COLUMBUS, OH (May 22, 2017) — CARTOON CROSSROADS COLUMBUS (CXC) NAMES ITS 2017 SPECIAL GUEST LIST. TWENTY-FIVE GUESTS FOR COMICS FESTIVAL COVER RANGE OF DISCIPLINES AND LEVELS OF CAREER PROGRESSION AS PER CXC’S MISSION. FESTIVAL SET FOR SEPTEMBER 28 THROUGH OCTOBER 1 IN MULTIPLE VENUES THROUGHOUT COLUMBUS.
Citing Columbus’ role as a hub for world-class cartooning activity stretching back into the 19th Century, CXC Festival President and Artistic Director Jeff Smith presided over this year’s Cartoon Crossroads Columbus launch party. The party was held in the packed upper room of Park Street Tavern in downtown Columbus on May 17. Approximately 60 people attended the two-hour event.
The CXC Launch Party kick offs community awareness for the four-day Fall Festival, and brings with it the announcement of the show’s special guest list.
Special Guests for CXC 2017 are:
* Derf Backderf, beloved son of OSU and a favorite member of the Billy Ireland family, esteemed comics author of runaway hits like My Friend Dahmer and Trashed! [courtesy of The Billy Ireland Cartoon LIbrary & Museum]
* Peter Bagge, author of 2017’s Fire: The Zora Neale Hurston Story and the alt-comics legend behind the titles Neat Stuff and Hate.
* Kyle Baker, the brilliant writer, illustrator and comics-maker whose career has straddled independent graphic novels (Why I Hate Saturn; Special Forces) and iconic runs on mainstream titles (Plastic Man, The Shadow).
* Darrin Bell, longtime strip cartoonist (Candorville) turned award-winning editorial cartoonist. [courtesy of The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum]
* Howard Cruse, underground comix master and author of the titanic, crucial 1990s graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby.
* Lilli Carré and Alexander Stewart, experimental animators/cartoonists/authors and Eyeworks animation festival organizers.  Carré is a past Columbus Museum of Art & Thurber House Graphic Novelist-in-Residence. [Courtesy Of The Wexner Center For The Arts]
* Kelly Sue DeConnick, superstar comics writer (Pretty Deadly, Bitch Planet) and formidable industry advocate.
* Emil Ferris, author of 2017’s graphic novel sensation My Favorite Thing Is Monsters; her personal story of artistic success may be as compelling.
* Kat Fajardo, exciting, emerging young artist and illustrator based in New York City. [courtesy of The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and SOL-CON: The Black & Brown Comic Expo].
* Ann Marie Fleming, award-winning Canadian animator (Window Horses, The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam) and Eisner-nominated graphic novelist. [courtesy of the Wexner Center for The Arts]
 * Matt Fraction, A-list mainstream comics scripter (Iron Man, Hawkeye) turned award-winning writer of independent series such as Casanova and the hit Sex Criminals.
* Jennifer Holm, co-creator of Babymouse and other series of all-ages graphic novels. [courtesy of Scholastic Books’ Graphix imprint]
* Kevin Huizenga, award-winner creator of the Supermonster and Ganges series, and a comics educator at MCAD [courtesy of OSU Pop Culture Studies].
* Nilah Magruder, animation artist, webcomics author (M.F.K.) and past winner of the Dwayne McDuffie Diversity Award [courtesy of Columbus Collge of Art & Design].
* Ann Nocenti, mainstream comics writing legend on Daredevil and other titles. [courtesy of Columbus College Of Art & Design]
* Laura Park, this year’s winner of the Columbus Comics Residency co-sponsored by Columbus Museum of Art and Columbus College Of Art & Design; author of  Do Not Disturb My Waking Dream.
* Dav Pilkey, internationally famous author and comics-maker behind the Captain Underpants phenomenon and the hit Dog Man series. [courtesy of Scholastic Books’ Graphix imprint]
* Mimi Pond, one of the great writers to ever work in comics and cartoons, now a poignant comics memoirist (Over Easy) with second book on deck: The Customer Is Always Wrong.
* Dana Simpson, author of the hit syndicated newspaper strip Phoebe and Her Unicorn [courtesy of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum with the sponsorship of GoComics.com]
* Chris Sprouse, prestige-gig mainstream artist perhaps best known for his Tom Strong collaboration with Alan Moore and current work on Black Panther. [courtesy of Laughing Ogre]
* Leslie Stein, an alternative comics mainstay best known for her mix of memoir and fantasy in the series The Eye Of The Majestic Creature. Her latest book is  2017’s Present, with Drawn and Quarterly.
* Tillie Walden, comics superstar-in-the-making here in support of her major book debut (Spinning, with First Second) and having recently complated a major webcomics effort, On A Sunbeam.
* Connor Willumsen, enormous drawing and comics talent best known for the beautifully rendered experimental comics on his own web site. [courtesy of Comics Workbook]
* Judd Winick, all-ages cartoonist (currently with Hi-Lo) that has enjoyed successful runs in several comics disciplines from superhero comics to memoir to alt-comics humor.
The Launch Party also marked the public debut of the 2017 CXC logo, from graphic designer Sonia Harris and illustrator Katie Skelly. The pair are hard at work on the CXC poster, which will incorporate the just-announced guest roster and their design elements. Ms. Skelly will table at CXC 2017 as a featured guest.
“The core of our special guest list this year is an amazing, diverse, highly skilled crew of great comics makers,” said CXC Executive Director Tom Spurgeon. “I’m really proud of the efforts of our programming committee in putting this group together and I can’t wait for late September.”
Festival President Smith: “With this spectacular group in place, we’re confident our third CXC can be our best one yet!”
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For further inquiries contact [email protected].
The show’s in-progress, permanent web site can be found at www.cartooncrossroadscolumbus.com.
Cartoon Crossroads Columbus can be followed on facebook at www.facebook.com/cartooncrossroadscolumbus/ and on twitter by finding @cxcfestival. Â
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