Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC), the international showcase for cartoon art, is excited to announce its featured guests for the 2024 festival running September 26th – 29th. For our tenth festival, CXC brings the global family of cartoon storytellers, comic makers, and animators together with the people who love and are inspired by cartoon art, and connects them in Columbus, Ohio.
“It’s ten years of bringing the best and brightest in comics, graphic novels, political cartoons, animation and comic strips right to our doorstep of Columbus, Ohio,” said Jeff Smith, co-founder of the festival and creator of the graphic novel series Bone, “This year promises to be even more special. Prepare to be dazzled by legendary creators, laugh alongside cartoonists, and be swept away by the power of visual storytelling in all its forms. Whether you’re a die-hard comic book fan, animation enthusiast, or simply enjoy a good laugh, CXC has something for everyone.”
The 10th festival will feature:
- Bryan Lee O’Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. His six-volume Scott Pilgrim series was a New York Times bestseller, an LA Times Book Prize finalist, and won an Eisner Award, two Harvey Awards, a Doug Wright Award, and a Joe Shuster Award. His books
(including Lost at Sea, Seconds, and Snotgirl) have been translated into over 20 languages. - Jerry Craft is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the graphic novels New Kid, Class Act, and School Trip. New Kid is the only book in history to win the John Newbery Medal (2020); the Kirkus Prize (2019), and the Coretta Scott King Author Award (2020).
- Art Spiegelman has almost single-handedly brought comic books out of the toy closet and onto the literature shelves, with his groundbreaking and acclaimed Pulitzer Prize winning MAUS graphic novels and his underground comix series RAW.
- Françise Mouly is a foundational figure in underground/alt comics-making and comics-publishing, co-helming the influential RAW magazine, among other things. The publishing imprint she currently runs, TOON Books, is the premier publisher of comics for young readers.
- Kate Beaton Is a Canadian-based cartoonist who gained popular and critical acclaim with her comic series Hark A Vagrant. Her recent release Ducks is about her experience working off her student loan debts in the oil fields of Alberta. She has won the Eisner, Ignatz, Harvey, and Doug Wright awards for her work.
- Jeff Smith, writer and artist of comics and graphic novels Bone, RASL, and Tuki and co-founder of CXC. This will be Jeff’s only comics festival appearance in 2024.
- Chip Zdarsky is a Canadian comic book artist and writer, journalist, illustrator, and designer. His work includes Batman, Daredevil, Spider Man, and Sex Criminals.
- Ben Passmore is the author of the ongoing comic book series Daygloayhole, as well as the Eisner Award-nominated and Ignatz Award-winning comic collection Your Black Friend.
- Rupert Kinnard is the creator of the Brown Bomber — a teenage, Black, gay, fairy superhero — who made his publication debut on the editorial pages of the Cornell College newspaper, The Cornellian, in 1977. He created the first black LGBTQ+ comic strip pioneering cartoon work in both communities as well as the intersection therein.
- Ahn Jae-huun is a Korean 2D traditional animator and cofounder of the animation studio Meditation with a Pencil. His work has been screened at Annecy International Film Festival, Seoul International Animation Festival and many more.
- Rafael Rosado is a seasoned writer, director and storyboard artist for the animation industry. His latest work with writer Jorge Aguirre is Call Me Iggy published by Macmillan Publishers in early 2024.
And so many more!
“Our tenth show is going to be the best yet, with a fantastic guest lineup that spans comics luminaries such as Bryan Lee O’Malley, who’s celebrating the 20th anniversary of his widely-beloved series, SCOTT PILGRIM; kids’ comics superstar, Newberry Award and Coretta Scott King Author Award recipient Jerry Craft; New York Times best-seller Kate Beaton; and tons more,” says Ben Towle, CXC Programming Co-Chair and five-time Eisner-nominated cartoonist, “Young or old, comic books or graphic novels, newspaper strips or webtoons—there will be something amazing for you at CXC 2024!”
Festival organizers will have more information about programming in the coming months. Follow CXC on social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) or check www.cartooncrossroadscolumbus.org for the latest.
CXC 2024 Programming will occur at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus Metropolitan Library, the Columbus Museum of Art, GFC: Gateway Film Center and the Wexner Center for the Arts.
Source: Press Release
