Saving New York Comics: Bryce Gold on BODEGA & the Brooklyn Expo of Comics

New York helped give birth to the American comic book industry, but keeping working cartoonists and artists in the city has become increasingly difficult. Jace sits down with Bryce Gold to talk about BODEGA — the Brooklyn Organization Dedicated to the Endurance of the Graphic Arts — and its mission to build a stronger support system for New York's comics community. Bryce explains how BODEGA grew from an effort to revive the spirit of Comic Arts Brooklyn into something much larger, including the Brooklyn Expo of Comics, artist support programs, educational opportunities, grants, publications and new ways for creators and fans to build a lasting community. They also discuss why Brooklyn remains such an important part of comics history, the increasing affordability challenges facing working artists, the importance of creative third spaces, and how relationships formed through local comics events can change careers and lives. Bryce also previews the Brooklyn Expo of Comics, taking place November 14–15 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with more than 130 exhibitors and a full week of comics-related programming leading into the event. Support BODEGA: https://bodegacomics.org Brooklyn Expo of Comics: https://brooklynexpoofcomics.com The Comic Source: https://linktr.ee/comicsource CHAPTERS 00:00 Hook 00:24 Introduction 01:41 What Is BODEGA? 02:42 How BODEGA Began 03:41 The Brooklyn Expo of Comics 04:21 BAGEL, the Bodega Cat & Artist Support 05:57 Why New York Matters to Comics 08:33 The Changing New York Comics Community 11:47 Building a Long-Term Comics Community 13:39 Creating Opportunities & Making Connections 15:09 Grants, Creator Funding & Keeping Comics Alive 16:31 Mentorship & Fostering the Next Generation 17:19 How Fans Become Part of the Community 18:36 Brooklyn Expo of Comics — Dates & Events 20:11 How to Support BODEGA 21:17 Final Thoughts