The Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival is a two day celebration of a lifelong love of comics with workshops, art activities, and one-on-one encounters between comics readers and comics makers.
Announcing the A2CAF 2025 headliners!
Raina Telgemeier
Raina Telgemeier is the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award–winning creator of the graphic memoirs Smile, Sisters, and Guts. She is also the creator of Drama and Ghosts, the adapter and illustrator of the first four Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, and, with Scott McCloud, the co-creator of The Cartoonists Club.
Scott McCloud
Scott McCloud has been writing, drawing, and examining comics since 1984. Winner of the Eisner and Harvey awards, his work has been translated into more than 16 languages. While with D.C. Comics, McCloud created the superhero comic series Zot!, along with work on The New Adventures of Abraham Lincoln, and work on Superman comics. McCloud also created several influential non-fiction comics, and, with Raina Telgemeier, is the co-creator of The Cartoonists Club.
Tony Weaver Jr.
Tony Weaver, Jr. is an award-winning writer and educator creating diverse stories that make young people feel seen and valued. After seeing the impact that media stereotypes had on students in his community, Tony embarked on a journey to create new media narratives that would challenge the status quo. He's the author of Weirdo—a middle-grade graphic novel memoir about an awkward preteen who loves all things geeky but struggles with mental health issues and self-doubt.
2025 Schedule of Events
Friday, June 13
1:00 PM | Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery at the University of Michigan
A2 Inkubate: Comics in Conversation | Artist, Writer, Reader
Comics are an immersive medium that invites the reader to infer meaning from the arranged images and words. Many comics are made by a team of collaborators who respond to each other’s input to shape the work into something that exceeds the sum of its parts. Join Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics; The Cartoonists Club), Raina Telgemeier (Smile; The Cartoonists Club), and Tony Weaver Jr. (Weirdo; The Uncommons) for a joyful celebration of the rich interactions that can happen when making and reading comics. Moderated by Ryan Claytor.
Saturday, June 14
10 - 11 AM | Michigan Theater
Author Spotlight: Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud
Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Ghosts, The Baby-Sitters Club) and Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics) discuss their latest collaboration, The Cartoonists Club, followed by a Q&A and book signing. Open to the public.
11 AM - 5 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Artists Alley
Artists Alley features over 40 working artists and writers from the worlds of print and web comics, with material for sale and codes for AADL’s Summer Game.
11 AM - 3 PM | Secret Lab
Face Painting
Have your face painted to release your inner tiger, butterfly, or other kind of creature!
11:45 AM - 12 PM | Kids Story Corner
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists. Will there be vegetables... on the moon? Dinosaurs... at the dinner table? Sea monsters... running for president? Watch out for Quick Draw Switcheroo when the time is almost out!
12:15 - 1:15 PM | Lower Level Program Room
Draw A Bee
Help us draw a swarm of cartoon bees! Dr. Jay Hosler will show you how to draw a bee from antenna to stinger. Along the way we will talk about the strange bits and pieces that make bees amazing!
1:15 - 1:30 PM | Kids Story Corner
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists. Will there be vegetables... on the moon? Dinosaurs... at the dinner table? Sea monsters... running for president? Watch out for Quick Draw Switcheroo when the time is almost out!
1:30 - 2:30 PM | 4th Floor Program Room
Getting Over Writer's Block
Stuck on an idea but can't seem to get it down on the page? Tony Weaver, Jr. is here! The author of Weirdo will present his tips to get you writing and staying creative, with actionable advice to stop writer's block in its tracks.
2:30 - 3:30 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: Tony Weaver, Jr.
Meet Tony Weaver, Jr., author of Weirdo, and have your copies of his books signed!
3:30 - 3:45 PM | Kids Story Corner
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists. Will there be vegetables... on the moon? Dinosaurs... at the dinner table? Sea monsters... running for president? Watch out for Quick Draw Switcheroo when the time is almost out!
3:45 - 4:45 PM | Lower Level Program Room
Roll-A-Comic
Roll a die to determine your hero, their journey, and some fun details that create the recipe for a one-page comic in this guided workshop by Lauren Nalepa. Learn about page layouts, panel types, and play with some unexpected twists to make a one-of-a-kind comic page!
Sunday, June 15
11 AM - 5 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Artists Alley
Artists Alley features over 40 working artists and writers from the worlds of print and web comics, with material for sale and codes for AADL's Summer Game.
11 AM - 12 PM | Lower Level Program Room
Finding What Works For You
Join Emily Zelasko while she talks through the journey of trial and error working out what style worked for her and her comic Edme. She'll share personal lessons and tips that she thinks is helpful to anyone overthinking their project. Sprinkled in are some drawing exercises and a tutorial of how she draws characters for her comic to show the thinking behind the design. And maybe a game because it is important to remember that we started drawing as children first off all because we thought it was fun.
11 AM - 3 PM | Secret Lab
Face Painting
Have your face painted to release your inner tiger, butterfly, or other kind of creature!
11:45 AM - 12 PM | Kids Story Corner
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists. Will there be vegetables... on the moon? Dinosaurs... at the dinner table? Sea monsters... running for president? Watch out for Quick Draw Switcheroo when the time is almost out!
12 - 1 PM | 4th Floor Program Room
Author Spotlight: Writing Comics and Paying Your Bills with Tony Weaver, Jr.
A2CAF special guest Tony Weaver, Jr., author of Weirdo and creator of the webcomic The UnCommons, looks back at his entry into comics and gives advice to aspiring writers looking to build sustainable careers.
1 - 1:15 PM | Kids Story Corner
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists. Will there be vegetables... on the moon? Dinosaurs... at the dinner table? Sea monsters... running for president? Watch out for Quick Draw Switcheroo when the time is almost out!
1:15 - 2:15 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: Tony Weaver, Jr.
Meet Tony Weaver, Jr., author of Weirdo, and have your copies of his books signed!
2:30 - 3:30 PM | 4th Floor Program Room
That's a Wrap! Roundtable Discussion
Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics, The Cartoonists Club) joins Lisa Naffziger (Deja Ross Speaks to Freaks), Lucy Bellwood (Baggywrinkles), and Lillian Xie (Beary Long Day) to discuss creativity, art, and their lives in comics to close this year's A2CAF. The discussion will be moderated by Ruth McNally Barshaw (Ellie McDoodle).
2:30 - 3:30 PM | Lower Level Program Room
Let's Make Comics!
Join the fun during a creation-driven mini-comic workshop where we'll all make comics together! Led by cartoonist Rachel Dukes (creator of Frankie Comics and The Wizerd), we'll learn the basics of comics creation hands-on, explore how anything can be comics, and how everyone can make them!
3:30 - 3:45 PM | Kids Story Corner
Quick Draw
Take two quick-thinking artists, add a timer and some audience prompts and you'll get an idea of the joy of Quick Draws. It's improvisational cartooning with lots of cheer and courage brought to you by our A2CAF guest artists. Will there be vegetables... on the moon? Dinosaurs... at the dinner table? Sea monsters... running for president? Watch out for Quick Draw Switcheroo when the time is almost out!
3:45 - 4:45 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Author Signing: Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud
Meet Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud, authors of The Cartoonists Club, and have your books signed!
2025 Vendor List
Alyx Ball
Ari Coester
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