Figure it Out: Artist Nabeel Rooshan shares how he fell in love with figure drawing while at art school in Pakistan.

Writing Nonfiction Comics: Eleri Harris and Shay Mirk share a chapter from their new book Making Nonfiction Comics on how to approach writing comics.

» Telling Trans Stories: Let’s make trans comics! In this two-hour workshop, artist Al Benbow will talk about some of their favorite trans comics and cartoonists, discuss trans character-building, and different ways of exploring trans identity and experiences in comics. Thursday, February 26, 2026 from 4-6pm PST/7-9pm EST

» Facing the Blank Page - Creating Comics When You’re Afraid of Drawing: Are you interested in comics but think you could never draw your own? Join the club! This extremely encouraging, low-stakes class starts with drawing blobs to help you face anxiety around drawing. January 24 – March 14, on Saturdays from 10am-12pm PST/1pm-3pm EST

» Making Memoir Comics: This seven-session memoir comics class will focus on telling real-life stories about your life, identity, and family. Artist Shay Mirk guides participants through writing and drawing a 20-panel personal story, and everyone also creates many shorter comics to practice different techniques and find their visual voice. February 10 – March 24th, on Tuesdays from 5pm-7pmPST/8pm-10pm EST

» Age Inappropriate - Making Comics About Aging: This workshop led by Barbara Osborn, who teaches a class on “Reimagining Aging” at UCLA invites you to surface unchallenged assumptions, share stories, and draw your way into unexpected insights about aging. Sunday February 1st, 10:00am-12:00pm PST (1:00pm-3:00pm EST)

» Draw Your Feelings: Whether it’s impostor syndrome, creative anxiety, or wider worries about the world, comics are a great way to face and move through big emotions. Artist Cassy Lee leads this two-hour workshop about illustrating your feelings as a tool for emotional regulation. Saturday, March 21st, 10:30am-12:30pm PST (1:30pm-3:30pm EST)

All of our classes sliding scale. We set aside three spots in each class and workshop to give away for free—get in touch if you need a spot!

Artist Mariah-Rose Marie (who shared her delightful memoir comic Pride and Pelicans with Crucial) celebrates the release of her new book A Quick and Easy Guide to Healthy Relationships. We asked Mariah-Rose to pick a favorite page from the playful graphic guide. She chose a spread about a tough subject: conflict.

I wanted to share this excerpt because I have learned to love conflict, and I hope people who read this book will too! These frightening times are pushing folks to build community like never before, and it's hard to know where to start... But I think what's even harder is keeping it going. I've worked with collectives doing amazing things in my city, only to watch them disintegrate over the pettiest of disagreements. Discomfort is not harm, despite what our nervous systems may be telling us! As the great Malidoma Patrice Somé put it: “Conflict is the spirit of the relationship asking itself to deepen.” Learning to argue constructively is both an art and a powerful tool for establishing boundaries, care, expectations, and real solidarity amongst people, and we need more of that in the world. 

>> People who love public transit: Seattle is looking to create a series of six comics documenting stories from communities along their new rapid bus lines. This is such a cool opportunity for nonfiction comics artists! The budget is $54,000 per artist (!!!) and is limited to artists in Washington and Oregon. Deadline to apply is January 13th. 

>> People who love drawing plants and animals: The Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District in Oregon is looking for an illustrator to create original work portraying native habitat and rural land conservation practices for a publication called the Rural Living. The budget is $5,000 and applications are due December 10th. Download the full request for proposals here and feel free to email alex.hale@tualatinswcd.org for more info.

>> People who love science fiction: Are you working on a sci-fi comic? The Otherwise Fellowship offers two $500 grants to support “creators from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the science fiction and fantasy genre and those who are working in media other than traditional fiction.” The deadline to apply is December 15.

>> Spring festivals now open for applications: Want to sell your work at a comics festival this spring? Get in there! Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) and Toronto Comics Arts Festival (TCAF) are now open for applications.

This newsletter was written by Shay Mirk. Crucial Comix is supported in part by our backers on Patreon and by the Sequential Artists Workshop (thank you!).