Mini-Comics Day

The second annual Mini-Comics Day invites aspiring cartoonists to write, draw and print their own original comics in, well, a day. Subject matter is entirely up to the creator, and participants are encouraged to trade/sell their handmade wares. Copiers are available on-site, but table space is limited. Afterward, the DIY event moves down the street to Grumpy's Downtown for the "The Stapler Award," to be bestowed upon the year's best Minnesota mini-comic. Organized by the locally founded International Cartoonists Conspiracy, the event cropped up in 17 locations in 2011.

• 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 5/26
• Free
• Minnesota Center for Book Arts

Verve Spoken Word Showcase

Last year Intermedia Arts awarded six Verve grants of up to $4,000 to six emerging Minnesota spoken word artists. For the past 12 months, Michael Lee, Naadirah tha Great, Aimee Renaud, Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria, Jake Virden and Chaun Webster have been honing their creative/performance chops as part of the program. They will showcase their craft Saturday, in the culmination of what Intermedia Arts calls the nation's first and only grant for spoken word poets. Considering spoken word legend and all-around awesome guy Gil Scott-Heron died almost a year ago to the day, this event seems especially apropos.

• More event information