I ATTENDED THE SMALL PRESS EXPO... SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT YEAR. THEY'RE KIND OF BLURRING TOGETHER AT THIS POINT. BUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO I WAS AT A SMALL PRESS EXPO IN BALTIMORE. EVEN THOUGH I DON'T REMEMBER THE YEAR, IT WAS MEMORABLE FOR TWO REASONS. ONE, AT AROUND 2AM ONE NIGHT IN MY HOTEL I WAS WOKEN UP BY THE SOUNDS OF OVER THE TOP PORNO SEX TAKING PLACE IN THE ROOM NEXT TO ME. I TRAVEL A LOT, SO IT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THE SOUNDS OF PEOPLE BUMPING UGLIES IN THE ROOM NEXT TO ME. IT IS HOWEVER THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THE SOUNDS OF SCREAMING EXHIBITIONIST PORNO SEX BEING ABRUPTLY CUT SHORT BY THE SOUNDS OF PROJECTILE VOMITING. THAT'S RIGHT. "YES! YES! F*** ME! F*** ME! BLARGH!" OTHER THAN THE PATTERING OF FEET AND RANDOM BATHROOM NOISES, IT WAS QUIET FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT. THE SECOND REASON I REMEMBER THE SMALL PRESS EXPO IS THAT I MET REBECCA SUGAR. I, LIKE EVERY OTHER COMIC PRO, GET A TON OF BOOKS, ASHCANS, AND SAMPLES FROM PEOPLE WANTING TO BREAK INTO THE BUSINESS. AND 99.9 PERCENT OF THE STUFF WE ARE GIVEN IS PRETTY BAD. BUT THAT'S OK, I'VE HANDED OUT PLENTY OF CRAPTASTIC SAMPLES IN MY TIME. IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS. YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE. SO WHEN A QUIET LITTLE JEWISH GIRL WALKED UP TO MY TABLE AND SHEEPISHLY HANDED ME A COMIC SHE HAD SELF PRINTED, I WASN'T EXPECTING MUCH. THAT NIGHT AS I FLIPPED THROUGH THE MATERIAL GIVEN TO ME THAT DAY WITH LITTLE ENTHUSIASM, I PAUSED WHEN I GOT TO THE BOOK REBECCA HAD GIVEN ME. THE KID HAD SOME DRAWING SKILLS. I STARTED READING. I REMEMBER THE STORY BEING WEIRD. I LIKE WEIRD. AND THERE WAS ALSO INTERESTING DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS. I LIKED IT. IT WAS ROUGH, BUT IT SHOWED TALENT FOR A YOUNG PERSON. HER EMAIL WAS IN THE BOOK, SO I WROTE HER AND TOLD HER I ENJOYED IT AND TO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. PERIODICALLY I WOULD SEE REBECCA AT CONVENTIONS AND SHE WOULD SHOW ME WHAT SHE HAD BEEN WORKING ON, AND TELL ME ABOUT HER WORK AT THE ANIMATION SCHOOL SHE WAS GOING TO. I WOULD GIVE HER CRITIQUES AND RECOMMEND INKING BRUSHES. I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE AL HIRSCHFELD LIKE CARICATURE STYLE SHE WAS STARTING TO DEVELOP. THEN, A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER SHE SHOWED ME ANOTHER BOOK SHE HAD PRINTED CALLED PUG DAVIS. HER QUIRKY SENSE OF HUMOR AND UNIQUE STYLE WAS REALLY COMING THROUGH. I DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR REBECCA TO START BEING SEEN BY A LARGER AUDIENCE THAN JUST PEOPLE THAT MIGHT COME BY HER ARTIST ALLEY TABLE AT A CON, SO I OFFERED TO PUBLISH PUG DAVIS THROUGH ALBATROSS EXPLODING FUNNYBOOKS.

REBECCA NOW WORKS IN THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY, AND I BELIEVE SHE IS A TALENT THAT IS STILL JUST DEVELOPING. SHOULD SHE DECIDE TO CONTINUE PRODUCING GRAPHIC NOVELS, I THINK WE WILL ALL BE IN FOR A TREAT.

-ERIC POWELL
JUNE 24TH, 2010