Every year the Olympia Comics Festival is proud to have visiting cartoonists come and discuss their work and their passion for the medium. We have been lucky enough to have the following cartoonists in attendance.
Peter Bagge
1999
Pete bagge entertained us with his charming wit and cynical dialogue. Best known for Neat Stuff and Hate, he is still alive and kicking. Learn more about what Pete is working on at his web site.
Charles Burns
2002
Charles Burns' brushwork is a wonder. He has been working the last few years on Black Hole as well as numerous commercial illustration projects. For more information on Charles and on his work, please visit his bio page at fantagraphics.
Roberta Gregory
1998
Roberta is the creator of Naughty Bits. With a career too long and acclaimed to repeat here, please visit her fantagraphics bio page and also her web site.
Gilbert Hernandez
2003
Gilbert Hernandez has created a group of characters almost fully realized in their intricacies. His work on Love & Rockets with his brothers Mario and Jaime have long been a standard by which other comics are measured. Go to Gilbert's page at fantagraphics.
Megan Kelso
1999
Megan Kelso has been publishing Girl Hero for quite some time now, as well as doing commercial illustration. Learn more about Megan at her web site.
Jason Lutes
1998, 2001
Jason was one of the first cartoonists to visit us, and was then just beginning his work on Berlin. He was kind enough to visit us again after his first collected volume of Berlin was published. He continues his work, learn more at Drawn & Quarterly's web site.
Kagan McLeod
2004
A relative newcomer to comics, Kagan has been wowing audiences with his genre book, Infinite Kung Fu. He continues his work and does a variety of commercial illustration. Learn more about Kagan at his web site., and don't forget to see the highly entertaining Infinite Kung Fu web site.
Linda Medley
2001
Linda's Castle Waiting has long been a hit at the Danger Room Comics.
Joe Sacco
1999, 2004
Joe Sacco is comics' preeminent journalistic force. Known on a national scale for his non-fiction work, Joe has been kind enough to visit the festival twice. His collected works and books includePalestine, Safe Area Gorazde, and The Fixer. Read more about Joe at his fantagraphics bio page.
Craig Thompson
2003
Craig is coming off a highly successful tour promoting his fantastic 2003 publication, Blankets. Please find out more about Craig at his web site.
Adrian Tomine
2000
Adrian Tomine is generally considered too good for his age, even though he keeps getting older. He produces the immensely readable Optic Nerve and numerous commercial works. Find out more about Adrian at Drawn & Quarterly.
Shannon Wheeler
2004
Shannon Wheeler produces Too Much Coffee Man magazine, and generally is nervous and fidgety. Look for him at the Too Much Coffee Man web site.
Jim Woodring
2002
Jim Woodring's Frank books belays his sense of design and color. Creating amazing worlds and images still, see more from Jim at his web site.