About Prairie Comics Festival

Submit Your Exhibitor Application Here!

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:
Venue TBA

Book Sale Fundraiser – Sunday, March 22, 2020 at Platform Gallery

Professional Development Day for Exhibitors – Friday May 1, 12pm – 4pm, Friesens Printing in Altona, MB (transportation arranged by the festival)

First Fridays Kickoff – Friday, May 1 at Platform Gallery, 100 Arthur Street
Main Festival – Saturday, May 2 – Sunday May 3, venue TBD

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 a strong showcase of creators for our limited space, 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 is free in order to encourage all to attend!

This year’s event location is TBD but will be announced soon.

Have any questions about the festival? Contact us

Sign up for the mailing list to keep updated

The planning committee for the 2020 festival is S.M. Beiko, Scott A. Ford and Jay Cormack.

Application for Exhibition

APPLICATIONS OPEN: November 25, 2019 

APPLICATIONS END: January 6, 2020

FESTIVAL RUNS: May 2-3, 2020

To apply for one of 30 tables available, or to propose a panel at Prairie Comics Festival, here are some guidelines to help your application:

  • Comic creators and publishers with books, zines, or other forms of comics available for sale take priority. Webcomic creators must have a way to showcase their comics (ie. a tablet) and have some related merchandise for sale.
  • Fan art is not considered admissible for sale, if you are applying as a non-comic artist, please keep in mind only original work is allowed, unless you created the work for the copyright holder
  • You must show a link to an online portfolio or attach samples of your work for consideration in your application. An Instagram or related social media is NOT acceptable. However, we will review portfolios hosted on Google Drive, BeHance, ArtStation, or personal portfolio websites.
  • As our venue has changed and our costs have risen, we ask that, upon acceptance, each artist pays $45 for their table space. Table size to be determined by venue confirmation.
  • Upon acceptance to the festival, you may specify your choice of table neighbours.
  • Panel submissions must include a list of confirmed panellists. Panel submissions DO NOT require the form below, just email a paragraph pitch, name of organizer, and the panellists to smbeiko@gmail.com
  • You can submit applications to be an exhibitor and to be a panel organizer

Upon Submitting:

  • You will receive an email with on day of your application, if you do not receive this message, please email your information to smbeiko@gmail.com
  • If you are accepted as a vendor, and cancel your table after March 15, 2020, unless due to extenuating circumstances (ie. health reasons, a move out of town) you will not be eligible for a refund.
  • There will be a waiting list in case of cancellations

Exhibitor Fees:

A one time table fee of $45 CAD is due upon acceptance to the festival.

Exhibitor Provisos

Every exhibitor if approved will receive a table and chair. Tablecloths and coverings must be brought by the exhibitor. A quiet green room where you can take a break will be made available to you at the event.

Volunteers:

We are looking for billets for the festival. If you have a spare room or couch and would like to be considered to host a comics creator from out of town during the festival, please email Sam at smbeiko@gmail.com

If you would like to volunteer to help out during the preparation for, or the execution of, Prairie Comics Festival 2020, please email Sam at smbeiko@gmail.com to let us know how you can help!

The PCF 2020 Team

Prairie Comics Festival is an entirely volunteer-run group, helmed by an overseeing committee, aided by a group of wonderful volunteers throughout planning phases and the festival itself.

If you would like to volunteer to join Prairie Comics Festival on the organizing side, please email Sam at smbeiko@gmail.com!

The Prairie Comics Festival Organizing Committee:

  • Scott A. Ford
  • S.M. Beiko
  • Jay Cormack

Schedule

Schedule of Events

Friday May 1, 2020

Festival Kickoff Event

Platform Gallery, 100 Arthur Street, 8pm

Main Festival

Saturday May 2, 2020 

Festival hours:

10am – 5pm

Sunday May 3, 2020

Festival hours:

12pm – 5pm

Panels 

Saturday May 2, 2020

TBA

Sunday May 3, 2020

TBA

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