Zack Soto and François Vigneault have announced Linework NW, which they call a “new illustration and comics festival” for April 12, 2014 in Portland’s Norse Hall. It is a one-day, free event.
They have announced Michael DeForge as their first special guest, marking that cartoonist’s first appearance in the Pacific Northwest. They have already lined up as exhibitors Fantagraphics, Koyama Press, Grass Hut, I Will Destroy You, Magnetic North, Oni Press, Pony Club, Press Gang, Revival House, Sparkplug, Top Shelf, Yam and Traditional Comics.
Both Vigneault and Soto are cartoonists, well-ensconced in the Portland comics community; both also have organizational backgrounds directly related to comics. Soto edits Study Group Comics and was a member at Pony Club Gallery; Vigneault ran the San Francisco Zine Fest for several years.
Their release says that they planned the event when they could not get a firm commitment from Stumptown Comics Fest as to the state of the 2014 show. Stumptown earlier this week announced their decision to end their stand-alone show and push their non-profit mandate into different directions, including a presence at Rose City Comic-Con.
If Stumptown had come off, they would have run their show at an alternative event in much the same way satellite programming has been taking place during Comic-Con International at the “Trickster” location. With Stumptown out of the way in terms of its festival aspects, Linework NW becomes a spotlight event.
The release also notes that Norse Hall is a small space, they plan to curate the remaining spaces pretty stringently. They are asking for applications now and will accept them until January 31 with a decision coming as to who got in on February 7.
The event will take place in roughly the same neighborhood as Stumptown. They also plan at least one off-site show featuring the work of guest DeForge.
