SPX 11: Jeff Alexander Memorial Auction Preview – UPDATED

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the organizers of SPX are proud to honor the memory of Jeff Alexander by launching an annual benefit auction in his name at this year’s convention. Jeff Alexander was a friend to the small press community, both as a cartoonist and an organizer of SPX and the Ignatz Awards. He passed away earlier this year.

The first annual Jeff Alexander Memorial Benefit Auction includes pieces from Jeff’s collection that he donated to the CBLDF, including original art by Charles Vess & Jeff Smith, Tony Millionaire, and Roger Langridge. The auction also includes contributions from the SPX community, including Keith Knight, Raina Telgemeier, Jeffrey Brown and many more.

Below is a full listing of items that will be available in the auction, which will happen this Saturday at 4:30 at SPX. Internet bids will be received by emailing charles.brownstein@cbldf.org by Saturday afternoon at 1 PM ET.

Charles Vess – Bone Prequel: Rose page signed by Charles Vess and Jeff Smith
Tony Millionaire – Billy Hazelnuts page
Hannibal King – Eyes Only
Pete Sickman Garner – Hey Mister page
Roger Langridge – The Pest in the Vest . Homage to Dr Suess
Billy Tucci – Shi: Heaven and Earth, issue 4, page 25
Jeffrey Brown – CBLDF Year In Review page
Molly Crabapple Mermaid
Chynna Clugston Flores pin-up
Jonathan Ames & Dean Haspiel – Portrait of Ames screen print 5/5
Peter Bagge – Pizza Scholar pencil drawing
Camilla D’Errico – Caverns pin-up
Bill Morrison – Simpsons & Terry Moore pin-up
Jeffrey Brown – Emerald City Comic-Con ad original art
Ray Fawkes Painting
Roger Langridge – Gump Beach
Jim Mahfood & David Mack painting
Matt Madden – Shirin & Morgan playing pinball (Odds Off study) India ink and watercolor on sketchbook paper (11″ x 8 1/2″)
Jessica Abel – Clay, Nate Krusher, Junko, and Azteka reading comics, from Drawing Words & Writing Pictures, Chapter 1, India ink on bristol board (~8″ x 8″)
Roger Langridge – Knuckles The Malevolent Nun #1 Original art
Lisa Hanawalt – Genital Kicks — fully painted sneakers

Additional pieces have been pledged and will be added as their images come in from their artists.

About Jeff Alexander

In 1997, local comics fan Jeff Alexander volunteered at SPX, and in doing so began an association with the show that lasted over a decade. In 1998, he joined Chris Oarr as the other half of a two-member Ignatz Awards Committee, and in 1999 became the Ignatz Awards Coordinator. In his time as coordinator from 1999 through 2006 under Alexander’s guidance, the Ignatz Awards added several new categories (Outstanding Online Comic, and splitting Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection into the separate awards of Outstanding Graphic Novel and Outstanding Anthology or Collection), and quickly became an important award within the comics industry.

When Alexander stepped down as Ignatz Coordinator, it was to take on a new role as the Assistant Executive Director of SPX for 2007-2009. In 2010 his job title changed again, serving as the SPX Executive Director. Throughout those years, Alexander was always a familiar sight on the show floor doing whatever needed to be done, from cash pulls to crowd control. Alexander also performed a lot of behind-the-scenes graphics work for the show. He created an Ignatz Awards comic strip that ran in the program every year to spotlight the nominees, designed the retro-pulp posters for the parties and receptions, and made badges for Ignatz Award Nominees to wear proudly.

Alexander was also a cartoonist in his own right, with comic Literary Grafitti debuting a few years earlier. He had talked about taking his extra free time to get back into comic creating again, and hoped to build up enough before long to justify his own table at SPX.

Jeff Alexander passed away on January 29, 2011. SPX and the CBLDF have named their annual auction in his honor, a way to remember his hard work as a convention organizer, cartoonist, and friend to everyone at SPX.