4/1-4/6: Comic + Cartoon Art Week in New York, NY
It's Comic + Cartoon Art Week in New York – join in on all the week's festivities taking place throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, including "Strong Female Protagonist" panel at the SVA Theatre on Tuesday, April 1st, Nick Abadzis at Strand Books and Katie Skelley at Desert Island on Thursday, April 3rd, Fiona Staples at Midtown Comics Downtown and James Kochalka at Bergen Street Comics on Friday, April 4th, and more (full list of events can be found here). Organized by the Society of Illustrators.
All this leads up to MoCCA Arts Fest 2014, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, April 5-6th at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City, New York. The annual festival is one of New York's most-anticipated comics shows, with a lineup of guests including Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, Fiona Staples, Robert Williams, Joost Swarte, Dean Haspiel, Jon Lewis, Bill Plympton, and Chip Kidd. Programming includes panels such as "Comics and Protest Movements," "How Comics Are Queer," "Comics and Design," Q&As with Fiona Staples and Robert WIlliams, the annual Awards of Excellence, and more. Attendees will even get the chance to see the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon, on full display above the floor. Tickets are $5 and available at the door. The 69th Regiment Armory is located at 68 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10010.
4/3-4/5: Middle East Film & Comic Con in Dubai, UAE
The Middle East Film & Comic Con, the region's "only consumer event for fans of cult entertainment and popular culture," is taking place from Thursday, April 3rd to Saturday, April 5th at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The show is closely modeled on popular american shows like San Diego Comic Con and features local and international comics guests including C.B. Cebulski, Sohaib Awan, David Lloyd, Yishan Li, Joe Ng, Humberto Ramos, Fawaz Hantash, and more. Programming includes a video Q&A session with Stan Lee, panels and workshops such as "Digital Painting," "Manga 101," "Comic Book Illustration," art and cosplay competitions, gaming, and more. One day passes are AED 85 ($23), weekend passes are AED 160 ($43), and VIP Passes are AED 500 ($136). The Dubai Convention Centre is located at Trade Centre 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
4/4: Freak Scene East in Philadelphia, PA
Join underground comix artists Johnny Ryan, Jason T. Miles and Jim Rugg for the opening of their group art show, Freak Scene East, on Friday, April 4th at 6 p.m. at Space 1026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show includes original artwork and publications from a host of offbeat cartoonists including Benjamin Marra, Matthew Thurber, Tom Neely, and is a chance to champion the freaky and vibrant side of the comics industry. Space 1026 is located at 1026 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19107.
4/4-4/6: University of Florida Comics Conference in Gainesville, FL
"Traumics: Comics Narratives on Trauma" is the title of this year's UF Conference on Comics and Graphic Novels, taking place from Friday, April 4th to Sunday April 6th throughout the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. Now in its 11th year, the conference features three days worth of panels and events with themes such as "Flashbacks: Graphic Memoir & Autobiography," "Inexorability: Comics as a Traumatic Medium," "Unrest: Narratives of War & Conflict," "Comics: Getting Down to Basics," and keynotes from author and professor Chris Pizzino and cartoonist Carol Tyler. This event is free to the public.
