The MoCCA Arts Festival returns this weekend with 400 creative artists and cartoonists selling their wares, as well as workshops, panel discussions and art galleries.
amNewYork dug through what’s going on during the weekend festival to put together our to-do list.
1. Attend a Q&A with ‘Hellboy’ creator Mike Mignola
Writer/artist Mike Mignola created the iconic character “Hellboy” back in 1993, which spawned a pair of films directed by Oscar winner Guillermo Del Toro, not to mention a new reboot of the film franchise set for next year with “Stranger Things” star David Harbour donning the red makeup and the oversized Right Hand of Doom. He’s created an immersive universe around the character, and will be discussing that and more with artist Nathan Fox.
2. Peruse the festival gallery
At the exhibitor hall at Metropolitan West, you can walk the gallery, which features original artwork by some of this year’s guests of honor. Check out pages from Mike Mignola’s “Hellboy,” images from the “March” trilogy by Nate Powell, New Yorker cartoons and more from Brooklyn-born artist Roz Chast and creations by the Argentine cartoonist Liniers, including works from Macanudo and New Yorker covers.
3. Meet a Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist
Ann Telnaes is an editorial cartoonist for The Washington Post and draws with a beautiful Disney style (no surprises, as she worked in animation). She’ll be discussing her craft on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in the panel “Political Cartooning: Now, More Than Ever” alongside Steve Brodner, Mr. Fish and Eli Valley. She’ll also be signing copies of her book “Trump’s ABC” at the Fantagraphics booth on Saturday from 2-3 p.m. and Sunday from 3-4 p.m.
4. Learn about the making of ‘March’
Writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell, worked with civil rights activist and Congressman John Lewis to tell his story in the National Book Award-winning graphic novel trilogy “March.” Aydin and Powell chat with National Book Foundation executive director Lisa Lucas about the process of bringing Lewis’ story to the page and the ongoing importance of the work.
5. Buy some comics!
There are a ton of comics on sale at MoCCA. These are a few books that piqued our interest:
‘Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World’ by Pénélope Badge. Iconic women like Hedy Lamarr and Nellie Bly are featured in comic biographies. (First Second Books, $17.99)
‘Cat‘n’Bat’ by Sashko Danylenko. You’ll be charmed by this mischievous duo from this Brooklyn-based creator. (Top Shelf Comix, $9.99)
‘Kaleidoscope City’ by Marcellus Hall. This rocker turned artist turns out his debut graphic novel, a moving story set in NYC. (Table E 160 A, $14.99)
If you go: The MoCCA Arts Festival 2018 is Saturday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Metropolitan West (639 W. 46th St.) and Ink48 (653 11th Ave.). Tickets $7 per day, children under 10 free, societyillustrators.org/mocca-arts-festival
