Comic Arts Brooklyn is a comics festival devised by Gabe Fowler of Desert Island Comics and hosted by Pratt University. Since its conception CAB has stood out as one of the most exciting events of the year, not just for comics, but for small publishing and visual art as a whole. The oppressive crowds of Comic Con come nowhere near CAB. The atmosphere is laid back and inviting. You get the feeling that you could actually strike up a friendship with the artists there, despite the fact that CAB attracts big names.

This year Parsons is heavily featured. Two headline guests, Mark Newgarden and Mathew Thurber are part of our Illustration faculty. They both recently published highly anticipated books. How to Read Nancy and Art Comic respectively. Both these books directly link to their work at Parsons, which deals with graphic narrative. Mathew Thurber will Talk about the making of Art Comic and what it’s like to write about your own experiences in a fictionalized context. Mark Newgarden will present a curated selection of 20th century film stock from his collection.

A Print by Parsons Alum Mei Kanamoto

Book art by Parsons Senior Lydia Mamalis

Parsons Alumni Angela Chen, Mei Kanamoto, Arta Ajeti, and Dakota Nicklaus will all be tabling too, alongside BFA Illustration seniors Clair Gunther and Lydia Mamalis.