Saturday, Jan. 23, at 2 p.m., a couple guys will sit down, backs to an East Tacoma shop window.

A dozen people at any given time will stand in line with paper for them to scribble upon They'll linger, read, run into friends, talk about the geekiest things anyone not attending is likely to imagine.

Scott Allie and Dave Stewart make comic books. Sometimes they get out into the world and sign them for people who read comic books.

Allie is an editor for Dark Horse Comics. Stewart is a colorist. In an industry where 95 percent of fame rests with the writers and pencilers, it takes a particular sort to thrive in these niches.

"I got involved in campus publishing in college, and realized that I liked putting books together as much as I enjoyed writing," says Allie, also writer of Solomon Kane. "I don't like writing comics when I can't have a hand in all aspects of production."

Adds John Munn - host of Saturday's event at Comic Book Ink - "Scott's a great editor because he's a great writer. He has a wonderful sense of story, so other writers trust him with their stories."

For Stewart, "I thought I was going to go freelance as a penciler, but had been dabbling with coloring comics in Photoshop way back in college. I think I just found out that I was a better colorist than penciler. ... I probably get more of a variety of work than the average penciler. Working 5-6 projects a month gives me a lot of change."

That talent and variety has won Stewart five Eisners - the industry's top awards - for colors on everything from Hellboy to Captain America to Lobster Johnson.

So, half a dozen books a month to shuffle through the door, what gets professionals to pack up from Portland to scribble their names for three hours? Aging 70s sci-fi stars collect a check before they sign anything. Allie and Stewart are up on their own dime.

"The human connection with the existing readers," says Allie. "At a signing, they get a unique connection to the material that can get lost in the blur of reading and buying a lot of books."

Munn's goal is "for fans to have a setting away from cons where you have more time with the creators. ... Sometimes people like Scott and Dave get lost in a huge convention."

But most important is supporting the community that supports them. "It's a rough time for all kinds of retail, and we are fortunate to have friends like these to come help the shop."

Nobody gets more excited introducing someone to a new, independent comics than John Munn. There are people in the world with stacks and stacks of books they wouldn't own but for signings at Comic Book Ink. Some of them might be writing weeklyvolcano.com articles at this very moment. Maybe. But whomever they are, they'll all be out shopping, talking to friends, and geeking out to their heart's content on Saturday.

[Comic Book Ink, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2 p.m., 1625 E. 72nd at Portland Avenue, Suite 800, Tacoma, 253.761.4651]