Whether you came here by way of my column in The Frederick News-Post’s 72 Hours, or social media, or some other means — welcome. I’m genuinely glad to see you.
What is The Long Box? This space is dedicated to the small-press and independent comics scene in Maryland and the greater metro-D.C. region, with a center — naturally — in Frederick County. My goal is to build a community of local comic lovers, be they fans, readers or creators.
The Long Box Substack will be devoted to interviews, hot takes, recommendations, thoughts, general chat and drivel, and bits of the column I couldn’t fit into print.
The Long Box Slack channel is where everyone can get to meet and know each other, and break down some of the barriers between readers and creators.
As I said in my first column, I’m not a comics expert: I am, however, passionate about the medium. I’m a part-time comic book artist mostly known in the U.K., and a former Englishman-turned-U.S.-citizen living in Frederick. One difference I’ve noticed between the two cultures is that the independent, small-press scene in the U.K. is a lot more tightly knit that here in the Old Line State.
That’s part of the motivation for The Long Box — to build an inclusive space where that community can meet. I want creators to discover new audiences. I want readers to discover new creators. It’s that simple.
So, let’s get on with it.