Prairie Comics Festival

About Prairie Comics Festival

Prairie Comics Festival is a free to attend weekend festival in Winnipeg celebrating the best in comics creation on the prairies!

Festival Info at-a-glance:
251 Donald Street
MILLENNIUM LIBRARY, second floor
Friday, May 4, 2018: reception 8-11pm, PLATFORM 100 Arthur Street Event info here
Saturday, May 5 2018: 10:30 am – 5 pm
Sunday, May 6 2018: 1 – 5 pm

This festival features a market for creators of comic content, including artists, writers, and publishers, to interact with fans, promote their material, sell their wares, and meet other creators. Eligible content includes webcomics, print comics, graphic novels, zines, comics in non-traditional formats, and cartoons. The focus of this content is on original comic content, along with content created by the artists under license from the copyright holder.
In order to ensure this as best as we are able, the table selection is juried rather than first come, first served.

More than just a space to promote the creation of comics and discover new stories (many of which are unlikely to be found anywhere outside of this festival!), this weekend is intended to be a community experience to share your love of the comics medium! Panels will be held in an adjoining room where you can volunteer to share your passion and knowledge with fans and creators.

Admission and table space is free in order to encourage all to attend!

The event will take place in Winnipeg’s Millennium Library, the venue is accessible.

Have any questions about the festival? Contact me

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The planning committee for the 2018 festival is Hope Nicholson, Scott Ford, Nyala Ali, S.M. Beiko, Alicia May, and Sara Wilde, along with co-organizers: The Winnipeg Public Library.

Special Guests

Mariko Tamaki

Mariko Tamaki

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Comics creator Website Mariko Tamaki is the co-creator of Skim and This One Summer with Jillian Tamaki. This One Summer received Eisner and Ignatz Awards as well as Caldecott and Printz Honors. Mariko has also written for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tomb Raider, Hulk and Supergirl. She is currently working on a Lumberjanes prose series for Abrams books with Brooklyn Allen and a novel about losing your virginity, amongst other things. Mariko lives in Oakland.
ALB

ALB

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Comics creator Website ALB is a Toronto-based illustrator and digital content creator for CBC and Youtube. Through her ever growing platform she explores lifestyle, fashion, pop culture, and creates unique meditative sleep aids. She likes cats, pastel 80’s toys, horror comics and mango juice.
Valentine de Landro

Valentine de Landro

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Comics creator Website Valentine De Landro is a Canadian comic book artist, illustrator, and designer. His credits include titles from Marvel, DC Comics, IDW, Valiant, and Dark Horse. He’s known for Marvel Knights: 4 and X-Factor. He is the co-creator of BITCH PLANET with Kelly Sue DeConnick.

Guests

Bedside Press

Bedside Press

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Comics publisher Website Bedside Press is a Winnipeg-based publisher dedicated to promoting lost comic book stories and helping new stories find their audience. Bedside Press is focused on a diversity of storytellers and works range from comic book reprints to anthologies of new content.
Autumn Crossman-Serb

Autumn Crossman-Serb

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Comics creator Website Autumn Crossman-Serb is a Muslim illustrator/comic artist who was born and raised in Winnipeg. Her passions are monster girls, scifi/fantasy, and romantic comedies. She is currently working on a story for the new Beyond anthology and a Dreamphone colouring book.
Jamie Isfeld

Jamie Isfeld

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Comics creator Website Jamie Isfeld is a new media developer at the University of Manitoba by day and a jack-of-all-trades creative by night. Illustrator, comic lover, cosplayer, and former nerdy journalist, she loves making comics and content for younger audiences. To Tell Stories is the illustration, comics, and creative endeavors Jamie makes for the world to enjoy.
Scott A. Ford

Scott A. Ford

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Comics creator Website Scott A. Ford is an artist, designer, and storyteller from Winnipeg, MB. His work is primarily composed of comics, illustration, graphic design, and typography. Scott has written, illustrated, and published the first two issues of his comic series, Romulus + Remus of which Issue 1 was nominated for the 2012 Manitoba Book Awards: Best Illustrated Book of the Year. In April 2014, Scott graduated from the U of M with an Honours Degree in Fine Arts. Since graduating, he has been working on a number of new illustration and comic projects including a full-length sci-fi/fantasy graphic novel, Ark Land.
Ryan & Laura Harby

Ryan & Laura Harby

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Webcomics creator Website Ryan & Laura Harby produce a webcomic called Honey Dill. Ryan creates art for pay and for free. He can usually be found watching either Kids in the Hall or King of the Hill. Laura serves as the Honey Dill support team, she can be found at the local library (where she works) or at home on the couch (where she knits).

Panels

Friday May 4, 2018

8 to 11 pm

First Fridays Reception at Platform Gallery (100 Arthur Street)

Free to attend! Mix and mingle with comic book creators and fans and preview some of the books that will be available at the festival.

Saturday May 5, 2018

11 am to 12 pm

Working for US Publishers – Comic creators discuss the experience of working as editors, colour artists, writers, and artists for the largest comic book companies in the world. How they broke in, what the benefits and limitations are of working for large publishers, and how their experience has changed over time. Panellists include:

Mariko Tamaki (She-Hulk, writer, Marvel)
Chris Chuckry (The Flintstones, colour artist, DC)

Valentine de Landro (Bitch Planet, artist, Image)

Hope Nicholson (The Secret Loves of Geeks, editor, Dark Horse)

1 to 2 pm

Social Media and Comics – comic creators and journalists discuss the role of social media. Is it necessary? How far do you let your personal self shine through? How do you use different platforms, and why is it important to diversify your posts on each? What are the current hot topics when it comes to comics on social media?

Panellists include: comics journalist Nyala Ali, comic creator Autumn Crossman, comic creator/Youtube creator ALB, webcomic creator Ryan Harby

3 to 4 pm

Breaking out of the Panel – comic creators discuss the different formats comics can take, and innovative ways to showcase the medium. Whether this is in massive side-scrolling comics, mini self-made zines, or comics made in the shape of bubblegum wrappers, we will showcase ideas and brainstorm new ways to look at the medium of comics.

Panellists include: Scott A. Ford, Robert Pasternak, Hely Schumann, Alice RL

7 to 8:30 pm

McNally Robinson Conversation and Signing
1120 Grant Avenue

w/Mariko Tamaki & Valentine de Landro

Sunday May 6, 2018

1:30 to 2:30 pm

Young Adult Comics Panel – come join a roundtable of librarians discussing what are the best young adult graphic novels to read! A focus on inclusive programming, this will also showcase graphic novels that are available to be checked out immediately from the library after the panel

3 to 4 pm

Prairie Comic Festival Guest Spotlight – Mariko Tamaki, Valentine de Landro, and ALB are our special guests this year for the Prairie Comics Festival. Come join the panel and hear about their current and past projects, and engage in an open Q&A where you can ask them questions about their work.

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Partners

In-kind support for the Prairie Comics Festival is provided by the City of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Public Library.

Sponsors for the 2018 festival include the University of Winnipeg’s centre for research in young people’s texts and cultures and Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Manitoba’s Religious Studies, Renegade Arts Entertainment, and Bedside Press.