The 2024 Schomburg Center Black Comic Book Festival marks 12 years of bringing together animators, Blerds, bloggers, cosplay lovers, fans, families, illustrators, independent publishers, and writers to celebrate Black comic books and graphic novels and provides a platform to get the works directly to readers. This annual event features panel discussions, workshops, cosplay showcases, and highlights the work of creators from across the diaspora!

Schedule of Events:

11:00 AM: Graphic Black Histories and Comics in the Classroom

Guests: Tim Fielder, Dr. Walter Greason, John Jennings, William Ellis, Kamau Ware, and Deirdre Hollman

Exciting new visual narratives have been created to aid students in imagining the past and engaging with historical events! Creatives from four dynamic projects share their works, including Kofi’s Fire (Historic Hudson Valley/Blue Telescope); Buffalo Sonnet (Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts/Kamau Studios); The Graphic History of Company (Dr. Walter Greason/Tim Fielder); and Queenie: Godmother of Harlem (John Jennings/Abrams ComicArts-Megascope Books).

12:30 PM: How to Draw Black Superheroes & Comics

Guests: Tim Fielder (Infinitum, DieselFunk Studios)

Join Tim Fielder (Infinitum, DieselFunk Studios) for a family-friendly master class on drawing comics. This program is open to all ages, but it is especially geared towards young people ages 5 and up.

Please Note: If you are a school/youth group interested in reserving seats for this program, please email [email protected].

1:50 PM: Bookin' the Biz! Building a Career in the Commercial Arts

Guests: David Walker, Dr. Shamika Mitchell, Gamal Hennessy, Alitha Martinez, and TJ Sterling

Want to learn how to be in the Comic book industry!? Join us for a fun and thought-provoking discussion on writing, editing and drawing comics. As well as the in and outs of business.

3:30 PM: Say it Proud: Amplifying LGBTQ+ Voices in Comics

Guests: Michael Lamar Simeon, Greg A. Elysee, Vita Ayala, Jason Michael Primrose, and TJ Sterling

Join us for a conversation on how comic creators are expanding and creating exciting spaces for LGBTQ voices in comics, novels, and multimedia.

5:30 PM: Black Comics Trivia Challenge

Guests: Alitha Martinez, Tatiana King, Lateef Adé Williams, and Christine Blanch

Descriptions Think you know Black Comics? The Access Guide to the Black Comic Book Community returns for another Black Comics Trivia Challenge to test that knowledge! Hosted by Christine Blanch, the Awkward Bronx Chick, trivia experts Alitha Martinez, Tatiana King, and Lateef Adé Williams will battle with the audience for the title of Top Blerd.

Register Here