Program Panels

09/09/2023 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm | White Oak Room

Sometimes, the most effective horror stories aren’t about jump scares and blood. Sometimes, they spring out of mundane and everyday situations, slowly turning reality into something terrifying. Be it a dog that slowly takes over someone’s life, demons silently interfering with a couple, or a woman’s desperate need for motherhood driving her to terrifying extremes, the horror of the everyday is often the most terrifying because it feels so familiar. Join moderator Dr. Rachel S. Miller along with panelists Nicole Goux (Pet Peeves), Julia Gfrörer (Too Dark To See, Vision), Beth Hetland (Tender), and King Ray (Phonestoned) as they explore their own takes on horror.

Panelists: Nicole Goux, Julia Gfrörer, Beth Hetland, King Ray

Special Guests: Nicole Goux

09/09/2023 | 12:30pm – 1:30pm | White Flint Amphitheater

Join cartoonists who take a radical, unexpected look at becoming parents (or longing to), from all angles. Their comics take on the tension of balancing art, work, and family; candid stories of heartache and humor living with kids; the blood and guts of birth; the taboo of loss and grief; grappling with families of origin and identity; and more. Ten years ago, the alternative online zine MUTHA launched, from its outset a place for comics in conversation with essays, poetry, and other hybrid work. Comics from the site have been short-listed for the Eisner’s, won Ignatz awards, and become books, as MUTHA’s remained a home for experimentation and community for artists in the sometimes messy transition to parenting. There are still folks in the often clique-y art world who claim you can have an artist’s life or a family, and MUTHA explodes that false dichotomy. Featuring Leela Corman, Glynnis Fawkes, Summer Pierre, Whit Taylor, and Pam Wye, moderated by MUTHA editor-in-chief Meg Lemke.

Panelists: Glynnis Fawkes, Summer Pierre, Whit Taylor, Pam Wye, Leela Corman

09/09/2023 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm | White Oak Room

This panel will explore queerness and kink in comics, with a specific eye to how yaoi (and other queer comic traditions) have influenced the work of American cartoonists — or not! The discussion will emphasize each of the featured cartoonists’ personal history with yaoi and queer comics, the structural lessons taken from these works, and where they would like to see queer comics go next. Moderator J.A. Micheline will join artists Shannon Wright (Twins), Ngozi Ukazu (Check, Please!), Rebecca Mock (Die Horny), Casey Nowak (Bodyseed), and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up WIth Me) in the panel.

Panelists: Ngozi Ukazu, Rebecca Mock, Casey Nowak, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, Shannon Wright

09/09/2023 | 1:30pm – 2:30pm | White Flint Amphitheater

Popeye as a sumo wrestler, Charlie Chaplin under the cherry trees, Babe Ruth in a Japanese sandlot, Tatsumi Yoshihiro being kawaii, and more. This talk by manga historian and translator Ryan Holmberg will peruse some of the weird and rare manga in his collection, assembled over the past 20 years of research and impulsive spending.

Panelists: Ryan Holmberg

09/09/2023 | 2:00pm – 3:00pm | White Oak Room

Bill Griffith is a legend of the underground comics era, co-editing Arcade and syndicated his surreal Zippy The Pinhead strip for nearly fifty years. His new book, Three Rocks: The Story Of Ernie Bushmiller, is his latest graphic novel, detailing the creator of Nancy’s life and the influence that strip had on him. He’ll be joined in conversation by writer, historian, and critic Paul Gravett, made immortal as “The Man At The Crossroads” by Eddie Campbell.

Panelists: Bill Griffith

Special Guests: Bill Griffith and Paul Gravett

09/09/2023 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm | White Flint Amphitheater

What happens when you wake up one day and your normal existence has completely changed? When you get a job at a lab and wind up cleaning black holes? When the soil you’re investigating has a mind of its own? When you’re recruited from a backwater planet for a noble quest? Moderator Ana Merino joins panelists Tyrell Waiters (Vern, Custodian Of The Universe), Hannah Templer (Cosmoknights), Casey Nowak (Bodyseed), and Julia Gootzeit (Golem Pit 224) to discuss how their characters find themselves in alarming new settings.

Panelists: Tyrell Waiters, Casey Nowak, Julia Gootzeit, Hannah Templer

Special Guests: Hannah Templer and Tyrell Waiters

09/09/2023 | 3:00pm – 4:00pm | White Oak Room

From spiritual practice to party game, many artists have found a home in tarot and other forms of cartomancy. Join Shing Yin Khor, Isabella Rotman, Coco Fox, and Kevin Jay Stanton with moderator Alice Santos to talk comics, creating decks, and the interplay between the two.

Panelists: Shing Yin Khor, Coco Fox, Izzy Rotman, Kevin Jay Stanton

09/09/2023 | 3:30pm – 4:30pm | White Flint Amphitheater

When history books are written, they rarely take into account how momentous events affect individuals. Eleri Mai Harris (The Nib) will discuss how larger historical events informed the personal stories told by the panelists. Join Ana Penyas (We’re All Just Fine), Derf (Kent State), Tracy White (Unaccompanied), and Michael Cherkas (Red Harvest) as they reveal personal and unexamined perspectives on history.

Panelists: Ana Penyas, Derf, Tracy White, Michael Cherkas

Special Guests: Ana Penyas, Derf, and Michael Cherkas

09/09/2023 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm | White Oak Room

Rob Kirby has been a crucial part of the queer comics scene for over three decades, both as a cartoonist for his Curbside Boys series as well as an editor and publisher. His latest book, Marry Me A Little, focuses on what led to getting married after it was legalized for queer couples. He’ll be joined by cartoonist and organizer MariNaomi, whose new book, I Thought You Loved Me, is an intriguing mix of memoir and mystery. Educator and cartoonist Justin Hall will delve into their new books and other topics with them.

Panelists: Rob Kirby, MariNaomi

Special Guests: Rob Kirby

09/09/2023 | 4:30pm – 5:30pm | White Flint Amphitheater

Writing comics aimed at young readers requires an incredible level of craft. Not only is a cartoonist’s toolbox limited in terms of subject matter, they must also be able to make it easy for kids to understand the art of comics. Moderator Meg Lemke explores the joys and difficulties of writing for young kids with Rodrigo Vargas & Coni Yovaniniz (The Do-Over), Miranda Harmon (Mayor Good Boy), Leigh Luna (Clementine Fox And The Great Island Adventure), and Shauna J. Grant (Mimi And The Cutie Catastrophe).

Panelists: Rodrigo Vargas, Coni Yovaniniz, Miranda Harmon, Leigh Luna, Shauna J. Grant

09/09/2023 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm | White Oak Room

Since 1997, R. Sikoryak has hosted Carousel, a series of comics readings and visual performances by cartoonists and theater artists, presented around the U.S. and Canada. 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: Lawrence Lindell (Blackward), Breena Nuñez (The Nib, The New Yorker), Jonathan Baylis (So Buttons), Robyn Smith (Wash Day Diaries), Kayla E (Precious Rubbish). and R. Sikoryak (Constitution Illustrated).

Panelists: Lawrence Lindell, Breena Nuñez, Kayla E, Jonathan Baylis, Robyn Smith, R.Sikoryak

Special Guests: Breena Nuñez and Lawrence Lindell

09/09/2023 | 5:30pm – 6:30pm | White Flint Amphitheater

Comics’ unique combination of word and image allows them to not only create their own immersive worlds but also to effectively comment on other arts. Finding ways to depict music, dance, literature, and other arts is a fascinating challenge for many cartoonists. Moderator Dr. Craig Fischer joins cartoonists Reinhard Kleist (Starman), Leslie Stein (Brooklyn’s Last Secret), Keren Katz (The Academic Hour), and Andrew White (Together And Apart) to discuss their own efforts drawing comics about other art forms.

Panelists: Reinhard Kleist, Leslie Stein, Keren Katz, Andrew White

Special Guests: Leslie Stein and Reinhard Kleist

09/09/2023 | 6:00pm – 7:00pm | White Oak Room

This panel will focus on creators using innovative approaches to the form in their nonfiction comics. Working on topics ranging from history, journalism, graphic medicine and neuroscience, cartoonists will discuss how nonfiction comics can explore the most exciting possibilities of the form. Moderator Dr. Francesca Lyn will join Dan Nott (Hidden Systems), Whit Taylor (The Greater Good), Box Brown (Tetris, Cannabis), and Briana Loewinsohn (Ephemera) as they discuss their approaches to nonfiction narratives. 

Panelists: Box Brown, Whit Taylor, Dan Nott, Briana Loewinsohn

09/10/2023 | 12:30pm – 1:30pm | White Oak Room

A multimedia one-man live reading of a new graphic novel by Carl Antonowicz, featuring live sound effects and projected images from the book! When the silent monk Odulf is tasked with transporting the jeweled bones of his order’s patron saint, he jumps at the chance. But the road ahead is filled with sorrow, danger, and iniquity. Will Odulf make it through? Recommended for mature audiences.

Panelists: Carl Antonowicz

09/10/2023 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm | White Flint Amphitheater

Raeghan Buchanan is an artist, writer, and musician whose book, The Secret History Of Black Punk: Record Zero is a fascinating deep dive into the lives and careers of trailblazing Black musicians who have been unjustly forgotten. Moderator Dr. Rachel Miller will go into depth with Raeghan on her book and her background.

Panelists: Raeghan Buchanan

Special Guests: Raeghan Buchanan

09/10/2023 | 1:30pm – 2:30pm | White Oak Room

Memoir comics have expanded from simply depicting personal narratives to dipping into the tropes of other genres. Paul Gravett moderates a panel of memoirists whose work spills over into different storytelling styles. The artists are Eddie Campbell (the meta-memoir The Second Fake Death Of Eddie Campbell), MariNaomi (the mystery-memoir I Thought You Loved Me), Elizabeth Trembley (the multiple points of view narrative Look Again), and Kayla E. (the reclaimed-image memoir Precious Rubbish).

Panelists: Eddie Campbell, MariNaomi, Elizabeth Trembley, Kayla E.

Special Guests: Eddie Campbell

09/10/2023 | 2:00pm – 3:00pm | White Flint Amphitheater

An art school experience focused on comics is a relatively new phenomenon. What do different educators prioritize in terms of their pedagogical philosophies? Moderator Cuyler Keating joins artists and educators Justin Hall (CCA), Emma Jensen (SAW), Jason Little (SVA), Laurenn McCubbin (CCAD), and Daryl Seitchik (freelancer who works for CCS) as they compare notes on how they approach teaching.

Panelists: Justin Hall, Daryl Seitchik, Laurenn McCubbin, Jason Little, Emma Jensen

09/10/2023 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm | White Oak Room

Writer-artist teams are uncommon in alternative comics, but there are certainly a few highly successful pairings. Foremost among them are Ignatz Award winners Mariko & Jillian Tamaki (Roaming). Jonathan Baylis & Karl Christian Krumpholz teamed up for Baylis’ So Buttons comic, but Krumholz mostly works on his own Moderator Warren Bernard will find out how each team functions, the process of creation, and other fine details of collaboration.

Panelists: Mariko Tamaki, Jillian Tamaki, Jonathan Baylis, Karl Christian Krumpholz

Special Guests: Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

09/10/2023 | 3:00pm – 4:00pm | White Flint Amphitheater

This is a live version of the SOLRADio podcast, the show where SOLRAD critics take a deep dive on a single book. The twist here is that the artist will join the critics as they talk about their new comic. Moderator Alex Hoffman will join Rob Clough and Thomas Campbell along with artist Joel Priddy as they ask him about his new book, First There Was Chaos.

Panelists: Joel Priddy, Rob Clough, Thomas Campbell

Special Guests: Joel Priddy

09/10/2023 | 3:30pm – 4:30pm | White Oak Room

For many queer authors, the depiction of friendships and romances goes beyond the people involved. It specifically extends to the physical spaces they hang out, can feel safe, and create traditions. Whether it’s clubs, cafes, bars, rec rooms or beyond, the spaces themselves tell a story. Join moderator Rob Kirby as he talks about these spaces with Lawrence Lindell (Blackward), Emma Jayne (Trans Girls On The Town), Archie Bongiovanni (The Greasebats, Mimosa), and Al Varela (Young, Dumb, And Queer).

Panelists: Lawrence Lindell, Archie Bongiovanni, Emma Jayne, Al Varela

09/10/2023 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm | White Flint Amphitheater

There are cartoonists who pay as much or even more attention to depictions of the worlds they create as they do to their characters. For some, it’s even more important. Whether it’s densely-inked backgrounds or vivid colors dominating each panel, a complex environment tells its own story. Moderator Rob Clough joins Wren McDonald (Cyber Realm), Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (Don’t Go Without Me), K.Wroten (Eden II), and Daria Tessler (Salome’s Last Dance) as they discuss their immersive worlds.

Panelists: K.Wroten, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, Wren McDonald, Daria Tessler

Special Guests: K. Wroten

09/10/2023 | 4:30pm – 5:30pm | White Oak Room

There is dazzling skill in hockey, from the speed of the skaters to their deft work with the stick. There is magnificent spectacle in pro wrestling, with a vast array of high-flying maneuvers and gnarly-looking submissions. What they have in common is the sheer, visceral thrill of contact: a bone-rattling check to the boards or an agonizing body slam. Moderator Teppi Zuppo asks Ed Luce (Wuvable Oaf), Leela Corman (Victory Parade), Rob Ullman (Old-Timey Hockey Tales), and Tanya Dorph-Mankey (The Plight Of Orange Cassidy) how they convey this feeling of impact in a two-dimensional form.

Panelists: Ed Luce, Leela Corman, Rob Ullman, Tanya Dorph-Mankey