The organising team at the US-based but international Cartoonist Cooperative have put together Nib & Ink Fest, an online comics fest offering a whole host of panels, workshops, and portfolio reviews, with multiple events every Saturday and Sunday this month.
Unfortunately, for some reason, we’ve only just received the press information about it, but the good news is, there streams of previous events are available on the Cartoonist Cooperative YouTube channel, where you can check out sessions such as Storytelling in Comics, Making of a Web Comic, Jordie Bellaire Colouring Portfolio Reviews, The 2025 Minicomic Awards Ceremony and plenty more.
The upcoming panels are on Zoom to join for free and interact, and also stream on a YouTube mirror and remain available afterwards.
Affectionately known as NIF, this month-long virtual festival features over 145 comics across its Marketplace, Sampler, and Oops All Comics! Zine, as well as over two dozen online events happening every weekend throughout the month.
Comics Galore!
The NIF Marketplace includes more than 70 digital comics and zines by over 60 artists from the Co-op, including cartoonists such as Ashanti Fortson, Jamila Rowser, Mikoto, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Sloane Hong.
In addition, there’s a series of interviews with many of the contributors available on the Cartoonist Cooperative Journal, where readers can learn more about the creators and the comics available in NIF 2025.
Oops All Comics! Zine fundraiser and Sampler
A free, downloadable NIF Sampler includes sample pages from 25 ongoing webcomics from creators such as Cori Walters, Julie Mapes, Kody Okamoto, Sam Cheng/Kindlespark, and SpicyMotte.
“We hope readers make the effort to follow all of these spectacular webcomics regularly after reading each of these condensed samples,” the organisers say.
As part of this online event, you can also grab a copy of the Oops All Comics! Zine fundraiser, collecting more than 50 brand new, single page comics, all created by Co-op artists such as Alyssa Ragni, Amanda J Ellis, Jamie A. Mosquera, Saleha Chowdhury, and Sarah Whang interpreting the 2025 theme, “Colourful!”
This fundraiser zine, Sampler, and Marketplace will all only be available until 31st May 2025 on nif.cartoonist.coop, so get it while you can.
Creator focused events still to come
Plus, there are a number of streamed events still to come, digitally broadcast live via Zoom. The Zoom rooms are moderated and free to join for everyone, so hop on in to watch and interact with the panelists and your fellow viewers! If you’re unable to join via Zoom, the organisers also have stream mirrors set up on the Cartoonists Coop YouTube.
Events to come in the final part of May include Becca Carey Lettering Portfolio Reviews, taking place today and every Tuesday until 1st June (there’s a submission process to take part in these, so follow the link); Beginning to End: A Creative Process Conversation (May 24 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT) with Cartoonist Co-op members Kody Okamoto, Jasmine Walls, Blue Delliquanti and Ashanti Fortson discussing their own creative processes and how they approach new projects with fellow Co-op member and moderator Jessi Eoin; The History of Comics Labor Organizing (May 24 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT), An interactive presentation on the history of comics workers quest to organise; Blender for Cartoonists (Absolute Beginner Demo) (May 24 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm EDT), a quickstart overview of Blender for use in creating reference material for making comics; and NSFW & Adult Comics Portfolio Review (May 25 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT), again do follow the link for portfolio submission process.
Don’t miss, either, the Comics Mixtape Podcast Pilot Variety Show (May 25 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm EDT), celebrating the launch of a new podcast. Tune in to the Pilot Episode and listen interviews, dramatic comics readings, recommendations, technique chat, and more, all contributed by and featuring Coop members, all wrapping up with a fun game show.
This year’s NIF rounds off with the Nib & Ink Fest Closing Ceremony (May 31 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm EDT). Hear about some of the team’s favourite parts of the first-ever Nib & Ink Fest, what’s next for the Cartoonist Cooperative and a big announcement you don’t want to miss.
Who Are The Cartoonist Cooperative?
The Cartoonist Cooperative is a member-driven organisation working to improve and protect the labour rights of comic industry workers worldwide. Members of the cooperative gain access to career development resources, creative feedback and assistance, promotional campaigns for members’ comics, exclusive discounted benefits, and more.
“The inaugural Nib + Ink Fest of 2025 is a collaborative effort of volunteers from several teams from the NIF Committee of the Cartoonist Cooperative,” say the team, “working in partnership with multiple Co-op committees and our Co-op membership as a whole to bring you this month-long, online comics event.
“This event wouldn’t be what it is without the unique sets of strengths and skills that each of our contributors brings to the committee and the many hours of work they put in to bring it to life.
“NIF 2025 has been an absolute labour of love for our fellow comics creators, and we hope comic writers and artists reading this consider joining the Co-op to help us build even more phenomenal opportunities for cartoonists everywhere.”
• For more info on Cartoonist Cooperative initiatives, such as the annual Comic Worker Survey, The Minicomic Awards, as well as Nib & Ink Fest, visit https://cartoonist.coop for more details
• The upcoming panels are on Zoom to join for free and interact, and also stream on a YouTube mirror and remain available afterwards.
• This year’s fundraiser zine, Sampler, and Marketplace will all only be available until 31st May 2025 on nif.cartoonist.coop, so get them while you can
• Sign up for the festival’s newsletter here to stay updated on all festival related announcements
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: downthetubes News
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