Presented and produced by Miami Dade College
Miami, Oct. 31, 2017 – Comics and graphic novels lovers will want to make Destination: Comics a go-to spot at the 34th Miami Book Fair (MBF), the nation’s finest and largest literary gathering presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), on Saturday, Nov. 18 and Sunday, Nov. 19.
Destination Comics features comic exhibitors, publishers, indie artists, and a brand-new Artists’ Cove booth where authors will be selling their wares, illustrating on-the-fly, and chatting with fans about all things comics.
Destination: Comics kicks off with a special Drink and Draw event at The Standard Hotel and Spa on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and pits famed comics illustrators against each other in a battle to be crowned Drink and Draw champ! The drawing tables get turned and audience members then will have an opportunity to draw in teams and face-off against each other.
At the weekend street fair, there will be panel discussions with comics and graphic novel creators, including Nate Powell, Mariko Tamaki, Mark Evanier, Trina Robbins, Jason Shiga, George O’Connor, Victor LaValle, Shannon Wheeler, to name a few. All taking place in the MAGIC screening Room (Bldg. 8, First Floor).
Saturday, Nov. 18
11 a.m.
The Politics of YA
Young adult fiction is more popular — and more controversial — than ever. Once there were taboos and book bans; now there’s YA Twitter. How do authors cope with the fine line between being too SJW (Social Justice Warrior) or not SJW enough, especially in the already-opinionated comics world? Matt Holm (Swing It, Sunny), Mariko Tamaki (Lumberjanes), Cecil Castelluci (Soupy Leaves Home) and Molly Ostertag (The Witch Boy) talk about the balancing act and challenging the definition of all-ages. Moderated by Conor McCreery.
12 p.m.
Fantasy: Youth’s Portal to Reality
Get a glimpse at surreal tales where children grow up to be robots, toys come alive, a surfboard carries friends into a supernatural mystery, and gods struggle with real desires. These top creators share insight about why fantasy can be the best tool to teach kids about reality, with Janet Lee and Jim McCann (Return of the Dapper Men), Liniers (Good Night, Planet), George O’Connor (Olympians)and Kim Dwinell (Surfside Girls). Moderated by Martin Pierro.
1 p.m.
Living in History
How does the comics medium make living, breathing characters of history? How do creators balance navigating the importance of accuracy with the awesome power of visual imagination? Talk history in illustrated form with Nathan Hale (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales), Khalil Bendib (Verax: The True History of Whistleblowers, Drone Warfare, and Mass Surveillance), art historian and web writer Mark Fertig (Take That, Adolf) and Nate Powell (Nate Powell’s Omnibox). Moderated by Martin Pierro.
2 p.m.
Old Heroes, New Powers
As superheroes surge from the standard avenues of comic stores and blockbuster theaters onto the small screen and bookstore shelf, there’s a new hunger for fresh perspectives on what makes heroes super. Faith Erin Hicks (The Adventures of Superhero Girl), Barry Lyga (The Flash: Hocus Pocus) and Jo Whittemore (Supergirl: Age of Atlantis) discuss what they’re doing to deliver. Moderated by Joan Hilty.
3 p.m.
Women Wanderers
Skating, driving west, discovering a family homeland inside a pashmina shawl, living Jane Eyre’s life in modern NYC — these are stories of women looking for home and identity and discovering, against all expectations, the things that create it for them. With Nidhi Chanani (Pashmina), Nicole Georges(Fetch), Ramón K. Pérez (Jane), and Tillie Walden (Spinning). Moderated by Andrea Askowitz.
4 p.m.
Robert Sikoryak presents Carousel: Comics Performances and Picture Shows
For the first time ever, cartoonist Robert Sikoryak brings his famed Carousel event to the Miami Book Fair. What began in NYC in 1997 and has made its home at NYC’s Dixon Place has become a comics cult favorite, popping-up at comics festivals all over the U.S. such as TCAF, S.D.C.C. MECAF, MICE and more. Carousel turns the regular ol’ comics presentation on its head using live narration, music, or sound effects combined with stick figures, lush illustrations, live painting or even dance, all curated and hosted by Robert Sikoryak! Join comics creators Mimi Pond, Nicole Georges, Jason Shiga, Tillie Walden and more as they perform like never before.
Sunday, Nov. 19
11 a.m.
Horror, Noir, Immortality
Terror, death, and rebirth find new life with three authors who all buck genre conventions in their work to explore and explode these terrifying, yet weirdly empowering themes. Start the morning with a little noir alongside Victor LaValle (Destroyer), Jason Shiga (Demon), Conor McCreery (Kill Shakespeare series) and Eric Grissom (Gregory Suicide). Moderated by Alex Segura.
12 p.m.
Summers of Love & War
In today’s hyper-charged political climate, two new works look at the last era of major social upheaval in the U.S. – the 1960s and 70s – for clues on where to go from here. Talk through memoirs of waitressing for art, and travelling from sci-fi to the Sunset Strip, with Mimi Pond (The Customer Is Always Wrong), and Trina Robbins (Last Girl Standing). Moderated by Joan Hilty.
1 p.m.
Future Shock
From Ray Bradbury to H.G. Wells, science fiction writers have been predicting our future for decades. Join a panel of visionaries as they discuss what they see when they look ahead. (Spoiler Alert: It’s not all good.) With Mike Cavallaro (Decelerate Blue), Michel Fiffe (Zegas), and Mr.Fish (And Then the World Blew Up). Moderated by George O’Connor.
2 p.m.
SPOTLIGHT: Kirby’s Moral Universe
Jack Kirby’s personal and public beliefs drove the creation of an unforgettable range of iconic heroes – and helped shape a propaganda tide. Former assistant to Kirby himself, Mark Evanier (Kirby: King of Comics) joins editorial director at Abrams ComicArts Charlie Kochman for a conversation about the life, work and legend of the man who changed comics forever, Jack Kirby.
3 p.m.
Best American Comics 2017
Guest-edited by Ben Katchor, the twelfth annual volume of the New York Times bestselling series returns with a collection where “every last page is worth a look” (Bustle). Join Katchor as he talks with some of this year’s contributors to Best American Comics including Matt Thurber and Lale Westvind.
4 p.m.
SPOTLIGHT: The Trump Presidential Library
The Los Angeles Times called it a “must-see panel of Comic-Con 2017”, and now it’s coming to Miami. Political satire has reached new heights since the election of President Trump; Shannon Wheeler (Shit My President Says) and Robert Sikoryak (The Unquotable Trump) promise laughter and tears (and a presentation with slides) as they work through the nation’s current political reality.
For Book Fair updates, please visit www.miamibookfair.com, call 305-237-3528, or email wbookfair@mdc.edu.
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Visit MiamiReads.com for complete schedule and more information. #MiamiReads
About Miami Book Fair
Founded in 1984 by Miami Dade College and partners, Miami Book Fair engages the community through inclusive, accessible programs that promote reading and support writers year round. The annual eight-day festival has grown into the largest and most comprehensive community-rooted literary gathering in the United States. The Fair features readings and discussions with the world’s most renowned authors, generating discourse on contemporary literature and current issues of international importance. The Fair also include culinary presentations; live music and interdisciplinary performances; interactive, educational activities for children; and more than 200 booksellers and publishers during the Street Fair. Events take place in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and French. In addition to the annual festival, the Miami Book Fair responds to community needs with a year-round schedule of activities, including The Little Haiti Book Festival, highlighting Haiti’s literary acumen; creative writing and publishing workshops; author presentations; reading campaigns; and Read to Learn Books for Free, a partnership with The Children’s Trust that distributes more than 150,000 free books a year to children in Miami-Dade County.
Miami Book Fair is made possible through the generous support of the State of Florida and the National Endowment for the Arts; the City of Miami; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; Miami-Dade County Public Schools; the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Miami Downtown Development Authority; and the Friends of the Fair; as well as many corporate partners. Miami Book Fair: Building community, one reader at a time.
Miami Book Fair media contacts: Lisa Palley, 305-642-3132 lpalley@bellsouth.net or Deyanira Navarrette, 305-495-7168, deyanavarrette@gmail.com