The New York Comics & Picture-story Symposium has announced its Fall 2026 season, bringing together cartoonists, comics creators, historians, scholars, and visual storytellers for a new series of free online talks. Running from September 1 through December 7, 2026, the program continues the symposium’s long-standing mission of exploring comics, illustration, graphic storytelling, and visual culture through presentations by internationally recognized artists and researchers.
Curated by Austin English, Bill Kartalopoulos, Lilli Carré, and Ben Katchor, the Fall 2026 program features a diverse lineup of creators and academics whose work spans contemporary comics, comics history, publishing, illustration, and visual narrative. Most events take place online on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM ET, with a few sessions scheduled on Mondays or at different times.
The season opens on September 1 with cartoonist and author Roman Muradov, who will present My Idea of Funny, a talk examining how humor functions across comics, literature, music, and abstract art. On September 7, Sean Christensen discusses The Comfort with Inn, a decade-long performance and publishing project exploring memory and place.
On September 15, comics historian Paul Tumey presents his research on legendary American cartoonist Milt Gross, followed by Ben Mendelewicz on September 22, who will discuss the creative process behind his ongoing graphic novel Electric Fence. The September program concludes with Jason Shaffer on September 29, exploring the relationship between comics storytelling, dialogue, staging, and theatrical traditions.
October begins with cartoonist, editor, and broadcaster Bronwyn Carlton on October 6, sharing insights from her work across comics publishing and editorial projects. On October 13, historian Jeffrey S. Ravel examines the visual culture of playing cards during the French Revolution, while Oskar Cox Jensen explores the narrative power of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century illustrated song prints on October 20. German artist Georg Barber (ATAK) closes the month on October 27 with a presentation on his latest adaptation inspired by Sleepy Hollow and his distinctive hand color-separation techniques.
The November schedule begins with Emmy Waldman on November 3, discussing autobiographical comics through the works of Lynda Barry, Art Spiegelman, Alison Bechdel, and others. Sarina Nihei follows on November 9, reflecting on the artists, filmmakers, and writers who have influenced her approach to comics and animation. On November 17, Drew Lerman looks back at the development of his comic strip Snake Creek, while editor and translator Mark Iosifescuconcludes the month on November 24 with a presentation on the landmark French graphic novel Saga de Xam.
The season concludes in December with two presentations dedicated to comics history and contemporary visual storytelling. On December 1, Pete Maresca and Paul Tumey examine the life and legacy of Bringing Up Father creator George McManus, while the final session on December 7 features Lily Thu Fierro and Generoso Fierro, who will discuss science, signs, perception, and visual narrative through their recent work.
Participation is free, but advance registration is required. Attendees are asked to register by emailing comicssymposium@gmail.com approximately one week before each event.
More information about the symposium, including future events and updates, is available on the official New York Comics & Picture-story Symposium website, while the complete Fall 2026 schedule can be found on the symposium’s Substack announcement.
Official website:
https://nycomicssymposium.wordpress.com/
Fall 2026 Calendar of Events:
https://nycomicssymposium.substack.com/p/fall-2026-calendar-of-events
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