SPX - WTF?

Each fall at lest a few of us CCCG folks head up Maryland-way to attend The Small Press Expo - AKA "SPX." Along with Charlotte's Heroes Con, it's easily the most looked forward to comics event of the year for us. As far as comradarie, fun, general atmosphere, affordibility, and just plain cool stuff to look at and buy goes, it just can't be beat... at least anywhere in driving range from NC.

Note though, that "organization" was not one of the items listed.

In spite of the events positive features, SPX has in the past had a reputation for not being quite as "on the ball" as one would hope. This year, though, the event has changed organizers, so hopes were high that some of the usual kerfuffles would be a thing of the past. It looks though that there are clearly still a few onions in the ointment...

Here's a bit of an email I received this morning from one of the NC Webcomics Coffee Clatch folks who's taken on the taken on the (apparently daunting) task of securing a block of tables for us regional folks from CCCG, the Coffee Clatch, and friends/yankee interlopers Chris Reilly & Steve Ahlquist:

I sent in the application with the check a month ago to the spx p.o. box. I sent it certified to guarantee knowledge that they received it...

today the envelope was returned with a tattooed amount of rubber stamps on it. the post office left 4 notices for spx to sign for the letter and spx never picked it up, even though they [presumably] have to go to the post office to check their p.o. box. though it's in the realm of possibilities that they haven't checked their p.o. box in a month.

I've emailed karon at spx...inquiring about how to acheive success in re-sending the application.

Ahhh, well...

Assuming this gets straightened out, look for at least a couple of us CCCG folks to be there this fall hawking our wares regardless.