Posted in: Comics | Tagged: ape, Comic Con International, Comics, dan vado, entertainment, san diego comic con, san francisco, small press

Comic-Con International Hands APE Back To Dan Vado

Vendors at APE, the Alternative Press Expo starting toay, report that they have just signed a waiver so that the show can pass their details on to Slave Labor Graphics' Dan Vado.

Why?

Well, APE is a comic con founded by Dan Vado in 1994, though Comic-Con International, the owners of San Diego Comic Con and Wondercon took it over in 1995.

Originally held in San Jose, now exhibiting every year in San Francisco its a popular show for self-publishers, small publishers and cartoonists. But this weekend's show will be the last from the current owners. Why?

Well, it appears that Comic-Con International are now handing the show back to its founder, Dan Vado. The program book handed out last night to exhibitors at the exhibitor registration party reads,

The 22nd Alternative Press Expo in 2015 will return to Dan Vado and his team at SLG Publishing.

With this transfer, Dan will once again be at the helm of what we feel is the best alternative comics show on the convention circuit. Dan continued to run the event for the first few years after Comic-Con took over and has continued to be supportive of the show as a longtime exhibitor and by bringing in guests to APE at his own expense. Since then he has also delved into producing other creative events including an annual charity zombie walk in San Jose (Zombie-O-Rama) and launching an all-ages music and art venue (TheArt Boutiki). That is in addition to his almost 30 years of comics publishing with SLG.

It has been Comic-Con International's pleasure and honor to be the stewards of APE, and while we may be a little sad to see it go, that sadness is assuaged by excitement, as we know Dan is perhaps the only person who loves this event more than we do.

Plenty of speculation as to why, of course. Financial? Focus? Competitive?

I'm told that actually, Dan wanted to run it again. Comic-Con International's Fae Desmond asked Dan if he wanted it back and he said yes. He had some successful shows in
his home town of San Jose and felt like he wanted to produce APE again. They asked him last year but CCI had already booked the venue in San Francisco.

So next year, expect a new organisation, and a new city…

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