 (sorry I can't afford the $500.00) and a plaque (or figure, that's not finalized yet). I haven't figured out the time table yet but the plaque presentation will be during SPACE 2009.If you want to opt out because the rules changed let me know and I'll ship your book back. If you want to complain call Dave Sim not me. I'm just the guy picking up the pieces.I also like to publicly thank Dave for his participation in SPACE and bringing the Day Prize here for the past 7 years. He only promised me a year or two so I can't complain. Without his help SPACE wouldn't have survived past the second year. I wish him the best of luck with Judenhass and Glamourpuss.The SPACE Prize is actually something I've wanted to do for awhile. I had applications for this at SPACE 2008. I was going to announce it on Sunday but I pulled it because the gate wasn't were I wanted it. We had about the same attendance in 2008 that we had in 2007 even with the move into early March. So next year being back in April I expect attendance to pick up and the funds will be available.(I'm not opposed to a co-sponsor if anyone else wants to chip in)."
The only part I don't like is that not voting for yourself thing. However, nowhere did he say that you could not pay others to vote for you. Look for my SPACE Prize acceptance speech on YouTube next year.
Bob goes on to say.."I'll also have another Hair-brained Scheme or two to boost attendence..." I can't wait to see what those might be. My plans usually involve snatching people off the street, stuffing them in the trunk of a car and bringing them to the show. That's probably why I'm just the blogger.

Dave Sim at Work

I found this video on YouTube of Dave Sim demonstrating how he works on his new comic, Glamourpuss. The first issue of Glamourpuss hits comic stores next month.

Day Prize Ceremony

Finally, here is exclusive, unexpurgated, unedited (except for being cut in two to comply with YouTube's time limits) video of the awarding of the 2007 Howard E. Day Memorial Prize, aka The Day Prize, at SPACE earlier this month.
I apologize for the shaky camera work, and also for the fact that I missed Bob's opening remarks because I was in the exhibition hall talking to Greg Hyland.

More SPACE Pics

Here are some pics of a few of the artists at this year's SPACE. Even more are at my ComicSpace.

Panel Pics

These are some pics from the panels I ran at SPACE this year. The top one of J. Kevin Carrier and Ian Shires is from the Small Press Co-ops Panel, and the rest are from my On-Line Comics discussion.

Judenhass Artwork

Above is some of the art that was on display at SPACE from Dave Sim's "Secret Project #1" aka Judenhass.

Dates For SPACE '09

I didn't tell this story last week, when it happened, because I didn't really have a context to put it in, and without that, it's just embarassing to the person it's about, even if I don't name him, which I shall not. Recent weather related events have provided that context, however.
Last Tuesday, I ran into a fellow local cartoonist and I asked him if he'd been at SPACE, as I hadn't seen him. "That was last weekend? I thought it was next weekend. Oh, well, see you there next year."
Well, it turns out its a good thing SPACE wasn't scheduled for the next weekend, as it probably would not have happened. Columbus, as you may have heard, was hit with what I'm sure someone has already termed the Storm of the Century, and if they haven't let me be the first, since just about every snowfall record there was, some dating back a hundred or more years, was absolutely shattered.
Fortunately, we had relatively good, if cold weather, the previous weekend for SPACE.
Next year's show, by the way, is back in the early spring where it belongs. The dates are April 18 and 19, and it will once again take place at the Aladdin Shrine Center.
Oh, well, see you there next year.