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.

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.