The Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival is a two day celebration of a lifelong love of comics with workshops, art activities, and one-on-one encounters between comics readers and comics makers.

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The A2CAF 2024 Call for Exhibitors is closed.

Announcing the A2CAF 2024 headliners!

Vera Brosgol

Vera Brosgol is an accomplished cartoonist and illustrator celebrated for her unique storytelling and expressive artwork. Her debut graphic novel, Anya's Ghost, earned numerous awards, including the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Young Adults. Her works often explore themes of identity, belonging, and the human experience, resonating with audiences of all ages.

Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale is a talented author and illustrator recognized for his captivating graphic novels and illustrations. Hale gained widespread acclaim for his Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series, which presents history in an engaging format for young readers. His dynamic artwork combined with his knack for storytelling has made him a beloved figure in children's literature.

James Kochalka

James Kochalka is an acclaimed comic book artist and musician known for his vibrant artistry and sense of humor. His body of work includes the beloved children's comic series Johnny Boo and the daily comic strip American Elf, which showcased his ability to capture everyday experiences with honesty and charm. Konchalka is a two-time winner of the prestigious Eisner Award and was named the first cartoonist laureate of his home state of Vermont.

Jen Wang

Jen Wang is the award-winning New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator of several graphic novels for young readers including Stargazing, The Prince and The Dressmaker, In Real Life (co-written with Cory Doctorow), and Koko Be Good. She is also a co-founder and organizer for Comic Arts LA. Known for her vibrant artwork and empathetic storytelling, Wang's work explores rich themes of friendship, identity, and self-discovery.

2024 Schedule of Events

Saturday, June 15

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
A2CAF Artist Alley
Artists Alley features over 40 working artists and writers from the worlds of print, web comics, and animation, who'll display their work–with material for sale, the occasional free giveaway, and codes for AADL’s Summer Game. They’ll all be eager to talk comics with fans of any age!

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Youth Story Corner
Face Painting
Have your face painted to release your inner tiger, butterfly, or other kind of creature.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room
Author Spotlight: History Comes Alive On the Page with Nathan Hale
Join author and illustrator Nathan Hale as he live draws a chapter from history. He'll discuss how he uses humor to keep his books light while illuminating some of the most fascinating parts of US history.

11:30 - 12:30 PM | Secret Lab
Time in a Box
Connor Good explains tips and tricks to show the passing of time on the page and how to make narratives readable, exciting, and clear.

12:00 - 2:00 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Button Making
Stop by and make a button to celebrate A2CAF!

12:15 - 1:15 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: Nathan Hale
Meet Nathan Hale, author and creator of Hazardous Tales and The Mighty Bite, and have your copies of his books signed!

12:15 - 12:30 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists.

12:30 - 1:30 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room
Author Spotlight: Jen Wang on Creating Comics
A2CAF Special guest Jen Wang will discuss how her comics are made, from drawing to publication.

1:00 - 2:00 PM | Multi-Purpose Room
A2CAF Concert | The Shake-Ups
The Shake Ups are an award-winning Midwestern-based power-pop music collective that blends bouncy melodies and infectious energy into a refreshingly charming sound. It's like a Saturday morning cartoon-fueled power-pop extravaganza!

1:45 - 2:45 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: Jen Wang
Meet Jen Wang, author and creator of The Prince and the Dressmaker and Stargazing, and have your copies of her books signed!

1:45 - 2:00 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists.

2:00 - 3:00 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room
How to Draw When You Don’t Have Any Ideas
How do you get drawing when you can't think of anything to draw? James Kochalka will help you get over your block in this draw-along workshop.

3:00 - 4:00 PM | Secret Lab
If You Give a Bear a Story....
Create a story about a bear with Ruth McNally Barshaw, author and illustrator of the Ellie McDoodle series! Participants will learn how to generate and refine ideas, and leave the workshop with the beginnings of their very own graphic novel about a bear.

3:15 - 4:15 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: James Kochalka
Meet James Kochalka, author and creator of Banana Fox and American Elf, and have your copies of his books signed!

3:15 - 3:30 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists.

3:30 - 4:30 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room
Live Draw a Comic with Vera Brosgol
Learn about how to inject tension and conflict into your stories in a live-drawn comics session with Vera Brosgol! We'll come up with a character together and then make them suffer. Fun for all ages!

4:45 - 5:45 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: Vera Brosgol
Meet Vera Brosgol, author and creator of Anya's Ghost, Leave Me Alone, Plain Jane, and The Mermaid , and have your copies of her books signed!

Sunday, June 16

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Youth Story Corner
Face Painting
Have your face painted to release your inner tiger, butterfly, or other kind of creature.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room
Learn Storytelling through Comics with Jen Wang
Join Jen Wang to learn the nuts and bolts of making comics.

12:00 - 1:00 PM | Secret Lab
Bringing Comics to Life Using Stop Motion Animation
Make your own paper character that will star in their own movie! Merrill Rainey, creator of the Color, Cut, Create series, will guide young artists as they learn the techniques of stop-motion animation. You can download a free copy of Stop Motion Studio here, or use one of our iPads for this event.

12:00 - 2:00 PM | Youth Story Corner
Button Making
Stop by and make a button to celebrate A2CAF!

12:15 - 1:15 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: Jen Wang
Meet Jen Wang, author and creator of The Prince and the Dressmaker and Stargazing and have your copies of her books signed!

12:15 - 12:30 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists.

12:30 - 1:30 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room
Draw Along with Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale will lead you through the creation of a short illustrated story.

1:45 - 2:45 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: Nathan Hale
Meet Nathan Hale, author and creator of Hazardous Tales and The Mighty Bite, and have your copies of his books signed!

1:45 - 2:45 PM | Multi-Purpose Room
A2CAF Concert | Threepios
The latest in a series of Midwestern-based pop culture-themed bands, The Threepios play original songs and parodies of classic 80's rock, pop, and new wave tunes - all about Star Wars!

2:00 - 3:00 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room
Author Spotlight: Vera Brosgol on Page and Screen
Vera Brosgol (Anya's Ghost, Leave Me Alone, Plane Jane and the Mermaid) will discuss her career in comics and animation.

3:15 - 4:15 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: Vera Brosgol
Meet Vera Brosgol, author and creator of Anya's Ghost, Leave Me Alone, Plane Jane, and The Mermaid and have your copies of her books signed!

3:15 - 4:45 PM | Secret Lab
Zine Workshop
Drop in and make your very own one-page zine! Feel free to bring your old magazines or photos if you have an idea in mind, or use our supplies.

3:30 - 4:30 PM | 4th Floor Meeting Room
Author Spotlight: James Kochalka Where Does Inspiration Come From?
Author, illustrator, and music superstar James Kochalka (Banana Fox, American Elf) offers insight into finding inspiration and having a creative mindset.

4:45 - 5:45 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: James Kochalka
Meet James Kochalka, author and creator of Banana Fox and American Elf, and have your copies of his books signed!