Cartoon Crossroads Columbus

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) is an annual, free, four-day celebration of cartooning and graphic novels held in Columbus, Ohio.[1] Venues for the festival include Ohio State University's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Hale Hall, and the Wexner Center for the Arts; and downtown Columbus' Columbus Metropolitan Library, the Columbus Museum of Art, and the Columbus College of Art and Design.

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus
StatusActive
GenreComics
Frequencyannual
VenueMultiple Ohio State University and downtown Columbus venues
Location(s)Columbus, Ohio
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2015
FoundersJeff Smith, Lucy Shelton Caswell, Vijaya Iyer
Most recentSept. 26–29, 2019
Executive DirectorJay Kalagayan
Websitecartooncrossroadscolumbus.com

CXC is held in the spirit of European conventions like the Angoulême International Comics Festival.[2] As such, it is focused on the art and literature of the comics form, and only minimally on related pop-culture expression and merchandising. The show tends to highlight the "alternative comics" genre, as opposed to the work of "mainstream" publishers like DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Cosplaying is rarely if ever a feature of CXC. In addition to the "CXC Expo and Marketplace" (held in the Columbus Metropolitan Library),[3] CXC features art exhibits, animation screenings, panel discussions, and workshops.

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus gives out an annual Emerging Artist Prize; the CXC has also distributed Master Cartoonist awards and a Transformative Work Award, and since 2021 the Tom Spurgeon Award.

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus was founded in 2015 by, among others, Columbus-based cartoonist Jeff Smith.[4][5] Smith serves as the festival's president and artistic director.[2] Tom Spurgeon served as executive director until his death in November 2019.[5] The current executive director is Jay Kalagayan.[6]

CXC is held in conjunction each year with SÕL-CON: The Brown And Black Comics Expo, also held in Columbus, founded in 2015 by comics scholars Frederick Aldama, John Jennings, and Ricardo Padilla.

History

The CXC website details the origins of the convention:

As a founder and world-renowned curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Lucy Shelton Caswell had already helped organize a semi-annual Cartoon Arts Festival in Columbus for many years. She knew it could become more, because she knew so many influential people throughout the city and the industry that shares her passion. But two in particular knew how much support Columbus institutions offered for the cartoon arts: the husband-and-wife team behind Cartoon Books, Columbus native Jeff Smith and his wife Vijaya Iyer. The three of them talked about how some cities in Europe would turn themselves over to their comics festivals, and how much each festival would spend a week showing people the best of each city offers the cartoon community, and how first-class treatment of cartooning talent not only brought in industry greats, but created an atmosphere where connections between the creators and fans could be had. They believed Columbus was a place they could create a truly unique festival experience that could rival anything that had overseas. Being in the heart of the country, it could be the crossroads where museums and art centers, learning institutions and cultural landmarks, industry legends and aspiring creators, as well as professionals and fans could meet to celebrate cartoon storytelling like no other place on Earth. That day, Cartoon Crossroads Columbus was drawn into existence.[7]

Katie Skelly was awarded the inaugural Emerging Artist Prize at the 2015 Cartoon Crossroads Columbus.[8]

Carol Tyler was declared a Master Cartoonist at the 2016 CXC; that same year the festival expanded to four days.

In 2017, Kat Fajardo was the recipient of the Emerging Talent Award, and Laura Park was the recipient of Columbus Museum of Art Columbus Comics Residency.[9]

The 2019 show featured a keynote event conversation between Mike Mignola and Jeff Smith.[3] It also featured a history of British animation (selected by the British Film Institute)[10] and a panel discussion on the impact of the presidency of Donald Trump on political cartooning.[3]

The 2020 show was held entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] The 2021 show was a mixture of live and virtual events; that year also saw the introduction of the Tom Spurgeon Award, "to honor an individual who has made substantial contributions to the field but is not primarily a cartoonist."[12]

Dates and locations
DatesSpecial guestsNotes
Oct. 1–3, 2015Jeff Smith, Kate Beaton, Art Spiegelman, Craig Thompson, Bill Griffith, Francoise Mouly, Jerry Beck
Oct. 13–16, 2016Bruce Worden, Derf Backderf, Garry Trudeau, Sergio Aragonés, Raina Telgemeier, Nate Beeler,[4] Charles Burns, Ann Telnaes, Ronald Wimberly, Stan Sakai, Mark Osborne, Keith Knight, Julia Gfrörer,[2] Lalo Alcaraz, John Canemaker, Brandon Graham, Jay Hosler, Ben Katchor, Ed Koren, Sacha Mardou, Seth, Carol Tyler, Scottie Young
Sept. 28–Oct. 1, 2017Derf Backderf, Kat Fajardo, Laura Park,[9] Kelly Sue DeConnick, Nilah Magruder, Ann Nocenti[13]
Sept. 27–30, 2018Liana Finck, Georgia Webber, M. K. Czerwiec, Rachel Lindsay, Hilary Price, Noah Van Sciver, Emi Gennis, Michael DeForge, Annie Koyama, Dustin Harbin, Keiler Roberts, Jessica Campbell, Jim Woodring, Lynn Johnston, Darrin Bell
Sept. 26–29, 2019Natasha Alterici, Ho Che Anderson, Ezra Clayton Daniels, Terri Libenson, Tom Tomorrow, Frank Santoro, Dav Pilkey, Mike Mignola, Ann Telnaes, Liana Finck, Georgia Webber, M. K. Czerwiec, Rachel Lindsay, Hilary Price
Oct. 1–4, 2020Program moved entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2021Alison Bechdel, Jamila Rowser, Hilary Price, Ronald Wimberly, Jerry Craft, Jeff Smith, Lewis Trondheim, Shary Flenniken, Steenz, CM Campbell, Robyn Smith, Elsa Charretier, Erin Cosgrove, Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, Bianca Xunise, Derek Kirk Kim, Lora Innes, Bryan Moss, Katie Shanahan, Joey Alison Sayers, Jonathan Lemon, M.S. Harkness, Trina Robbins, Robert Triptow, Shena Wolf, Roberta Gregory, Jules Rivera, Thierry Mornet, Patrick McDonnell, Ben Towle, Emi Gennis, Matthew Erman, D’Arcee Neal, Katlin Marisol Sweeney-Romero, Rolando Rubalcava, Lauren Chivington, Sydney Heifler, Chris Samnee, Lisa Sterle, Rafael Rosado, Jay Hosler, Brian Walker, Graham Annable, Nick Anderson[14]Some programming conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic[15]
Oct. 6–9, 2022

Awards

Emerging Artist Prize

Master Cartoonist

Transformative Work Award

Tom Spurgeon Award

See also

References
  1. "Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC)". Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  2. Cavna, Michael. "‘Bone’ cartoonist aims to help create the South by Southwest of comics," Washington Post (Oct. 14, 2016).
  3. McIntosh, Justin. "The List: Five events worth scoping out at CXC," Columbus Alive (Sep 24, 2019).
  4. Johnson, Alan. "Cartoon Crossroads Columbus gives voice to different breed of artist," The Columbus Dispatch (Oct 16, 2016).
  5. Arrant, Chris. "JEFF SMITH Hopes To Make Columbus, Ohio a Comic Book ‘Destination’ With New Convention,", Newsarama (June 18, 2015).
  6. "CXC Names Experienced Nonprofit Leader as Executive Director," CXC website (Feb. 28, 2022).
  7. "The Story Behind CXC," Cartoon Crossroads Columbus website. Accessed Dec. 26, 2019.
  8. "Katie Skelly: CXC 2017 Guest Illustrator". cartooncrossroadscolumbus.com. 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  9. Fischer, Jim. "Fall Arts Guide: 25 can’t-miss events," Columbus Alive (Aug 30, 2017).
  10. Tonguette, Peter. British animators get their turn in the spotlight at Wexner event," Columbus Dispatch (Sep 26, 2019).
  11. Press release. "Cartoon Crossroads Columbus Announces Move to Online Show for 2020," Cartoon Crossroads Columbus website (May 26, 2020).
  12. CXC 2021 Will Be a Mix of In-Person and Online, Featuring Chris Samnee, Lewis Trondheim and the Debut of the Tom Spurgeon Award," CXC website (June 2, 2021). Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  13. Stephens, Steve. "Upcoming appearances by authors can brighten darkening days," Columbus Dispatch (Aug 19, 2017).
  14. "2021 Guests," CXC website. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  15. 2021 Schedule, CXC website. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  16. Simons, Dean (5 October 2021). "Thompson, Slott, and Evans win the inaugural Tom Spurgeon Awards at CXC: Shary Flenniken, Alison Bechdel, and Robyn Smith were also honoured with CXC awards, the first all-woman sweep at the show". The Beat.
  17. Press release. "CARTOON CROSSROADS COLUMBUS GIVES OUT TWO OF THREE MAJOR AWARDS TO P. CRAIG RUSELL AND NIB FOUNDER MATT BORS," Cartoon Crossroads Columbus website. Accessed Dec. 26, 2019.
  18. Parkin, JK. "CXC recognizes first recipients of the Tom Spurgeon Award," SmashPages.net (October 2, 2021).
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