Fantagraphics is going to SPX! Catch us there at our regular booth–W51-55–on September 13th-14th! We’ll be hosting signings with Special Guests Kayla E. (Precious Rubbish), Julia Gfrörer (World Within the World: Collected Minicomix & Short Works 2010-2022), Jordan Crane (Goes Like This), and more! We’ll also have a table full of books: new and forthcoming releases, our Ignatz nominees (request a ballot here), everything your heart can desire!
Signing Schedule for booth W51-55:
Saturday, September 13th:
12:00-1:00 pm: Paul Karasik (How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels) + Marc Sobel (Reading Love and Rockets) + Zachary J. Pinson (The Woman With Fifty Faces)
1:00-2:00 pm: Lee Lai (Stone Fruit) + Beth Hetland (Tender)
2:00-3:00 pm: Jordan Crane (Goes Like This) + Julia Gfrörer (World Within the World)
3:30-4:30 pm: Briana Loewinsohn (Raised By Ghosts) + Kayla E. (Precious Rubbish)
5:00-6:00 pm: Tim Lane (Mythologies and Apocrypha #2) + Mia Wolff (Lost and Found)
Sunday, September 14th:
1:00-2:00 pm: Kayla E. (Precious Rubbish) + Jordan Crane (Goes Like This)
2:00-3:00 pm: Ann Telnaes (Trump’s ABC) + Briana Loewinsohn (Raised By Ghosts)
3:00-4:00 pm: Tim Lane (Mythologies and Apocrypha #2) + Charles Forsman (I Am Not Okay With This) + Mia Wolff (Lost and Found)
4:30-5:30 pm: Julia Gfrörer (World Within the World) + Beth Hetland (Tender) + Marc Sobel (Reading Love and Rockets)
Programming Schedule:
Saturday, September 13th at 12:30 pm in Brookside C: The Legacy of Highwater Books and Red Ink: Come sit around the campfire with Jordan Crane (Goes Like This, Keeping Two), Brian Ralph (Daybreak, Reggie-12), and Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly) and some surprise guests as they reminisce about the halcyon days of the late 90s when Highwater, Red Ink, and Fort Thunder were at their creative peaks. It’s all about the community and reckless adventures!
Saturday, September 13th at 2:00 pm in White Oak Room: The Only Way Out Is Through: Working through trauma in the form of a graphic memoir is a process that is both difficult and therapeutic. But what happens when it’s done and out in the world? Moderator Alice Santos will discuss this with Kayla E. (Precious Rubbish), Natalie Norris (Dear Mini), Briana Loewinsohn (Raised By Ghosts), and Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell (The Joy Of Snacking).
Saturday, September 13th at 3:00 pm in White Oak Room: Navigating Family Trauma: Growing up in a dysfunctional family can be difficult to process, but a number of cartoonists have done so in their comics. Moderator Sally Madden will discuss the funny, sad, and sometimes absurd ways that Lee Lai (Stone Fruit), Eagle Valiant Brosi (Black Cohosh), Melissa Mendes (The Weight), and Mara Ramirez (Flea) have done it.
Saturday, September 13th at 3:30 pm in Brookside C: Paul Karasik And The New York Trilogy: Legendary editor, educator, and cartoonist Paul Karasik will discuss his newest project: The New York Trilogy, an adaptation of Paul Auster’s short story collection that he did in collaboration with David Mazzucchelli & Lorenzo Mattotti.
Saturday, September 13th at 4:30 pm in Brookside C: Other New York Cities: New York City: The City That Never Sleeps has been the setting for countless stories. Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook), Rachel Coad (New York City Glow), Peter Kuper (The System), and Josh Neufeld (“Supply Chain Superhero”) all have their own interpretations of the city, and moderator Faith Cox will go into detail with them.
Saturday, September 13th at 5:30 pm in Brookside C: Carousel: Since 1997, R. Sikoryak has hosted Carousel, a series of comics readings and visual performances by cartoonists and theater artists. This special edition of Carousel at SPX features exhibiting artists and guests, performing live. Join us for an audio-visual journey to the place where comics and performance collide! Featuring: Gigi Murakami (Resenter), Keith Knight, (K Chronicles), Kevin Huizenga (Curses), Tom Gauld (Revenge Of The Librarians), Julia Gfrörer (World Within The World), and R. Sikoryak (Constitution Illustrated).
Sunday, September 14th at 12:00 pm in Glen Echo Room: Connecting With Your Audience Through Cover Design Workshop: Learn the basics of designing a compelling graphic novel cover with Briana Loewinsohn and Thien Pham! We’ll cover key principles like composition, typography, and visual storytelling to help you create eye-catching designs that reflect your story. Whether you are self-publishing or working with a graphic designer at a publishing house, you’ll gain practical tips for translating your novel’s themes into a visually striking cover. Walk away with a solid foundation in cover design to kickstart your own creative projects.
Sunday, September 14th at 1:00 pm in Brookside C: Censorship And Resistance: Free expression is under attack in the US in an unprecedented way. Warren Bernard will moderate a discussion with some of the most significant figures related to censorship in comics history, as they discuss how they have found ways to resist it. Panelists include Gary Hallgren (Air Pirates Funnies), Denis Kitchen (Kitchen Sink, CBLDF), John Kelly (Dummy), Ann Telnaes (Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist), and Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer).
Sunday, September 14th at 2:30 pm in White Oak Room: Ideas: Tom Gauld and Kevin Huizenga In Conversation: Moderator Marc Sobel will engage with Tom Gauld (Revenge of the Librarians) and Kevin Huizenga (Curses) in a free-flowing conversation about ideas. How does each cartoonist organize their thoughts on paper? How does doodling enable them to talk through their process to a finished comic? In what ways do the images themselves convey the same meaning as words?
Sunday, September 14th at 3:30 pm in White Oak Room: Psychological Horror: The most frightening horror stories don’t necessarily involve blood, gore, or jump scares. It’s the stories that unsettle you with atmosphere and terrifying realizations that are often the scariest. Julia Gfrörer (World Within The World), Beth Hetland (Tender), and Ashley Robin Franklin (The Skin You’re In) will explain why with moderator Francesca Lyn.
Sunday, September 14th at 4:00 pm in Brookside C: Depicting The Impossible: Mediating Meaning Through Formal Play: How do you express sound in comics? How do you depict horrifying trauma without it overwhelming you? How do you adapt a story that doesn’t seem to fit in comics? Faith Cox will discuss how innovative formal solutions and play can help depict the impossible with Kayla E. (Precious Rubbish), Joonas Sildre (Between Two Sounds), Paul Karasik (New York Trilogy), and Peter Kuper (Insectopolis).
Ignatz Nominees:
SPX Debuts:
