I left my mini in San Francisco

On the heels of the call for nominees for the 2006 Isotope, Inside Bay Area has a great piece up looking at the mini-comics market around San Franciso.

Minis — the name has little to do with actual size and more to do with the do-it-yourself publishing aesthetic — have come into their own in the last few years at conventions like San Francisco's Alternative Press Expo and this weekend's WonderCon, where unsigned cartoonists have proved that quality storytelling and engaging artistry needn't be backed by heavyweight names like Marvel or DC to rock the comic Casbah.

They also get some great quotes from one of my personal favorite strip/web comics artists Jesse Reklaw of Slow Wave fame.

Recklaw, who's been adapting people's dreams into comics for more than a decade, says the popularity of minis in the underground comic community is bigger than people might expect. The San Francisco-based cartoonist credits the advancements in desktop publishing, cheaper photocopying technology and the Internet for the mini surge.