# Chicago Alternative Comics Expo

The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (widely known as CAKE) is a comic book festival usually held each June in Chicago.
Inaugurated in 2012, the curated festival showcases graphic novels, comic books, minicomics, and zines created by independent artists and publishers. CAKE focuses on the art of comics, and unlike traditional comic book conventions, does not feature much in the way of cosplaying, collectibles, back-issue dealers, or mainstream superhero publishers. Instead, the show centers around an artist alley-style exhibition space that features roughly 200 vendors, as well as industry-related panel discussions. The festival gives out the CupCake Awards, geared toward minicomic self-publishers.

## History

The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo was co-founded by Edie Fake and Neil Brideau, both then employees at the Chicago independent bookstore Quimby's. The show was designed to honor Chicago's legacy as a home for small-press and self-publishing cartoonists.
CAKE was inaugurated as a two-day event on June 16–17, 2012, at 1104 S. Wabash (The Ludington Building), part of the campus of Columbia College Chicago. Sponsors included Quimby's Bookstore, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Columbia College Chicago, some of whose venues hosted concurrent events related to the show.
The event moved to the Center on Halsted, an LGBT community center, in 2013.
The convention achieved nonprofit organization status in 2015.
In 2020, CAKE announced it was leaving its long-time location at Center on Halsted, and relocating to the Broadway Armory, located in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. However, the 2020, 2021, and 2022 events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The in-person show returned in 2023, held at the Broadway Armory.

### Event history

| Dates | Primary Venue | Featured Guest(s) |
| June 16–17, 2012 | The Ludington Building (Columbia College Chicago) 1104 S. Wabash, Chicago | Jeffrey Brown, Lilli Carré, Anders Nilsen, Closed Caption Comics, Paul Hornschemeier, Lucy Knisley, Anne Elizabeth Moore, Corinne Mucha, Laura Park, Pizza Island, John Porcellino, Nate Powell, Trubble Club |
| June 15–16, 2013 | Center on Halsted Chicago | Chris Ware, Kim Deitch, Phoebe Gloeckner, Jason Shiga, Aaron Renier, Michael DeForge |
| May 31–June 1, 2014 | Center on Halsted Chicago | Tony Millionaire, Edie Fake, Anya Davidson, Inés Estrada, Lizz Hickey, Hellen Jo |
| June 6–7, 2015 | Center on Halsted Chicago | Eleanor Davis, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Keiler Roberts, Zak Sally, Dash Shaw, Jillian Tamaki, Lale Westvind |
| June 11–12, 2016 | Center on Halsted Chicago | Chester Brown, Tyrell Cannon, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Sammy Harkham, Cathy G. Johnson, Patrick Kyle, Laura Park, Trina Robbins, Leslie Stein |
| June 10–11, 2017 | Center on Halsted Chicago | Gabrielle Bell, Gary Panter, Ron Regé Jr., Kevin Budnik, Emil Ferris, Jesse Jacobs, Ben Passmore, C. Spike Trotman, Jessi Zabarsky |
| June 2–3, 2018 | Center on Halsted Chicago | Tony Breed, Eddie Campbell, Nick Drnaso, Nicole Hollander, Audrey Niffenegger, Mimi Pond, Fiona Smyth, Carol Tyler, Georgia Webber, Jim Woodring, Gina Wynbrandt, Bianca Xunise |
| June 1–2, 2019 | Center on Halsted Chicago | Ezra Claytan Daniels, Nicholas Gurewitch, Corinne Halbert, Michael Kupperman, Anders Nilsen, Ben Passmore, Aaron Renier, Isabella Rotman, Whit Taylor, Rosemary Valero-O'Connell |
| June 13–14, 2020 | Center on Halsted Chicago | |
| June 2021 | Broadway Armory Chicago | |
| 2022 | Chicago | |
| June 3–4, 2023 | Broadway Armory Chicago | MS Harkness, Derf Backderf, MariNaomi, Molly Mendoza, Joy San, Leigh Luna, Johnny Sampson, Matt Allison |

## CupCake Award

The CupCake Award is a juried prize that is presented annually at CAKE to a local minicomic creator. It comes with $250 to use toward printing a new minicomic, half a table at that year's show, and the "support" of a local mentor.
| Year | Winner | Mentor |
| 2015 | Sara Drake | Annie Koyama |
| 2016 | Goda Trakumaite | John Porcellino |
| 2017 | Kelly Fernandez | Caitlin McGuirk |
| 2018 | Adam Griffiths | Edie Fake |
| 2019 | Diana Chu | Marnie Galloway |
| 2020 | Joi Yao | Tyrell Cannon |
| 2021 | AnneMarie Rogers | Isabella Rotman |
| 2022 | Bread Tarleton | Jim Terry |
| 2023 | Natalie Mark | Zachary Clemente, Kat Fajardo |