events – SMASH PAGES

Picture + Panel | Tana Ford + Colleen AF Venable ‘paws and reflect’ on cats

The two creators chat about cats in advance of their live discussion in Boston.

Today we continue our interview series with creators speaking at the monthly Picture + Panel event in Boston, which brings together two comic creators to talk about a specific topic. Tomorrow, Tana Ford and Colleen AF Venable will talk all things feline, as cats take center stage, and we’re happy to present a preview of their conversation.

Picture + Panel is a monthly conversation series that brings graphic novel creators to the Boston area. Each conversation explores a specific topic, ranging from the fun and exciting to the strange or serious — like demon possession or monsters. Produced in partnership by the Boston Comic Arts Foundation, Porter Square Books and the Boston Figurative Arts Center, Picture + Panel provides thought-provoking discussions for the unique form of expression that is the comics medium.

Tana Ford is a Hugo and Eisner award–winning artist. She has illustrated comics for Marvel, Dark Horse, Vertigo and IDW. You can find her work on LaGuardia, Silk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, New Warriors, Jem and the Holograms, Star Trek and Black Panther: Long Live the King. Tana is a recipient of the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. She lives in a seaside cottage in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where she is presently obsessed with birds.

Colleen AF Venable is the author of the National Book Award-longlisted Kiss Number 8, a graphic novel co-created with Ellen T. Crenshaw. Her other books include the Katie the Catsitter series with Stephanie Yue, Mervin the Sloth is About to Do the Best Thing in The World with Ruth Chan, The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom with Lian Cho, and the Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye series, also with Stephanie Yue and nominated for the Best Publication for Kids Eisner. Previously Colleen was the sole designer for hundreds of First Second Books, worked as a Creative Director for Workman and Macmillan, and the Director for Epic! Kids. Now she writes full-time and splits her time between North Adams, Massachusetts and Brooklyn, New York.

And now, let’s hear what they have to say about cats …

Shortbox Comics Fair returns with more than 140 digital comics

The annual event is back this October with brand-new comics from creators around the world.

The annual Shortbox Comics Fair has returned, offering digital comics in a variety of genres from artists all over the world. It runs through Oct. 31.

The fair is curated by Zainab Akhtar, who used to run the Shortbox comic imprint, and published and sold print comics up until February of last year. The spirit of the imprint continues with the fair, which offers a wide selection of really cool comics by both veteran and up-and-coming indie creators. You can find previews of each of them on the site.

Picture + Panel | Peter Kuper + Allison Conway share the buzz on insects

We continue our interview series in advance of a live question-and-answer session between the two creators in Boston next week.

Whether you find bugs to be fascinating or just creepy, you’ll likely enjoy today’s Q&A with Peter Kuper and Allison Conway. We continue our new interview series in conjunction with the Boston Comic Arts Foundation as the creators of Insectopolis and A Pillbug Story talk about their big love for some of the world’s smallest creatures

Picture + Panel is a monthly conversation series that brings fantastic graphic novel creators to the Boston area. Each conversation explores a specific topic, ranging from the fun and exciting to the strange or serious — like demon possession or monsters. Produced in partnership by the Boston Comic Arts Foundation, Porter Square Books and the Boston Figurative Arts Center, Picture + Panel provides thought-provoking discussions for the unique form of expression that is the comics medium.

On June 2 at 7 p.m. Eastern, Kuper and Conway will be at the Boston Figurative Arts Center in Somerville, Massachusetts for a discussion on all things bug-related with Whit Farnum from the Farrell Lab at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. You can find more details on the event’s website.

Big thanks as always to Gina Gagliano and Jason Viola, who organize the monthly series in Boston and brought this Q&A series to Smash Pages!

Picture + Panel | Anna Meyer + Michelle Fus discuss the draw of demonic possession

We continue our new interview series in advance of a question-and-answer session between the two creators in Boston next week.

Today we continue our new feature that brings together two comic creators to talk about a specific topic — in this case, stories about demonic possession.

Picture + Panel is a monthly conversation series that brings fantastic graphic novel creators to the Greater Boston area. Each conversation explores a specific topic, ranging from the fun and exciting to the strange or serious. Produced in partnership by the Boston Comic Arts Foundation, Porter Square Books and the Boston Figurative Arts Center, Picture + Panel provides thought-provoking discussions for the unique form of expression that is the comics medium.

We’re happy to bring some of that discussion online in advance of each session. On May 5, Anna Meyer and Michelle Fus will visit the Boston Figurative Arts Center in a Q&A moderated by Jordan Harris. You can find more details at the event’s website.

Anna Meyer was born in Northeast Ohio. She enjoys climbing, congregating in the kitchen, and coffee made by a loved one. Anna currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her partner, Bryan, and their two cats, sweet Ysif and not-so-sweet Oscar. Saint Catherine is her first graphic novel.

Michelle Fus graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2011 for Computer Art and Animation, interned at Pixar, worked at Dreamworks, changed careers, and has dedicated the past 13 years to working on the sci-fi/fantasy comic called Ava’s Demon. She is a fan of aliens, horror, magic and all the fantastic things in-between.

Big thanks to Gina Gagliano and Jason Viola, who organize the monthly series in Boston and brought this Q&A series to Smash Pages!

Introducing Picture + Panel | Tina Lugo + Marjorie Liu reveal why their favorite things are monsters

We kick off a new interview series in advance of a question-and-answer session between the two creators in Boston next week.

Today we introduce a new feature here at Smash Pages featuring two comic creators talking about specific topics –like, in today’s feature, monsters.

We’re happy to bring some of that discussion online in advance of each session. Next Monday Tina Lugo and Marjorie Liu will visit the Boston Figurative Arts Center in a Q&A moderated by author Sara Farizan. You can find more details on the event here.

Tina Lugo is an international tattooer and illustrator living in Providence, Rhode Island with her dog, Lou. She is the creator of The Changeling graphic novel series, published by Silver Sprocket. Tina’s work is heavily influenced by 90s manga and anime with a focus on queerness and Taíno representation.

Marjorie Liu is an attorney and New York Times bestselling novelist and comic book writer. Her work at Marvel includes the series X-23, Black Widow, Han Solo, Dark Wolverine and Astonishing X-Men. She is also the co-creator of Monstress from Image Comics, which has won multiple Hugo Awards, British Fantasy Awards, Harvey Award and five Eisner Awards, making Liu the first-ever woman—and woman of color—to win an Eisner in the Best Writer category.

Big thanks to Gina Gagliano and Jason Viola, who organize the monthly series in Boston and brought this Q&A series to Smash Pages!

Almost 50 titles announced for Free Comic Book Day 2025

Diamond reveals the silver sponsor titles, which include Godzilla, The Phantom, Black Mirror, Herobear and the Kid, and more.

Diamond has revealed the remaining Free Comic Book Day titles for 2025, which, along with the Gold Sponsor titles announced earlier this week, brings the number of titles that will be available to retailers and fans on May 3 to 46 — and that’s before DC reveals what they might be doing, as they aren’t included in this batch.

Some of the highlights include:

BOOM! will celebrate their 20th anniversary with a special issue that I’m guessing will be an anthology.
Fantagraphics has a Lost Marvels title featuring Dominic Fortune on the cover that’s promoting a collection of “never-collected Marvel comics”
IDW will have two FCBD titles, one featuring Godzilla: The New Heroes and one collecting stories from their new IDW Dark line.
Mad Cave and their all-ages imprint Papercutz are going all in on FCBD, with Speed Racer and Phineas and Ferb in the gold tier, and The Phantom, an all-ages Flash Gordon and Herobear and the Kid in the silver.
Graphic novel previews that will land on FCBD include Vault’s Def Leppard, Skybound’s all-ages Transformers book and Scholastic/Marvel’s Hulk Teach.
The list includes a couple of licensed comics I wasn’t aware of, including a Black Mirror comic from Twisted Comics and Diablo from Titan.

Check them all out below:

Your 2025 FCBD line-up includes Spider-Man, Speed Racer, VR Troopers + more

Free comics from Marvel, Archie, Dark Horse, Mad Cave, BOOM! and more will be available next year on May 3.

Diamond has revealed the “Gold Sponsor” comic publishers and titles for Free Comic Book Day 2025, which includes Marvel, Mad Cave, BOOM!, Dark Horse and more. Thirteen comics from the gold sponsors will be available during next year’s event, which is scheduled for May 3.

“We’re excited for another fantastic year of celebrating comic books and the shops that make them special,” said Ashton Greenwood, Free Comic Book Day spokesperson. “This year’s selection has something for every kind of fan. Whether you’re new to comics or a longtime reader, you’re sure to find a title that grabs your attention.”

An additional 33 titles in the “Silver Sponsor” tier will be revealed tomorrow, although Marvel has already revealed three more titles they’ll offer, in addition to their two gold titles. DC is not mentioned in the announcement, as their books are not distributed by Diamond, but I’m sure they’ll have something on FCBD as well.

Check out the list of titles below:

More than 100 digital comics went up for sale today on the Shortbox Comics Fair website

The annual event features brand-new comics from creators around the world.

The annual Shortbox Comics Fair kicked off today, offering more than 100 new digital comics from artists all over the world. It runs from today through Oct. 31.

If you ever attended a small indie comics show — Small Press Expo, APE in San Francisco, etc. — this is basically the online equivalent of walking down the aisles and seeing just a ton of really cool comics by both veteran and up-and-coming indie creators. Only the creators are from around the world and you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to read their stuff.

Can’t Wait for Saturday | Free Comic Book Day brings Absolute Power, Jonny Quest + more

Check out a few of the cool + free comics you’ll find at your local retailer this Saturday.

The comic industry’s biggest holiday returns tomorrow as shops around the world bring you Free Comic Book Day, the annual event that yes, indeed, does offer you free comics.

The annual event started in 2002 based on an idea from retailer Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff in Concord, California. Since then, it’s become a cultural phenomenon, typically coming on the first Saturday in May, though sometimes in the past that wavered based on a new comic book movie’s release date. You can find a participating shop on the FCBD website, and see if any of your local shops are holding special events, sales or creator signings in conjunction with the event.

But of course, the focus is on the free comics. Many publishers use it as an opportunity to reshare a recent favorite or offer a prelude to an upcoming storyline or crossover. Still other will produce something wholly original or introduce a brand new title.

I’ve pulled out a few that look interesting to me below, and you can find the complete list of what could be available at your local shop on the FCBD site. Some things to keep in mind:

Not every retailer may have every title. Depending on their shop, they may elect to only have titles they think will excite their clientele.
Some retailers may limit the number of free comics you can take, while others may require a purchase.
Speaking of which, while titles are free to consumers, they are not free to retailers. So you may want to think about buying some other comics while you’re there regardless.
Some of the titles will also be available digitally, in case you can’t make it out on Saturday. So be sure to check your favorite digital comics site on Saturday as well.

Quick Hits | Free Comic Book Day founder prepares for the last event at the location where the event was born

Plus: The Comics Journal website has new editors! Frank Miller Presents and Abrams ComicArts strike a deal! Aurora Awards nominees announced! Plus news on Marjane Satrapi, Bubbles Con and a controversial ski town comic!

This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day, an opportunity for retailers to not only bring new customers into their stores, but also to get media coverage. You can do a quick search of Google News to see all the local coverage the event has been getting, but this story in particular jumped out at me because it involves Joe Field, who came up with the idea of Free Comic Book Day back in 2001.

Field’s store, Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff in Concord, California, has been a staple of the community for decades, but will have to move to a new location early next year after their lease expires — making this Saturday the last FCBD at their current shop.

“We’re very hopeful and now actually pretty excited by what the future of Flying Colors could be,” Field told the San Jose Mercury News. “There are a lot of unknowns — like how many of our faithful customers will want to create a new habit of going to a different spot to support us? How many new customers can we cultivate moving to a different spot? How strong will the market for comics and graphic novels be over the next bunch of years? Can we afford to do this when we are already technically past the standard retirement date?”

Despite those questions, Field says they hope that “we continue to build community and continue to spread happiness through our comic book business. That’s when everything will be a success.”

‘Dawn of DC’ joins the 2023 Free Comic Book Day line-up

DC joins in on the FCBD fun for this year as other publishers reveal their final covers.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you from comics creators, publishers and more. Hit the links for more information.

Through their solicitations for April, DC Comics has revealed at least part of their plans for this year’s Free Comic Book Day — Dawn of DC, which shares a title with their recent publishing initiative that follows Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths.

“After the near-Multiverse-ending events in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths and DC Universe: Lazarus Planet, the DC Universe will be heading toward the light,” Jim Lee, DC publisher and chief creative officer, said last year when Dawn of DC was announced. “With brand-new series and story arcs from some of the top creative members in comics, Dawn of DC is one of our most ambitious initiatives ever and is a chance for us to tell bigger and bolder stories across our line.”

TCAF will return as an in-person event next June

The Toronto Comics Arts Festival will host both an in-person and virtual event June 17-19.

The Toronto Comics Arts Festival have announced their 2022 dates, as well as their intention to return as an in-person event. TCAF 2022 is planned for June 17-19, offering “a unique combination of both real-life and virtual events.”

Like most conventions, TCAF cancelled their live event in 2020 when the pandemic struck. Last year they held a completely virtual event.

“Following on the success of last year’s extensive range of virtual programming, TCAF will bring together the best of both worlds for 2022, offering one-of-a-kind virtual events alongside a new and improved online marketplace for global visitors, as well as the triumphant return of in-person programming, events and creator exhibition for local attendees,” their statement reads.

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