Cartoon Crossroads Columbus

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus
StatusActive
GenreComics
Frequencyannual
VenueMultiple Ohio State University and downtown Columbus venues
Location(s)Columbus, Ohio
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2015
FoundersJeff Smith, Lucy Shelton Caswell, Vijaya Iyer
Most recentSept. 27–Oct. 1, 2023
Next eventSept. 26–29, 2024
Executive DirectorJay Kalagayan
Websitecartooncrossroadscolumbus.com

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) is an annual, free, four-day celebration of cartooning and graphic novels held in Columbus, Ohio.[1] Venues for the festival include Ohio State University's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Hale Hall, and the Wexner Center for the Arts; and downtown Columbus' Columbus Metropolitan Library, the Columbus Museum of Art, and the Columbus College of Art and Design.

CXC is held in the spirit of European conventions like the Angoulême International Comics Festival.[2] As such, it is focused on the art and literature of the comics form, and only minimally on related pop-culture expression and merchandising. The show tends to highlight the "alternative comics" genre, as opposed to the work of "mainstream" publishers like DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Cosplaying is rarely if ever a feature of CXC. In addition to the "CXC Expo and Marketplace" (held in the Columbus Metropolitan Library),[3] CXC features art exhibits, animation screenings, panel discussions, and workshops.

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus gives out an annual Emerging Artist Prize; the CXC has also distributed Master Cartoonist awards and a Transformative Work Award, and since 2021 the Tom Spurgeon Award.

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus was founded in 2015 by, among others, Columbus-based cartoonist Jeff Smith.[4][5] Smith serves as the festival's president and artistic director.[2] Tom Spurgeon served as executive director until his death in November 2019.[5] The current executive director is Jay Kalagayan.[6]

CXC is held in conjunction each year with SÕL-CON: The Brown And Black Comics Expo, also held in Columbus, founded in 2015 by comics scholars Frederick Aldama, John Jennings, and Ricardo Padilla.

  1. ^ "Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC)". Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Cavna, Michael. "‘Bone’ cartoonist aims to help create the South by Southwest of comics," Washington Post (Oct. 14, 2016).
  3. ^ McIntosh, Justin. "The List: Five events worth scoping out at CXC," Columbus Alive (Sep 24, 2019).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Johnson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Arrant, Chris. "JEFF SMITH Hopes To Make Columbus, Ohio a Comic Book ‘Destination’ With New Convention,", Newsarama (June 18, 2015).
  6. ^ "CXC Names Experienced Nonprofit Leader as Executive Director," CXC website (Feb. 28, 2022).