Since 2009, MeCAF has been Portland’s annual showcase for comic arts bringing creators to the public. Over 100 comic writers and artists will be on hand for this event — everyone from mini comics publishers to seasoned professionals. There will be comic book writers and artists, gag cartoonists, newspaper cartoonists, web comics creators and more. The guests will have their own work available for sale. Some people will be doing sketches and selling original artwork. Others will have t-shirts, buttons and posters. All of them have one thing in common… a love of comics.

Special guests this year include Jeff Smith, Brian Wood, and Raina Telgemeier. Trees & Hills and the Boston Comics Roundtable (and numerous artists from both groups’ areas) will be there. To the best of our knowledge, the T&H-area exhibitors are: Center for Cartoon Studies, Colin Tedford, Corey Hodgdon, Dani Jones, Daniel Barlow, How I Made the World (Liz Plourde & Randy Michaels), Jennifer Omand, Marek Bennett, Matt Talbot, Matt Young, Megan Baehr, Mike Lynch, and Trees & Hills.

MICE 2013 has big plans! First of all, we’re extending the show to TWO DAYS with exhibitor space and programming running all weekend (September 28-29, 2013). Secondly, we’ve revamped and polished our exhibitor registration process, which begins next week!  Here’s what you need to know to be a part of MICE 2013:

• We will be accepting exhibitor applications April 14th through April 26th at our Exhibitor Registration page. No need to storm the gates, crash our site, and miss your chance. This is not a first-come, first-serve process. You’ll have a good window of opportunity. [...]

• 75% of tables will be “curated” by our planning committee and 25% will be determined by lottery. [...]

• If you only have 1 or 2 comics to sell, MICE will also be offering shared space. We want as much new talent as possible, so if you’re just getting started this is a great way to get your work out to the public.

If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to send an email our way.

We moved the release because we received a low number of submissions. Usually when this happens we can rally enough cartoonists and pull enough late nights to get the anthology out, but this time Dan was swamped with his day-job and I got sick right after the deadline. It bums us out to break our six-year streak of publishing on schedule, but that’s still a remarkable track record in the small press world. Another silver lining: skipping a publishing cycle will put us in a better financial position for the next one.

Our thanks (and apologies) to those who submitted comics this Fall!

• Dec 1: Craftershock, Worcester, MA
• Dec 8-9: Indie Garage Sale, Utica, NY
• Dec 15: Stars & Skulls Craft Fair, Northampton, MA

Can’t make it to any of those? Check out the bounty of local comics (most of them conveniently sized for stockings…) in our online shop!

A Vermont peace activist group would like to produce a comic about peace activism and the military-industrial complex; join them and Trees & Hills cofounders Daniel Barlow and Colin Tedford to discuss what shape the project might take. If you’d like to participate in the discussion, email organize@treesandhills.org or leave a comment to find out where we’re meeting. Some snacks will be provided. If you’re interested but can’t attend, email or comment anyway with your thoughts and we’ll keep you in the loop.

October 27, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Comic Boom, 22 West St., Keene, NH

SEE! Denis St. John, S.R. Bissette, Bryan Stone, and fellow Center for Cartoon Studies, Trees & Hills, & area cartoonists, and their latest comix creations!

SEE & HEAR! S.R. Bissette‘s fully-illustrated Pre-Code horror comics LECTURE in Keene, NH at 4 PM, right NEXT DOOR to the COLONIAL THEATER! [Cancelled due to forces beyond mortal control.]

SEE & WIN! All-new ORIGINAL ART and SIGNED PRINTS by S.R. Bissette, Denis St. John, and other CCS, Trees & Hills, and area cartoonists—for raffle October 27th ONLY at both COMIC BOOM and the SATURDAY FRIGHT SPECIAL SPOOKTACULAR (different raffles, different art/prints to win!)!!!

SEE & BUY! Our comix, our prints, our artwork, and more—including Trees & Hills ‘ Trick or Treat Comics sets, Bryan Stone‘s Beasts anthology,  and S.R. Bissette‘s back-from-the-dead resurrection and return to American mainstream comics with the Halloween issue of SPONGEBOB COMICS #13, on sale at COMIC BOOM (and signed to you or your loved or loathed ones—the ideal Halloween or Christmas gift for this year)!!!

ALL THIS AND MORE is coming to KEENE, NH on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27th! JOIN US!!

That’s right—this year’s October Spooktacular is the original 1972 Amicus feature film Tales from the Crypt, adapted from the classic Pre-Code EC horror comics!

It’s the greatest Comic Boom/CCS/SRB/Spooktacular Event YET—maybe the greatest EVER! DON’T MISS IT!

If you’re a cartoonist, it’s NOT TOO LATE to get involved! Drop us a line at organize@treesandhils.org or leave a comment!

(Ballyhoo adapted from Stephen R. Bissette’s announcement.)