The Boston Comics Roundtable: Birth of an Indie Art Scene

Every week the Boston Comics Roundtable meets in an old building on the Harvard University campus. Here the ceilings are high and trimmed with a delicate molding with paint that has begun to chip. A small chandelier hangs in the center of the room and produces a soft yellow light that barely reaches the corners of the space. On the floor rests one long table and an assortment of mismatched chairs that all remain empty. In the opposite room a collegiate improvisational comedy group can be heard practicing. They also rent this space out on Wednesday nights.

Slowly, men and women of different ages stroll into the area. Some carry neat briefcases while others haul backpacks stuffed with loose papers and pens of many sizes. They chat casually about their week and catch up on the gossip they’ve missed like who’s collaborating on new projects and what material members brought to this meeting. As they sit, several continue their conversations while pulling out sketchpads and drawing.

Before long the table is full and flanked by no less than a dozen people. At the head of the table sits David Kender. He is a well-dressed man in his early 30s with short brown hair and a slender frame. “Hey guys,” Kender says. “It’s good to see you.” He calls the meeting to order. 

Every week these comic book writers and artists of Boston get together to discuss the comics, workshop their art, and collaborate on anthology projects. Some meetings are dedicated to work shopping new pieced. Other times, loud conversation about members’ favorite comics can be heard. “Yes, but Neil Gaiman’s work on The Sandman is vastly different than his work with Batman,” yells a voice from the crowd.  They quiet down when their newest publication, Hellbound Vol. III is passed around for all to see. Kender gently slipped the project out of its plastic sleeve and passed around the table. The cover art features a luscious yet terrifying image of a man with five eyes who is surrounded by skulls and wiggling tentacles. Inside are short horror stories all written and drawn by members of the group. The environment is inviting and friendly, but as of six years ago, this community didn’t exist in Boston.

If one were to look at the comic book community in Boston just ten years ago, it would appear disjointed but earnest. The city was home to countless artists and writers that were scattered across the area with little to no connection. While other cities like New York and Chicago have a preexisting and thriving indie comic book scene, Boston seemed to be left out. Granted, there exists a yearly Boston Comic Con; however, larger conventions like those presented overwhelming difficulties for small time artists to participate. These shows are filled with the big name creators of the industry that attend to promote their work with a large name publication. To hold a table at a convention of that size was to play with the big boys, and for those new to the game of comic books the conventions are an intimidating hill to climb.

So, for years tumbleweeds blew through the 19th century western town that was the Boston comic book community. Instead of a collective, there existed many scattered, yet eager, Boston artists with little to no connection. When high noon finally dipped away, artists would return back to their work, still without the support of their fellow creators.

When Dave Kender travelled to Boston for the Emerson College graduate program, he knew his thesis would be a graphic novel. With his goals in his back pocket the young man rented a car and hauled himself from San Francisco all the way to Boston. During his journey, Kender recorded any idea that came to mind. By the time he reached Massachusetts, he had the beginning stages for what would be his 600-page graphic novel script: a project that would take him two years to write.

Upon leaving Emerson, Kender ran into problems making his vision a reality. “After graduation, I couldn’t find anybody to illustrate this fine book,” Kender says. “I asked myself, ‘Where were all the artists?’”

Kender searched for months to find artists in Boston who would take on his project. Despite his efforts, response was minimal. He didn’t allow the low interest level to wreck his dream. He knew there must be a comic book community in Boston, hiding somewhere, lying deep within the shelves of comic books shops and the halls of art schools. In order to find it, he needed to try harder. He dug through local comic book shops like A Million Year Picnic and New England Comics, he rummaged through hobby conventions, and he even placed a help wanted ad on Craigslist. No bites.

When Kender remained without an artist after months of searching, he decided to change tactics. No longer was he focused on getting his book illustrated. Instead, he had an ever-increasing curiosity to find out where this mythical comic book community in Boston had been for so long.

He went back to Craigslist, and posted an event for all who love comics to join. “I just wanted to see if there was anyone out there that wanted to talk about comics,” Kender says. “And we had to meet every week so there was less of a chance of it falling apart.”

The first meeting of the aptly named Boston Comics Roundtable met in 2006, consisting of only two attendees and Kender. They discussed their favorite comic books and quickly began to gain a strong rapport with each other. “When people realized what we were trying to do, to bring the community together, they told their friends. People were interested.” Kender says. Within a few months time the Roundtable had tripled in size.

Growth in the comic book scene can be also be noticed on a much larger scale. The comic book industry, as a whole, has expanded dramatically over the last few decades. The 80s saw comic books gaining mass critical literary acclaim for the first time. Novels such as The Dark Knight Returns, The Sandman, and Watchmen ushered in an age of more mature and character-driven storylines throughout the industry. Comic books were no longer aimed solely for children and teenagers. The art form had finally been recognized as a medium for storytelling just like any other.

When the BCS meeting ends, the members shuffle out, picking up their work and notes as they leave. Kender waves goodbye, then riffles through his own files. One person, a middle-aged gentleman named Jon Juniman, passes out his newest mini comic. “It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to have fun doing it,” Juniman says, picking up his materials. The small square pamphlet is filled with cartoon versions of him and his wife. His talent for illustration is a hobby that Juniman enjoys exploring when he isn’t working as a software engineer.

This weeks meeting had been a small gathering. Usually Kender runs workshops and discussions with over twenty-five members. “There are over one-hundred rotating members in total,” Kender says. “But they never all show up.” He flips through Hellbound Vol. III. “We see a new face about every week,” he says. “Some people come and realize it isn’t for them, but that’s OK. We are always growing and expanding.”

Hellbound Vol. III marks the BCR’s tenth anthology overall. Shortly after the group was settled, the founding members started work on their first collaboration, Inbound.  However, as they quickly found out, their initial plan was a little too ambitious. “The hill got steeper and steeper, and the ball we were pushing up it got larger and larger,” Kender says. “We knew we had to slim it down.” Inbound Vol ultimately consisted of six stories, each written and illustrated by different members of the group.

As the group grew, and more and more artists and writers turned to the BCR for support and community, the level of their aspirations were finally met. Now, with the group’s continued work, three BCR anthologies in total—Inbound, Outbound, and Hellbound— have been published. “The Roundtable got so big that that it could no longer be a democratic process,” Kender says. “If someone wanted to start a book, they pitched it at a meeting and were in charge of anyone interested.” Because of this system, the roundtable has fostered the creation of ten books that have found their way into comic book shops across the United States.

In addition to the anthologies, comic artists in Boston are still getting their work out for people to see. If an artist doesn’t already have a blog or a website to display his work before joining, the members of the roundtable are urged to take the plunge into the bottomless depths of online comics. Liz Prince, an autobiographical cartoonist from Somerville, has found success in publishing her work online. This energetic woman began her autobiographical web-comic work in college where she felt a calling to write about her life. “I started seeing my life as a comic book in my head,” Prince says. “But I never saw myself as a web cartoonist. Life is a larger narrative.”

Despite her initial wariness, Prince found online publishing a great resource. She drew her quirky strips at a steady rate as she crafted small stories to post online, where she receives positive feedback from the Boston comic community. While her goals were to create longer pieces, Internet publication, for her, allowed for instant gratification. She was allowed to practice her craft as quickly and freely as she wished.

Kender also found the Internet a useful place to publish his work. His commitment to the roundtable led him to many talented artists who would go on to help him build his graduate thesis Rag Box. This story, centered on two orphans who must deal with the death of their parents, slowly took form after the creation of the BCR. “I began having different artists I met through the Roundtable work on different chapters,” he says. “Thematically and artistically, this really worked. There was a progression with the characters that morphed with the characters. It also helped with the logistical problems of a large piece.” His online chapter series is an ever-growing piece of Kender’s life that has matured right alongside the Roundtable itself.

And mature it did. The word got out among the community, and the roundtable gained notoriety as a welcoming and supportive group. Jesse Lonergan, a Somerville artist and writer of Joe & Azat, is using the roundtable as a way to gain different insights and opinions on his fiction. “With previous books I didn’t get a lot of feedback, but with my newest book in the works, I’m hoping to get as much feedback from the community as possible,” Lonergan says. “Members of the community are a great resource. Their input helps my work be as clear as it possibly can.”

After three years of accelerating growth and notoriety, the BCR decided to take a dive into the world of conventions. In 2009 the group ran a table at the annual Zine Fair, where they mingled with other small publications in the area. The setup was small, but the BCR was excited to host its half-table and display their work. Kender and company showcased their work in Inbound as well as other members’ independent material. Their appearance was a rousing success. They realized then that there was no existing arena like this in Boston. Similar to the way Kender had searched for independent artists, people really enjoyed stumbling across independent comic art in Boston. “There are definitely cities with a higher concentration of well-known artists,” Prince says, “But I really think there is a market and a fan base for it here in Boston.”

What David Kender is finding out that there may be more of a fan base than he ever thought possible. A year later, after Zine Library’s annual Zine Fair took an unexpected hiatus, Kender and the roundtable assumed there would be no convention for them to attend that year. Then, they saw an opportunity to host its own comics fair. That year, in conjunction with the Art Institute of Boston, the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (M.I.C.E.) was founded. What started as a small show with about 300 attendees has, in just three years time, grew to a convention with 150 exhibitors and over 1,500 attendees. “I feel like before, we were discovering a community that already existed,” Kender says, “but now I feel we are creating the community.”

On the day of M.I.C.E. in 2012, the parking lot of a Lesley University building in Somerville was unusually full for a Sunday afternoon. At the double-glass door entrance, people of all ages walked in and out carrying pamphlets and books dashed with cartoons and dialogue bubbles. This was it, the third annual M.I.C.E.

Inside a commotion of artists and enthusiasts were displaying all of the latest work. Artists and writers stood at rows of brightly colored tables stacked high with books and pamphlets. People milled about socializing, networking, and walking off with the latest work by their favorite local artists. David Kender had a table, smiling as he showcased the latest chapter from his ever-growing Rag Box. Lonergan handed fans and colleagues the first two chapters of his next book, All Star.

The convention, like the years before it, was the social event of the year for this small community, and the production only gets better as the interest grows. “The community really is just people getting together and enjoying what they do,” Kender says, “The Roundtable is here to network, it’s here to learn, and it’s here for people to make comics.”

Photo by: Christopher Weigl Photography

 By nightfall the artists had all packed their bags and taken town their posters and decorations. Handshakes were given, cheeks were kissed, and emails were handed out as the convention goers took their leave. While most have other jobs and responsibilities, it is apparent that comics are much more than a hobby to these people. “It’s an interesting thing, this growth of indie comics, I’m not sure what it is,” Lonergan says, “Comics are kind of this small scene. The people who are into it aren’t going to get famous. They do it because they love it.” No one leaves the convention without a smile.

In his studio in Somerville, Lonergan adds the finishing touches to a fresh panel from his new book. “There’s a certain magic with comic books,” Lonergan says. He fiddles with his unfinished drafts that are strewn about his studio and sorts them into more coherent piles. “There exists a sort of purity and lack of commercialism that is lacking in other media. I love the community in Boston for emphasizing this. It isn’t cliquey—it’s welcoming and supportive.” As the community continues to prosper in Boston, and artists and writers alike tighten and improve their craft, the Boston comic books scene begins to look less and less like a ghost town.

 Now, thanks to the Boston Comics Roundtable, writers and artists in Boston work together to nurture their craft in comic books. More than ever, dedication and innovation is being brought to the indie comic book scene of the Hub. Kender and the roundtable continue to push this small art movement forward and usher in fresh talent to this community. In six years, this art scene has flourished in Boston, and there is no end in sight.