Last weekend, June 15-16, I attended CAKE, the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo. Only in its second year, CAKE had an excellent lineup of artists and publishers on its show floor in the Center on Halsted. Everyone was friendly and accessible— I was encouraged to read many a zine right at artists’ tables, no strings attached. There were some notable guests too, including Chris Ware and underground comix veteran Kim Deitch, who was debuting his newest work, an illustrated novel called “The Amazing, Enlightening and Absolutely True Adventures of Katherine Whaley.” (I got to interview Deitch via email right before CAKE; he’s a fascinating storyteller.)

Here is a pic of our haul at the end of the day. I can’t wait to crack into them! Titles include:

“The Lagoon” by the wonderful Lili Carré
“Godhead” and “Tits! The Spiney Northern Maid” by Caitlin Skaalrud
“The Dvorak Zine” by Alec, Frunch & GCB
“Moonlight” by Kira Mardikes,
The adorable “Herman the Manatee” by Jason Viola
“As the Crow Flies” by Melanie Gillman
“The Big Sweet” by my talented illustration classmate Talya Modlin
“Do Not Disturb My Waking Dream” by Laura Park
And a fascinating little fold-out called “Tales from the Fragment” (not pictured) by Lucy Bellwood.
I also ended up buying “Animal Sex Under the Sea,” a lovely little zine by CAKE exhibitor Isabella Rotman at Chicago Comics right after the event.

And here is my signed copy of “The Amazing, Enlightening and Absolutely True Adventures of Katherine Whaley.”

Visit CAKE’s website at cakechicago.com, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated on next year’s events!