It’s no secret to anyone who lives here — especially those who have ever wandered into Kafé Kerouac or the Laughing Ogre and seen the shelves of local indie comics — that Columbus has a thriving community of cartoonists and comic artists. But Bone creator Jeff Smith and comics journalist Tom Spurgeon want to let the world know what a great little city we have here, and in doing so they want to make Columbus a destination for the cartoon and comic arts.
  On October 1-3, they’re hosting the first Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC), a multi-venue celebration that will encompass The Wexner Center For The Arts, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, OSU’s Hale Hall, the Cultural Arts Center and Columbus College Of Art And Design. Aside from two ticketed events — conversational panels featuring Jeff Lemire and Bill Griffith — all events, panels, and workshops are free and open to the public.
  CXC is running concurrently with SOL-CON: The Black & Brown Comix Expo 2015, and attendees are encouraged to visit both events. SOL-CON will be held October 2-4 at OSU’s Hale Hall and its panels and workshops are also free, with some panels co-presented by both groups.
  In addition to Jeff Lemire and Bill Griffith, guest panelists include Art Spiegelman (Maus), Kate Beaton (Hark! a Vagrant), Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets), Grace Ellis (Lumberjanes), Françoise Mouly (TOON Books), Craig Thompson (Blankets), Scott Kurtz (PvP), and animated film historian Jerry Beck.
  The show kicks off Thursday evening with a showing of classic animated shorts hosted and with commentary by Jerry Beck at The Wexner Center. Friday’s schedule focuses on the business of comics, both as an art and as a lifestyle, with panels on the creative process, financial planning, and the growing use of the web as a self-publishing platform. The day ends with a conversational panel featuring Kate Beaton and Craig Thompson, hosted by Jeff Smith.
  Saturday is a day for fans, with the CXC Conversation Series and an exhibit room where creators will be selling their own works. The Conversation Series panels give the guests a chance to talk about their latest works, influences and whatever else happens to come up. Gil Roth will be hosting a series of live interviews for his Virtual Memories podcast through the day, with seating limited to 25 attendees. The show will wrap up on Saturday night at CCAD with Jeff Smith talking to Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman about the 35th anniversary of their RAW comics anthology magazine.
  While several of CXC’s guests are known for comics that can be enjoyed at any age, SOL-CON’s schedule includes Youth Corner Workshops on Friday for middle- and high-schoolers with an interest in the comic and cartooning business. Saturday will focus on the history and future of Black & Brown comics, and Sunday’s workshop is “The Business of Indy Comics.”

  For more information, including a full list of guests and a complete schedule of events, head to CartoonCrossroadsColumbus.com.