Friday, July 24, 2026

Forever Funding Forever Wars by Daniel Boris

IJOCA article - Japanese Cyborgs and Cuban Revolutionaries: On the Trail of Tobor the 8th Man

I recently met Drew Shepherd who lives in NoVA and he told me about his long-time interest in animation. When he revealed he had some unpublished articles, I asked him to consider submitting them to the Int. J of Comic Art. Editor John A. Lent never saw this piece, but he would have loved it.

Japanese Cyborgs and Cuban Revolutionaries:

On the Trail of Tobor the 8^th Man

By A.P. Shepherd

International Journal of Comic Art blog July 24, 2026

https://ijoca.blogspot.com/2026/07/japanese-cyborgs-and-cuban.html

https://ijoca.blogspot.com/2026/07/ijoca.blogspot.com202607japanese-cyborgs-and-cuban-pt2.html

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Comics Research Bibliography citations update, 7/23/2026

Alverson, Brigid. 2026. Comic-Con to stay in San Diego at least through 2030. ICv2 (July 22): https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/62930/comic-con-stay-san-diego

Shapira, Tom. 2026. R&R: The Stars My Destination might not be comics exactly, but it’s still great. TCJ (July 23): https://www.tcj.com/rr-the-stars-my-destination-might-not-be-comics-exactly-but-its-still-great/

Gardner, Alan. 2026. Jeffrey Koterba producing animated series. Daily Cartoonist (July 22): https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2026/07/22/jeffrey-koterba-producing-animated-series/

Gardner, Alan. 2026. Brett Bower launches AI caricature bots [Australia]. Daily Cartoonist (July 22): https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2026/07/22/brett-bower-launches-ai-caricature-bots/

Degg, D. D. 2026. Wayback Whensday: The censored Nancy reproduced. Daily Cartoonist (July 22): https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2026/07/22/wayback-whensday-the-censored-nancy-reproduced/

Chiu-Tabet, Christopher. 2026. The Beat Digest 07/23/26: Mad Cave reveals Hammer Head. The Beat (July 23): https://www.comicsbeat.com/digest-072326/

Farley, Chad and Brian van Nostrand. 2025. Tony Fleecs on Marvel success and why Feral is blowing up! Collectors Confessions (December 9): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xMyi-teye4

San Diego Comic Con. 2026. San Diego Comic Con 2026 Souvenir Book. https://comic-con.b-cdn.net/2026_SDCC_Souvenir%20book.pdf

MacDonald, Heidi, Thomas Lennon, and Jimmy Aquino. 2026. Inside the Con with Thomas Lennon, Heidi MacDonald, and Jimmy Aquino. The Beat (July 23): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SbrRjLp8hI

Hibbs, Brian. 2026. Julie Fiveash for Froggy Library - Comix Experience Graphic Novel Kids Club May 2026. Comix Experience (July 23): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjFxYKzNNyA

Siuntres, John. 2026. Steve Ditko documentary preview. Word Balloon (July 22): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccIuT90Nx48

Matt. 2026. Comic Art Collector interview with Matthew Allison. CAF+ (July 22): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsdaQpGgqUE

Andreeva, Nellie. 2026. Prime Video orders ‘Stillwater’ series from Greg Berlanti & Carly Wray based on Skybound comic. Deadline (July 22): https://deadline.com/2026/07/stillwater-prime-video-greg-berlanti-carly-wray-skybound-1236999820/

Colbert, Isaiah. 2026. ‘Millennium Actress’ will always be my favorite Satoshi Kon film. io9 (July 23): https://gizmodo.com/millennium-actress-satoshi-kon-anime-film-retro-review-2000789992

Solomon, Charles. 2026. The Art of Cartoon Saloon: 25 Years. Abrams.

Szewczyk, Elaine. 2026. Fall 2026 Writers to Watch: Fernanda Frick H.: What started out in the 2010s as an idea for a Netflix series is now the Chilean animator's empowering middle grade graphic novel debut, 'Raise the Bar' [In print as: Fernanda Frick H.]. Publishers Weekly (July 17): https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/100874-fall-2026-writers-to-watch-fernanda-frick-h.html

Honeycutt, Kirk. 2019. ‘Catwoman’: THR’s 2004 review. Hollywood Reporter (July 23): https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/catwoman-review-movie-2004-1226110/

Martinez, Gabriella. 2020. Storytime with Rhode Montijo. Museum of Latin American Art (September 13): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPhDy-1gNFk

Brzeski, Patrick. 2026. Netflix reteams with Yeon Sang-ho for ‘Parasyte: Tamiya’ series. Hollywood Reporter (July 22): https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/netflix-yeon-sang-ho-parasyte-tamiya-series-1236653812/

McGraw Milhaven. 2026. Jeffrey Koterba on free speech and political cartoons (July 21; podcast). America at Night with McGraw Milhaven: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/macfarlane-mondays-soccer-hall-of-famer-al-trost/id1660820255?i=1000777661626

Zahed, Ramin. 2026. Cathal Gaffney, Brown Bag Films’ co-founder and CIO, is leaving the company after 32 years. Animation Magazine (July 22): https://www.animationmagazine.net/2026/07/cathal-gaffney-brown-bag-films-co-founder-and-cio-is-leaving-the-company-after-32-years/

Zahed, Ramin. 2026. SIGGRAPH: ‘Kök Börü’ director Amina Ömirjan talks frankly about the making of Higgsfield AI’s new short. Animation Magazine (July 22): https://www.animationmagazine.net/2026/07/siggraph-kok-boru-director-amina-omirjan-talks-frankly-about-the-making-of-higgsfield-ais-new-short/

McNaught Syndicate. 1928. More News from McNaught Syndicate [Windy Riley, Bungle Family advertisement]. Editor and Publisher 60 (33; January 7): 31. Online at https://archive.org/details/sim_editor-publisher_1928-01-07_60_33/page/30/mode/2up

Unknown. 1928. ["Cy Hungerford, cartoonist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, will speak to the United High School Press Association of West Virginia in Huntington on February 18"]. Editor and Publisher 60 (35; January 21): 25. Online at https://archive.org/details/sim_editor-publisher_1928-01-21_60_35/page/24/mode/2up

Unknown. 1928. New Comic Strip [John Medbury, Molly the Manicure]. Editor and Publisher 60 (35; January 21): 32. Online at https://archive.org/details/sim_editor-publisher_1928-01-21_60_35/page/32/mode/2up

Unknown. 1928. 12 Pages of Comics [Cleveland Plain Dealer]. Editor and Publisher 60 (36; January 28): 1. Online at https://archive.org/details/sim_editor-publisher_1928-01-28_60_36/mode/2up

NEA Services. 1927. Full-page Comics. Page mats or ready-print sections -- eight distinct comics in four pages [advertisement]. Editor and Publisher 60 (29; December 10): 48. Online at https://archive.org/details/sim_editor-publisher_1927-12-10_60_29/page/48/mode/2up

Comics Research Bibliography citations update, 7/22/2026

Cronin, Brian. 2026. Mitch Byrd, Guy Gardner artist, passes away. CBR (July 22): https://www.cbr.com/mitch-byrd-guy-gardner-artist-obituary/

Stitz, Nicole. 2026. From editorial cartoons to massive murals: The whimsical world of Ron Bates. YourSun (July 20): https://www.yoursun.com/homeandstyle/from-editorial-cartoons-to-massive-murals-the-whimsical-world-of-ron-bates/article_b94cfa44-9814-4653-9c87-e0f93608992b.html

Gardner, Alan. 2026. The 10+ cartoonists who influenced Lynn Johnston. Daily Cartoonist (July 22): https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2026/07/22/the-10-cartoonists-who-influenced-lynn-johnston/

Molina, Pedro X. 2026. Taking humor seriously. Tinyview (July 16): https://tinyview.com/pedro-x-molina/2026/07/15/taking-humor-seriously

MacDonald, Heidi. 2026. Shots fired: Prana vs ComicsPRO. The Beat (July 22): https://www.comicsbeat.com/shots-fired-prana-vs-comicspro/

Griepp, Milton. 2026. ICv2 – The Business of Fandom: New branding reflects changing market, history. ICv2 (July 22): https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/62926/icv2-the-business-fandom

Murray, Will. 1990. Philip Jose Farmer - His apocalyptic life [Doc Savage and Tarzan pastiches]. Starlog (155; June): 22–25, 33

Kelly, John. 2026. RIP Jerry Moriarty — 1938-2026. TCJ (July 22): https://www.tcj.com/rip-jerry-moriarty-1938-2026/

Unknown. 2026. A new Spider-Man film is on the way; what’s the secret to the wall-crawler’s 60 years of relevancy? Temple Now (July 17): https://now.temple.edu/news/2026-07-17/new-spider-man-film-way-whats-secret-wall-crawlers-60-years-relevancy

Unknown. 2026. ["It is with profound and sadness and disbelief that we say goodbye to beloved Calgary visual artist and drag performer, Mike Hooves..."; Canada, webcomics]. mikehooves (July 22): https://www.instagram.com/p/DbGwNGMySST/

Allen, Troy-Jeffrey. 2026. SDCC ’26: Eisners So Black. The Beat (July 22): https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-26-eisners-so-black/

Puc, Samantha. 2026. SDCC ’26: San Diego Comic-Con will be forever (at least through 2030). The Beat (July 22): https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-26-san-diego-comic-con-will-be-forever-at-least-through-2030/

Zahed, Ramin. 2026. ‘Monitor’ director Michael Berardini shares the haunting inspirations behind his acclaimed animated horror short. Animation Magazine (July 21): https://www.animationmagazine.net/2026/07/monitor-director-michael-berardini-shares-the-haunting-inspirations-behind-his-acclaimed-animated-horror-short/

Hoven, Max and Andrea Lorenzo Molinari. 2026. What are mainstream publishers looking for? ft. early IDW exec & Image editor Chris Ryall. Indie Comic Empire (July 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd-qSz0v0f8

Johnson, Chris. 2026. Tom Richmond: Frankie Muniz HATED my art, but JJ Abrams LOVED it (Tom Richmond; podcast 1). Passion Pod (July 20): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6oO1M2Bypo

Harper, David. 2026. Chip Zdarsky answers Chip Chat viewer questions on: Avengers! David Colton! Writing comics! More!. SKTCHD (July 22): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAWl2MY4YEg

Harrison, Bob and Mike Gold. 2026. Pop Culture SquadCast - LIVE with special guest Eliot Rahal (podcast). Pop Culture Squad (July 21): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDO2QZidoyY

Farley, Chad. 2026. Dean Haspiel's new projects Chest Face & Antimatter: What you're missing. Collectors Confessions (July 22): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0mWaaYLo3k

Nicholas, Jamar, Steve Conley, and Mike Manley. 2026. Alberto Ruiz returns. Pencil to Pencil (July 22): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DS3T7Cs9UU

Honeycutt, Kirk. 2011. ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’: Film review. Hollywood Reporter (July 20): https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/captain-america-first-avenger-film-213287/

Finn, Sarah Halley. 2026. Casting Captain America: The First Avenger | Behind-the-scenes commentary with Sarah Halley Finn. Marvel Entertainment (July 22): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXgUnm_aXPg

Freeman, Atom. 2026. Writer Dirk Manning talks Nightmare World: The Complete Collection. Prana: Direct Market Solutions' The Final Cut (July 21): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZnukfLBXls

Siuntres, John. 2026. Michael Stradford's Grindhouse comic. Word Balloon (July 21): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edae3JvDniM

Siuntres, John. 2026. Morgan Hampton Green Lantern Corps Cyborg Star Trek and more. Word Balloon (July 21): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCElABzKZnM

De Hart, Jason. 2026. Words, Images, & Worlds: Rob Multari returns! [Lone Wolf Comics]. Words, Images, & Worlds (July 21): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1umOX7RoQA

Oliver, Beth. 2025. Graphic novel captures Clydebank voices of World War II. A graphic novel inspired by local voices is marking 80 years since the end of World War II [students]. [Dumbarton, UK] Reporter (December 12): https://www.dumbartonreporter.co.uk/news/25693180.graphic-novel-captures-clydebank-voices-world-war-ii/

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Troy-Jeffrey Allen on black nominees for this year's Eisners

SDCC ’26: Eisners So Black

by Troy-Jeffrey Allen

on 07/22/2026 https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-26-eisners-so-black/

"E23: DWIGHTMESS Comics Lab" EXHIBITION OPENING ALERT

💥 EXHIBITION OPENING ALERT 💥⁠

⁠

In the 23rd iteration of Transformer's annual Exercises for Emerging Artists program, "E23: DWIGHTMESS Comics Lab" explores comics and illustration as a medium for storytelling, world-building, and visual invention. ⁠

⁠

Spanning biweekly mentorship sessions from mid-March through the end of June, "E23: DWIGHTMESS Comics Lab" brings together 4 DMV based artists – Yuki Clarke, Art Hondros, Linda Kuo, Tia Wilson – with lead mentorship by Adam Dwight Griffiths Adam Griffiths to create new comics-based work presented in the culminating summer exhibition, "Comics, et cetera", on view July 25 through September 5, 2026.⁠

dwightmess Yuki Clarke Art Hondros Tia 🍉 Adam Griffiths Linda 🌙

"COMICS, ET CETERA" Opening Weekend Events:⁠

💥Visionary Leaders Circle Preview Reception: Fri. July 24, 5 - 7 PM⁠

💥Community Open House: Sat. July 26, 12 - 6 PM⁠

💥Conversation with E23 artist cohort, moderated by E23 lead mentor Adam Griffiths, Sat. July 26, 1 - 2 PM⁠

⁠

Whether experimenting with storytelling, world-building, animation, or sculpture, an underlying devotion to the sequential becomes palpable — yet among these artists there is a textured, creative differing in the logic of ordered story composition: how the body can experience order in space, how a personal history can be redesigned through conventional comic form, how an understanding of narrative can be renegotiated by interacting with a technological diorama, and how original characters conceived beyond gender participate in traditional stages of life. ⁠

⁠

Learn more about the Exercises, Comics, et cetera, the participating artists and MORE - visit https://www.transformerdc.org/e23

⁠

Cover illustration by all participating artists.

Comics Research Bibliography citations update, 7/21/2026

Allie, Ivy (ed). 2025. Monograph presents: Hilda Terry. Monograph (1; September). online at https://monograph.ink/pdf/monograph_hilda_terry.pdf

Sciales, E. B. 2026. Hilda Terry: Biography and illustration. Monograph (1; September): 5–9. Online at https://monograph.ink/pdf/monograph_hilda_terry.pdf

Bernard, Warren. 2026. Hilda Terry’s teenage girls and pop culture. Monograph (1; September): 11–13. Online at https://monograph.ink/pdf/monograph_hilda_terry.pdf

Higuera, Diego. 2026. Comics crowdfunding round-up: Till Death, Stryde, Swiss Army Woman, and three more projects you’ll love. The Beat (July 21): https://www.comicsbeat.com/comics-crowdfunding-round-up-till-death-stryde-swiss-army-woman-and-three-more-projects-youll-love/

Hunter, Greg. 2026. R&R: Get up — Schrauwen’s Sunday and Joyce’s Ulysses, revisited. TCJ (July 21): https://www.tcj.com/rr-get-up-schrauwens-sunday-and-joyces-ulysses-revisited/

Buchanan, Bill. 2026. Davis and Bob Dunning ‘saved my career’ [Jack Ohman]. Davisville (July 13): https://kdrt.org/audio/davisville-july-13-2026-davis-and-bob-dunning-%E2%80%98saved-my-career%E2%80%99

Chiu-Tabet, Christopher. 2026. The Beat Digest 07/21/26: José Andrés teams up with the Avengers. The Beat (July 21): https://www.comicsbeat.com/digest-072126/

Degg, D. D. 2026. VeeFriends comic strip ended. Daily Cartoonist (July 20): https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2026/07/20/veefriends-comic-strip-ended/

Zahed, Ramin. 2026. ‘King of the Hill’ showrunner Saladin Patterson guides us through its 15th season on Hulu. Animation Magazine (July 20): https://www.animationmagazine.net/2026/07/king-of-the-hill-showrunner-saladin-patterson-guides-us-through-its-15th-season-on-hulu/

Milligan, Mercedes. 2026. Mike Bender’s ‘The Most Serious Fart’ set for animated feature adaptation at Utopai. Animation Magazine (July 20): https://www.animationmagazine.net/2026/07/mike-benders-the-most-serious-fart-set-for-animated-feature-adaptation-at-utopai/

Zalben, Alex. 2025. Dark Horse To Release Moebius’ ‘The Depressed Hunter’ In English for the First Time. Comicbook Club (December 10): https://comicbookclublive.com/2025/12/10/dark-horse-to-release-moebius-the-depressed-hunter-in-english-for-the-first-time/

Wilson, Gemma / Seattle Times. 2026. A teenage romance comes to a mature end [Heartstopper Forever]. Washington Post (July 21): B1, 3

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

PR: Announcing More Small Press Expo 2026 Special Guests

For Immediate Release

Contact Email: press@smallpressexpo.com

Small Press Expo Announces Derf, Kim Deitch, James Spooner, Noah Van Sciver, CK Gormally, and Raquelle Jac.

Bethesda, Maryland - July 21, 2026

Media Release - Small Press Expo is proud to announce the second group of Special Guests for SPX 2026.

This is in addition to the previously announced Special Guests Lisa Hanawalt, Julia Wertz, Frederick Noland, Peter Bagge, and Jared Cullum.

Read more about SPX 2026 Special Guests here.

The show takes place on Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, with programming and workshops about the amazing world of independent comics as well as an exhibitor floor featuring over 450 creators.

Additional Special Guests will be announced over the next few weeks.

SPX 2026 is honored to have the following creators as Special Guests to this year's show.

Banner by Sanika Phawde

Visit the SPX 2026 Website for More Info

Derf

Derf's latest graphic novel, T HE DISSIDENTS. will debut at SPX 2026. The book follows a group of political cartoonists who draw for the provocative magazine The Masses. Art Young, Boardman Robinson, Cornelia Barns, and others were stars in their day, but are now forgotten. What they document in their cartoons is a country spiraling into darkness, under attack by German saboteurs, and secretive private militias, plagued by racism, and rocked by class war. An autocratic president will not tolerate any dissent or criticism. The cartoonists are harassed, spied upon, blacklisted, and finally indicted for sedition and put on trial— with 20-year sentences hanging over their heads. Two others are forced to flee the country into exile. One is imprisoned and tortured! Another is incarcerated by the U.S. Army and scheduled for execution!

The Dissidents is a gripping, layered, and shocking story, told through the eyes and the work of the political cartoonists of The Masses. It’s a story of artistic courage in the face of merciless authoritarianism. In The Dissidents, Derf delivers a unique account of U.S. history– and lost comics history– that connects the events of today to seeds that were sown over 100 years ago.

Kim Deitch

It is an honor to announce that legendary underground cartoonist Kim Deitch is a special guest at SPX 2026! One of the most prolific artists of his generation, Deitch enters his 60th year of cartooning more inventive than ever and showing no signs of slowing down. He'll be signing copies of his newest book, How I Make Comics--a creatively kaleidoscopic, non-stop exploration of how Deitch's imagination turns ideas, influences, and irritations into comics in his inimitable style--and Reincarnation Stories, a cosmic jigsaw puzzle of creation.

James Spooner

It Starts with Anger is the latest by James Spooner, published by Pantheon. From award-winning filmmaker and graphic novelist James Spooner, comes the untold origin story of the AFROPUNK movement and festival. In the early 1990s, a mixed-race Black teenager arrives in New York City searching for belonging in the punk scene, only to discover that racism and exclusion persist even within supposedly progressive spaces. Through zines, music, activism, and a cross-country journey documenting Black punks, Spooner helps give voice to a generation that had been largely overlooked. What begins as an underground cultural movement eventually grows into the internationally recognized AFROPUNK phenomenon. Blending memoir, comics, and punk ephemera, It Starts with Anger is a coming-of-age story, a celebration of Black punk culture, and a reflection on the uneasy relationship between rebellion and commercialization.

Noah Van Sciver

We are thrilled to announce that Noah Van Sciver is a special guest at SPX 2026! Over the past decade, Noah Van Sciver has established himself as the most versatile graphic novelist working today. Whether it be in the service of straight-up satire (Fante Bukowski, Beat It, Rufus!), serious historical nonfiction (Joseph Smith and the Mormons, The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln), autobiography (As a Cartoonist, One Dirty Tree), or books for younger readers (Calamity Before Jane, Johnny Appleseed), Van Sciver’s singular voice and style has proven remarkably malleable to the needs of each project. With his newest graphic novel, The Mess, Van Sciver stakes yet new creative ground as a fiction writer, crafting the most magnetic and literary work of his career.

CK Gormally

Cara Gormally, 'CK', will be signing their debut graphic memoir, Everything is Fine, I’ll Just Work Harder (Street Noise Books). This graphic memoir tells the story of a workaholic professor who embarks on a transformative therapeutic journey after an facebook friend request re-surfaces long-buried trauma. Reviewers describe Gormally’s book as a “map for those who feel lost” offering “a fresh perspective on the most intimate parts of our brains.” Infused with research describing the science of trauma, fellow recovering work-too-hard badasses will be encouraged to learn that sometimes the strongest thing we can do is learn how to be soft as we become our true selves.

Raquelle Jac

We are so pleased to announce that Raquelle Jac is a special guest at SPX 2026! Her debut graphic novel, Bimbo Agitprop, captures the reality of growing up in West Texas in the early 21st century, through Satanic Panics, Y2K, a recession, abusive parents, crummy men, identity-centric politics, and woke/anti-woke pendulum swings. In the tradition of Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Phoebe Gloeckner, Jac wields art like a knife to organize, agitate, and dismantle the predatory systems that immiserate us all.

Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together more than 450 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The expo includes a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year’s guests.

The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show.

For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.smallpressexpo.com.

Small Press Expo

P.O. Box 5704

Bethesda, Maryland

20824

www.smallpressexpo.com

Email: press@smallpressexpo.com

STAY CONNECTED

Small Press Expo | PO Box 5704 | Bethesda, MD 20824 US

PR: Announcing Small Press Expo 2026 Special Guests

For Immediate Release

Contact Email: press@smallpressexpo.com

Small Press Expo Announces Lisa Hanawalt, Julia Wertz, Peter Bagge, Frederick Nolan and Jared Cullum as Special Guests for SPX 2026

Bethesda, Maryland - July 16, 2026

Media Release - Small Press Expo is proud to announce the first group of Special Guests for SPX 2026. The show takes place on Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, with programming and workshops about the amazing world of independent comics as well as an exhibitor floor featuring over 450 creators.

Read more about SPX 2026 Special Guests here.

Additional Special Guests will be announced over the next few weeks.

SPX 2026 is honored to have the following creators as Special Guests to this year's show.

Banner by Sanika Phawde

Visit the SPX 2026 Website for More Info

Lisa Hanawalt

I Can’t Stop Thinking About Horses and Sex marks the long-awaited return of Tuca & Bertie creator and BoJack Horseman producer/production designer Lisa Hanawalt to comics. This is the honest, silly, horny and vulnerable memoir of a horse girl, now in her forties and reflecting back on a lifetime of obsessions.

Whether Hanawalt is confronting large life issues like whether or not to have kids, being an anxious lil freak, caring for a sick horse, revisiting childhood trauma, or dealing with a major breakup and the ensuing lustfulness—she delivers a reading experience that’s relatable, affirming, and almost always hilarious. In lush colors and kinetic lines, she charts the strange terrain of life, one bumpy, dusty horseback ride at a time.

Julia Wertz

Julia Wertz is thrilled to be coming back to SPX after over a decade of absence. The last time she attended, she was single, urban-exploring dirtbag living in NYC and she's returning this year as a married mother living in California, but probably still kind of a dirtbag. She'll be selling/signing copies of her newest book Bury Me Already (It's Nice Down Here) as well as some of her older books. And maybe some hats. Come say hi!

Peter Bagge

We are so excited to announce that Peter Bagge is a special guest at SPX 2026! He is is one of the primary architects of the alternative comics genre that exploded in the 1980s and 1990s. His bestselling comic series, Hate, is arguably the Great American Grunge novel. Part screwball comedy, part soap opera, part loose autobiography, Hate is an enduring chronicle of the 1990s as well as riotously relatable to anyone bumbling through their twenties.

Frederick Nolan

Frederick Nolan is the auther of Major Taylor: The World's Fastest Man from Drawn & Quarterly. Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, a Black man who was one of the greatest American athletes of the early 20th century. Taylor was born in 1878 in Indianapolis and came of age during the height of the Jim Crow era, facing racism at every turn.

Cartoonist Frederick Noland is a cyclist himself and in this epic biography of America’s first Black world champion, he thrills in the records Taylor broke and the adoring public he found across around the world. Noland documents how racism inflected Black life in the post Civil War era: cyclists would collude to injure Taylor, and he faced segregationist policies even in liberal cities such as San Francisco.

Jared Cullum

Jared Cullum is a Reuben Award (Best Graphic Novel) winning | 2-time Eisner Comic Industry Award nominated Author-Cartoonist and traditional painter of things. He's best known for his award winning graphic novel series, Kodi, and work on the spin off series Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito '84. Top Shelf is proud to present the sequel, Kodi 2: A Place to Call Home at SPX where Jared will be signing and showing original hand-painted watercolor and gouache pages.