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Bluestockings Cooperative, the New York City progressive worker-owned community space and indie bookstore, runs an online comic con this week with over 200 indie comics for sale as digital downloads.
Bluestockings Digital Comics Fest is a week-long event using the bookstore’s website as a platform for artists who would typically rely on physical conventions or zine fests as a large source of income and community building. The event offers all kinds of zines and comics from creators across the country, in addition to hosting a workshop or panel discussion on a variety of topics each night! Attendance for these events is free. Sales from the event will be split 80/20, with the majority going to the artist.
The comics at this unique event are all indie self-published zines covering topics from personal LGBTQ stories to fantasy to romance to handbooks on political protest and activism to sex work to sexuality and sex toys. The fest is an online version of DIY zine festivals featuring creators from all over the world. It’s a far cry from more corporate-sponsored comic cons and corporate-owned superhero books and merchandise. The spirit of punk and DIY zines now have their own international online con where they can sell digital PDFs of their comics and zines that will be emailed directly to buyers.
Staff at Bluestockings also tweeted to customers to bear with them when they place their orders for the comics and zines, as an actual human staff member would grab the links and email them out. This means they’re selling the digital comics and zines during business hours until 7 pm Eastern Standard Time. They’re also reminding buys NOT to ship any of the orders to avoid paying extra. You can access the fest and comics at the Bluestockings Collective website.
Bluestockings Cooperative is literally the last progressive worker-owned bookstore in all of New York City. They do a lot of local community outreach, such as giving out goodie backs containing soap, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, and socks to people in need and the homeless and offering CPR classes and training for saving people who overdose on drugs.
Bluestockings Digital Comics Fest runs from May 23rd to May 29th.
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