The beautiful and well-printed Foxing Quarterly is attempting to host a new convention in Austin, Texas, an area nearly bursting to the seems with comic and illustrative talent, called NEW SOUTH. They have a Kickstarter set up with some amazing awards like a Jim Rugg Tote Bag (if you don't like Street Angel, you obviously have no soul). And they need your help to meet the goal in the next day. From Danithan's mouth, "Two years ago I co-founded Foxing Quarterly, a literary & arts magazine based here in Austin, Texas. My goal with Foxing was to spotlight literature and comics within our city and beyond. We've done this through readings, art shows, concerts, book swaps, and even a small-scale literary festival." See below:
Danithan Mejia is one of the most earnest souls in comics, trying to make something from nothing, whether it is their FQ publication, stickers featuring Steven Weissman and Sam Alden or gorgeous jaw-dropping prints by Eleanor Davis. FQ is hosting a LitCrawl along with the Texas Book Festival next weekend featuring our own Tim Lane, celebrating his new book, The Lonesome Go. FQ is also somewhat tied to local community pillar store Book People, another sign that New South and Foxing Quarterly will not be disappearing anytime soon. See Ben Sears made a great illustration for a shirt.
Austin has another show called Staple that expanded from one to two days many years ago (I haven't been since 2008 when I spent most of the time talking to a cartoonist who let me know they made more money as an anthropomorphic porn illustrator….) but the spirit behind NEW SOUTH is fervent and would showcase a lot of new talent, despite leaning on well-known Rugg and Box Brown for design. They also want to keep the festival free to the public so more goes to the artists, cartoonists and writers (who also are paying cheaper table fees). So please read their own pitch on the Kickstarter page and help be a part of the New South.