We are right now in the middle of a week of events to celebrate this year's Short Run small press festival. (You can read my explanation of the festival here.) Here's what's going on today and tomorrow:

• All week long, South African cartoonist Jan de Wet has been braving the cold to paint a mural on the side of Cappy's Boxing Gym in the Central District. Work is projected to continue on the mural up through next Monday.

• Tonight, Short Run is hosting an art show with readings called Visitors Welcome at Joe Bar. Two Seattle cartoonists will be joined by cartoonists from Finland and the UK in presenting new work.

• Tomorrow night, Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery will be hosting a party with a number of Short Run guests including cartoonists MariNaomi, Tom Neely, Josh Simmons, Pam Wishbow, Short Run guest of honor John Porcellino, Hip Hop Family Tree creator Ed Piskor, and Australian comics artist Simon Hanselmann.

• Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. is the big show at Washington Hall, featuring more than 200 cartoonists, writers, and publishers in a mammoth convention along with plenty of exhibits and readings and food trucks and animation and a bake sale and performances and so on. It's free, for God's sake! What more do you want from Short Run?

• And the after-party at Washington Hall is a beach party with La Luz and the Shivas, along with a DJ set from Hollow Earth Radio's DJ Domenica. Unlike all the other events, this one is 21+, and it costs five bucks, but it is totally worth it.

There are even more events, including a screening of a new movie about Porcellino's life work, King Cat Comics, and a walking tour of heartbreak on Capitol Hill. You can learn more by visiting Short Run's website.