>> 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.

>> The Sound of Warplanes by Aude Abou Nasr 

 From my home in Beirut, my cat Luna felt a season of bombings by its sounds and smoke.

Our New Zine! 

We’re excited to debut a new zine: Cartoonists Against ICE.

The images are impossible to forget: A cloud of tear gas rolling across a crowd. A nurse killed in the street. A child crying as ICE agents force him into a car.  These comics by 25 cartoonists are both urgent and reflective as they document the human impact of ICE’s cruel 2026 raids. They’re a way to remember, a way to feel, and a way to connect. We’re donating all profits from sales of this zine to the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee.

Comics Calling Out Censorship

The most banned book of the past 35 years in the U.S. is a comic: Gender Queer. Author Maia Kobabe’s tender and thoughtful graphic memoir about exploring gender identity tops the American Library Association’s list, which documented 6,558 challenges to books in libraries and schools in 2025 alone. This month, Kobabe edited a collection of five comics about censorship for Canadian LGBTQ magazine Xtra. “I believe the fact that my book is a comic is absolutely one of the reasons it has been so heavily challenged,” writes Kobabe. “Images carry power. We are often impacted more viscerally by words and images together than by words alone.” Check out the whole series here. 

✨ All of our classes and workshops are online and sliding scale. Reply to this email to ask about free spots for low-income students in any class!✨

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

Upcoming One-Off Workshops 

Intro to digital drawing with Procreate: Want to get into drawing digitally? Or maybe you’re a seasoned Procreate user looking for some new tips and tricks? This beginner-friendly workshop with Audra McNamee will go over a basic comics-making workflow in Procreate. Sunday, October 25th, 10am-12pm PST/1pm-3pm EST

Intermediate Digital Drawing with Procreate: You’ve been around the block with Procreate a couple times, but you’re not totally comfortable with alpha lock and clipping masks, or you want to be more efficient when you’re coloring your artwork. 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

→ Check out all our upcoming classes

Portland Zine Symposium - This two-day event of 150 zine-makers on the Portland State University campus is always a blast. Come through on Saturday! Saturday, October 17, 11am-5pm 

Comic Arts Festival of Eugene - If you’re anywhere near Eugene, Oregon, this local comics festival draws big-name guests Jaime Hernandez, Joe Sacco, and Katie Skelly. Sunday, October 18, 11am-6pm 

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 

Spooky Comics!

October is the best time of the year: spooky season. To celebrate the reason for the season, here are five gripping comics that bleed into the world of horror or suspense. —Quinn Byers 

• Playtape by Ana Two is an erotic horror story following Uma, an insomniac professional video editor who begins receiving CDs with unnerving footage from her stalker. The tale explores what happens when you release control and give into your dreadful desires. This is a delicately inked comic that is thoughtfully designed as a CD jewel case with a vellum cover in print copies.

• When I Arrived at the Castle by E. M. Carroll is a sapphic, surreal horror story. Determined to slay the beast, a young woman wanders the halls of the Countess’s castle, never expecting to discover a beast within herself as well. The illustrations control the color red with bloody precision to evoke terror and intrigue in the audience.

• Sleep by Zander Cannon is a story with a dramatic take on the werewolf. It follows Jonathan Reason as he tries to make sense of – and rectify – the actions of what he becomes at night. Much like When I Arrived at the Castle, this story expertly uses color to carefully guide the narrative and draw the reader’s attention where it matters.

•The Confessional by Paige Hender is a gothic vampire tale set in New Orleans in the roaring ‘20s, giving the story a unique Art Nouveau quality. When Cora Velasquez cannot bear her newfound vampiric nature, she turns to Father Orville Thibodeaux for salvation. What follows is a tale of desire, manipulation, and corruption.

• When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee by Gus Moreno is a religious horror story following disgraced priest Father Barrera’s apprenticeship under a mysterious exorcist. This is a story that will greatly please anyone who loves morally grey characters and unraveling disturbing truths. The glossy, grotesque illustrations by Jakub Rebelka contribute greatly to the comic’s gothic atmosphere.

✏️ Buy these comics through Bookshop.org to support Crucial. 

» Are you a cartoonist of any kind? Take the cartoonist worker survey from Cartoonists United! They’re trying to collect data on tricky-to-pin-down things like how much artists get paid.

» Comics Arts Maine Portland (CAMP) and Cartoon Crossroads are both now taking exhibitor applications: CAMP is happening in Portland, Maine on April 3rd 2027—apply here to table. Cartoon Crossroads will happen April 15-18 in Columbus, Ohio—apply here. Both applications close November 3. 

» 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.

» Canadian teens! Quist magazine is seeking submissions from writers and artists aged 14 - 21 who reside in Quebec for Issue 5. This includes comics and graphic storytelling. Quist pays $75 for each accepted submission. Submissions are open until October 18th. 

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