"STAPLE! was phenomenal,
a first year show that acted like a precocious mutant baby genius."
Special GuestsKevin Eastman
Eastman founded the creator-friendly Tundra Publishing in 1990, which put out many notable and critically acclaimed works from a variety of talented creators. He has appeared in a number of feature films and documentaries, and voiced a cartoon version of himself in the 2009 animated TV film Turtles Forever. Kevin is also the current owner, editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal. We are super-stoked to have him appearing at STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo! Cowabunga! Jason Neulander and The Intergalactic Nemesis
Picking up two weeks after the end of Book One: Target Earth, we find Molly and Timmy on Robonovia, the Robot Planet, in search of the robot LBDO who has somehow become lost in space. But somehow, Molly's former fiancé Dr. Lawrence Webster (the world-famous interspacio-temporal quantum physicist) has journeyed to Robonovia. And just who is the golden robot Alphatron? And why is he being so darn nice to Dr. Webster? Jason Neulander will talk about the creative process of creating the series, share some stories about the tour, and reveal some of the artwork for Book Two. Then, at 7 PM, he and the cast are presenting a "rough cut" of the show in its entirety at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, South Lamar! Brian Hurtt
Cullen Bunn
Monica Gallagher
Liz Prince
Kagan McLeod
MariNaomi
International Academy of Web Television
IAWTV will have a booth at STAPLE! to promote programs created by its members, and will host a panel discussion on Sunday afternoon at the show. The panel will feature Burnie Burns (Rooster Teeth, Red v. Blue), Christopher Sharpe (Hilah Cooking), Cliff Wildman (Project Rant), and Craig Staggs (Daily Uke, Weatherman). Moderated by Austin-based IAWTV Board member Mark Gardner, the panel will focus on experiences in creating original web programming, and advice on how to do it. A first time STAPLE! event, not to be missed! Master Pancake Theater
Master Pancake features slacker wise-cracker John Erler and a rotating band of Austin's funniest comics going up against the worst that Hollywood has to offer. Recent Master Pancake take-downs include TWILIGHT, FORREST GUMP, ROBOCOP, and BACK TO THE FUTURE. On Sunday at 1pm at STAPLE!, John, along with Mac Blake and David Jara, will be performing a Special Surprise Selection that promises to RULE (them all). Continue to check the news section for announcements about additional guests. |
Saturday, March 3rd12:00pm - 1pm — The Intergalactic Nemesis. 1:30pm - 2:30pm — Q&A with Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt, creators of The Sixth Gun, The Damned. 3:00pm - 4:00pm — Q&A with Kagan McLeod, creator of Infinite Kung-Fu. 4:30pm - 5:30pm — Women of Webcomics with Liz Prince, Monica Gallagher, and MariNaomi. Off-site: 9:00pm - 2:00am — Live Art Show featuring Table Manners Crew, benefit for KOOP Radio. Shangri-La, 1016 E. 6th St. Sunday, March 4th1:00pm - 2:00pm — Master Pancake Theater. 2:30pm - 3:30pm — Q&A with Kevin Eastman, creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 4:00pm - 5:00pm — Independent Web Television Panel presented by The International Academy of Web Television, with Burnie Burns, Cliff Wildman, Craig Staggs, and Christopher Sharpe. 150 exhibitorsEach day we will have two exhibitor rooms packed with great local and national talent selling their comic books, art, and more. We have the exhibitor list online. Past ShowsIf you are curious about our featured guests at the last two STAPLE! shows, you can visit our 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 guest page archives. Read testimonials from past guests and exhibitors. |
Kevin Eastman is best known as the creator (together with Peter Laird) of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Kevin and Peter first self-published TMNT in 1984, it was an almost overnight success, and quickly went onto become one of the most successful comics franchises of all time, spawning cartoons, movies, toys, games a concert tour and myriad other merchandise and tie-ins. In 2011, the beloved reptilian heroes debuted an all-new series published by IDW, with Eastman leading the creative team.
Live-Action Graphic Novel - Book Two: Robot Planet Rising. The Intergalactic Nemesis is a true Austin original and, thanks in part to a public presentation at STAPLE! a couple of years ago, is now touring the world! Well, it wouldn't be a true American entertainment product if there weren't a sequel in the pipeline, so in honor of our country and in memory of our founding fathers, STAPLE! is proud to present a taste of Book Two: Robot Planet Rising!
Brian Hurtt got his start in comics working on Greg Rucka's Queen & Country. This was followed by art duties on several projects including Queen & Country: Declassified, Three Strikes and Steve Gerber's critically acclaimed series Hard Time. In 2006, Brian teamed up with Cullen Bunn to create the Prohibition-era monster-noir sensation The Damned. In 2010, they have teamed up again, their sophomore effort being the critically acclaimed supernatural western series, The Sixth Gun. Check out his site at 
Cullen Bunn is the writer of The Sixth Gun, an ongoing epic fantasy/western from Oni Press. His other work for Oni Press includes The Damned, a story of prohibition-era gangsters and demons, and The Tooth, a throwback to the horror-hero tales of yesteryear. In addition, he is the author of a prose horror novel for younger readers, Crooked Hills, which is published by Earwig Press. His work for Marvel Comics has included Fear Itself: The Deep, Fear Itself: The Fearless, and Spider-Man: Season One. Cullen's short fiction has appeared in dozens of magazines and anthologies. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler. And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Cullen lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife Cindy and son Jackson. Visit his website at 
Monica Gallagher is a designer, illustrator, and comicker from Baltimore, where she lives with her boyfriend and two dueling cats. She has written and illustrated both awkward autobio and fiction stories including Gods & Undergrads, Boobage, Lipstick & Malice, and Bonnie N. Collide. She currently finished illustrating a full-length graphic novel for Oni Press and is about to embark on one she'll be drawing AND penning. Her books focus on tackling the boredom of the every day with silliness, violence, and sometimes boobs. Check out her comics at 
Liz Prince is creator of the Ignatz Award-winning comic Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed? and the widely ignored Delayed Replays (Top Shelf Productions). She draws comics about music for the website If You Make It and the magazine Razorcake. You can read comics about boys and cats on her website, 
Kagan McLeod is a Toronto-based illustrator whose work has been published in magazines such as Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, Time, People, Glamour and GQ. His debut graphic novel Infinite Kung Fu, an epic homage to chop socky films of the '70s, was published by Top Shelf Productions last year. It has been named one of the best graphic novels of 2011 by Publishers Weekly, Heeb Magazine, io9, CNN, Comic Book Resources, Complex, USA Today, Forbidden Planet International, IFC, ComicsAlliance, 11o'clock Comics and the Graphic Novel Reporter. See Kagan's amazing work at 
MariNaomi is the author and illustrator of the graphic memoir Kiss &
Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0 to 22 (Harper Perennial). She
self-published seven issues of Estrus Comics (1998-2009), and her work
has appeared in such publications as I Saw You: Comics Inspired by
Real Life Missed Connections and Action Girl Comics. She has regular
columns on 
Founded in 2009, the 
Master Pancake Theater pairs bad movies with live comedy in the tradition of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. It's smart, fast, and bust-a-gut funny. Everybody and their grandmother talks smack at movies, but these film-talkers have so honed their craft that they have become the most popular weekend attraction at the legendary ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE THEATER and have been voted BEST COMEDY TROUPE IN AUSTIN four years running by the readers of the Austin Chronicle (2008-2011). They've attracted numerous celebrities and special guests to perform with them, including Doug Benson, Mary Jo Pehl and Bill Pullman.