The Alternative Press Expo is this Saturday and Sunday, and hot damn we're psyched. We've covered it the past two years for SFist; this time, we want to spread the luurve ahead of time, so folks that want to can attend. For those not in the know, APE is basically a medium-sized convention where creators and purveyors of indie comics, art, books, and more off-the-beaten-path publications gather to show their wares, meet with like-minded folks, and have a grand old time. There are also panel discussions; guests this year include Keith Knight (), Art Spiegelman (um, hello, Maus), and Gene Yang (American Born Chinese). C'mon, y'all! It's only $7 for a day pass, $10 for the whole weekend!

Who better to help kick off our celebration of alternative press than one of the guys doing it right?

Larry Young is a fixture at APE -- his company, AiT/Planet Lar has been presenting there for years, exhibiting a diverse and interesting line of OGNs ("Original Graphic Novels") and other comic books. While we spoke briefly to the company's publisher, Mimi Rosenheim, a few years ago at the San Diego Comic-Con, we hadn't had a chance to catch up with her co-founder and husband, the dynamic Mr. Young, until recently. Our conversation with Larry evoked much of what we love about storytelling via sequential art -- the passion of the creators; the limitless, imaginative worlds they create; and the validity of using that medium for any genre (while we love our Marvel and DC-style capes and tights stuff, you aren't going to see over much of it at APE).

Much of our conversation focused on a new series written by Mr. Young himself and with art by Jon Proctor -- Black Diamond. The book, which is coming out in May, is a story taking place in the near future where the U.S. Government has grounded commercial airline flights and built an elevated highway spanning the nation -- The Black Diamond, "A dangerous road full of gearheads and misfits, drug runners and grey-market tech heads."

The interview follows after the jump:

The K Chronicles