Boise Comic Arts Festival

Date and Time for this Past Event

Fri, Sep 18, 2020 - Sat, Sep 19, 2020 Virtual

Details

Boise Comic Arts Festival inspires creators of all ages, cultivates a comics community, showcases local and international artists, and creates opportunities for discovery and collaboration. For the health and safety of our community, we’ve decided to shift the Boise Comic Arts Festival (BCAF) 2020 from an in-person event to a virtual event this year.

Gaming Sessions Online
Tabletop roleplaying games are back for the Boise Comic Arts Festival 2020! The dice are digital, but the fun hasn’t changed. Bring your friends or make some new ones as you have an adventure and tell a story together! We have the following sessions available:

September 15 at 6 p.m. - Dungeons & Dragons
September 16 at 4 p.m. - Dungeons & Dragons (teens only)
September 17 at 6 p.m. - Monster of the Week
September 18 at 4 p.m. - Monster of the Week (teens only)
No experience necessary. Sessions will take two hours, and we’ll play online using Zoom and Roll20.net. Players will need to create accounts for both services but doing so is free. Seating for these sessions are limited, so register on our online calendar to reserve your seat.

Panel Discussions & Workshops Online

We’re hosting online panel discussions on Saturday, September 19 for this year’s event. All panels will be hosted on Zoom and are FREE to attend, but registration is required.

Kids, Let’s Draw Comics! - 11:00 a.m. – Hey kids! The creator of Phoebe and Her Unicorn, Dana Simpson, knows a lot about drawing comics… and wants to share what she knows with you. Limber up your drawing hand and drop in for a fun and casual workshop all about making comics. Kids, (and their accompanying adults) of any skill level are welcome. Click here to register.
Fantasy/SciFi Roundtable - 12:00 p.m. – Join local Fantasy and SciFi authors L.L. Bower, Summer Kiska, Heather Lee Dyer, J.C. Jackson, and Lucinda Moebius as they meet up to talk about their work and influences in this panel. They'll also be doing some “readers advisory” for fans; recommending books, movies, and television that they’ve been enjoying. Click here to register.
Comics in the Time of COVID - 1:00 p.m. – As everyone knows, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected people’s lives and work in profound ways. This applies to comics creators and the comics industry as well. We’ll be talking with creators Morgan Beem and Jorge Corona about the impacts that the last few months have had on their work, their lives, and the medium of comics. This panel will also explore what the future of comics might look like, and how art and creative acts can serve as much needed relief from current events. Click here to register.
Introduction to Saber Guild with Ossus Temple - 2:00 p.m. – Lightsaber wielders and force users unite! The Ossus Temple Saber Guild will be hosting a Star Wars panel in a virtual galaxy far, far, away. Saber Guild was formed in 2006 as a lightsaber choreography group and a Lucas Films charity group. They'll be discussing what Saber Guild is, Star Wars costuming, and fight scene choreography. Click here to register.
Draw Maps, Leave Blanks - 3:00 p.m. – Join Boise Public Library staff and guests for a panel about how players and Dungeon Masters (DMs) use art to enhance their Role-Playing Game (RPG) experiences. Drawing maps, using custom character sheets, and a variety of game art enhancements will be discussed. Click here to register.
Guest Creators
Dana Simpson - danasimpson.com

Dana Simpson first caught the eyes of comics readers with the webcomic Ozy and Millie. After winning the 2009 Comic Strip Superstar contest, she developed the syndicated strip Phoebe and Her Unicorn.

There are now nine books in the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series, soon to be ten with the October 8 publication of the latest, The Unicorn Whisperer. Ozy and Millie have a book, too.

To date, she’s sold more than a million books, made the New York Times bestseller list, and won the Washington State Book Award and the Pacific Northwest Book Award. She lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Morgan Beem - https://www.morganbeemart.com/

Morgan Beem is a freelance comic artist and illustrator who works predominantly with ink and watercolor. Her work includes The Family Trade, Adventure Time, Planet of the Apes, and a number of anthologies. Currently she’s working on a brand-new Swamp Thing young adult graphic novel for DC Comics. She is also a donut and whiskey enthusiast.

Jorge Corona - https://www.instagram.com/jorge_cor

Jorge Corona is a Venezuelan sequential artist, writer, and illustrator. He’s the winner of the 2015 Russ Manning Award. His work includes We are… Robin, Nightwing, and The Flash for DC Comics; Big Trouble in Little China, Adventure Time, Jim Henson’s Storyteller, among others for BOOM! Entertainment; as well as co-creator of Goners and Number One With a Bullet (Nominated for the 2018 Eisner Awards for Best Cover Artist) alongside Jacob Semahn, for Image Comics, and creator of Feathers, his all ages dark fantasy, for Archaia Entertainment.

He is also the illustrator and co-creator of the recently completed Image Comic Middlewest with writer Skottie Young. Jorge now lives in Denver, CO with his wife and fellow artist Morgan Beem.

Virtual Contests
As part of the virtual event this year, we had four online contests as described below. The contests are now closed, and we hope to share the winners soon.

Cosplay contest – The Cosplay Contest is going virtual this year and is your chance to show off your costume making skills and creativity. Your costume could win you fame, glory, and of course – prizes! Click here for official cosplay contest rules and instructions.
Pet cosplay contest – Last year we hosted our first Dog Cosplay Contest. This year, we’re opening it up to all pets! Dress up your pup, kitty, bunny, chicken or any other pet you have in a creative costume that portrays your pet as a hero or a villain. Whether your pet is here to save the day or is the baddest boss in the universe, we want to see them! Click here for official pet cosplay contest rules and instructions.
Comic re-creation challenge – This year has forced us all to get creative and we want to see your skills! Recreate a favorite comic book cover or panel image using only the things you already have around your house. Click here for official comic re-creation challenge rules and instructions.
Need some ideas? Check out some amazing recreations from the Getty’s social media art challenge.
Comic creation contest – The Original Comic Creation Contest is your chance to show-off your comic crafting skills by creating a single page of comics to express an idea, set a scene or mood, introduce a character, or tell a story. Click here for official comic creation contest rules and instructions.