» Am I The Witch? By Sanika Phawde 

My dreams help connect me to my family—they're invincible to distance and immigration laws.

» Sketchbook from the Border Wall by Shay Mirk 

I spent a week on the ground documenting protests to stop construction of the U.S./Mexico border wall.

>> Data Centers Are Not Inevitable by Denali Sai Nalamalapu 

My state is the data center capital of the world, and the people have had enough.

>> Diva Cups for Climate Change by Ronna Raz 

In looking for an eco-friendly menstrual product, I had trouble finding a perfect fit.

Our Winter 2027 classes are now live! Yay! If you’re looking for a creative gift, you can buy a gift certificate for any of our classes.✨ All of our classes and workshops are online and sliding scale.✨

Upcoming One-Off Workshops 

Intermediate Digital Drawing with Procreate: This project-based workshop by Audra McNamee will challenge you to use new Procreate tools and settings as you make an illustration. Thursday, November 5th, 4-6pm PST/7-9pm EST

Free Artist Talks

Blue Delliquanti on writing science fiction: The teacher and author of beloved series O Human Star will talk about their approach to making a compelling science fiction series. Thursday, November 12, 4-5pm PST/7-8pm EST

Rani Som: The author of Apsara Engine (winner of the 2020 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Graphic Novel/Comics) and graphic memoir Spellbound, went to graduate school for architecture and worked in the field for many years, but then turned her focus toward making comics. Tuesday, December 8th, 4-5pm PST/7-8pm EST

Winter 2027 classes and workshops... Get ready!  

Nature Comics: Forage for creativity in the natural world with teacher Mel Gillman in this four-week class about flora and fauna. Tuesdays 4-6pm PST/7-9pm EST – March 23rd – April 13th, 2027

Make Your Dang Comic! Kane Lynch’s popular eight-week class on cartooning fundamentals will kickstart your creativity and put you on track to create a finished comic. Wednesdays, 4pm-6pmPST/7pm-9pm EST, February 24 – April 14, 2027

Memoir Comics: Do you have a story you want to tell but aren’t sure how to get started? This seven-session memoir comics class led by Shay Mirk will build your memoir writing and drawing skills in a supportive setting where participants dig deep. February 18 – April 1, on Thursdays from 4pm-6pmPST/7pm-9pm EST

How to Get an Agent for Your Graphic Novel: This popular and very practical workshop with author Al Benbow is back! Al will walk you through the opaque and confusion process of how to find an agent to pitch a book to publishers. Thursday, January 21 at 4-6pm PST / 7-9pm

Teaching Comics: How to Design Your Own Comics Workshop - Are you interested in running a comics class at your local library, community center, or online? Sign up for this workshop about designing workshops with teacher Sarah Maloney. Saturday, January 30th at 10am-noon PST/1pm-3pm EST

→ Check out all our upcoming classes

THIS WEEKEND: St. Louis Independent Comics Expo - Midwesterners! SLICE brings together dozens of amazing artists from all over the country. This year, Crucial publisher Shay is a special guest and it’s happening on Halloween, so expect costumes. October 31, 10am-5pm 

• Short Run - Crucial editor Audra is holding it down at Seattle’s finest comics festival, Short Run. November 7th, 11am-6pm  

• Non-fiction Comics Festival - Head to Burlington, Vermont for this very sweet gathering of all non-fiction artists. You’ve probably been looking for an excuse to visit Vermont, anyway! November 14th, 11am-6pm 

• Bizarre Bazaar - Crucial will be at this brand-new market that highlights Portland, Oregon-based artists and small press publishers at the Portland Art Museum. November 21, 12-5pm

Six Comics That Center Asexuality

This week is Asexual Awareness Week! With such little ace representation in media, I wanted to share a list of delightful, informative comics exploring asexuality through comedy, life experiences, and self discovery. —Ollie K.

A Quick & Easy Guide to Asexuality by Molly Muldoon & Will Hernandez is an educational graphic nonfiction book covering everything ace. It expertly touches topics such as: growing up asexual, the difference between romantic and sexual attraction, coming out, and more! This is a fantastic short and sweet comic for those wanting a direct, informational approach to asexuality.

And Another Lovely Day by Leehama is a webcomic that follows Nora and Elliot, two coworkers who have an accidental meet-cute, leading them to believe they have crushes on each other. Little do they know that they are both aromantic-asexual, and together face the relentless challenges of societal expectations in this charming, colourful (non) rom-com.

No One Can Know I Don’t Like Sex by AkhtsJrep is an episodic memoir-comedy about the daily life of an aro-ace girl. From watching films with her queer platonic partner to telling plenty of jokes about romance and sex (or lack thereof)—this webcomic is a casual and wholesome read that compels readers to question our cultural fixation on romance.

Is Love the Answer by Uta Isaki is a coming-of-age manga following Chika, a college freshman who realizes she is asexual. This manga excellently highlights the grey area of “love”—especially through the cast, who each have a unique view around it. Because this follows Chika’s journey of self-discovery from the start, it is an eye-opening narrative read, especially for those unfamiliar with asexuality.

How to Be Ace by Rebecca Burgess is a graphic memoir, exploring dating, school, and friendships through the eyes of an asexual person. Rebecca examines the expectations and “want” of partnership, the distress it caused her, and how she grew around these societal pressures into her contented life today.

Ace of Hearts by Cooklin is a vulnerable graphic memoir charting artist Caitlin Cook’s relationships over her life. She explores how both trauma and religious norms made it more difficult to figure out what she actually wants.

→ Buying these books on Bookshop.org supports our work!

» We Need Diverse Books is offering a $2000 grant for unpublished authors and artists from diverse backgrounds (based on their definition here) who are residents of the United States. Self-publishing in zines or chapbooks still counts as “unpublished.” Applications close October 31st. 

» Boston Comics Arts Foundation is offering a $250 “lightning grants” for any cartoonist in Massachusetts. The grant cycle opens November 2nd.  

» My Friend Frankie is searching worldwide for artists to create posters and promotional material for non-profits/small businesses to encourage supporting artists, instead of turning to AI-generated material. Artists will be put into a roster, and be paid $200 CAD per commission. 

» UK & Ireland Residents! The Rachel Cook Graphic Short Story Competition is open for entries. Applicants must create a four-page comic designed for a double-page spread. First prize includes £1,000 and publication in the Observer New Review. The runner up prize is £250 and appearance on observer.co.uk. The deadline for entries is November 30th.

» Comics festivals currently open for exhibitors applications: 

• Comics Arts Maine Portland (CAMP), April 3rd in Portland, Maine

• Cartoon Crossroads, April 15-18 in Columbus, OH 

• Pittsburgh Indie Expo (PIE), March 14 in Pittsburgh, PA

• Rochester Indie Comics Expo (RICE), April 10 Rochester, NY. Additionally, RICE is also accepting applications for publication mini-grants of $500 from Western New York residents until November 7th. 

🎉 Special trivia question for everyone who made it to the bottom of this email. The first two people to reply with the correct answer win a sticker: 

Which of these is not an actual name for a current U.S. comics festival? CAKE, MILK, CHEESE, SLICE, or PIE

This newsletter was written by Shay Mirk and Ollie K. Crucial Comix is supported in part by our backers on Patreon and by the Sequential Artists Workshop.