Today we are excited to present our final Chef Spotlight! CAKE, or the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, is a weekend-long celebration of independent comics, inspired by Chicago’s rich legacy as home to many of underground and alternative comics’ most talented artists– past, present and future. CAKE is dedicated to fostering community and dialogue amongst independent artists, small presses, publishers and readers.
Want to meet CAKE organizers in person? Ready to eat some chili? Purchase your tasting tickets and come down to Spudnik this Saturday to join us for the Hashbrown!
What is the best cake to eat with chili?
It’s a toss up between crab cakes and Mexican chocolate cake.
In what ways does your chili recipe embody your organization?
Like the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, our chili is scrappy and cooked low and slow. Chock full of diverse flavors and textures, it is at once comforting and familiar, with a dash of the wild and unexpected.
Name a celebrity you would most like to share a bowl a chili with and why.
Cartoonist Lynda Barry! She tells great stories, whether in comics or in person.
Do you have any words of warning to your competitors?
ANCHO gonna be sorry you tried to beat our chili? Mess with our chili and you’ve got a real POBLANO on your hands. I mean CAYENE you believe such hubris?
What does Spudnik Press love about CAKE?
Chicago has great resources for comic book artists of all varieties, including Quimby’s, CHIPRC, and yours truly (Spudnik, that is). However, until CAKE came along, the city was really lacking 1) a platform to celebrate and acknowledge the comics community and 2) a pathway for aspiring or new artists to meet and learn from the artists who inspire them. CAKE organizers take their (unpaid) job very seriously and excel at creating a diverse, welcoming, and stimulating festival each spring. The next CAKE is May 31 and June 1 at The Center on Halsted.