2023 ALBERTA BOOK PUBLISHING AWARDS ‘BOOK ILLUSTRATION’ WINNER
A 224 page comics anthology celebrating the comic creators connected to Alberta, featuring 43 short comic stories and cartoons inspired by the theme ‘home’. Within the pages you will find a curious mix of pathos, optimism, humour, hope, and reflections on all the different things ‘home’ really means.
Featuring: Jillian Fleck † Theresa Wong † Kat Simmers & Ryan Danny Owen † Spencer Estabrooks † Jarrett Hartnell † Janice Blaine Aaron Navrady † Naomi Fong † Debra King † Cam Hayden Josh Rose † Lyndon Radchenka † Chris Doucher † Jeff Martin † Jackson Gee † Derek Evernden † Chris Peterson James Davidge † Chris Twin † Sam Hester † Brett Monro Crista Honey † Nick Johnson † Shannon M. Reeves † Randi Hamel † Sho L. Uehara † Sylvia Moon † Steven Charles Rosia Rick Overwater † Dario Carrasco Jr † Stacey Bru † Kelly Tindall † Mary Haasdyk † John Vooys † Maria Stoian Zachary Wild † Sean Seamus McWhinny † Simone Stehouwer † Mike Hooves † Luke Moore † Emma McCaul † Jacqueline Huskisson † Rixby Elliot † Henry Hays † Darryl Sinclair Savannah Tries † Corey Lansdell † Allan Whincup † Chris Michaud † Caanan Grall † Morten Kristiansen † Nicole Gruszecki † Shawn Fehrenbach † Zach Schuster
Canadian Readers can order from a local bookstore here
The theme of our anthology is “Home.” Be it positive or negative, our homes help create us, and these last few years of distancing, cohorts and quarantines have likely made that even clearer. A home might become a haven as the outside world descends into chaos or it might also feel like a cage. It can be both. A setting can be as much a character as a person. Sometimes we long for places simply for their beauty, but more often we’re seeking a reunion with a person, family or community.
We put out a call for stories from Albertan comic creators and we got an amazingly diverse response, from slice-of-life to fantastical fiction. While one creator draws love-letter via a run-down of our “World’s Largest” sites, another hunts to feed their family. Teresa Wong drew a map of Calgary’s Chinatown overlaid with personal family history. Some reminisced over summers’ past – the party scene in Edmonton, and the buzz of activity in Okotoks when Pokemon Go was released – while another finds humour, and even hope, in the worst thing imaginable, zombies terrorizing the small town of Byemoor.
The characters within our comics frequently ask themselves just what makes a “good” home. Is it a crashed starship with only a glitchy holographic attendant? Or something even more fantastic, a page of art through which the artist is spontaneously transported – along with her cat – into the vastness of space? Naomi Fong shows us how complex it is navigating new parenthood amidst foreign traditions, values and language. Sam Hester shows how an owl taught her family about their local habitat and helped them keep sane during lockdowns. Great wisdom and encouragement are voiced by the most unlikely protagonists: a leopard gecko named Sponge, a magpie in its flight around a prairie farmyard, and a robot suffering from anxiety.
Given what we’ve all just gone through as a province (and a planet) we suggested that artists tell you all about their stay-at-home pandemic experiences. James Davidge had to manage cramped classrooms in an ever-evolving pandemic. Shannon M. Reeves describes a walk through a city that felt suddenly unfamiliar, and frightening. Our stories document a curious mix of pathos and optimism. Darryl Sinclair finds peace in the garden, and Mike Hooves shows how a simple gesture can let in so much light.
Editors: Alexander Finbow, Shea Proulx, Emily Pomeroy
224 pages, full colour
“As stated in the “Introduction”, be it positive or negative, our homes create us. This comic anthology presents itself as a way to reflect both joyfully and deeply on what home really means, and, more specifically, what home means in the province of Alberta. After finishing Alberta Comics Anthology: Home, I was left thinking about how I would represent and tell my story of living in Alberta for 30+ years—a compelling afterthought triggered by many of the simple visuals or grandiose plot lines that are contained in the pages. Again, don’t let the locality of Alberta be a deterrent to picking up this anthology – I am convinced there is a little something for everyone in here!” – Lindsey Baird, Canadian Materials
Featuring:
Janice Blaine (she/her) has worked as an illustrator, a graphic designer, a layout artist, a classical animator, a web designer, a photo lab technician, and an acquisitions editor. She’s vPrix Aurora Award, and won the Pinnacle Achievement Award for The Funny Farm, a children’s book she illustrated (written by Gordon R. Perry). She lives and works out of Calgary. janicecblaineartist.wordpress.com
Stacey Lee Bru (they/them) is an illustrator and artistic explorer from Northern Saskatchewan, currently living in Central Alberta. When not drawing, Stacey can be found reading or hanging with their dog Ripley. Instagram: @staceyleebru
Dario Carrasco, Jr. (he/him) is an artist who has worked for a large number of comic book companies, including Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics. He is best known within the Star Wars community for his work with Kevin J. Anderson. In 2002 he started his own online comic studio called Panday Studio. He lives in Okotoks.
Rick Overwater (he/him) Calgary. His crime stories and fiction are available in a number of anthologies and novels. His graphic novel, Futility: Orange Planet Horror (with illustrator Cam Hayden) was nominated for a 2019 Aurora Award .
James Davidge (he/him) is the author of numerous novels and comics including 1st Legion of Utopia, C.H.A.N.G.E. Agents, My Modern Panic, Thirteen Minutes, the Driftwood Saga and the Mathemagick series. A teacher at the Willow Park School for Arts- Centred Learning, James lives just outside of Calgary with his family.
Christopher Peterson (he/ him) has been drawing and writing comics for 16 years. Recent works include Manticore, Grindhouse from Dark Horse Comics, Mayday from Black Mask, and Broken World from Boom! Studios.
Rixby Elliot (she/her) grew up partly in England and partly in Calgary, where she lives now. She is a writer and comics creator, currently working on a middle-grade and new-adult book. And if those don’t work, she’ll fall back on her safety job as an Entertainment Engineer.
Growing up on a farm outside of Red Deer, Spencer Estabrooks (he/him) is a writer, director, and producer of strange tales. He’s won awards for his D&D mockumentary One Hit Die. The Ballad of Sharkasaurus, a short western, won AMPIA awards for best short film and best writing. www.deadwestproduction.com Instagram: spencer.easy Sharkasaurusnow onehitdieseries
Jarret Hartnell (he/him) is a multidisciplinary comic creator and art teacher based in Calgary. He graduated AUArts with a degree in design. His forthcoming work includes Shout, Kill, Revel from Renegade Arts Entertainment. Instagram: @jarrethartnell
Derek Evernden (he/him) was born in Edmonton, and grew up in Newmarket, Ontario. He lives in the village of Milo with his wife Gillian and their three chickens. He created the single panel comic Bogart Creek and his work has appeared in WIRED online, Graydon Carter’s Air Mail, The American Bystander, various anthologies, and three collections published by Renegade Arts Entertainment. @bogartcreek @derekevernden www.bogartcreek.com www.derekevernden.com
Naomi Fong (she/her) is an Calgary-based illustrator and comic creator. Graduating from the Alberta University of the Arts, Naomi has been making comics since she was seven years old. When she’s not reminiscing on the past, or worrying about the future, Naomi collects other people’s secrets. Instagram/twitter: @naomispractice
Debra King (she/her) is a retired adult literacy instructor who began her career in the Northwest Territories. After her daughter Naomi was born, she and her partner Andrew moved south. Andrew’s parents offered a home base in Calgary from which to make a new start.
Shawn Fehrenbach (he/him) works in Calgary in print, web, video, animation and considers himself a Jack-of-all-Trades when it comes to digital design. With all his years of experience, he has become a master of some of those trades along the way. Crista Honey (she/her) is from Calgary, and spends her days scheduling software consultants and analyzing operational processes. Crista enjoys reading books, attending concerts, travelling the world, and spending time with her son. Excelling at dreaming big and finishing nothing, Crista strives to experience all of life and laugh as much as possible along the way.
Brett Monro (he/him) Calgary. A brief dalliance as a comic book retailer eventually led him co- creating the We Talk Podcasts network where he co-hosts the We Talk Comics podcast. He is also the co-writer of the Kings of the Strip graphic novel.
Jillian Fleck (they/them) is a comic creator from Calgary. Their comics and academic work has been published in a variety of anthologies. When not making comics, they work at the library. www.jillianfleck.com Twitter: @lakejehovah Insta: jillian.fleck
Jackson Gee (he/him) is a self- taught freelance graphic designer & illustrator from Calgary. His illustration comic work has been published in Fight Comics Vol 2. and Wishless Anthology. He has also worked on storyboards for Shaw and other commercial projects. www.jacksongee.com
Chris Doucher (he/him) (pronounced: DUKE-er) is making his comic book writing debut in Alberta Comics: Home. He’s also the owner and Editor- in-Chief of Calgary-based GeekNerdNet.com, which showcases the work of independent comic book creators and publishers. Instagram and Twitter: @GeekNerdNet
Caanan Grall (he/him) is the Calgary-based Eisner- nominated cartoonist for his webcomic Max Overacts. His published work includes Celadore, Red 5 and Boom! and Parallel U. He has been dormant recently due to brain surgery but is clawing his way back. www.occasionalcomics.com
Nicole Gruszecki (she/her) is a Calgary-based artist. She paints, draws, and makes comics, children’s books, artist trading cards, zines, and podcasts. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Alberta College of Art and Design (now AUArts). Etsy: Nicolegruszeckiart www.brideofthecreature.com Instagram: @nicolegruszecki_art / @brideofcreaturepodcastMorten Styrishave Kristiansen (he/him) is a Calgary podcaster and blogger. He is the co-founder of the We Talk Podcasts Network , and co- creator of the Kings of the Strip graphic novel. www.wetalkpodcasts.com Twitter: Morten WeTalk
Mary Haasdyk is a Calgary- based illustrator, working in editorial, publishing and public art. Her work has been recognized by Spectrum Fantastic Arts, American Illustration, Society of Illustrators West and Applied Arts. @maryhaasdyk
John Vooys (he/him) a Calgary based artist, writer, musician. He graduated from Alberta University of the Arts. Although John does not know any marmots personally, he hopes to one day. @johnvooysart
Randi Hamel (she/her) is a queer comics maker, animator and illustrator living in Vancouver, BC. Her work has been showcased in the Gordon Smith Gallery in North Vancouver, and she has been a featured artist Tapas.io and Tumblr.com. She was raised in Edmonton.
Cam Hayden (he/him) is a Calgary-based cartoonist whose work has appeared in many magazines and comics collections. Cam puts out Tongue in Cheek’s B-Movie Garbage series, his own Red Flag comics, and co-creates theongoing, Aurora nominated sci-fi series, Futility (with Rick Overwater). www.patreon.som/lancegoiter Instagram: @lancegoiter
Henry Hays (he/him) graduated from AUArts in 2021, having dedicated his time there to graphic novels focused on the history and landscape of Canada. He was the recipient of the Board of Governors Graduating Student Award. He hopes to someday make lengthy historical fiction comics. He lives in Calgary. Artist photo by David Yates.
Sam Hester (she/her) writes and draws comics about real-life local stories in her hometown of Calgary, in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta, Canada.
Mike Hooves (they/them) is a prairie queer working in illustration, animation, and film in Treaty 7 – Calgary. They received their bachelor of design from AUArts in 2016. Mike uses simple shapes, saturated colour, and gestural linework to create playful and engaging imagery that utilizes queer aesthetic and signifiers.
Jacqueline Huskisson (she/ her) is an artist originally from Calgary. She primarily works in printmaking, painting, comics and video. She is interested in exploring the line between reality and fiction, and in creating her own interpretation of where that line is. Instagram: @jacqueline_huskisson/ www.jacquelinehuskisson.com
Nick Johnson (he/him). After two years living in Scotland, writer and artist Nick Johnson has returned to his hometown of Calgary. With a fresh Master’s Degree of Comics in his pocket, he refines his storytelling as a writer and director for Squid Brain Studios and as an illustration and character design instructor at AUArts. www.nick.ca Instagram/Twitter: @illustratednick
Maria Stoian (she//her) is an illustrator & comics artist based in Edinburgh. She is the author of the award-winning graphic novel Take it as a Compliment. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Nib and the anthology Drawing Power. www.mariastoian.com Instagram: @maria_stoian
Kat Simmers (they/them) is a Mohkinstsis (Calgary) based trans femme non-binary artist and author who works with comic media and street art. They were raised in Bashaw, Alberta. Co-Author & illustrator of the graphic novel series Pass Me By, their work explores identity and relationships to engage the public in conversations about queer identity and mental health. Their public works are spread through the Treaty 6 & 7 region in Mohkinstsis, the town of Bashaw, and as a participant in the international mural festival BUMP 2019 & 2020. www.katsimmers.com @Kat_Simmers
Ryan Danny Owen (they/ them) is a non-binary author, visual artist, and queer historian based in Treaty 7/ Calgary. Their work has been exhibited across Canada and they are co-creator of the award- winning Pass Me By series (with illustrator, Kat Simmers). @Rdannyowen www.Ryandannyowen.com
Corey Lansdell (he/him) is an Alberta born writer, illustrator, artist, animator & co-owner of animation studio Pulp Studios Inc. He is the cowriter of the upcoming all ages graphic novel, Ghoster Heights.Allan Whincup (he/him) was born and raised in Edmonton where he’s been working as an illustrator for over 20 years. He’s a big comics fan and lives in Middle-earth (mentally, at least). Currently working on How to Win the War on Truth, an illustrated guide to propaganda. www.AllanWhincup.com – Twitter or Instagram: @AllanWhincup
Jeff Martin (he/him) is an award-winning cartoonist from Edmonton. His works include the Hockeypocalyspe series of comics & his webcomic Hell,Inc.
Emma McCaul (she/her). Her work includes illustration, painting, mixed media, sculpture, & installations. Based in Calgary, Emma’s first colouring book, Animals of Alberta, was published in 2020. www.emmamccaul.comLuke Moore (He/Him) Calgary. His passion for storytelling extends to his career as a prop maker and set decorator for film. Above all he wants his work to inspire others to be creative.
Sean Seamus McWhinny (he/ him) is a cartoonist and illustrator based in San Francisco. Seamus’s family is from Alberta. Recently, he had a short piece published in COVID Chronicles: A Comics Anthology (Graphic Mundi) about his mother getting the virus. His single panel cartoons are in the 2022 winter issue of Alta Journal. Twitter: @seanseamus; Instagram: @seanseamusart; www.seaseamus.cominstagram
Chris “iamsidchurch” Michaud (he/him) was born in Westlock, AB. He lived in Edmonton before moving to Montreal.. His published work includes fiction, poetry, illustrations, & comics. His ongoing public space exhibition, Gutter Trash Romance, includes 950 prints made to commemorate the lives of the fallen members of SNFU. www.iamsidchurch.com @iamsidchurch
smoonie/Sylvia Moon (she/her) is a graphic designer by day, manga artist by night. She started with comics in the newspapers, and now it’s comics when she can. Twitter: @smoonie pixiv: smoonie
Aaron Navrady (he/him) Calgary. His current comics project is The Cold Fire, a medieval epic about a Norman Crusader who joins a company of knights tasked with pursuing heretics across the Alps during the Albigensian Crusade.
Shea Proulx (she/her) has two daughters and a husband who inspire her every day. She makes books that make children smarter, and make adults feel like they mixed up their kid gummies with their grown-up ones. Alice at Naptime and ABC Monstrosity, were both published by Renegade Arts and Entertainment.www.sheaproulx.ca Twitter/Instagram: @SheaProulx Etsy: sheaproulxartbooks
Lyndon Radchenka (he/him) is a writer, award-winning lettere from Winnipeg. He’s written Infinite Universe (with Steven Kaul,) and What Will Not Last (Kaul, Smith, Schuster, Chomichuk.) In 2020 he won the Sequential Magazine Award for “Favourite Letterer.” www.infinitestudio.ca Twitter: @radchenka – Instagram: @lradchenka
Josh Rose (he/him) is a writer and editor from Calgary. He has worked on comics such as Captain Canuck, & the award- winning series Auric of the Great White North which was turned into an award-winning beer by Full Beard Brewing Co.
Zach Schuster (he/him) Calgary based graduate from the Alberta College of Art and Design. Zach likes comics and board games, and is only afraid of spiders the normal amount. – www.zmschuster.com
Shannon M Reeves (she/they) from Clagary, is an illustrator, comic artist, & overall wiggly human. Shannon graduated from AUarts in 2020, but since it was during the pandemic it didn’t feel like a normal graduation. www.shannonmreeves.com Instagram: @Shan_doodles
Steven Charles Rosia (he/him) is a comic book artist & writer from Okotoks, Alberta. Rosiaworks primarily in traditional mediums specializing in ink washes, gouache, and coffee, to create comics and original illustrations ranging from bizzarro comedy to brutal horror. www.withoutatitle.com Instagram: @StevenRosia Twitter: @StevenRosia
Darryl Sinclair (she/they) is a queer artist and designer born in Calgary. As a kid, Darryl was often in trouble for drawing on bedsheets, getting paint in the carpet, and destroying garments to use for sewing projects. Since graduating AUArts in 2017, Darryl has had work in Arts Commons and Engender. They are currently a graphic designer at Sajak & Farki. Instagram: @darmeg
Simone Stehouwer (she/they) is a comic artist & illustrator based in Calgary. They graduated from the AUArts in 2021. They’re not sure if they believe in ghosts, but would be terrified if they met one. simonestehouwer.myportfolio.co m
Twitter/Instagram: @lordofnowhere_
Kelly Tindall (he/him) is a Shuster Award-nominated cartoonist best known for his pirate webcomic Strangebeard & diary strip The Adventurers. Formerly an Edmontonian & Calgarian, he now lives in Montreal.
Twitter: @kellytindall Instagram: @mrkellytindall
Facebook: facebook.com/ kellytindall
Savannah Tries (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist living in Edmonton (amiskwaciwâskahikan) on Treaty 6 territory. Her art has been featured in publications by Bed Zine and the Society for Northern Alberta Print-Artists. Instagram: @savannahtriesart
Twitter: @savannahtries
Christopher Twin (he/him) is a comic creator in Edmonton. He studied Writing & Fine Art at Grant MacEwan University. He makes horror, Sci-Fi & fantasy comics.
Email: ctwin23@yahoo.ca Instagram: @ctwincomics
Zachary Wild (he/him) is an Albertan comic creator who eats, sleeps and breathes comics. From the first moment he picked up a comic at the age of six, he has single-mindedly pursued a career in comics with near zealot-like enthusiasm. www.artstation.com/ zacharywildart Twitter: @Zacharywildart Instagram: @Zacharywildart
Sho Legaspi Uehara (he/him) is a cartoonist and freelance illustrator born in Calgary. People often ask where he comes from or what he is (which is tiresome and a bit odd but he gets it, sort of). For those wondering, he is a mixed race Asian Canadian. Half- Okinawan, half-Filipino and Canadian through and through.Website: shouehara.com
Teresa Wong (she/her) is the author of the graphic memoir Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression, a finalist for The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and longlisted for CBC Canada Reads 2020.
For CBC coverage of the anthology, and a radio interview with contributor Kat Simmers, click here.
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The theme of our anthology is “Home.” Be it positive or negative, our homes help create us, and these last few years of distancing, cohorts and quarantines have likely made that even clearer. A home might become a haven as the outside world descends into chaos or it might also feel like a cage. It can be both. A setting can be as much a character as a person. Sometimes we long for places simply for their beauty, but more often we’re seeking a reunion with a person, family or community.
We put out a call for stories from Albertan comic creators and we got an amazingly diverse response, from slice-of-life to fantastical fiction. While one creator draws love-letter via a run-down of our “World’s Largest” sites, another hunts to feed their family. Teresa Wong drew a map of Calgary’s Chinatown overlaid with personal family history. Some reminisced over summers’ past – the party scene in Edmonton, and the buzz of activity in Okotoks when Pokemon Go was released – while another finds humour, and even hope, in the worst thing imaginable, zombies terrorizing the small town of Byemoor.
The characters within our comics frequently ask themselves just what makes a “good” home. Is it a crashed starship with only a glitchy holographic attendant? Or something even more fantastic, a page of art through which the artist is spontaneously transported – along with her cat – into the vastness of space? Naomi Fong shows us how complex it is navigating new parenthood amidst foreign traditions, values and language. Sam Hester shows how an owl taught her family about their local habitat and helped them keep sane during lockdowns. Great wisdom and encouragement are voiced by the most unlikely protagonists: a leopard gecko named Sponge, a magpie in its flight around a prairie farmyard, and a robot suffering from anxiety.
Given what we’ve all just gone through as a province (and a planet) we suggested that artists tell you all about their stay-at-home pandemic experiences. James Davidge had to manage cramped classrooms in an ever-evolving pandemic. Shannon M. Reeves describes a walk through a city that felt suddenly unfamiliar, and frightening. Our stories document a curious mix of pathos and optimism. Darryl Sinclair finds peace in the garden, and Mike Hooves shows how a simple gesture can let in so much light.
Editors: Alexander Finbow, Shea Proulx, Emily Pomeroy
224 pages, full colour
“As stated in the “Introduction”, be it positive or negative, our homes create us. This comic anthology presents itself as a way to reflect both joyfully and deeply on what home really means, and, more specifically, what home means in the province of Alberta. After finishing Alberta Comics Anthology: Home, I was left thinking about how I would represent and tell my story of living in Alberta for 30+ years—a compelling afterthought triggered by many of the simple visuals or grandiose plot lines that are contained in the pages. Again, don’t let the locality of Alberta be a deterrent to picking up this anthology – I am convinced there is a little something for everyone in here!” – Lindsey Baird, Canadian Materials
Featuring:
Janice Blaine (she/her) has worked as an illustrator, a graphic designer, a layout artist, a classical animator, a web designer, a photo lab technician, and an acquisitions editor. She’s vPrix Aurora Award, and won the Pinnacle Achievement Award for The Funny Farm, a children’s book she illustrated (written by Gordon R. Perry). She lives and works out of Calgary. janicecblaineartist.wordpress.com
Stacey Lee Bru (they/them) is an illustrator and artistic explorer from Northern Saskatchewan, currently living in Central Alberta. When not drawing, Stacey can be found reading or hanging with their dog Ripley. Instagram: @staceyleebru
Dario Carrasco, Jr. (he/him) is an artist who has worked for a large number of comic book companies, including Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics. He is best known within the Star Wars community for his work with Kevin J. Anderson. In 2002 he started his own online comic studio called Panday Studio. He lives in Okotoks.
Rick Overwater (he/him) Calgary. His crime stories and fiction are available in a number of anthologies and novels. His graphic novel, Futility: Orange Planet Horror (with illustrator Cam Hayden) was nominated for a 2019 Aurora Award .
James Davidge (he/him) is the author of numerous novels and comics including 1st Legion of Utopia, C.H.A.N.G.E. Agents, My Modern Panic, Thirteen Minutes, the Driftwood Saga and the Mathemagick series. A teacher at the Willow Park School for Arts- Centred Learning, James lives just outside of Calgary with his family.
Christopher Peterson (he/ him) has been drawing and writing comics for 16 years. Recent works include Manticore, Grindhouse from Dark Horse Comics, Mayday from Black Mask, and Broken World from Boom! Studios.
Rixby Elliot (she/her) grew up partly in England and partly in Calgary, where she lives now. She is a writer and comics creator, currently working on a middle-grade and new-adult book. And if those don’t work, she’ll fall back on her safety job as an Entertainment Engineer.
Growing up on a farm outside of Red Deer, Spencer Estabrooks (he/him) is a writer, director, and producer of strange tales. He’s won awards for his D&D mockumentary One Hit Die. The Ballad of Sharkasaurus, a short western, won AMPIA awards for best short film and best writing. www.deadwestproduction.com Instagram: spencer.easy Sharkasaurusnow onehitdieseries
Jarret Hartnell (he/him) is a multidisciplinary comic creator and art teacher based in Calgary. He graduated AUArts with a degree in design. His forthcoming work includes Shout, Kill, Revel from Renegade Arts Entertainment. Instagram: @jarrethartnell
Derek Evernden (he/him) was born in Edmonton, and grew up in Newmarket, Ontario. He lives in the village of Milo with his wife Gillian and their three chickens. He created the single panel comic Bogart Creek and his work has appeared in WIRED online, Graydon Carter’s Air Mail, The American Bystander, various anthologies, and three collections published by Renegade Arts Entertainment. @bogartcreek @derekevernden www.bogartcreek.com www.derekevernden.com
Naomi Fong (she/her) is an Calgary-based illustrator and comic creator. Graduating from the Alberta University of the Arts, Naomi has been making comics since she was seven years old. When she’s not reminiscing on the past, or worrying about the future, Naomi collects other people’s secrets. Instagram/twitter: @naomispractice
Debra King (she/her) is a retired adult literacy instructor who began her career in the Northwest Territories. After her daughter Naomi was born, she and her partner Andrew moved south. Andrew’s parents offered a home base in Calgary from which to make a new start.
Shawn Fehrenbach (he/him) works in Calgary in print, web, video, animation and considers himself a Jack-of-all-Trades when it comes to digital design. With all his years of experience, he has become a master of some of those trades along the way. Crista Honey (she/her) is from Calgary, and spends her days scheduling software consultants and analyzing operational processes. Crista enjoys reading books, attending concerts, travelling the world, and spending time with her son. Excelling at dreaming big and finishing nothing, Crista strives to experience all of life and laugh as much as possible along the way.
Brett Monro (he/him) Calgary. A brief dalliance as a comic book retailer eventually led him co- creating the We Talk Podcasts network where he co-hosts the We Talk Comics podcast. He is also the co-writer of the Kings of the Strip graphic novel.
Jillian Fleck (they/them) is a comic creator from Calgary. Their comics and academic work has been published in a variety of anthologies. When not making comics, they work at the library. www.jillianfleck.com Twitter: @lakejehovah Insta: jillian.fleck
Jackson Gee (he/him) is a self- taught freelance graphic designer & illustrator from Calgary. His illustration comic work has been published in Fight Comics Vol 2. and Wishless Anthology. He has also worked on storyboards for Shaw and other commercial projects. www.jacksongee.com
Chris Doucher (he/him) (pronounced: DUKE-er) is making his comic book writing debut in Alberta Comics: Home. He’s also the owner and Editor- in-Chief of Calgary-based GeekNerdNet.com, which showcases the work of independent comic book creators and publishers. Instagram and Twitter: @GeekNerdNet
Caanan Grall (he/him) is the Calgary-based Eisner- nominated cartoonist for his webcomic Max Overacts. His published work includes Celadore, Red 5 and Boom! and Parallel U. He has been dormant recently due to brain surgery but is clawing his way back. www.occasionalcomics.com
Nicole Gruszecki (she/her) is a Calgary-based artist. She paints, draws, and makes comics, children’s books, artist trading cards, zines, and podcasts. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Alberta College of Art and Design (now AUArts). Etsy: Nicolegruszeckiart www.brideofthecreature.com Instagram: @nicolegruszecki_art / @brideofcreaturepodcastMorten Styrishave Kristiansen (he/him) is a Calgary podcaster and blogger. He is the co-founder of the We Talk Podcasts Network , and co- creator of the Kings of the Strip graphic novel. www.wetalkpodcasts.com Twitter: Morten WeTalk
Mary Haasdyk is a Calgary- based illustrator, working in editorial, publishing and public art. Her work has been recognized by Spectrum Fantastic Arts, American Illustration, Society of Illustrators West and Applied Arts. @maryhaasdyk
John Vooys (he/him) a Calgary based artist, writer, musician. He graduated from Alberta University of the Arts. Although John does not know any marmots personally, he hopes to one day. @johnvooysart
Randi Hamel (she/her) is a queer comics maker, animator and illustrator living in Vancouver, BC. Her work has been showcased in the Gordon Smith Gallery in North Vancouver, and she has been a featured artist Tapas.io and Tumblr.com. She was raised in Edmonton.
Cam Hayden (he/him) is a Calgary-based cartoonist whose work has appeared in many magazines and comics collections. Cam puts out Tongue in Cheek’s B-Movie Garbage series, his own Red Flag comics, and co-creates theongoing, Aurora nominated sci-fi series, Futility (with Rick Overwater). www.patreon.som/lancegoiter Instagram: @lancegoiter
Henry Hays (he/him) graduated from AUArts in 2021, having dedicated his time there to graphic novels focused on the history and landscape of Canada. He was the recipient of the Board of Governors Graduating Student Award. He hopes to someday make lengthy historical fiction comics. He lives in Calgary. Artist photo by David Yates.
Sam Hester (she/her) writes and draws comics about real-life local stories in her hometown of Calgary, in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta, Canada.
Mike Hooves (they/them) is a prairie queer working in illustration, animation, and film in Treaty 7 – Calgary. They received their bachelor of design from AUArts in 2016. Mike uses simple shapes, saturated colour, and gestural linework to create playful and engaging imagery that utilizes queer aesthetic and signifiers.
Jacqueline Huskisson (she/ her) is an artist originally from Calgary. She primarily works in printmaking, painting, comics and video. She is interested in exploring the line between reality and fiction, and in creating her own interpretation of where that line is. Instagram: @jacqueline_huskisson/ www.jacquelinehuskisson.com
Nick Johnson (he/him). After two years living in Scotland, writer and artist Nick Johnson has returned to his hometown of Calgary. With a fresh Master’s Degree of Comics in his pocket, he refines his storytelling as a writer and director for Squid Brain Studios and as an illustration and character design instructor at AUArts. www.nick.ca Instagram/Twitter: @illustratednick
Maria Stoian (she//her) is an illustrator & comics artist based in Edinburgh. She is the author of the award-winning graphic novel Take it as a Compliment. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Nib and the anthology Drawing Power. www.mariastoian.com Instagram: @maria_stoian
Kat Simmers (they/them) is a Mohkinstsis (Calgary) based trans femme non-binary artist and author who works with comic media and street art. They were raised in Bashaw, Alberta. Co-Author & illustrator of the graphic novel series Pass Me By, their work explores identity and relationships to engage the public in conversations about queer identity and mental health. Their public works are spread through the Treaty 6 & 7 region in Mohkinstsis, the town of Bashaw, and as a participant in the international mural festival BUMP 2019 & 2020. www.katsimmers.com @Kat_Simmers
Ryan Danny Owen (they/ them) is a non-binary author, visual artist, and queer historian based in Treaty 7/ Calgary. Their work has been exhibited across Canada and they are co-creator of the award- winning Pass Me By series (with illustrator, Kat Simmers). @Rdannyowen www.Ryandannyowen.com
Corey Lansdell (he/him) is an Alberta born writer, illustrator, artist, animator & co-owner of animation studio Pulp Studios Inc. He is the cowriter of the upcoming all ages graphic novel, Ghoster Heights.Allan Whincup (he/him) was born and raised in Edmonton where he’s been working as an illustrator for over 20 years. He’s a big comics fan and lives in Middle-earth (mentally, at least). Currently working on How to Win the War on Truth, an illustrated guide to propaganda. www.AllanWhincup.com – Twitter or Instagram: @AllanWhincup
Jeff Martin (he/him) is an award-winning cartoonist from Edmonton. His works include the Hockeypocalyspe series of comics & his webcomic Hell,Inc.
Emma McCaul (she/her). Her work includes illustration, painting, mixed media, sculpture, & installations. Based in Calgary, Emma’s first colouring book, Animals of Alberta, was published in 2020. www.emmamccaul.comLuke Moore (He/Him) Calgary. His passion for storytelling extends to his career as a prop maker and set decorator for film. Above all he wants his work to inspire others to be creative.
Sean Seamus McWhinny (he/ him) is a cartoonist and illustrator based in San Francisco. Seamus’s family is from Alberta. Recently, he had a short piece published in COVID Chronicles: A Comics Anthology (Graphic Mundi) about his mother getting the virus. His single panel cartoons are in the 2022 winter issue of Alta Journal. Twitter: @seanseamus; Instagram: @seanseamusart; www.seaseamus.cominstagram
Chris “iamsidchurch” Michaud (he/him) was born in Westlock, AB. He lived in Edmonton before moving to Montreal.. His published work includes fiction, poetry, illustrations, & comics. His ongoing public space exhibition, Gutter Trash Romance, includes 950 prints made to commemorate the lives of the fallen members of SNFU. www.iamsidchurch.com @iamsidchurch
smoonie/Sylvia Moon (she/her) is a graphic designer by day, manga artist by night. She started with comics in the newspapers, and now it’s comics when she can. Twitter: @smoonie pixiv: smoonie
Aaron Navrady (he/him) Calgary. His current comics project is The Cold Fire, a medieval epic about a Norman Crusader who joins a company of knights tasked with pursuing heretics across the Alps during the Albigensian Crusade.
Shea Proulx (she/her) has two daughters and a husband who inspire her every day. She makes books that make children smarter, and make adults feel like they mixed up their kid gummies with their grown-up ones. Alice at Naptime and ABC Monstrosity, were both published by Renegade Arts and Entertainment.www.sheaproulx.ca Twitter/Instagram: @SheaProulx Etsy: sheaproulxartbooks
Lyndon Radchenka (he/him) is a writer, award-winning lettere from Winnipeg. He’s written Infinite Universe (with Steven Kaul,) and What Will Not Last (Kaul, Smith, Schuster, Chomichuk.) In 2020 he won the Sequential Magazine Award for “Favourite Letterer.” www.infinitestudio.ca Twitter: @radchenka – Instagram: @lradchenka
Josh Rose (he/him) is a writer and editor from Calgary. He has worked on comics such as Captain Canuck, & the award- winning series Auric of the Great White North which was turned into an award-winning beer by Full Beard Brewing Co.
Zach Schuster (he/him) Calgary based graduate from the Alberta College of Art and Design. Zach likes comics and board games, and is only afraid of spiders the normal amount. – www.zmschuster.com
Shannon M Reeves (she/they) from Clagary, is an illustrator, comic artist, & overall wiggly human. Shannon graduated from AUarts in 2020, but since it was during the pandemic it didn’t feel like a normal graduation. www.shannonmreeves.com Instagram: @Shan_doodles
Steven Charles Rosia (he/him) is a comic book artist & writer from Okotoks, Alberta. Rosiaworks primarily in traditional mediums specializing in ink washes, gouache, and coffee, to create comics and original illustrations ranging from bizzarro comedy to brutal horror. www.withoutatitle.com Instagram: @StevenRosia Twitter: @StevenRosia
Darryl Sinclair (she/they) is a queer artist and designer born in Calgary. As a kid, Darryl was often in trouble for drawing on bedsheets, getting paint in the carpet, and destroying garments to use for sewing projects. Since graduating AUArts in 2017, Darryl has had work in Arts Commons and Engender. They are currently a graphic designer at Sajak & Farki. Instagram: @darmeg
Simone Stehouwer (she/they) is a comic artist & illustrator based in Calgary. They graduated from the AUArts in 2021. They’re not sure if they believe in ghosts, but would be terrified if they met one. simonestehouwer.myportfolio.co m
Twitter/Instagram: @lordofnowhere_
Kelly Tindall (he/him) is a Shuster Award-nominated cartoonist best known for his pirate webcomic Strangebeard & diary strip The Adventurers. Formerly an Edmontonian & Calgarian, he now lives in Montreal.
Twitter: @kellytindall Instagram: @mrkellytindall
Facebook: facebook.com/ kellytindall
Savannah Tries (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist living in Edmonton (amiskwaciwâskahikan) on Treaty 6 territory. Her art has been featured in publications by Bed Zine and the Society for Northern Alberta Print-Artists. Instagram: @savannahtriesart
Twitter: @savannahtries
Christopher Twin (he/him) is a comic creator in Edmonton. He studied Writing & Fine Art at Grant MacEwan University. He makes horror, Sci-Fi & fantasy comics.
Email: ctwin23@yahoo.ca Instagram: @ctwincomics
Zachary Wild (he/him) is an Albertan comic creator who eats, sleeps and breathes comics. From the first moment he picked up a comic at the age of six, he has single-mindedly pursued a career in comics with near zealot-like enthusiasm. www.artstation.com/ zacharywildart Twitter: @Zacharywildart Instagram: @Zacharywildart
Sho Legaspi Uehara (he/him) is a cartoonist and freelance illustrator born in Calgary. People often ask where he comes from or what he is (which is tiresome and a bit odd but he gets it, sort of). For those wondering, he is a mixed race Asian Canadian. Half- Okinawan, half-Filipino and Canadian through and through.Website: shouehara.com
Teresa Wong (she/her) is the author of the graphic memoir Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression, a finalist for The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and longlisted for CBC Canada Reads 2020.
For CBC coverage of the anthology, and a radio interview with contributor Kat Simmers, click here.
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