APE 2013 featured an amazing group of special guests from the world of indy and underground comics. Here's the 2013 guest list:
APE 2013 Special Guests
Colleen Coover
Bandette
Colleen Coover is an illustrator and comic book artist and writer living in Portland, Oregon. She is the creator of the adult comic Small Favors, and artist of the all-ages Banana Sunday and the graphic novel Gingerbread Girl, both written by her husband, Paul Tobin. The couple's current project, Bandette, was nominated for four Eisner Awards in 2013. Colleen spends most of her time thinking up ways for comics to be more awesome.
Bill Griffith
Zippy the Pinhead
Zippy the Pinhead’s creator, Bill Griffith, began his comics career in New York City in 1969. He ventured to San Francisco in 1970 to join the burgeoning underground comix movement and made his home there until 1998. Zippy also appeared in the pages of the National Lampoon and High Times from 1977 to 1984. In 1986 King Features Syndicate took the daily strip to a national audience. Today Zippy appears in over 200 newspapers worldwide. There have been many paperback collections of Griffith's work and numerous comic book and magazine appearances, both here and abroad.
Anders Nilsen
Big Questions, The End, Dogs and Water
Anders Nilsen is the author and artist of the graphic novels Big Questions, The End, and Dogs and Water among others. He is the recipient of the 2012 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel prize and three Ignatz awards. His work has been translated into numerous languages, and his drawing and painting has been shown internationally. He lives in Minneapolis.
Raina Telgemeier
Drama, Smile, Babysitters Club
Raina Telgemeier is the author and illustrator of the graphic novels Smile and Drama, both #1 New York Times bestsellers. She also adapted and illustrated four graphic novel versions of Ann M. Martin's Babysitters Club series and has contributed short stories to many anthologies. Raina's accolades include an Eisner Award, a Boston Globe Horn Book Honor, a Stonewall Honor, and many Best Of and Notable lists. A San Francisco native, Raina now lives and works in Queens, NY, with her cartoonist husband, Dave Roman.
Paul Tobin
Writer, Bandette, Colder
Paul Tobin is the Eisner Award-winning author of Bandette and has written hundreds of comics for both Marvel and DC. Paul does extensive work with media properties such as Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies, as well as creator-owned works including his horror series Colder and his serialized I Was the Cat graphic novel, soon to be released by Oni Press, with artist Ben Dewey. Bandette is drawn by his wife, Colleen Coover; their previous collaborations include the graphic novels Gingerbread Girl and Banana Sunday. Paul's first novel, Prepare to Die! is available in both hardcover and trade editions, and further novels will be announced soon. Follow him on twitter @PaulTobin.
Ron Turner
Publisher, distributor: Last Gasp
Ron Turner is a legend in the world of underground comix and art book publishing. Ron founded Last Gasp in 1970 and their first publication, Slow Death Funnies #1, came out on the first Earth Day, April 15, 1970. His enthusiasm for underground comix—in particular their autobiographical aspect—has been the driving force behind many groundbreaking publications. Last Gasp has gone on to become one of the largest and oldest publishers and purveyors of underground comic books in the world, as well as being a distributor of all sorts of weird 'n' wonderful subversive literature, graphic novels, and tattoo and art books. Ron remains one of the driving forces of comics and publishing in the Bay area.
Dan Vado
Publisher, SLG Publishing; APE Founder
Dan Vado is the owner and founder of SLG Publishing (Slave Labor Graphics), a comics publishing company now in its 28th year. SLG has served as the launching pad for many cartoonists, including one or two who still remember and admit to where they got their start. Vado also founded the Alternative Press Expo (APE) and is currently exploring getting back into the convention business because, you know, it is so easy.