From Geek to Chic: The Comic Book Revolution
In the past 25 years, comic books have undergone a revolution in more ways than one. At the same time, Oregon’s population has exploded, and Portland is now home to multiple comic book publishers and studios. Join industry veterans Anina Bennett and Paul Guinan for a journey through the recent history of comic books: the “indie revolution,” manga, and cracking the bookstore market; the dawn of digital illustration, production, and distribution; and the increasingly diverse content, characters, creators, and audience. Bennett and Guinan will also give a brief overview of how comic books are created and how technology has changed that process.
Husband-and-wife team Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett have been making up stories together since 1989, when they created the groundbreaking science fiction comic Heartbreakers. Anina is a writer, former comic book editor, and founding board member of Friends of Lulu, a 1990s nonprofit that worked to get more women involved in comics. Paul has illustrated and written stories for various comic book publishers, co-created Chronos for DC Comics, and co-founded Helioscope Studio, the nation’s biggest collective of comic book creators. The couple’s most recent books are two unique—and critically acclaimed—illustrated hardcovers: Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel and Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention. Their work is featured in the Oregon Historical Society’s museum exhibit Comic City USA. Learn more at their website, www.bigredhair.com.