Thanks to CAKE's Sponsors!
CAKE is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization, and if it wasn't for the support of our generous sponsors, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. We wanted to spotlight some of these sponsors, and we encourage you to support them!
Busy Beaver Button Company
Since its beginnings in 1995, Busy Beaver Button Co. has gone from a one-woman operation in Christen Carter’s college apartment to a company with fifteen employees. Over the last 20 years, the Busy Beaver crew has overseen over 60,000 designs and produced millions upon millions of custom buttons for clients like Brooklyn Brewery, NBC Entertainment, The Art Institute of Chicago, Threadless, and WordPress, as well as thousands of bands, non-profits, small businesses and other great folks.
Quimby's Books
Quimby's is an independently owned bookstore that sells independently-published and small press books, comics, zines and ephemera. We favor the unusual, the aberrant, the saucy and the lowbrow.
Spudnik Press
Founded on the premise that art should be a democratic and empowering medium, Spudnik Press Cooperative is committed to being an approachable and affordable print shop; a space where professional printmakers merge with aspiring students; a space that encourages collaboration and the sharing of ideas.At Spudnik Press, artists create and use printed materials to further culture and engage with their community. Through sharing materials, equipment, and studio space, artists are also sharing technical skills, practical knowledge, and creative processes. By pooling resources and creative problem solving, artists at Spudnik Press are able to create a space that is beyond the means of solo emerging artists.By extending our programming to include exhibitions, classes, free workshops, and drawing groups, we are able to reach beyond the print community and engage with the community as a whole.
Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago—one of the largest science museums in the world—is home to more than 400,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity.
826CHI
826CHI (“eight-two-six Chicago”) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages six to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with individualized attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.
CHIRP Radio
CHIRP is a volunteer-driven, online community radio station that focuses on music, arts, and culture. We are live and local every day of the year from 6am-midnight from our studios in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood, and the city we live in is a key part of everything we do. CHIRP Radio plays a wide mix of local, independent, lesser-heard, and just generally good music from a variety of genres and eras. CHIRP DJs are true music fans who love to share their discoveries, new and old, with listeners. The station also features conversations with artists, activists, and other people doing interesting work, and our features department produces pieces highlighting Chicago’s diverse voices and stories. The station has been awarded a broadcast license Listen now at: chirpradio.org
Halfwit Coffee
Founded in 2012, Halfwit Coffee was created as a way to provide baristas and consumers alike with a panoramic understanding of coffee, from the first leaf to the final sip. Halfwit started as the brainchild of the team at The Wormhole Coffee, a café in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. From inception until now, we have sought to discover ways to combine the world of coffee science with the arts of service and hospitality. Our goal is to learn about and celebrate the beauty and complexity we find in one of the world’s most unique beverages, and we do that by providing expertly roasted, seasonal coffees, industry leading training, and a competitive equipment program. Building on a foundation of knowledge from diverse perspectives, our quality stays consistent but current, with a local focus in an industry that is globally connected. We take it slow, never letting growth be our defining goal and listening to the needs of our existing customers first. And we keep it fun, because no one should take themselves - or their coffee - too seriously.
Challengers Comics
Challengers Comics + Conversation was opened on March 31, 2008 by Patrick Brower and W. Dal Bush. Since then, they've been honored not just to be the recipients of awards like Best Comics Shop (Chicago Reader, 2010) and the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award (2013), but to be the local comics shop of some enthusiastic comics fans.
Perfectly Acceptable Press
A very small Risograph printing studio and publishing house in Chicago, IL. Perfectly Acceptable is run by Matt Davis. Printing is done with a Risograph RZ 990. The Risograph is a duplicator manufactured by Riso Kagaku Corporation in Japan. It works like a mimeograph, using a stencil wrapped around a drum coated in ink. The drum rolls over paper fed through the machine, creating an impression.Risograph printing is extremely efficient, fast, and cost-effective. The Risograph was designed for medium volume printing (50 to 5000 copies), and proves one of the most economical choices against duplicators at such quantities. One only needs to take a peek at what's being done with Risographs now-a-days to understand the possibilities.
Revolution Brewing
Revolution Brewing is Illinois' largest craft brewery. Our brewpub in Chicago's Logan Square is a bustling, neighborhood institution where friends and families meet to enjoy the freshest beer in town. Opening our brewery has been a labor of love. We think you can see that in everything we do ranging from the details of our carved fists holding up our mahogany bar to the pungent hop aroma of our Anti-Hero IPA to our creative dishes like our bacon-fat popcorn.The growth of craft breweries in the U.S. has been nothing short of a revolution and we're proud to be standing tall in this new crowd. The changing tastes of beer drinkers demand bigger flavors and more variety. That's exactly what we give you at Revolution Brewing. Our brewpub produces about 50 different beer styles each year. We've got session beers like Workingman Mild, hop-bombs like Double Fist and more bourbon barrel aged beers than you can shake a stave at. We have fun doing what we do and invite you to come in and join us.
Brewpub:
Located in Logan Square, our brewpub is a bustling meeting place for our diverse community and for beer enthusiasts from across Chicago and beyond. Just a few years ago, we turned a dark, dusty warehouse into a welcoming destination for great craft beer. Barrel wood walls and benches made from 100-year old beams salvaged during construction make our space warm and cozy as do our two hardwood bars. Our friendly staff are happy to share what’s new on tap or our latest brunch specials!BREWPUB HOURSOpen 7 days a weekMon-Fri: 11am-1amSat: 10am-1amSun: 10am-1amSorry, we do not accept dining reservations. BREWPUB ADDRESS2323 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60647DirectionsCONTACT(773) 227-2739info@revbrew.com
Dimo's Pizza
Dimo's exists as a for-profit hospitality organization that champions unity, development and justice for our guests, our team and our communities in order to lead the charge in creating a positive, long-lasting impact. We see pizza as our crispy, chewy, edible passion – a platform on which we can imagine all our culinary ambitions. And we believe that our pizza can only be as relevant, radical and creative as the people who make it, support it and love it. As a people-centric company, every decision we make comes from our employees and stakeholders.
About CAKE
The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) 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. Featuring comics for sale, workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions, and more, CAKE is dedicated to fostering community and dialogue among independent artists, small presses, publishers, and readers. The sixth annual CAKE will take place Saturday, June 10, and Sunday, June 11, 2017, at the Center on Halsted, 3656 North Halsted Avenue in Chicago. For any questions about CAKE, please email cakexpo@gmail.com.