Alternative Press Expo

Alternative Press Expo
Alternative Press Expo
Status	Defunct
Genre	Alternative comics convention
Frequency	Annual
Venue	Herbst Pavilion (2000–2002); Concourse Exhibition Center (San Francisco) (2003–2013); San Jose Convention Center (2015–2017)
Location(s)	San Jose, California (1994–1999, 2015–2017); San Francisco, California (2000–2014)
Country	United States
Inaugurated	June 4, 1994; 30 years ago
Founder	Dan Vado
Most recent	2017
Organized by	Slave Labor Graphics (1994, 2015–2017); Comic-Con International (1995–2015)
Website	www.alternativepressexpo.com

The Alternative Press Expo (APE) was a comic book festival and alternative comics convention that operated from 1994 to 2017. Founded by Slave Labor Graphics publisher Dan Vado, APE focused on self-published, independent, and alternative cartoonists and comic publishers.

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APE was organized by Vado in 1994 as an event for artists to "promote themselves without having to drown out a 50-million-watt display by some huge publisher."^[1] The first APE was held as a one-day event in San Jose, California.^[2]

Vado transferred management of APE to Comic-Con International, the organizers of San Diego Comic-Con, in 1995.^[3] The organization Friends of Lulu produced its first LuluCon (held at the Hyatt Sainte Claire) in conjunction with the 1997 Alternative Press Expo.^[4]

The event expanded to two days of programming in 1998, and included special guests Mike Allred, Jhonen Vasquez, Terry Moore, Batton Lash, Shannon Wheeler, and Jill Thompson.^[2] In 2000, APE moved to San Francisco,^[3] where it was held a one-day event at the Herbst Pavilion in Fort Mason, before moving to the Concourse Exhibition Center in 2003. The programming available at the event expanded under Comic-Con International, with APE 2005 offering panels, seminars, exhibitions and special guests. APE was moved to the fall beginning in 2008.

The final APE organized by Comic-Con International was held in 2014. Vado re-assumed management of the event that year, and returned APE to San Jose in 2015.^[5] The most recent APE was held in 2017, with special guests Jhonen Vasquez and Derf Backderf. As of 2019^[update], the event is no longer produced.^[6]

1994: June 4 — Parkside Hall, San Jose^[7]
1995: May 19 — San Jose^[8]
1996: March 23 — San Jose^[9]
1997: February 1 — San Jose^[10]
1998: February 21–22 — San Jose^[2]
1999: February 27–28 — San Jose^[11]
2000: February 5 — Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason, San Francisco^[12]
2001: February 17–18 — Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason, San Francisco^[13]
2002: February 9–10 — Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason, San Francisco^[14]
2003: February 1–2 — Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco^[15]
2004: February 21–22 — Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco^[16]
2005: April 9–10 — Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco^[17]
2006: April 8–9 – Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco^[18]
2007: April 21–22 — Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco^[19]
2008: November 1–2 — Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco^[20]
2009: October 17–18 — Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco
2010: October 16–17 — Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco^[21]
2011: October 1–2 — Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco
2012: October 13–14 — Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco
2013: October 12–13 – Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco
2014: October 4–5 – Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason, San Francisco
2015: October 3-4 – San Jose Convention Center, San Jose
2016: October 8-9 – San Jose Convention Center, San Jose
2017: September 23–24 – San Jose Convention Center, San Jose^[22]

[1]
Osterberg, Matt (1996). "A Q&A with Slave Labor President, Dan Vado". Archived from the original on 2009-10-27. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[2]
Comic Book Legal Defence Fund (1998). Report: CBLDF Goes A.P.E.! Archived 2005-02-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[3]
McKenney, Craig (Jan 2000). "APE Moves to San Francisco". The Comics Journal. p. 17.
[4]
Helioscope PDX (March 27, 2021). Women who made a huge impact in comics - Friends of Lulu. YouTube. Featuring Anina Bennett and Heidi MacDonald.
[5]
Vado, Dan (October 7, 2014). "Alternative Press Expo returns to SLG Publishing". SLG Publishing. San Jose, California: Slave Labor Graphics. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
[6]
MacDonald, Heidi (October 3, 2017). "Whatever happened to... APE?". The Beat.
[7]
Geoffrey R. Mason (1994). INFORMATION: Alternative Press Expo (APE) 1994. Retrieved via Google Groups July 12, 2005.
[8]
James Drew (1995). Once in a While an APE II A. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[9]
Randy Reynaldo (1996). WCG at APE III. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[10]
Stratton, Jerry (1997). "Fear and Loathing in San José". Negative Space. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[11]
Kate the Short (1999). Fandom FAQ - Welcome to alt.comics.fandom!. Retrieved via Google Groups July 12, 2005.
[12]
Comic Book Legal Defence Fund (2000). Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Goes APE! Archived 2004-12-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[13]
Jeff Mason (2001). Ape 2001 Report
[14]
Wonderella Printed (2002). APE 2002 . Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[15]
Alan Bamberger (2003). APE 2003: SAN FRANCISCO ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[16]
Comic-Con International (2004). APE 2004 Programming Schedule Archived 2005-08-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[17]
Comic-Con International (2005). APE :: What's New:. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
[18]
Comic-Con International (2006). APE :: What's New:. Retrieved April 3, 2006.
[19]
Comic-Con International (2007). APE 2007 :: A Look Back at APE 2007 Archived 2008-08-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
[20]
Comic-Con International (2008). APE :: What's New. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
[21]
Beale, Scott. "APE 2010 – Alternative Press Expo," Laughing Squid (Oct. 3, 2010).
[22]
Vado, Dan. "2017 APE DATES ANNOUNCED," Alternative Press Expo website (January 13, 2017).

[1] [1]
Osterberg, Matt (1996). "A Q&A with Slave Labor President, Dan Vado". Archived from the original on 2009-10-27. Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[CBLDF-2] [2]
Comic Book Legal Defence Fund (1998). Report: CBLDF Goes A.P.E.! Archived 2005-02-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[SF-3] [3]
McKenney, Craig (Jan 2000). "APE Moves to San Francisco". The Comics Journal. p. 17.

[Helioscope-4] [4]
Helioscope PDX (March 27, 2021). Women who made a huge impact in comics - Friends of Lulu. YouTube. Featuring Anina Bennett and Heidi MacDonald.

[5] [5]
Vado, Dan (October 7, 2014). "Alternative Press Expo returns to SLG Publishing". SLG Publishing. San Jose, California: Slave Labor Graphics. Retrieved October 16, 2014.

[6] [6]
MacDonald, Heidi (October 3, 2017). "Whatever happened to... APE?". The Beat.

[7] [7]
Geoffrey R. Mason (1994). INFORMATION: Alternative Press Expo (APE) 1994. Retrieved via Google Groups July 12, 2005.

[8] [8]
James Drew (1995). Once in a While an APE II A. Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[9] [9]
Randy Reynaldo (1996). WCG at APE III. Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[10] [10]
Stratton, Jerry (1997). "Fear and Loathing in San José". Negative Space. Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[11] [11]
Kate the Short (1999). Fandom FAQ - Welcome to alt.comics.fandom!. Retrieved via Google Groups July 12, 2005.

[12] [12]
Comic Book Legal Defence Fund (2000). Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Goes APE! Archived 2004-12-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[13] [13]
Jeff Mason (2001). Ape 2001 Report

[14] [14]
Wonderella Printed (2002). APE 2002 . Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[15] [15]
Alan Bamberger (2003). APE 2003: SAN FRANCISCO ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO. Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[16] [16]
Comic-Con International (2004). APE 2004 Programming Schedule Archived 2005-08-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[17] [17]
Comic-Con International (2005). APE :: What's New:. Retrieved July 12, 2005.

[18] [18]
Comic-Con International (2006). APE :: What's New:. Retrieved April 3, 2006.

[19] [19]
Comic-Con International (2007). APE 2007 :: A Look Back at APE 2007 Archived 2008-08-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 15, 2008.

[20] [20]
Comic-Con International (2008). APE :: What's New. Retrieved July 15, 2008.

[21] [21]
Beale, Scott. "APE 2010 – Alternative Press Expo," Laughing Squid (Oct. 3, 2010).

[22] [22]
Vado, Dan. "2017 APE DATES ANNOUNCED," Alternative Press Expo website (January 13, 2017).

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