April 16: CultureBlast: COMICS BASH

Join Fantom Comics at the Hillyer Art Space for CultureBlast: COMICS BASH, an evening of DIY screenprinting, dramatic readings, and comic book-inspired art.

Bring your best costumes to our comic book-themed dramatic reading! Share an original work, read your favorite superhero soliloquy, or just shout "I AM BATMAN! WHERE IS HE?!" into the microphone for 3 minutes. Because 3 minutes is all you get. 

EVERY READER will get a free comic book and some Fantom swag! BEST COSTUMED PERFORMANCE will win a $50 gift card to Fantom Comics so you can buy those sweet, sweet graphic novels you've always wanted!

Artist J.D. Deardourff will show you how to make your own screenprint to take home with you!

Doors, drinking, FREE popcorn, and schmoozing starts at 7:00 pm.

Contributors will be drawn from a hat at 7:50 and the performances begin at 8 pm.

$5 suggested donation.

That darn Toles

Letters to the Editor

Ancient poetry that still relates today

Susan Schearer,

Winchester, Va.

Washington Post March 28 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ancient-poetry-that-still-relates-today/2015/03/26/6a384464-d247

Big Planet team's Zodiac Starforce picked up by Dark Horse

Congratulations to Kevin Panetta and Paulina Ganucheau.

Awesomeness and Sparkles: Meet 'Zodiac Starforce', Your New Favorite Magical Girl Team [Interview]

by Kate Leth March 27, 2015
http://comicsalliance.com/zodiac-starforce-panetta-ganucheau-dark-horse/

Here's that City Paper comics flow chart

Based on attendance at Smudge, apparently.

Flow Chart: D.C.'s Thriving Comic-Creator Scene

 by Tim Regan
Washington City Paper Mar. 27, 2015
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2015/03/27/flow-chart-d-c-s-thriving-comic-creator-scene/

Nate Powell on Indiana's religious intolerance

Indiana's 'March' artist tells of shame, empowerment over 'religious freedom' law

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog March 27, 2015
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/03/27/indianas-march-artist-tells-of-shame-empowerment-over-religious-freedom-law/

The Post, among other papers, censors Wumo strip

The watchers at rec.arts.comics.strips noticed that the March 26, 2015 Wumo strip was not run by The Washington Post (as well as the Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News, and ArcaMax.com). The strip is a not a particularly interesting one with a white patriarchal God in a supermarket buying TV dinners (do they still make them?) and saying that he's had bad luck making things all by himself.

Huh. Yeah, that's my thought too. But the Post and the others ran a year-old strip instead. No Charlie Hebdo situations in this town!

Report on South American cartoonists talk in DC

Bonil and Rayma: Cartoonists Speak Truth to Power

Venezuelan and Ecuadorian Satirists Defend Right to "Blaspheme"

Gonzalo Mellado
Panam Post's The Canal blog March 26, 2015
http://blog.panampost.com/gonzalo-mellado/2015/03/26/bonil-and-rayma-cartoonists-speak-truth-to-power/

Emily R. Gillis on Jikosha and 24-Hour Comics

by Mike Rhode

Emily R. Gillis was a Smudge exhibitor, selling a collection of her webcomic Jikosha. She's a founder of the local cooperative, Square City Comics, and one-half of Wayward Studios. Her comics can be bought here.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I primarily do longform fantasy comics with a style heavily-influenced by anime I grew up watching. I also have participated in the 24-Hour Comic challenge for the past 4 years and like to turn those into minicomics.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

Mostly traditional. All of my comics are first drawn with pencil then inked with microns and brush pens, though I've been experimenting more with brush and ink. Coloring and lettering are all done digitally though most of my coloring is done by the other half of Wayward Studios, Crystal Rollins. I've been practicing digital colors with her help, but she is a magician with them!

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in '84 in St. Paul, MN (dontcha know), though I grew up near Denver, CO.

Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I moved to the Baltimore area to seek out more work opportunities and to move in with my boyfriend, now husband. Currently, we're up north in Cockeysville, MD. I'm down in DC every month though for events and for meetings with my friends in Square City Comics.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I earned a bachelor's degree in graphic design back in 2006. I never formally studied cartooning, but I remember making comics as far back as the 4th grade when I turned my teacher into a superhero for a story. I mostly learned from reading books on the subject and just reading other comics.

Who are your influences?

Starting out, I was heavily influenced by anime like Sailor Moon, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Dragonball Z. Currently, my work is most influenced by other local creators I've met as well as webcomics I follow. Comics like Namesake, Sister Claire, and Stand Still Stay Silent are the first ones that come to mind for works I look to for inspiration and technique.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

Get serious about comics sooner. I went into graphic design since I figured I could both get a job more easily with that degree and I could apply what I learned there to comics, though I'd never really considered comics a valid career option. I didn't pursue it seriously until a few years ago and it's been a struggle trying to turn it into a full-time gig rather than something I have to make time to do outside of my day job.

What work are you best-known for?

I'm best known for my webcomic Jikoshia. I began writing the comics back in high school and rebooted it three times before bringing it to print.

What work are you most proud of?

I have two comics that I'm super proud of. Jikoshia has come so far and turned into a project I really love. I recently brought my latest 24-hour comic to print as well, All You Held Dear, and for being a comic written in such a short amount of time, I'm really happy with the way both the writing and the art turned out!

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I just want to more time to work on personal projects. I have a "vault" of story ideas and scripts I have yet to finish and I'm anxious to get to them!

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

That's when I refer to Crystal. Part of why we formed Wayward Studios was to help each other out when we get into blocks. We'll talk through problem scenes or give the other a kick in the pants if we slack off. Another trick I've learned is to go read another comic or play a video game for a while. It gives me a chance to step out of the worlds I've created and into another, helping me refresh my viewpoints.

What do you think will be the future of your field? 

With the advent of crowdfunding, I'm looking forward to seeing more creator-owned works come to life. A lot of great projects have come about because of this resource (including my own!).

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

I go to almost every one I can find! I regularly attend Katsucon and Small Press Expo and look forward to this year's Awesome Con. I've only managed to go to Intervention once so far, but would definitely like to again! I also make appearances at smaller shows like Tiger Con in Towson, Library Con in Petworth, and Nippon Con in Westminster. I'm currently planning a small show for a comics group I'm a part of called Square City Comics in June and hope to turn that into an annual gig.

SPX is my favorite event of the year and I recommend it to everyone looking to get into comics. Just make sure to set a budget for yourself otherwise you'll definitely spend your lunch money on books instead of food. Not that I've ever regretted it.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

I like that I don't have to drive to most places and that there's so much to do! Before moving to the East Coast, I was living in a very small mountain town and doing anything involved at least a 4-hour drive. Having everything I want to do be so close took some time to get used to and I love having so many options.

Least favorite?

Traffic. My sense of direction is a bit off and too much traffic really throws me for a loop! Plus one-ways are the bane of my existence.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

My parents came out to visit for the first time a couple years ago so I took them on a tour of the National Mall. My dad was like a kid in a candy store at the Air & Space Museum. Next time he comes out I'm taking him to the one in Dulles.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

District of Pi in Chinatown is my favorite, though I've heard there's a great ramen place in Rockville I need to try. That might unseat the pizza's throne.

Do you have a website or blog?

You can find all of my work and learn where I'll be next on waywardstudios.net. I also sometimes post work and news to my Tumblr (thealmightym.tumblr.com) and Instagram (@thealmightym).

The Post reviews Home cartoon

Despite Rihanna's efforts, it's where the hear isn't [online as 'Home,' phone 'E.T.': Animated alien flick is another fish-out-of-water tale]

By Sandie Angulo Chen
Washington Post March 27 2015, p. Weekend 28
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/home-phone-et-animated-alien-flick-is-another-fish-out-of-water-tale/2015/03/25/828e68d6-d251-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html

April 1: Herblock talk at Library of Congress

Gallery Talk

Pointing Their Pens: Herblock and Fellow Cartoonists Confront the Issues

Wednesday, April 1, 2015, at noon Curator Sara W. Duke, Prints and Photographs Division, Discusses Highlights from the Exhibition.

Sponsored by the Interpretive Programs Office, Stacie Moats, 202-707-0185

Graphic Arts Galleries, Ground Level Thomas Jefferson Building

ADA ACCESSIBILITY: Request ADA accommodations 5 days in advance 202-707-6362 or ada@loc.gov

PR: SPX 2015 Ignatz Awards Submission Instructions

Submit to the Ignatz Awards! It's time to submit your comics for consideration in Small Press Expo's festival prize, the Ignatz Award!   The nominees are selected by a jury of creators and voted on by attendees and exhibitors of Small Press Expo. Previous winners include Kate Beaton, Michael DeForge, Lisa Hanawalt, Jaime Hernandez, Nate Powell, Jillian Tamaki, Mariko Tamaki, Ulli Lust and Sophie Goldstein.   Categories are: Outstanding Artist Outstanding Anthology or Collection Outstanding Graphic Novel Outstanding Story Promising New Talent Outstanding Series Outstanding Comic Outstanding Minicomic Outstanding Online Comic   All work will be eligible in all applicable categories. We need six copies of work published between June 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015 sent to:  SPX Ignatz Awards c/o Big Planet Comics 4849 Cordell Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 When submitting, please fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hCrJzVJ9x9MP6ZyqCKiiMvkRSuflsW39QQy-cQfdZZc/viewform   (If you have already submitted, please go ahead and fill it out now!)   Links to online comics should be emailed to spxignatz@gmail.com All submissions must be received by June 7, 2015.   Full guidelines are available at: http://www.spxpo.com/ignatz-guidelines. All questions should be sent to Ignatz Award coordinator, Eden Miller, at spxignatz@gmail.com.   This year's image of Ignatz, as seen above, was created by 2014 Promising New Talent Winner Cathy G. Johnson.   The 2015 Ignatz Awards is once again sponsored by Comixology Submit!

Comics & the US government

Locally, the largest employer is still the government. And it occasionally dabbles in cartoons. Here's 2 stories:

President Obama talks comic books in latest mass email

by Albert Ching | March 25, 2015
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2015/03/president-obama-talks-comic-books-in-latest-mass-email/

The U.S. Is Dropping Gruesome Fliers Over ISIS-Controlled Territory: A cartoon shows locals that signing up for ISIS only leads them to a grotesque death.

By Paul D. Shinkman March 26, 2015
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/03/26/the-us-is-dropping-gruesome-fliers-over-isis-controlled-territory

This cartoon, courtesy of the Defense Department, depicts two extremist fighters at a "recruiting office" leading young people toward a blood-splattered meat grinder.

Ryan Holmberg's Indian comics interview at TCJ.com

Dharavi Comics Epidemic: An Interview with Chaitanya Modak

BY Ryan Holmberg Mar 26, 2015

http://www.tcj.com/dharavi-comics-epidemic-an-interview-with-chaitanya-modak/

The sometimes Silver Spring resident strikes again.

'Comic Debrief' in this week's City Paper

Tim Regan continues to muscle me aside* and has one of those infographics in the current City Paper (March 27,  p. 33) in which he recommends webcomics or zines from Team KK**, Rafer Roberts, Andrew Cohen, Robin Ha, Holli Mintzer***, Cole Goco, Liz & Jimmy Reed, Pierce McLain****, Evan Keeling and Carolyn Belefski. I haven't found it online yet though.

On the positive side, we're batting 66% with interviews either here or at the City Paper.

*as Foghorn Leghorn used to say, "That's a joke, son."

**Can be found at http://goteamkk.tumblr.com/

***Can be found at http://tesseractcomics.tumblr.com/

****CORRECTION, April 1, 2015: I wrote "Doesn't appear to do comics." Tim Regan tells me, "His mini comic, Hug It Out, is available for sale at Fantom." I'll buy a copy the next time I'm at Dupont Circle and you should too.

April 25: Art Whino is DOOMed

we are all DOOMed

Saturday, April 25th, from 8pm - Midnight

 

 

 Group Art Exhibit with MF DOOM Inspired Artwork, MC Ciphering and MF Doom Cover songs by local MC's

 

Art Whino presents "We're all DOOMed" a group art show with artwork inspired by MF Doom.  MF Doom is engraved in psyche of many artists, with a career that spans over 26 years and a relentless push for creativity with each album.  It's this creativity with references from comic books, freestyle, and instrumentals second to none that a vast pool for artists will to pay homage to in their artwork.  With a vast lineup of worldwide artists there will a diverse array of work presented in the exhibit. To continue the theme we will have a MC Ciphering as well at live performance of MF Doom Cover songs by top MC's such as DC's Own Flex Mathews.

Saturday, April 25th, from 8pm - Midnight

Come out for a full night of all things MF Doom!

MF Doom Inspired Group Art Show

Open to the public MC Ciphering

MF Doom Cover songs performed by the dopest local MC's such as Flex Matthews

DJ Oso Fresh on the Turntbales

This event is Free

Location:
BLIND WHINO:Sw Arts Club
700 Delaware Ave, SW Washington, DC 20024

About MF DOOM

Daniel Dumile ("doom-uh-lay") is a British born American hip-hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most famously MF DOOM (standing for metal fingers/metal face doom). He has also been known as Zev Love X, King Geedorah, Metal Fingers, Viktor Vaughn, Doom, and has appeared in several collaborative projects such as DANGERDOOM (with Danger Mouse), Madvillain (with Madlib), JJ DOOM (with Jneiro Jarel) and NehruvianDOOM (with Bishop Nehru). Little is known about his personal life.

Dumile's eccentric wordplay makes him a favorite of underground hip-hop fans. He is heavily influenced by American comic books (especially the Fantastic Four and their battles with Dr. Doom). Japanese science fiction is also an influence; the concept for King Geedorah (which is derived from Ghidorah) and the Monsta Island Czars comes from the Godzilla movie series. He is also renowned for bringing comedy back into the sometimes overly serious world of rap lyrics and a unique, sample-heavy production style.

 

 

 

 

About Flex Mathews

Flex Mathews has been a rising star in the Mid Atlantic regional Hip Hop scene for much of the last 9 years. He was named one of URB Magazine's Next 100 Artists in 2005, and his transition from the local DC underground to national recognition has been the product of his dedication, quality live show performance, as well as his numerous victories in MC battles. On top of that Mr. Mathews has been voted best rap artist of 2009 in Washington DC area. I'm telling you, this South Dakota boy has drive, and then some.

Flex Mathews has tour and performed with:
Lupe Fiasco, Matisyahu, Dub Trio, Mike Posner, Del The Funky Homosapian, Souls of Mischief, Army of Me, Atmosphere, KRS-One (Twice), Big Daddy Kane, Gang Starr, Camp Lo, Biz Markie, Das EFX, The Wu-Tang Clan, Special Ed, Rancid, Non-Phixion, The Beatnuts, RA The Ruggid Man, J-Live, Tame-One, Asharu and Blue Black, Kev Brown, Oddisee, Master Ace, MC Chris, The Clipse, Roc Radia, Glue, Hangar 18, Pete Rock, Talib Kweli (twice), Percee P, Mad Skillz, Slick Rick, Killah Priest, The Roots, The Lords of Brooklyn, Yazarah, BreezEvaflowin, Poison Pen, Immortal Technique, Bahmadia, Copy Write, Icon The Mic King, C-Rays Wallz, Mr.Lif Cannibal Ox, and even Vanilla Ice.  In 2005 Flex Mathews was the take was part of the entertainment portion Take Back America Campaign warming the stage for such great like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Kerry, and more.

Flex Mathews is a 2x Guerrilla Grammar Battle Champion, and 3x Tru Skool Rip The Mic Battle Champion, 2x Kool Cigarettes Battle Champion (That he now regrets), and a 8x H.E.R Battle Champion to name a few. He has also made appearances on the 2004 and 2005 Vans Warped Tour on the Code of the Cuts Stage. A familiar face in the local scene – Flex has come to represent a new generation of the DC Underground. Versatility? Mr. Mathews has it and has shown when he was the MC for the Drum and Base group "Common Knowledge".  This group made several appearances at Nations Night Club and open for such greats as Chase and Status and MC Armoni. So basically the boy got skills. 

 

About DJ Oso Fresh 

 

The first hip hop song I heard was "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugar Hill Gang shortly after I arrived in the United States in 1979.  In the early 80's as B-boying (or breakdancing) started to get national exposure, my friends and I formed our own B-boy crew. We practiced after school for hours on end. We performed at all of our High School events. As I was always into art, it was easy for me to fall in love with graffiti art, as well.  A DCU student named Frank Ski hosted an hour-long radio show called "Breaker's Delight", which turned me on to a lot of new music. I hadn't started deejaying yet, but I bought all my favorite records and recorded the music on cassette tapes, so my friends and I could listen to them while we practiced dancing. Soon, I was known as the guy with the newest music and was regularly asked to bring my records to local parties.  In 1985, I met a Puerto Rican guy from the Bronx named Juan Ortiz, aka DJ Boom, who lived in my building and had his own deejaying equipment. I began to practice and when he moved out, he used to bring his equipment (one turntable, mixer, and a crate of records) to school and after school he would ride the bus to my house to set up and practice until i pieced together my own deejay set. I started making mixtapes and deejaying parties, but I was still too young to work in nightclubs.  Finally, in 1993, I entered a deejay competition at a club called The Vault in downtown DC and came in second place. I didn't realize the club owner, Kommi, had been standing behind me during my set. He contacted me through the promoter, M.C. Bitch, a few days later and offered me a chance to play at the Vault on a regular basis.

One night DJ Palash, one of the best promoters in the DC area, stopped by, listened for few minutes and left. Later that night he asked me to do a guest spot at his party. I went on to play for his events at Down Under and Chicago's and eventually as a regular deejay at his club, the Chamber.  I started working at a lot of clubs with a lot of promoters. One of my favorites was Josh Segman, who had the PUMP party at Spy Club, where I was the resident hip hop deejay for two years.  I did a guest spot one night at party called "Pollen", a weekly rave style party in the 90's, which was held at the Edge night club in Washington DC. The promoters liked me so much that they made me the resident hip hop dj and i ended up staying for three years and joining the Pollen Family with Pejman, Sina, Chris Styles and Jimmy.  Now I own over 35,000 records and the collection grows daily. I've come a long way since practicing with DJ Boom's turntables and I've met a lot of nice people along the way. I owe everything to a select few of my friends who gave me the support and encouragement I needed to continue and I'll always be grateful.

 

 

Participating Artists in the Doom inspired group art show

Aaron Kraten
Alex Yanes
Andrew John Katz
Bagger 43
Baghead
Brendan Tierney
Bridge stehli
Bryant Pomajambo
Chris B. Murray
Chris Bishop
ChrisRWK
Christopher Canary
Clog Two
CUTTHROAT
Dave Lowell
Downer
Ed Gross
El Estabo
Eric Broers
Evoker
Gigi Bio
Graham Franoise
Hydro74
Inkten
Jah
James Bullough
James Walker
Jason White
John Breiner
John Wentz
Josh Taylor
Josie Morway
Juan Muniz
KaNo
Kat Gun
Katun
Keyhan
Lightup
Luke Chueh
Marka 27
Mas Paz
Meggs
Melanie Pruitt
Nat Van Dyke
Nick Morris
Nightmare Mikey
Nikita Kaun  
Nils Westergard
Patrick Haemmerlein
Philip Bosmans 'AMATIC'
Prakash Khatri Chhetri
Rei21
Rich Pellegrino
Rosina Teri Memolo
Ryan Mcgennisken
Santos Shelton
Scotch!
Stclair Castro-wright
Thom Glick
Thomas Pearce
Tim Lee
Tim Rodgers
Timothy Johnston
Ultra
William Nghiem
Zidekahedron
Zombieyeti

ART WHINO GALLERY

Art Whino is located at the National Harbor waterfront in Maryland. Click here for contact info.

Dave Roman interviewed in Gaithersburg

Dave Roman talks with a Gaithersburg Elementary School student about comics

Robin Ferrier

March 25, 2015

http://gaithersburgbookfestival.org/dave-roman-talks-with-a-gaithersburg-elementary-school-student-about-comics/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kbjht3vz28

Axel and Alex and Terry Flippo: A webcomics interview

by Mike Rhode

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I do a webcomic called Axel and Alex that runs twice weekly (Sundays and Wednesdays) on my facebook page.  It follows the exploits of an 8 year old boy (Alex) and his mail-order robot (Axel).  I refer to it as a comic strip in comic book format. The strips are mostly done-in-one like a newspaper strip, but are formatted like a comic book page.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

I still work the old school way.  I enjoy the feel of putting pencil to paper and creating something I can hold in my hand.  I pencil with a mechanical pencil that I've had for twenty years (nicknamed Ol' Red), and ink with Staedtler pigment liner pens and good old Sharpies for filling in blacks.  I find pens much easier to control than brushes and nibs.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in the sixties at the old Washington Sanitarium (now Washington Adventist Hospital).

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I grew up just outside DC in Wheaton, MD.  In the late seventies my parents moved us to Mount Airy, MD (just over the Montgomery County line in southern Frederick County) where I remain to this day with my wife Janet, and kids Amanda and Zach.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

Other than a few high school and community college classes, which taught me little about cartooning, I'm self-taught.  Beyond the odd how-to book, my cartooning education comes from a lifetime of reading comic books and comic strips.

Who are your influences?

Cul de Sac interpreted by Flippo for Parkinson's fundraising

My influences date back to reading Peanuts, B.C., Beetle Bailey, and Calvin and Hobbes in the newspaper, to Don Martin's work in MAD magazine, to Stan Lee and collaborators Jack Kirby, John Romita, and John Buscema at Marvel Comics.  I remember drawing a Peanuts strip that was hung in the hallway in my elementary school.  My first experience with showing my art in public.  More recently, I've discovered the work of Richard Thompson and Cul de Sac, and fallen head over heels in love with Alice and Petey. I've just finished the piece for Team Cul de Sac. My father suffers from Parkinson's so it's an honor to be a part of this project to raise funds to fight the disease. 

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

My only regret, if you can call it that, would be dropping out of cartooning for about eight years following high school.  I sometimes wonder if things would have been different if I'd continued to draw during that period. All in all though, no regrets.

What work are you best-known for?

If I'm known at all it's probably for Axel and Alex, which has been around in one form or another for almost twenty years.  I also worked for a few years on an autobiographical humor comic called FL!PPED. 

What work are you most proud of?

I'm most proud of the fact that I've been married for almost 29 years and raised two great kids.  Cartooning-wise, I proud that I've stuck with Axel and Alex, albeit in different forms, for most of my cartooning career.  I love those guys.  They feel like part of me after all this time.

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?

 In the future I'd like to continue working on my strip and hopefully continue to grow my audience.  At this point I really have no aspirations to work on characters that I didn't create or own.  I'm enjoying the freedom I have doing my own stuff, and have plans to take Axel and Alex to new places.

New comics-related Fluxx games from Silver Spring's Looney Labs

'BATMAN' AND 'ADVENTURE TIME' 'FLUXX'

 by Nicole Bunge on March 24, 2015
http://icv2.com/articles/news/view/31177/batman-adventure-time-fluxx

April 11: Careers in Comics at DC Library

Careers in Comics Panel Discussion and Portfolio Review

Saturday, April 11, 2015, 10 a.m.

Mt. Pleasant Library

3160 16th St. NW

Washington,  D.C.  20010

mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov

202-671-3121

Metro Columbia Heights

Want to make comic books for a living?
Have your stuff reviewed by pros in the field?

Come meet working writers, artists and more on Saturday, April 11.

Guests include:

• Shannon Gallant, illustrator for Marvel and Dreamworks
• Jim Dougan, writer for numerous books and the D.C.-set webcomic Sam & Lilah 
• John Griffin, Professor of Media Art and Animation at the Art Institute of Washington
• Kata Kane, creator of the Altar Girl webcomic
• Esther Kim, manager at Fantom Comics
• Josh Kramer, freelance journalist, illustrator, and cartoonist in D.C.
• Ned Drummond, illustrator and designer at Pew Charitable Trusts and elsewhere
• Lauren Friedman, freelance fashion illustrator, stylist, and artist based in D.C.

The panel discussion will start at 10 a.m. in the large meeting room, with Q&A and portfolio reviews to follow.