SAN FRANCISCO – Attention all queer comics lovers: the comics fest of your dreams is coming to town! Pride in Panels: SF Queer Comics Festival, a premiere inaugural showcase of San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQIA+ queer comics creators, is happening February 16–18. Celebrate the remarkable vitality of the San Francisco Bay Area (and beyond!) queer comics scene, which has never been as dynamic and diverse as it is right now. 

The main event takes place on Sunday, February 18, 12–5 p.m. in the San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library, featuring wide-ranging panels, maker workshops and an exhibition hall with queer comics creators selling and signing their work, including such prominent artists as Maia Kobabe, Ed Luce, Ajuan Mance, Trinidad Escobar, Lawrence Lindell and Lee Marrs.   

“For the past 50 years, comics, graphic novels and memoirs have been an important way for queer artists to tell their stories through a visual medium,” says Kevin Darling, librarian at the Main Library’s Hormel LGBTQIA Center. “The Library is thrilled to showcase both the history of the genre as well as contemporary artists. With book challenges frequently targeting titles with queer content, it’s essential that we uplift stories about LGBTQIA+ experiences.” 

“We’re thrilled that we’re able to join with the SF Public Library for this epic event!” says Justin Hall, co-organizer of Pride in Panels and Chair of the MFA Comics program at California College of the Arts. “Our mission to support queer comics, along with their creators and fans, fits in perfectly with the library’s goal of supporting reading and community engagement.” 

For those who want more, there will also be a dynamic Queer Comics Reading at Silver Sprocket on Friday, February 18, and a screening of the award-winning documentary No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics with a panel afterward on Saturday, February 17, at the Hormel LGBTQIA Center of the SFPL. Please visit silversprocket.net/pride-in-panels/events/ for more information on the events. 

Sunday, Feb. 18 

Panel Schedule, Koret Auditorium  

1 p.m – 1:50 p.m. Think of the Children: Queer All-Ages Comics  

From Webtoons to manga to graphic novels, comics have exploded in the children’s lit scene in recent years. How do these stories reflect the joys and trials of queer kids today? How are queer creators inspired by their childhood favorites, like The Babysitters Club and Naruto? Join moderator Laura Gao (Messy Roots) and a stellar lineup of creators as they discuss their comic journeys, and how you’re never too young to make your own webcomic! 

2 p.m – 2:50 p.m. Sickening! Queer Horror Comics 

Horror comics can be disturbing, downright terrifying or even a bit of campy fun! From psychological to gore to monsters, from cute to creepy, what is the range of possibilities represented by queer horror comics? How can the horror genre uncover the fears, fantasies and fabulousness of the queer psyche? Join moderator William O. Tyler (Theater of Terror) and his panel of creators as they dissect the rotting corpse of queer horror. 

3 p.m – 3:50 p.m. Out in the World: Publishing Queer Comics 

There are more ways than ever to get queer comics out into the world, from self-publishing to the indie presses to the mainstream book and comics publishers. This plethora of options, both on the web and in print, can be bewildering and comes with its share of pitfalls. Join moderator Avi Ehrlich (Silver Sprocket) and their panel of creators as they break down the myriad challenges and opportunities of the modern publishing landscape. 

4 p.m – 4:50 p.m. Graphic Content: Queer Erotic Comics 

How have queer comics handled sex, sexuality and desire, both in erotic stories and ones that simply include graphic content? Why and how are we making this work, and who is it for? Join moderator Justin Hall (No Straight Lines) and his panel of creators as they discuss the challenges and opportunities of representing sex in their work, how far representation has come in erotica, and where it’s all headed. This panel will contain graphic images and language. 

Workshop Schedule, SF Main Library’s Hormel LGBTQIA Center 

1 p.m – 2:20 p.m. Mini-Comic Madness!  

Queer comics have a profound history of DIY production. Punk zines and mini-comics are made with photocopy machines and staplers and enable artists to get their work into the world without gatekeepers and censors. This workshop run by Sarah Maloney (Ride at Your Own Risk) will show you the basics of making your own mini-comic and empower you in the same way as generations of underground artists have been before you!  

2:30 p.m – 4:50 p.m. The Reading Nook 

Need a break from the festivities? After the workshop, the Hormel Center will be a quiet space for folks to chill and read our expansive collection of comics, zines, and books. Workshop attendees can also finish their mini-comics here. 

This event is co-sponsored by Silver Sprocket, California College of the Arts MFA Comics and BFA Comics programs and the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center of San Francisco Public Library. Thanks to the support of the Hormel LGBTQIA Center of the San Francisco Public Library, this event will be 100% free to both exhibitors and attendees. 

About San Francisco Public Library:

San Francisco Public Library is dedicated to free and equal access to information, knowledge, independent learning and the joys of reading for our diverse community. The library system is made up of 27 neighborhood branches, the San Francisco Main Library at Civic Center and four bookmobiles.