The Society of Illustrators’ MoCCA Arts Festival will take place April 7th from 11am-7pm and April 8th from 11am-6pm at at Metropolitan West (636 W. 46th St.) with programming mere steps away at Ink48 (653 11th Ave). Admission is $7. Programming is free with price of admission.
The MoCCA Arts Festival is a 2-day multimedia event, Manhattan’s largest independent comics, cartoon and animation festival, drawing over 7,000 attendees each year. With 400 exhibiting artists displaying their work, award-winning honorees speaking about their careers and artistic processes and other featured artists conducting workshops, lectures and film screenings, our Festival mission accelerates the advancement of the Society’s broader mission to serve as Manhattan’s singular cultural institution promoting all genres of illustration through exhibitions, programs and art education.⠀
Fantagraphics will be at Booth 163! Check out this schedule for a full list of who we’ll have signing books and when:
Panels:
Saturday, April 7th
3:30 pm / HELVETICA ROOM
The International Scene: Max de Radiguès and Anna Haifisch
Every comics culture — no matter how vast only presents and perceives a fragmentary view of global comics culture, a rich field of diverse human expression that is interconnected in some ways, and disconnected in others. International festivals and publishers can be sites for global exchange, and individual artists who travel and work outside of their home countries help develop ties between comics cultures. Max de Radiguès’s graphic novel about his time at the Center for Cartoon Studies was part of the Official Selection at the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée in Angoulême in 2012, and his second English-language translation is forthcoming from Conundrum Press. He is additionally the co-publisher of the Belgian publishing house Employ du moi. Anna Haifisch is internationally known for her comics series, The Artist, and has published widely in many languages. Her book Von Spatz was recently published by Drawn and Quarterly. They will discuss their work and the international comics scene with Bill Kartalopoulos.
Sunday, April 8th
12:30 pm / GARAMOND ROOM
Jaime Hernandez: Locas and Legends
In 1981, Jaime Hernandez, with his brothers Gilbert and Mario, substantially inaugurated the era of “alternative comics” with the debut of their series Love and Rockets. In the decades since, Jaime Hernandez has developed a sprawling narrative world enfolding the L.A. punk scene, the Mexican-American urban experience, cosmic superheroics, and the advance of middle age, rendered in a fluid and informed visual style that places him among the master artists of the American comic book tradition. At MoCCA he launches his first book for younger readers: The Dragon Slayer: Folktales from Latin America (TOON Books). He will discuss his latest work and his career with Marc Sobel, author of The Love and Rockets Companion.
12:30 pm / HELVETICA ROOM
Political Cartooning: Now, More Than Ever
In turbulent political times, when the stakes are high, a political cartoonist can visually dramatize complex situations and clarify core issues in artful ways. Just when we need them most, political cartoonists, like journalists, find themselves in an increasingly precarious position in American culture. Nevertheless, a cohort of dedicated artists continue to accept the challenge of commenting visually on current events. Marymount Manhattan College professor Kent Worcester will lead a discussion on contemporary political cartooning with Steve Brodner, Mr. Fish, Ann Telnaes, and Eli Valley.
3:30 pm / HELVETICA ROOM
Why Nancy?
For decades Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy fired-up controversy: either readers loved it or…didn’t. With the publication of How to Read Nancy, cartoonists and educators Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden have delved deeply into the mysteries of both Nancy and the mechanics of the comics language. Karasik and Newgarden will explore the deep attraction Bushmiller’s work continues to hold with an all-star panel of artists including Roz Chast (The New Yorker), Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), and Gary Panter (Songy of Paradise).
Hope to see you there!
