What’s that, you say? Didn’t I announce back in January that the StarWarp Concepts Crew wouldn’t be making any convention appearances in 2021 due to the complications brought about by conventioneering in the middle of a global pandemic? That’s very true…as far as in-person appearances go. But that doesn’t necessarily apply to online convention—like the SPACE show being held this July, and which SWC has just signed up to participate in as an exhibitor!

SPACE—an acronym for Small Press & Alternative Comics Expo—is the creation of Bob Corby, writer/artist/publisher of Back Porch Comics. Bob launched SPACE in the late 1990s in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and it’s an event that’s steadily grown in crowd size and exhibitor attendance with each passing year. The Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland, and the MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) Arts Festival, here in New York, might get all the attention when it comes to alt-press publications, but SPACE still has the sort of small-press-creator feel that reminds me of the days when StarWarp Concepts first launched, and I was turning out hand-stapled, digest-size comics on photocopiers—especially since some of SPACE’s attending creators who were my peers back then (like Bob) are still making comics today!

Coronavirus forced Bob to take SPACE online last year, and this year’s con follows suit (although he is making plans for a live show in November). The advantage here is that he’s opened wide the virtual convention-hall doors so that alt-press and indie publishers who normally wouldn’t be able to attend, like SWC, can now have a presence—for free! Hey, why pass up a good thing?

SPACE runs July 10 and 11. Visit its website for further information.