I am lucky to live in a city that puts on one of the best comics festivals around. The fourth annual Cartoon Crossroads Columbus starts this week. I’ll be volunteering there over the weekend, so say hello.
Here are some of the things I’m excited about. Note that I’m not listing some of the high-profile events, such as the Fraction-Bendis panel or Olivia Jaimes, because I think people already know about those.
- Jason Lutes! He has spent two decades completing Berlin, a story of that German city during the decline of the Wiemar Republic and the rise of fascism. He will be selling the recently released hardcover of the complete series and appearing at several panels. I have enjoyed his work ever since Jar of Fools in the mid-1990s, but have never seen him in person.
Chlorine Gardens by Keiler Roberts - Keiler Roberts has a new book and she’ll be there. I adore Keiler Roberts’ comics, which show the humor and frustration of being a parent of a young child and the uncertainty of dealing with personal health challenges. Her new book is Chlorine Gardens from Koyama Press. She has deservedly gotten rave reviews for just about everything she’s done, but she deserves even wider recognition.
- The usual suspects! One great thing about CXC is the guests who are there every year, including the show’s founder, Jeff Smith, and others such as Dustin Harbin and Derf Backderf, among many others.
My main advice this year, which is the same as it was last year, is to buy the damn books. You’ll be glad you did. And, many of the lower-profile cartoonists who are there are doing great work and depending on selling their books to pay for the trip.
Here’s the full schedule.
Dan Gearino 