Festival of Cartoon Art: 1983-2013
The Festival of Cartoon Art, held triennially since 1983, has featured two days of lectures, panel discussions, exhibitions, receptions and other special events and has attracted an international audience including cartoonists, comics scholars, fans, collectors and students. The festival was a place where cartoon enthusiasts and creators came together, exchanged ideas, and shared their passion for comics and cartoons. The nation’s leading cartoonists have spoken at the Festival, including Lynda Barry, Milton Caniff, Will Eisner, Jules Feiffer, Ben Katchor, Patrick Oliphant, Jeff Smith, Art Spiegelman, Garry Trudeau and Bill Watterson, just to name a few.
Expanding on and replacing this original festival concept, Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) was born to create an annual city-wide festival experience with partners from art institutions and supporters including the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD), Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus Museum of Art, Cultural Arts Center, The King Arts Complex, Laughing Ogre Comics, Ohio History Connection, Popular Culture Studies at The Ohio State University, Short North Alliance, Thurber House, and the Wexner Center for the Arts. Cartoon Crossroads Columbus 2015 brought many leading members of the cartoonist community with special guests Lalo Alcaraz, Derf Backderf, Kate Beaton, Jerry Beck, Grace Ellis, Bill Griffith, Jaime Hernandez, Dylan Horrocks, Jeff Lemire, Francoise Mouly, Rafael Rosado, Katie Skelly, Jeff Smith, Art Spiegelman, and Craig Thompson.
So as we say goodbye to this wonderful triennial tradition, join us in welcoming the new and more encompassing festival, the annual Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) event!