CXC 2018 Special Guest Charles Vess is equally skilled as a comics-maker and as an illustrator, with a special emphasis on fantasy. He has won four World Fantasy, three Chesley, a Mythopoeic, and two Will Eisner awards. He has just completed 54 illustrations for the first ever collected edition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s multi-award winning Earthsea novels. “The Books of Earthsea,” which will be published in October 2018 by Saga Press (an imprint of Simon & Schuster). The powerful artist has agree to sit down and allow us to record him drawing and talking about his art and approach for posterity. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for fans of beautiful visual art, and Vess himself could not be more cherished by his peers and readers.

Join CXC 2018 special guest Annie Koyama, CXC 2018 special guest Jessica Campbell, and CXC 2018 featured guests Keiler Roberts and Dustin Harbin as the anchors of a rollicking panel placing the spotlight on Koyama Press at its tenth anniversary, and comic arts patron Koyama herself as a support of comics-makers and their wonderful creations as with the gift of art to the Billy that makes up the basis of this exhibit.

Annie Koyama is a former film producer who accidentally got into small press publishing. Her mandate is to promote and support a wide range of emerging and established artists via comics, graphic novels, art books, zines and through various art projects. Known for her alternative edge and diverse range of titles, Koyama’s roster ranges from autobiography to photography, horror to humor, and more.

Happy comics-makers and just-as-happy patrons of the comics art form gather together at the beautiful Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum enjoying food, drink, great conversation, wonderful exhibits, and even an awards announcement or two.

This panel features Roberta Gregory, Darrin Bell, Ricardo Padilla, John Jennings, Tim Fielder, Stacey Robinson, David Walker, and Kat Fajardo.

Poochytownby Jim Woodring, 2018. Courtesy of Fantagraphics Books.

Join us as visionary cartoonist Jim Woodring provides an in-depth look at his latest book, Poochytown (Fantagraphics), a wordless, surreal, and emotionally powerful story featuring his beloved anthropomorphic everyman, Frank!