Working-Class Heroes

A comic convention without the capes and bat caves.

by Brian James Kirk

[ festival ]

Pat Aulisio OFF YOUR OWN BAT: This cheeky comic appeared in the What Makes a Man Dress Up Like a Bat? anthology collection, which Philly Comix Jam put out this month.

What’s a comic book without superheroes? It’s perfect — at least according to Pat Aulisio and a modest community of local illustrators, whose inked frames share a DIY ethic, wit and dirty jokes in place of more commercial comics fodder like tights, capes and pomposity.

The 23-year-old, a University of the Arts graduate who Xeroxes his bootlegged, parodic series of bong-smoking antiheroes, thinks Hollywood's bat and spider obsessions can stay put. Instead, he's promoting Philly's option.

Since July, Aulisio has been organizing the Philadelphia Alternative Comic-Con, a showcase of 30 graphic artists who believe imagination trumps status quo and that anything goes — from precisely penned nightmarish retro fantasies to scratchy strips about making mix tapes.

Vendors will sell comics and display other art, screen prints and small zines that supplement hard-pressed income. In the process, Aulisio hopes to grab some of the national spotlight from known alt-comic scenes like Portland and New York. Many of Philly's comic art personalities will attend, including Charles Burns, whose grotesque Black Hole graphic novel-turned-film script will be directed by Fight Club's David Fincher, and Hans Rickheit, whose squirm-inducing The Squirrel Machine is being published by trade leader Fantagraphics Books.

And, like a typical comic convention, Aulisio wants patrons to come in costume. But he's only half-serious about it.

City Paper: What makes an alternative comic alternative? Isn't the comics scene underground as it is?

Pat Aulisio: When people think comics, they think Superman, Batman. This is funny jokes, swearing, autobiographical stuff, drama, weird, trippy, out-there stuff. It's more based on the art.

CP: Is there an anti-production mentality in the community?

PA: We're all doing comics for the love of doing comics. We're not working off some New York writer's script, we're doing it because this is our passion.

CP: Did you grow up reading traditional comic books?

PA: Everyone starts as a kid and reads shitty comic books. You dig a little deeper and discover that there are comics about things aside from big guns and big tits.

CP: Are you making mountains of money?

PA: There's very little money in alternative comics. If you self-publish, you're lucky to break even. In the past year, I spent about $500 to $1,000 on printing costs, but you work your magic to get printing costs down. You keep making work and hopefully someday a publisher will start publishing your stuff.

CP: Why should someone who knows nothing about comics be there?

PA: This is something you didn't realize is happening. Yes, we do have a big comics scene. It's another art that anyone can get into if you have a sense of humor.

CP: Anything else can we expect?

PA: It's $5 to get in and $3 if you're dressed in costume. Many comic book conventions have a costume aspect, a bunch of yahoos dressing up. We're encouraging people to make an ass out of themselves.

(editorial@citypaper.net)

Philadelphia Alternative Comic Con | Sun., Sept. 13., noon-6 p.m., $3-$5, 941 Theater, 941 N. Front St., 215-235-1385, phillyaltcomiccon.wordpress.com.